The spinal trigeminal nucleus is a long column of sensory neurons extending from the pons down into the upper cervical spinal cord. It receives pain and temperature fibres from the face through the descending spinal trigeminal tract. Its lowest part is continuous with the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.
| Location | Lateral brainstem tegmentum from the mid pons to about C2-C3, medial to the spinal trigeminal tract |
|---|---|
| Parts |
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| Connections |
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| Blood Supply | Posterior inferior cerebellar artery; Vertebral artery branches; Anterior inferior cerebellar artery |
Processes pain, temperature and crude touch from the face, mouth and parts of the ear, and relays it to the thalamus.
In lateral medullary syndrome, damage to the spinal trigeminal tract and nucleus causes loss of pain and temperature on the same side of the face, while the spinothalamic tract lesion causes loss on the opposite side of the body. Convergence of neck and trigeminal input in the trigeminocervical complex explains why neck problems can refer pain to the head (cervicogenic headache).
Loss of pain and temperature sensation on the same side of the face from a lateral medullary lesion of the spinal trigeminal tract and nucleus.
Head pain referred from upper neck structures through convergence onto the trigeminocervical part of this nucleus.
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