Median forebrain bundle (MFB)

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Done

General

  • A central component of the mesolimbic dopamine reward system known to be dysfunctional in affective disorders, addiction and learning

Main trunk

  • The MFB originates from deep cerebellar nuclei, traverses to superior cerebellar peduncle and reaches the ventral tegmental area.
  • connection between cerebellar dentate nucleus (DN) and red nucleus (RN)

Two branches

  • inferomedial branch
    • Goes anteriorly to the lateral hypothalamus
    • Correspond to
      • Mamillotegmental tract
  • Superolateral branch
    • Goes to the anterior frontal regions passing through the anterior limb of internal capsule (aLIC) along with anterior thalamic radiation (ATR)

Connects: Septal area to brain stem via hypothalamus

  • Ventral tegmental area (VTA)
  • Lateral and medial hypothalamus
  • Sublenticular regions
  • Lateral and medial preoptic region
  • The diagonal band
  • The ventral striatum(VS)
  • NAc
  • Septal area
  • ?? Olfactory bulb

The bundle is formed (possibly) from the following tract

  • Hypothalamospinal tract
    • Originates in the ciliospinal center of the interomediolateral cell column and goes through the lateral funiculus and tegmental area of the medulla, pons and midbrain and reaches to the hypothalamus

Image

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