<Tr> <Th> FMA </Th> <Td> 79876 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> The brainstem (or brain stem) is the posterior part of the brain, adjoining and structurally continuous with the spinal cord . In the human brain the brainstem includes the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata . Sometimes the diencephalon, the caudal part of the forebrain, is included . </P> <P> The brainstem provides the main motor and sensory innervation to the face and neck via the cranial nerves . Of the twelve pairs of cranial nerves, ten pairs come from the brainstem . The brainstem 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 to the rest of the body pass through the brainstem . This includes the corticospinal tract (motor), the dorsal column - medial lemniscus pathway (fine touch, vibration sensation, and proprioception), and the spinothalamic tract (pain, temperature, itch, and crude touch). </P>

The portion of the brain which is continuous with the spinal cord is the