Definition
The trapezoid body is an internal transverse pathway in the caudal pons, just dorsal to the pontine nuclei and ventral to the medial lemnisci, carrying decussating auditory fibers from the ventral cochlear nuclei on one side of the brainstem to the superior olivary nuclei on the other. Not all auditory fibers from the cochlear nuclei decussate; some remain ipsilateral as they ascend in the auditory pathways. This partial decussation is believed to aid in sound localization, and the latter may be adversely affected by lesions to this area. However, depending on the size of the lesion, the nearby structures (particularly the medial lemniscus) are also likely to be involved, resulting in more obvious disturbances of contralateral proprioception and fine tactual discrimination.
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Mendoza, J.E. (2018). Trapezoid Body. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_807
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_807
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