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Know Your Brain: Medulla Oblongata

For most of the 18th century, the medulla oblongata was thought to simply be an extension of the spinal cord without any distinct functions of its own. This changed in 1806, when Julien-Jean-Cesar Legallois found that he could remove the cortex and cerebellum of rabbits and they would continue to breathe. When he removed a specific section of the medulla, however, respiration stopped immediately. Legallois had found what he believed to be a "respiratory center" in the medulla, and soon after the medulla was considered to be a center of vital functions (i.e. functions necessary for survival).

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Articles of Interest

Is There A Problem With Your Medulla Oblongata???!

In my few recent blog entries, I've mentioned that I just haven't exactly felt like blogging very much lately. Part of the problem is that I think I'm in a bit of a rut and you (meaning everyone in general) are just getting on my nerves.Is it just my imagination, or has everyone's I.Q. dropped by a couple of dozen points recently? No matter where I go, it just seems that everyone annoys me to no end.

Lateral Medullary Syndrome

Lateral medullary syndrome (LMS), also called Wallenberg syndrome or posterior inferior cerebellar artery syndrome results from a vascular event in the lateral part of the medulla oblongata. It was named after Adolf Wallenberg (1862-1949), who was a renowned Jewish neurologist and neuroanatomist who practiced in Germany. He first reported the case of LMS.

Midbrain, Pons, and Medulla: Anatomy and Syndromes

Brainstem syndromes are usually due to vascular occlusion of branches of the posterior circulation or mass effect secondary to space-occupying lesions. Knowledge of the complex function and anatomy of this region is key to understanding the wide spectrum of disease.

The Medulla Oblongata

The superior margin of the medulla is located at the junction between the medulla and pons, while the inferior margin is marked by the origin of the first pair of cervical spinal nerves. This occurs just as the medulla exits the skull through the foramen magnum.

The medulla oblongata: The vital center for descending modulation

The medulla oblongata is classically termed the vital center for life with its critical involvement in cardiovascular and respiratory controls. It is not surprising that the structures that are vital for pain modulation are also located in the medulla to facilitate interactions between somatosensory and autonomic regulation.

“Bones in the Medulla Oblongata?”—A Case Report of Intracranial Teratoma and Review of the Literature

Teratoma in the medulla oblongata is extremely infrequent and has been rarely reported. Severe and sustained brain stem compression resulting from these granitic tumors may cause potentially fatal impairment.

Resources

KenHub

Medulla oblongata is the terminal part of the brainstem. It sits in the posterior cranial fossa, below the tentorium cerebelli. The rostral medulla is continuous with the pons superiorly, with which it forms the pontomedullary junction. The caudal medulla continues onto the spinal cord inferiorly, just above the origin of the first pair of the cervical spinal nerves.

Radiopaedia

The medulla oblongata (or simply the medulla) is the most caudal part of the brainstem between the pons superiorly and spinal cord inferiorly. It is the transition from the spinal cord to the brain. The medulla contains the vital autonomic cardiovascular and respiratory centres controlling heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. It is composed of grey matter, cranial nerve (CN) nuclei IX to XII, and white matter tracts.

StatPearls

The medulla oblongata is the connection between the brainstem and the spinal cord, carrying multiple important functional centers. It is comprised of the cardiovascular-respiratory regulation system, descending motor tracts, ascending sensory tracts, and origin of cranial nerves IX, X, XI, and XII. Motor neurons cross from the left motor cortex to the right side of the spinal cord in the medulla. The medulla is the most caudal aspect of the brainstem, approximately at the level of the foramen magnum.