The medial lemniscus is a ribbon of white matter that carries fine touch, vibration and position sense from the opposite side of the body up through the brainstem to the thalamus. It begins when fibres from the gracile and cuneate nuclei cross the midline in the lower medulla.
| Location | Brainstem from the lower medulla to the thalamus: near the midline in the medulla, horizontal in the pons, and moving laterally in the midbrain |
|---|---|
| Parts |
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| Connections | |
| Blood Supply | Anterior spinal artery (medulla); Paramedian branches of the basilar artery (pons); Posterior cerebral artery branches (midbrain) |
Conveys discriminative touch, vibration and conscious proprioception from the opposite side of the body to the thalamus.
A lesion of the medial lemniscus anywhere in the brainstem causes loss of vibration and position sense on the opposite side of the body. In medial medullary syndrome it is damaged with the pyramid and hypoglossal nerve. Wernekinck syndrome and other midline brainstem strokes may also involve it.
Loss of vibration and joint position sense on the opposite side of the body after a brainstem lesion of the medial lemniscus.
Infarction affecting the pyramid, medial lemniscus and hypoglossal fibres, causing hemiplegia, sensory loss and tongue weakness.
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