This area has reciprocal connections with mesencephalic and brainstem structures including the central tegmental field (CTF). 
Other structures such as the central tegmental field/subparafascicular nucleus of the thalamus, central nucleus of the amygdala, and medial amygdala, also important in the display of male copulatory behavior, were less reliably labeled.
We found that muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist, induced a significant increase in paradoxical sleep (PS) only when applied to a dorsocaudal central tegmental field (dcFTC) located just beneath the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey.
Within the mesencephalon a significantly enhanced FLI was found at the central tegmental field (area ventralis tegmenti Tsai), bilaterally.
Other activated mesodiencephalic structures are the midbrain lateral central tegmental field, zona incerta, subparafascicular nucleus, and the ventroposterior, midline, and intralaminar thalamic nuclei.
Most intralaminar thalamic sites were also innervated by unique combinations of medullary and pontine reticular formation nuclei such as the subnucleus reticularis dorsalis, gigantocellular, dorsal paragigantocellular, lateral, parvicellular, caudal pontine, ventral pontine, and oral pontine reticular nuclei; the dorsomedial tegmental, subpeduncular tegmental, and ventral tegmental areas; and, the central tegmental field.
FluoroGold was injected into the dorsal central gray, lateral central gray, ventral tegmental area, medial central tegmental field, or lateral central tegmental field of male rats that later engaged in sexual activity.
Studies of sexual behavior in rodent animal models have provided evidence about the relevant role played by the medial preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus and the central tegmental field within the mesencephalon in the control of this behavior. Bilateral lesions of the anterior hypothalamus or central tegmental field as well as combined unilateral lesions of both these regions result in sexual behavior deficits. In the present study male Wistar animals received two electrolytic lesions, one aimed at the ipsilateral medial preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus and the other at the contralateral central tegmental field.
PreproN/OFQ mRNA was expressed at high levels in the subparafascicular thalamic nucleus, central gray, central tegmental field, auditory brainstem nuclei, caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus, and spinal dorsal horn.
Bilateral lesions of the central tegmental field (CTF) in male rats virtually eliminate mating behavior.
In both males and females the number of Fos-ir neurons was increased by mating activity in the granule layer of the accessory olfactory bulb (gr-AOB), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), MPOA, the medial amygdala (MeA), and the region corresponding to the midbrain central tegmental field (CTF).
Fos was highly localized in subsets of AR-ir neurons within the medial preoptic nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, dorsomedial nucleus of the amygdala, and central tegmental field.
This activity was evoked as skin potential responses on the footpads of 13 cats by the central tegmental field stimulation (control responses) and inhibited by the simultaneous stimulation of bulbar reticular formation (experimental responses).
1), Fos-ir and AR-ir were colocalized in neurons of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), the dorsal medial amygdala (dMEA), the central tegmental field (CTF), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the anterior hypothalamus, the lateral hypothalamus, and the ventral premamillary nucleus.
We examined, in adjacent sections from the medial preoptic area (MPN) through the central tegmental field (CTF), the expression of ER-ir in: (i) AR-ir-containing neurons, and (ii) Fos-ir-expressive neurons.
After multiple ejaculations, additional labeling was observed within the posteroventral part of the posteromedial BNST, the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), the central tegmental field, and in cell clusters of the caudal posterodorsal Me and rostral posteromedial BNST.
In both sexes mating augmented neuronal Fos-IR in the granular layer of the main olfactory bulb, the caudal thalamic central tegmental field, and the medial amygdala, regions situated early in the putative input pathway to mediobasal hypothalamic LHRH neurons. Neuronal Fos-IR was also increased in these same forebrain regions (the central tegmental field excluded) in both sexes after exposure to chemosensory cues alone.
These regions include the preoptic area, lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, medial amygdala, ventral premammillary nuclei, ventral tegmentum, central tegmental field, mesencephalic central gray, and peripeduncular nuclei.
A moderate density was found in the central linear nucleus, the central tegmental field, the Kolliker-Fuse nucleus, the inferior central nucleus, and the postpyramidal nucleus of the raphe.
Androgen receptor-immunoreactive regions included the medial preoptic area and other forebrain areas previously identified as containing androgen receptors, the dorsal and ventral periaqueductal gray, and a midbrain region that included the lateral part of the central tegmental field, part of the caudal zona incerta, the subparafascicular nucleus of the thalamus and the peripeduncular nucleus. In a second experiment, we used immunofluorescent techniques to document the intraneuronal co-localization of Fos with androgen receptor immunoreactivity in the medial preoptic area, medial amygdala, and central tegmental field.
