Synonyms
Definition
Nucleus in the dorsolateral portion of the medulla that receives sensory information likely from touch, pressure, and stretch receptors in the upper extremities. It gives rise to the cuneocerebellar tract which enters the cerebellum via the inferior cerebellar peduncle. The accessory cuneate nucleus is thought to be the equivalent of the dorsal nucleus of Clarke in the lumbar, thoracic, and lower cervical cord which is the source of the dorsal spinocerebellar tract. These nuclei and tracts provide unconscious (as opposed to “conscious”) sensory feedback to the cerebellum in its regulation of individual muscles. Lesions of this nucleus might be expected to produce cerebellar type symptoms of the ipsilateral upper extremity (i.e., ataxia/incoordination of movement), but it is relatively small and isolated lesions are likely to be extremely rare.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Mendoza, .E. (2017). Accessory Cuneate Nucleus. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_694-2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_694-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences