All information relayed from the body to the cerebrum and cerebellum and vice versa must traverse the brainstem. The brainstem has many basic functions, including regulation of heart rate, breathing, sleeping, and eating. It regulates the central nervous system (CNS) and is pivotal in maintaining consciousness and regulating the sleep cycle. The brain stem also plays an important role in the regulation of cardiac and respiratory function. This includes the corticospinal tract (motor), the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway (fine touch, vibration sensation, and proprioception ) and the spinothalamic tract ( pain, temperature, itch, and crude touch). Though small, it is an extremely important part of the brain, as the nerve connections of the motor and sensory systems from the main part of the brain that communicate with the peripheral nervous system pass through the brainstem. The brainstem gives rise to cranial nerves 3 through 12 and provides the main motor and sensory innervation to the face and neck via the cranial nerves. In vertebrate anatomy, the brainstem is the most inferior portion of the brain, adjoining and structurally continuous with the brain and spinal cord.
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