The vestibulospinal tracts carry balance signals from the vestibular nuclei down the spinal cord. The lateral tract, from the lateral vestibular (Deiters) nucleus, drives the antigravity extensor muscles of the trunk and legs on the same side. The medial tract, from the medial vestibular nucleus, runs in the MLF to the cervical cord and controls head position.
| Location | Anterior funiculus of the spinal cord; the lateral tract runs the full length of the cord, the medial tract mainly in the cervical and upper thoracic cord |
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| Connections |
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| Blood Supply | Anterior spinal artery |
Maintain upright posture and balance by activating antigravity muscles and stabilise the head in response to head movement.
After lesions above the vestibular nuclei but below the red nucleus, unopposed vestibulospinal activity is thought to contribute to decerebrate posturing with rigid extension of all limbs. The vestibulospinal reflexes underlie the falling toward the affected side in acute vestibular disorders and are tested by gait and Romberg examination.
Extension of the arms and legs after severe brainstem injury, attributed in part to unopposed vestibulospinal and reticulospinal activity.
Unsteadiness and falls from loss of normal vestibulospinal reflexes after inner ear or vestibular nucleus damage.
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