pretectal area

(redirected from pretectal region)

pre·tec·tal ar·e·a

[TA]

a narrow, transversely oriented rostral zone of the mesencephalic tectum, bounded caudally by the superior colliculus, rostrally by the habenular trigone, and laterally by the pulvinar thalami; the pretectal area contains several nuclei that receive fibers from the optic tract; it has bilateral efferent connections with the Edinger-Westphal nucleus of the oculomotor nuclear complex by way of which it mediates the pupillary light reflex.

Synonym(s): pretectal region, pretectum

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

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Changes in the sympathetic or parasympathetic tone (neuronal activity) are brought up by changes via reflex mechanism (as in pupillary light reflex), emotional changes affecting the limbic system and the diencephalon specifically the hypothalamus, and the modulation of the neuronal activity in the midbrain specifically pretectal region and the Edinger-Westphal nucleus (accessory oculomotor nucleus).

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The effects of Cd seemed to extend to other areas of the brain, namely, the anterior part of the nucleus glomerulosus (NGa; Figure 2c) of the diencephalic pretectal region that is involved, via mesencephalic circuits, with the regulation of visual motor functions in teleosts (Kaslin and Panula 2001).

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