Editing Pretectal area (section)

{{short description|Structure in the midbrain which mediates responses to ambient light}}
{{Infobox brain
| Name            = Pretectal area
| Latin           = area praetectalis
| Image           = Cn3nucleus-en.svg
| Caption         = Cross section of the [[midbrain]] at the level of the [[superior colliculus]]. Pretectal area labeled (as pretectum) at right.
| Image2          =
| Caption2        =
| IsPartOf        = [[Midbrain]]
| Components      = anterior pretectal nucleus,<br />medial pretectal nucleus,<br />nucleus of the optic tract,<br />olivary pretectal nucleus,<br />posterior pretectal nucleus,<br />posterior limitans,<br />commissural pretectal area
| Artery          =
| Vein            =
}}

In [[neuroanatomy]], the '''pretectal area''', or '''pretectum''', is a [[midbrain]] structure composed of seven nuclei and comprises part of the subcortical [[visual system]]. Through reciprocal bilateral projections from the [[retina]], it is involved primarily in mediating behavioral responses to acute changes in ambient light such as the [[pupillary light reflex]], the [[optokinetic reflex]], and temporary changes to the [[circadian rhythm]].<ref name="Gamlin">{{cite book | vauthors = Gamlin PD | title = Neuroanatomy of the Oculomotor System | chapter = The pretectum: connections and oculomotor-related roles | series = Progress in Brain Research | volume = 151 | pages = 379–405 | year = 2006 | pmid = 16221595 | doi = 10.1016/S0079-6123(05)51012-4 | isbn = 9780444516961 }}</ref><ref name="Magoun">{{cite journal | vauthors = Magoun HW, Ranson SW | title = The central path of the light reflex: a study of the effect of lesions. | journal = Archives of Ophthalmology | date = May 1935 | volume = 13 | issue = 5 | pages = 791–811 | doi = 10.1001/archopht.1935.00840050069006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Neuhuber W, Schrödl F | title = Autonomic control of the eye and the iris | journal = Autonomic Neuroscience | volume = 165 | issue = 1 | pages = 67–79 | date = November 2011 | pmid = 21071284 | doi = 10.1016/j.autneu.2010.10.004 | s2cid = 35330212 }}</ref><ref name="clinical neuroanatomy">{{cite book|last=Donkelaar|first=Hans | name-list-style = vanc |title=Clinical neuroanatomy brain circuitry and its disorders |year=2012 |publisher=Springer |location=Berlin |isbn=978-3642191336 |pages=343 |edition=1st}}</ref><ref name="Miller">{{cite journal | vauthors = Miller AM, Miller RB, Obermeyer WH, Behan M, Benca RM | title = The pretectum mediates rapid eye movement sleep regulation by light | journal = Behavioral Neuroscience | volume = 113 | issue = 4 | pages = 755–65 | date = August 1999 | pmid = 10495083 | doi = 10.1037/0735-7044.113.4.755 }}</ref> In addition to the pretectum's role in the visual system, the anterior pretectal nucleus has been found to mediate [[somatosensory]] and [[Nociception|nociceptive]] information.<ref name="Bosman">{{cite journal | vauthors = Bosman LW, Houweling AR, Owens CB, Tanke N, Shevchouk OT, Rahmati N, Teunissen WH, Ju C, Gong W, Koekkoek SK, De Zeeuw CI | title = Anatomical pathways involved in generating and sensing rhythmic whisker movements | journal = Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience | volume = 5 | pages = 53 | date = 1 January 2011 | pmid = 22065951 | pmc = 3207327 | doi = 10.3389/fnint.2011.00053 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Reis">{{cite journal | vauthors = Reis GM, Rossaneis AC, Silveira JW, Prado WA | title = μ1- and 5-HT1-dependent mechanisms in the anterior pretectal nucleus mediate the antinociceptive effects of retrosplenial cortex stimulation in rats | journal = Life Sciences | volume = 90 | issue = 23–24 | pages = 950–5 | date = June 2012 | pmid = 22575824 | doi = 10.1016/j.lfs.2012.04.023 | doi-access = free }}</ref>