The brain surrounding the fourth ventricle in the lower brainstem is the medulla, a complex region of the brain. At the floor of the medulla lie the medullary pyramids. These huge bundles of axons descend from the forebrain towards the spinal cord. The pyramids contain corticospinal tracts, which are involved in the control of voluntary movement. Several nuclei that are important for hearing are also found in the rostral medulla: the dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei and the superior olive. Also shown are the inferior olive, important for motor control, and the raphe nucleus, important for the modulation of pain, mood and wakefulness.
Medullary pyramid
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