The medial preoptic area also receives genital somatosensory inputs via the midbrain central tegmental field and the medial amygdala.
In non-LHRH neurons the number of Fos-IR neural nuclei was significantly increased by mating in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), medial amygdala (MA), ventrolateral hypothalamus (VLH), and midbrain central tegmental field (CTF) 1.5 h after mating but, as in LHRH neurons, had returned to basal levels by 3.0 h.
Chemosensory stimulation failed to augment Fos immunoreactivity in neurons located in the ventrolateral subregion of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus or in the midbrain central tegmental field, sites at which mating has previously been shown to augment Fos immunoreactivity in both sexes.
They found that brain regions such as medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), medial amygdala (MeAm) and central tegmental field (CTF) are always activated in a copulation-dependent manner in various species (rats and hamsters were the most often studied in this regard).
The densest clusters of immunoreactive perikarya were found in the inferior and superior colliculi, the inferior olive, the periaqueductal gray, the central tegmental field and the substantia nigra, whereas the central linear nucleus, the locus coeruleus, the nucleus incertus, the dorsal and ventral nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, the cuneiform nucleus, the pontine gray, the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus, the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and the medial nucleus of the solitary tract had the lowest density.
Electrical stimulation of the reticular central tegmental field at levels below the thresholds for behavioral and cortical arousal thresholds evoked SPRs during wakefulness and all stages of sleep.
One h after experiencing 1 ejaculation, both sexes showed increased FOS-IR in the medial preoptic a (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), medial amygdala, the ventro-lateral portion of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN), and the midbrain central tegmental field (CTF).
In the ventrolateral portion of the ventromedial nucleus (VL-VMN), the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus and the midbrain central tegmental field (CTF) numbers of Fos-IR cells were significantly higher than home cage levels in groups of females exposed to males regardless of type of mating stimulation received.
By contrast, the interpeduncular nucleus, magnocellular part of the red nucleus, central tegmental field, cuneiform nucleus, dorsal tegmental nucleus, nucleus sagulum and the medial and inferior vestibular nuclei had the lowest density, whereas a moderate density of immunoreactive cell bodies was found in the superior colliculus, medial division of the dorsal nucleus of the raphe, nucleus incertus, locus coeruleus and in the Kölliker-Fuse area.
The pontine inhibitory sites corresponded to the medial area of the central tegmental field (FTC) and the central area of the gigantocellular tegmental field (FTG), bilaterally.
Increasing amounts of physical contact with a female, with resultant olfactory-vomeronasal and/or genital-somatosensory inputs, caused corresponding increments in c-fos expression in the medial preoptic area, the caudal part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the medial amygdala, and the midbrain central tegmental field. Unilateral excitotoxic lesions of the medial preoptic area, made by infusing quinolinic acid, failed to reduce c-fos expression in the ipsilateral or contralateral medial amygdala or central tegmental field following ejaculation. By contrast, combined, unilateral excitotoxic lesions of the medial amygdala and the central tegmental field significantly reduced c-fos expression in the ipsilateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial preoptic area after mating; no such asymmetry in c-fos expression occurred when lesions were restricted to either the medial amygdala or central tegmental field. This suggests that afferent inputs from the central tegmental field (probably of genital-somatosensory origin) and from the medial amygdala (probably of olfactory-vomeronasal origin) interact to promote cellular activity, and the resultant induction of c-fos, in the ipsilateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial preoptic area.
Major afferents to the PPT originate in the periaqueductal gray, central tegmental field, lateral hypothalamic area, dorsal raphe nucleus, superior colliculus, and pontine and medullary reticular fields.
We found that at least a quarter of the neurones in the central tegmental field of the mesencephalon, which were irregularly tonic or silent at low respiratory drives, developed a rhythmic increase of firing associated with each respiration.
All of the reflexes were inhibited by stimulation of the dorsal and ventral periaqueductal gray, dorsal raphe nucleus and central tegmental field with similar threshold intensities.
D-type cells were loosely clustered in the lateral part of the central tegmental field dorsal to the substantia nigra, extending dorsally in the medial division of the posterior complex of the thalamus and medial side of the brachium of the inferior colliculus.
Because PGO waves are closely related to rapid eye movements, our microelectrode explorations were also aimed to some structures of the preoculomotor network, namely, the superior colliculus (SC) and parts of the central tegmental field (FTC).
