Neuroanatomy, Tectospinal Tract

Excerpt

The tectospinal tract is part of the extrapyramidal system of the long descending motor pathway. It is involved in orienting the eyes and the head towards sounds as part of the auditory and visual reflex. It originates from the superior colliculus, which is involved in both the auditory and visual pathways. The tectospinal tract is well developed in other animals, such as the cat, but appears to have a lesser role in humans and is not well understood.