Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Intrapontine Facial Nerve
Intrapontine Facial Nerve
(eu surfa(elr-
Rlestiform 1odv
n Alil~~~~~lNfthlerv
hIlerior- .. - -
- ~~~~~~~Middle
21. >4 1.dlr
Xtllt lnerve
Fig. 3.
5-2
68 E. Vernon
At this point, it was found more convenient to turn to that part of the
root of the VIIth nerve lying in the floor of the IVth ventricle. The genu of
the root was first isolated at the cephalic end of the facial eminence by
stripping away the overlying ependyma. From this point the " second " part,
or ascending portion of the root, was traced caudally, until, just cephalic to
the striae acusticae, it sank deeply into the tegmentum of the pons, as the
" first" part.
Again, from the genu the emerging root was traced across the floor of the
ventricle to the fovea superior. The superior and inferior cerebellar peduncles
were then separated, and sufficient cut off each to allow the two parts, so far
disclosed, to be connected up (fig. 3).
VIIth nerve,
2nd part
VIth nucleus -
-IJ ~
Spinal tract of
VIIth nerve, 4th part - Vth nerve
VI1th nucleus'
VIIth nerve, 5th part- Sup. olive
rN X9 v w _ Root fibres of
VIth nerve
follows.
(fig. 5).
the
thspitb3h
producedat~
~ ~ ~ V I (1,|Z.
2tidd
vir
ET. Vernon
In these dissections this was found not to be so. The nerve bundle pursued
a devious but definite course with regard to its neighbouring structures, as
Uventrilerinritsmore 'a~~~i.11J
etfr
z oion
\
oy
i<
hc
[doral
l t i
om the
platea
At the fovea superior, the nerve bundle left the floor of the ventricle by
passing through a roughly triangular interval in its wall. This interval was
produced at this point by the restiform body, which forms the lateral wall of
the ventricle in its more caudal portion, turning dorsally to become the
inferior cerebellar peduncle. Thus, in passing through this exit, the facial root
lay ventro-caudal to the superior cerebellar peduncle, and ventro-cephalic to
the commencement of the inferior cerebellar peduncle.
b the
alo
Motor Root of the Facial Nerve 71
At this point, the emergent root turned ventrally and laterally and sank
through the reticular formation, medial to the middle cerebellar peduncle.
Towards the end of this part, the root passed between the spinal tract of the
Vth nerve laterally, and its own nucleus of origin medially. Immediately after
passing these two structures, the facial root met the mass of the middle
cerebellar peduncle and in consequence suffered a further change of direction.
The length of this part of the nerve averaged 4 mm. (fig. 6).
.1'alioal
C I(D II(l](
\ 'llh
11 bars
t(n
21141 part
< - ^----
~~~
--
;i
be
111
ID
~~
e4rf
t t t +* +
0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0
4)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
+ +t + + +t
4.
++ r
.--..-.--~~~ w44
m +
.
U,
--
0CuU)Q
e 'Q'0"
C)
be
S
U)
.-
Cub
..
4
4
C.)
oC
u
,
4:-.
73
mi~~~~~~~~~~~4 4)1 1, 1 1
.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" Cu .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b 4n
74 E. Vernon
Then, having reached a position close to the mid-line, the VIIth nucleus
moved caudally to the caudal end of the VIth nucleus, and eventually sank
ventrally and laterally into its adult position close to the spinal nucleus of
the trigeminal and the superior olive (fig. 7 C).
Thus a nucleus, starting from a position just beyond the genu of the adult
facial root and travelling along the path described above, would leave its
emergent fibres with a course corresponding to the first and second parts of
the facial root.
The acute angle of the genu may be explained by the slight cephalic
movement of the abducens nucleus which is said to occur (Streeter and Elliot
Smith (5, 4)) towards its principal source of stimulation-the tegmental nuclei.
The third part of the facial root is the oldest part of the central course of
the VIIth nerve and represents the path of the emergent fibres, arising from
the VIIth nucleus in its original position, and passing to a lateral origin from
the brain stem, as in fishes and amphibians (figs. 7 A and 8 A).
A
Ventro-caula originS .
B-C' 5t1h part
As the cerebellum and its peduncles developed, this lateral origin became
bounded, cephalically by the superior peduncle, and caudally by the inferior
peduncle, while the middle peduncle came to overlie the lateral exit of the
nerve, thus ventroflexing it at this point and applying it to the lateral surface
of the brain stem. Thus in mammals the nerve has a ventral point of emergence
from the brain and the root has now a fourth part (fig. 8 B).
In the human brain, the cerebro-cerebellar connections are multiplied and
in consequence the pons has undergone a considerable increase in size. The
facial nerve, which in mammals made its exit at the caudal border of the pons,
has now been pushed still further caudally by the rapid expansion of the
pons, until in the adult human brain its superficial origin is ventro-caudal to
Motor Root of the Facial Nerve 75
its earlier mammalian position, which is now represented by the flexure
between the fourth and fifth parts of the root (fig. 8 C).
Thus the several parts of the adult intrapontine root of the facial nerve
have positions and relations which have been determined by developmental
changes, either in the position of the nucleus of origin, or in the architecture
of the pons as a whole.
SUMMARY
1. The intrapontine course of the motor root of the facial nerve shows an
anatomical division into five parts.
2. These five parts are marked off by well-defined flexures which occur at
points where the presence of other structures necessitates a change in direction.
3. It is suggested that the course of the first two parts only is to be
explained by neurobiotactic migration of the facial nucleus.
4. It is suggested also, that the explanation for the course of the remaining
three parts is to be sought in the developmental history of the pons itself.
My sincerest thanks are due to Prof. J. S. B. Stopford for the kind interest
he has shown in this work.
REFERENCES
(1) ARIENS KAPPERS, C. U. (1929). Evolution of the Nervous System, pp. 10-12, 167-9.
(2) HERRICK, C. J. (1922). Introduction to Neurology, pp. 160, 162, 168.
(3) MENDEL, E. (1887). "Ueber den Ursprung des oberen (Augen) Facialis." Trans. 9th Int.
Med. Cong. Washington, vol. v, pp. 311-13.
(4) SMITH, G. ELLIOT (1922). "Nervous system." Cunningham, D. J., Text-book of Anatomy,
pp. 550, 567, 596.
(5) STREETER, G. L. (1912). "Development of the nervous system." Keibel and Mall, Manual
o Human Embryology, vol. II, pp. 136-9.