Tracing of WGA-HRP showed that the fibers connecting the CTA and PBN passed through the central tegmental field (CTF).
Heavily stained NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons with many prominent cell processes were observed in the cerebral cortex, white matter, caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, septal nucleus, amygdala, anterior, lateral and posterior hypothalamic areas, dorsolateral part of the periaqueductal gray, superior colliculus, central tegmental field (Berman) (pedunculopontine tegmental area), dorsal tegmental nucleus, nucleus coeruleus, mesencephalic and pontine reticular formation, gigantocellular and magnocellular tegmental fields, nucleus facialis, and motor nucleus of the vagus. Intensely stained NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibers were found in the stria terminalis, marginal region of the central tegmental field, dorsal tegmental nucleus, and spinal trigeminal tract as well as around the brachium conjunctivum.
These cholinergic neurons constituted over 20% of those retrogradely labelled in the dorsolateral mesopontine tegmentum; the balance consisted of noncholinergic neurons of the central tegmental field, retrorubral field, and cuneiform nucleus. In contrast, fewer cholinergic neurons were retrogradely labelled following placement of tracer into the nucleus basalis of Meynert or into the central, medial, and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala, while numerous noncholinergic neurons of the central tegmental field rostral to the PPT and of the retrorubral field adjacent to the PPT were retrogradely labelled in these cases.
An ascending catecholaminergic fiber pathway was traced through the central tegmental field of the canine medulla and pons, with features similar to the primate.
Axons of TH-immunoreactive neurons in the VLM projected (1) dorsally, in a series of parallel transtegmental trajectories, toward the dorsomedial reticular formation, the NTS, and vagal motor nucleus, (2) longitudinally, through the central tegmental field, as fascicles running parallel to the neuraxis, (3) ventrolaterally toward the ventral surface (VS) of the rostral VLM where they appeared to terminate, and (4) medially into the raphe, where they arborized.
The larger numbers of horseradish peroxidase-positive brainstem reticular neurons after tracer injections in intralaminar or zona incerta injections results from a more substantial proportion of labeled neurons in the central tegmental field at rostral midbrain (perirubral) levels and in the ventromedial part of the pontine reticular formation, ipsi- and contralaterally to the injection site.
The locus coeruleus contains only tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells and appears to be the source of a discrete dorsal catecholaminergic bundle which runs through the central tegmental field just ventrolateral to the periaqueductal gray of the rostral pons and mesencephalon and which does not contain adrenergic axons.
Other areas containing SLI included the striatum (caudate nucleus and putamen), zona incerta, infundibulum, supramammillary and premammillary nuclei, medial and dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei, entopeduncular nucleus, lateral habenular nucleus, central medial thalamic nucleus, central tegmental field, linear and dorsal raphe nuclei, nucleus of Darkschewitsch, superior and inferior colliculi, nucleus ruber, substantia nigra, mesencephalic nucleus of V, inferior olivary nucleus, inferior central nucleus, nucleus prepositus, and deep cerebellar nuclei.
In comparison, the 6 other cats show lesions mainly in the adjacent central tegmental field, and their kindling evolution was similar to that of a control group with intact mesencephalon.
Neurons in the hypothalamus (lateral, dorsal, ventromedial, dorsomedial, and supraoptic nuclei), raphe system, dorsal tegmental nucleus, locus ceruleus, Kölliker-Fuse nucleus, dorsal parabrachial region, and central tegmental field were positive.
A cardioinhibitory area in the central tegmental field of the midbrain (CIM) was studied in cats under chloralose-urethane anesthesia.
Essentially, six regions in the brainstem contained retrogradely labeled cells: the superior colliculus, the parabigeminal nucleus, the dorsal raphe nuclei, the parabrachial area of the central tegmental field, the marginal nucleus of the brachium conjunctivum, and the nucleus coeruleus. In the sections immunostained for ChAT, double-labeled cells were located in the central tegmental field, in the marginal nucleus of the brachium conjunctivum, and in the nucleus coeruleus. In the sections treated for TH and DBH, double-labeled cells showed a similar distribution, and like the ChAT(+) cells, they were located mainly in the central tegmental field, in the marginal nucleus of the brachium conjunctivum, and in the nucleus coeruleus. The majority of retrogradely labeled cells were located in the region of the central tegmental field in the vicinity of the brachium conjunctivum, and most of these cells were also ChAT-immunoreactive.
