Descending motor (extrapyramidal) pathways from brainstem > Open medulla > MLF
- This is a small bundle of axons interconnecting the different eye muscle nuclei, the vestibular nuclei and spinal cord ventral horn motor neurons in the neck and upper trunk.
- Some axons carry messages from the vestibular nucleus to the eye muscle nuclei, important in visual reflex responses to changes in head orientation and movement (keeping the gaze steady).
- Other axons pass from the brainstem to motor neurons in the neck and upper trunk, helping to maintain posture.
- Yet other axons connect the eye muscle nuclei on the same side of the brainstem and across it, enabling coordination of eye movements. These axons are linked to special nuclei in the pons and other brainstem regions concerned with eye coordination.
- Damage to the MLF leads to problems in eye coordination and the vestibulo-ocular reflex.
SUMMARY OF FUNCTIONS: The MLF enables bilateral coordination of eye movements, balance and posture.