Talk:Reticular formation

Any
Any objection to splitting out of the content on this page into individual nuclei? --Arcadian 12:42, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Very nice article so far..
Is it just me or is this article pretty well put together? I mean, it seems to be very accessable and down to earth while explaining some good info. Rhetth 16:51, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm changing the introduction for precision. "It is absolutely essential for the basic functions of life and is phylogenetically one of the oldest portions of the brain." Absolutely essential is redundant. Also, plants, bacteria, starfish, ect. don't have a Reticular formation, yet they have life. Thus I will change it to: "It is essential for governing some of the basic functions of higher organisms, while being phylogenetically one of the oldest portions of the brain."Niubrad 07:51, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Also, I don't really know if "lying down" has much to do the Reticular formation. Lying down is more of a motor process.Niubrad 21:05, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

-=-=-=- It could use a picture of it in context. A saggital section of the whole head. An undergrad looking at the diagrams would not get that it's in the brainstem. 130.64.93.229 (talk) 02:28, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

Introversion & Extroversion
I deleted the paragraph about introversion and extroversion. I could not find evidence to support this. I am aware of Eysenck and his theories, but his work does not support this claim. If anyone can find a neuroscience article regarding this, it would be importance to include it. Chaldor (talk) 04:36, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Medullary vs. Pontine Reticular Formation
According to my neuro course packet (Timothy J. Ebner, M.D., Ph.D., head of the department of neuroscience at the University of Minnesota) the reticular formation plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle tone. In this context the reticular formation is divided into pontine and medullary components. Here are his words:

"The reticulospinal tract can increase / decrease gamma-motoneuron activity and alpha motoneuron activity. For example, an increase in gamma motoneuron activity leads to firing of muscle spindles which in turn activates alpha-motoneurons. Reticulospinal tracts are the major descending systems  controlling gamma-motoneurons. Two systems from: 1. Pontine reticular formation (excitatory) and medullary reticular formation (inhibitory). They are controlled by the motor cortex; this explains the tone/reflex motor changes in upper motor neuron syndrome."

These are Ebner's words. Do not post them. Maybe I'll get the time to rephrase them and put them up. Anyone else is welcome to do it in the meantime. I've been studying for the past 12 hours so I wanted somebody else to see and think about any edits I might make before I actually make them because they could be some nonsensical garbage coming out of my addled mind.

Abe (talk) 04:06, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

More Detail/Resources Needed for "Functions"
This is a decent start but in order to appreciate the function of the reticular nuclei and projections, a more substantive literature search is needed. The emphasis should be placed on the RF integration with the Thalamus in controlling the alert state - with an emphasis on the ACh, NE, DOPA, Serotonin, and Orexin NTs involved in these two systems and how they interact much like the more well studied sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.54.155.108 (talk) 04:15, 10 May 2010 (UTC)

Not Kandel
If this article is referring to the Kandel edited Principles of Neural Science, ed 4 then the chapter I think is being referenced here (Chapter 44: Brain Stem, Reflexive Behavior, and the Cranial Nerves) is actually written by a Clifford B. Saper. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.164.77.69 (talk) 17:06, 22 March 2011 (UTC)

Division
The synopsis lists the reticular formation as a part of the pons, ("...is a region in the pons...") while this link:(http://www.psych.ualberta.ca/~ITL/brain/module1.htm) lists it as a separate portion of the brain adjacent to the pons. Is this like saying the finger is part of the hand, or are they two separate areas? 61.170.255.148 (talk) 03:25, 11 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I don't see 'adjacent to' there at all. It does say that the reticular formation is, "...a diffuse network of nuclei and axons that extends from the lower parts of the medulla to the higher regions of the midbrain.";  so the R.F. is made up of neuron cell bodies scattered throughout the white matter of the brain-stem, and in that sense is a part of three contiguous parts of the brain-stem.UnderEducatedGeezer (talk) 03:45, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

"a" source of serotonin, not "the" source of serotonin
Apparently, around 90% of serotonin is manufactured in the gut; see http://www.caltech.edu/news/microbes-help-produce-serotonin-gut-46495 NTgenes (talk) 19:13, 2 October 2016 (UTC)

References for updating/expanding article content
I'm copy/pasting these refs from Talk:Reticular activating system since that article is going to be merged into this one.

References (particularly this chapter on the reticular formation from the "Human Neuroanatomy" textbook).  Seppi  333  (Insert 2¢) 19:28, 25 September 2017 (UTC)

medial/median/lateral reticular formation
I noticed medial reticular formation is bolded in this article, but lateral reticular formation is wikilinked. Should we merge that article into this one as well?  Seppi  333  (Insert 2¢) 07:44, 28 September 2017 (UTC)
 * Would agree with this --Iztwoz (talk) 07:50, 28 September 2017 (UTC)
 * I also say yes to that. Thanks. --Tryptofish (talk) 22:47, 28 September 2017 (UTC)
 * ✅  Seppi  333  (Insert 2¢) 18:11, 29 September 2017 (UTC)