[5] Other roles include the regulation of the central nervous system and the body's sleep cycle.

[4] These pathways include the corticospinal tract (motor function), the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway (fine touch, vibration sensation, and proprioception), and the spinothalamic tract (pain, temperature, itch, and crude touch).

[2] The brainstem extends from just above the tentorial notch superiorly to the first cervical vertebra below the foramen magnum inferiorly.

The tectum comprises the paired structure of the superior and inferior colliculi and is the dorsal covering of the cerebral aqueduct.

Its inferior brachium (arm-like process) reaches to the medial geniculate nucleus of the diencephalon.

It is involved in the special sense of vision and sends its superior brachium to the lateral geniculate body of the diencephalon.

[11]: 1121  The medulla contains the cardiac, dorsal and ventral respiratory groups, and vasomotor centres, dealing with heart rate, breathing and blood pressure.

Another important medullary structure is the area postrema whose functions include the control of vomiting.

Lateral spinal arteries also emerge to supply the posterior surface of the medulla oblongata.

The pyramids contain the fibers of the corticospinal tract (also called the pyramidal tract), or the upper motor neuronal axons as they head inferiorly to synapse on lower motor neuronal cell bodies within the anterior grey column of the spinal cord.

The pyramids end at the pontine medulla junction, noted most obviously by the large basal pons.

In the floor of the fourth ventricle, various nuclei can be visualized by the small bumps that they make in the overlying tissue.

Instead, they have facial nerve axons traversing superficial to underlying abducens (CN VI) nuclei.

Lateral to the sulcus limitans is the area of the vestibular system, which is involved in special sensation.

Moving rostrally, the inferior, middle, and superior cerebellar peduncles are found connecting the midbrain to the cerebellum.

Likewise, inferior cerebellar peduncle is found connecting the medulla oblongata to the cerebellum.

Syndromes can be in fragments or combinations depending on how the vessels are arranged and if the brain is getting adequate blood supply.

[15] The human brainstem emerges from two of the three primary brain vesicles formed of the neural tube.

[18] Diseases of the brainstem can result in abnormalities in the function of cranial nerves that may lead to visual disturbances, pupil abnormalities, changes in sensation, muscle weakness, hearing problems, vertigo, swallowing and speech difficulty, voice change, and co-ordination problems.

Duret haemorrhages are areas of bleeding in the midbrain and upper pons due to a downward traumatic displacement of the brainstem.

Criteria for claiming brainstem death in the UK have developed in order to make the decision of when to stop ventilation of somebody who could not otherwise sustain life.