Midbrain
The midbrain represents the place in the brain where important central nervous reflexes are activated and switched. It is also the location of important centers that modulate and coordinate motor programs with the help of messenger substances (neurotransmitters). Dopamine plays an important role here.
In some people, the production of dopamine is disturbed and there are errors in gross motor skills (Parkinson’s disease). Furthermore, the midbrain and then the extended spinal cord are the regulatory centers for autonomous processes such as respiration, the cardiovascular system and blood pressure regulation. The midbrain also receives motor information from the periphery in order to synchronize it with the motor programs developed in the brain to create uniform movements together with the cerebellum.
Cerebellum
The cerebellum forms a special instance of the brain and is mainly concerned with the modulation, regulation and tuning of motor impulses and stimuli of the body. Together with the organ of equilibrium, the cerebellum has the task of maintaining balance and coordinating muscle tone. As with the computer, information from different parts of the brain is introduced into the cerebellum, processed and recalculated. Thus, a targeted motor action can be created. Last but not least, the cerebellum is ascribed its own motor “memory“, where certain frequently used motor programs are stored.
Medulla oblongata
The elongated spinal cord (medulla oblongata) forms the continuation of the midbrain and also contains important parts of central nervous reflex pathways. The majority of the so-called cerebral nerve nuclei are also located in the extended spinal cord. Cranial nerves are peripheral nerves that originate directly from the brain and perform a variety of different tasks. The nuclei of the associated cranial nerves consist of a collection of nerve cells that have specialized in the specific task of the nerve and these are mainly located in the extended spinal cord. Parts of the autonomous regulatory centers for respiration and the circulatory system are also located in the extended spinal cord, so injuries that occur here are often incompatible with life.