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Medical Definition of Tractus tectospinalis
1. A bundle of thick, heavily myelinated fibres originating in the deep layers of the superior colliculus, crossing to the opposite side in the dorsal tegmental decussation, descending along the median plane, between the medial longitudinal fasciculus dorsally, the medial lemniscus ventrally, into the anterior funiculus of the spinal cord. The tract ends in the medial region of the anterior horn of the cervical spinal cord, and appears to be involved in head movements during visual and auditory tracking. Throughout its course in the brainstem it is accompanied by fibres of the tectobulbar tract. Synonym: tractus tectospinalis, Held's bundle, Loewenthal's bundle, Loewenthal's tract, Marchi's tract, predorsal bundle. (05 Mar 2000)