Medulla oblongata

Summary

The medulla oblongata or simply medulla is a long stem-like structure which makes up the lower part of the brainstem. It is anterior and partially inferior to the cerebellum. It is a cone-shaped neuronal mass responsible for autonomic (involuntary) functions, ranging from vomiting to sneezing. The medulla contains the cardiac, respiratory, vomiting and vasomotor centers, and therefore deals with the autonomic functions of breathing, heart rate and blood pressure as well as the sleep–wake cycle. During embryonic development, the medulla oblongata develops from the myelencephalon. The myelencephalon is a secondary vesicle which forms during the maturation of the rhombencephalon, also referred to as the hindbrain. The bulb is an archaic term for the medulla oblongata. In modern clinical usage, the word bulbar (as in bulbar palsy) is retained for terms that relate to the medulla oblongata, particularly in reference to medical conditions. The word bulbar

Official source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medulla_oblongata

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Brainstem Correlates of a Cold Pressor Test Measured by Ultra-High Field fMRI

Sandra Elisabete Borges da Costa, Domenica Bueti, Fatma Megdiche, Olivier Benoit Thomas Reynaud, Dimitri Nestor Alice Van De Ville

Introduction Modern imaging techniques such as blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allow the non-invasive and indirect measurement of brain activity. Whether changes in signal intensity can be detected in small brainstem regions during a cold pressor test (CPT) has not been explored thoroughly. The aim of this study was to measure whole brain and brainstem BOLD signal intensity changes in response to a modified CPT. Methods BOLD fMRI was measured in healthy normotensive participants during a randomized crossover study (modified CPT vs. control test) using ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI scanner. Data were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) in a whole-brain approach, and with a brainstem-specific analysis using the spatially unbiased infra-tentorial template (SUIT) toolbox. Blood pressure (BP) and hormonal responses (norepinephrine and epinephrine levels) were also measured. Paired t-test statistics were used to compare conditions. Results Eleven participants (six women, mean age 28 +/- 8.9 years) were analyzed. Mean arterial BP increased from 83 +/- 12 mm Hg to 87 +/- 12 mm Hg (p = 0.0009) during the CPT. Whole-brain analysis revealed significant activations linked to the CPT in the right supplementary motor cortex, midcingulate (bilateral) and the right anterior insular cortex. The brainstem-specific analysis showed significant activations in the dorsal medulla. Conclusion Changes in BOLD fMRI signal intensity in brainstem regions during a CPT can be detected, and show an increased response during a cold stress in healthy volunteers. Consequently, BOLD fMRI at 7T is a promising tool to explore and acquire new insights in the comprehension of neurogenic hypertension.

2020

Direct in vivo measurement of glycine and the neurochemical profile in the rat medulla oblongata

João Miguel das Neves Duarte, Giulio Gambarota, Rolf Gruetter, Lijing Xin

The medulla oblongata (MO) contains a high density of glycinergic synapses and a particularly high concentration of glycine The aims of this study were to measure directly in vivo the neurochemical profile, including glycine, in MO using a spin-echo-based H-1 MRS sequence at TE = 2 8 ms and to compare it with three other brain regions (cortex, striatum and hippocampus) in the rat Glycine was quantified in MO at TE = 2 8 ms with a Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRIB) of approximately 5% As a result of the relatively low level of glycine in the other three regions, the measurement of glycine was performed at TE = 20 ms, which provides a favorable J-modulation of overlapping myo-inositol resonance The other 14 metabolites composing the neurochemical profile were quantified in vivo in MO with CRLBs below 25% Absolute concentrations of metabolites in MO, such as glutamate, glutamine, gamma-aminobutyrate, taurine and glycine, were in the range of previous in vitro quantifications in tissue extracts Compared with the other regions, MO had a three-fold higher glycine concentration, and was characterised by reduced (p < 0 001) concentrations of glutamate (-50 +/- 4%), glutamine (-54 +/- 3%) and taurine (-78 +/- 3%) This study suggests that the functional specialisation of distinct brain regions is reflected in the neurochemical profile Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Wiley-Blackwell2010

Glycine Tissue Level in Medulla Oblongata Measured in vivo with 1H MRS at 9.4 T in Rat Brain

João Miguel das Neves Duarte, Giulio Gambarota, Rolf Gruetter, Lijing Xin

2009