Histological controls indicated that the structure responsible for these postural and reflex changes was located in the dorsal aspect of the pontine tegmentum immediately ventral to the principal locus coeruleus (LC); this area corresponds to the peri-LC region and the surrounding pRF including the dorsal aspect of the central tegmental field.
The axons of the T neurons pass through a region closely ventral to the lateral part of the brachium conjunctivum (BC), continue rostrally in a region between the BC and the lateral lemniscus, arch medially around the rostral part of the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis, cross the midline, continue to the contralateral side by about 1.5 mm lateral from the midline, arch rostrally, run in the central tegmental field on the contralateral side, arch dorsomedially around the caudal pole of the red nucleus, and enter the contralateral oculomotor nucleus (OMN) from the ventrolateral side.
After a localized lesion was made within the posterior commissure, dense degenerated terminals were distributed in the most rostral part of the nucleus pretectalis posterior, the nucleus of posterior commissure, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, and the central tegmental field.
Other brainstem regions that appear to provide modest inputs include the ventral tegmental area, central tegmental field, periaqueductal gray, pedunculopontine nucleus, and the peripeduncular nucleus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS).
Histological controls indicated that the structure responsible for the postural and reflex changes described above corresponded to the dorsal aspect of the pontine tegmentum located immediately ventral to the locus coeruleus (LC); this area corresponded to the peri-LC region as well as the surrounding pontine reticular formation (RF), including the dorsal aspect of the central tegmental field.
Labeled fiber bundles descended by way of the medial forebrain bundle and the central tegmental field to the lateral tegmental field of pons and medulla.
Aside from a sparse distribution in the central tegmental field, there were no D-off cells in pontine reticular nuclei where cells of the D-on type abound.
Dorsally coursing fibers of CTT enter the central tegmental field and the lateral and medial parabrachial nuclei.
Following HRP injections restricted to the MRF territory (nucleus cuneiformis and central tegmental field), the largest number of retrogradely labeled cells appeared in the medial third of the ipsilateral ZI.
After injections of horseradish peroxidase into the central tegmental field of the midbrain reticular formation and centrum medianum of the thalamus in the cat, labelled neurons were found in the nucleus of solitary tract, cuneate and gracile nuclei, spinal nuclei of trigeminal nerve, external nucleus and brachium nucleus of inferior colliculus, nuclei of the lemniscus lateralis in the area pretectalis, nucleus of the posterior commissure and stratum intermediale of the superior colliculus and in reticular structures of medulla and pons.
The other is a fiber system which eventually descends the central tegmental field, projecting strongly to the dorsal raphe nucleus, medial and lateral parabrachial nuclei, nucleus reticularis parvocellularis, solitary nuclei and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve.
The effect of mesencephalic central tegmental field (FTC) stimulation in barbiturate anesthetized cats on the activity of the diaphragm and the laryngeal abductors was studied.
Similarly, cells in the tuberal and posterior parts of the LHA project to the central gray, the longest projections from the posterior region reaching as far caudally as the central tegmental field, the parabrachial nucleus, the locus coeruleus, and the superior central and dorsal nuclei of the raphe.
Afferents to the Cd were found arising from the following ipsilateral midbrain areas: pars compacta, pars reticulata, and pars lateralis of the substantia nigra (SN), ventral tegmental area of Tsai, interpeduncular nucleus, central tegmental field, and the retrorubral nucleus (RR) of Berman, which lies caudal to the red nucleus and dorsal to the medial lemniscus.
Stimulation of either the central tegmental field or "nonspecific" thalamic nuclei evoked direct responses in 38% of P and 26% of NP-P units, which, in most of the P neurons were followed by excitatory and inhibitory phases.
The transition region between the lateral preoptic and lateral hypothalamic areas at the level of the supraoptic nucleus has widespread connections as a whole (a) with the medial septal-diagonal band complex, lateral septum and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, (b) through or to most of the hypothalamus, the substantia nigra, central tegmental field, central gray, superior central nucleus, and the locus coeruleus, (c) through the stria medullaris to the lateral habenula (bilaterally), parataenial, paraventricular, and mediodorsal nuclei of the thalamus, (d) through the stria terminalis and ansa peduncularis to the central, medial and cortical nuclei of the amygdala, and (e) to the main olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory nucleus, cingulate bundle, olfactory tubercle, medial septal-diagonal band complex and the lateral septum..
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