Along with the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata, it forms part of the rhomboid fossa – the floor of the fourth ventricle.

The pontine tegmentum contains nuclei of the cranial nerves (trigeminal (5th), abducens (6th), facial (7th), and vestibulocochlear (8th) and their associated fibre tracts.

Thanks to the number of different nuclei located within the pontine tegmentum, it is a region associated with a range of functions including sensory and motor functions (due to the cranial nuclei and fiber tracts), control of stages of sleep and levels of arousal and vigilance (due to the ascending cholinergic systems), and some aspects of respiratory control.

[2] The PPN is involved in many functions, including arousal, attention, learning, reward, voluntary limb movements and locomotion.

[3][4] While once thought important to the initiation of movement, studies suggest a role in providing sensory feedback to the cerebral cortex.