Knowing this and knowing what motor nuclei are or are not functioning allow you to predict what area of the brain stem is affected in a patient with a neurologic problem. The axons leave the cord by forging their way across the white matter to exit halfway between the dorsal and ventral roots. They correspond to motor nuclei in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. The dorsal motor nucleus of X is a collection of preganglionic parasympathetic cell bodies. Pons proper is important in cerebellar function.
Dorsal pons is the region between pons proper and the ventricle floor.
This part of the pons is referred to as the pontine tegmentum. Within the tegmentum are the cranial nerve nuclei and the reticular formation. The pyramids are a continuation of certain axonal tracts or fascicles located in pons proper. At this point, focus on the pontine tegmentum. It corresponds in position to the nucleus ambiguus .