|
Medical Definition of Dorsal vagal nucleus
1. The visceral motor nucleus located in the vagal trigone (ala cinerea) of the floor of the fourth ventricle. It gives rise to the parasympathetic fibres of the vagus nerve innervating the heart muscle and the smooth musculature and glands of the respiratory and intestinal tracts. Synonym: nucleus dorsalis nervi vagi, dorsal motor nucleus of vagus, dorsal nucleus of vagus, dorsal vagal nucleus, nucleus alae cinereae. (05 Mar 2000)