Gigantocellular reticular nucleus

The gigantocellular reticular nucleus (also magnocellular reticular nucleus) is the (efferent/motor) medial zone of the reticular formation of the caudal pons and rostral medulla oblongata. It consists of a substantial number of giant neurons, but also contains small and medium sized neurons.^[1]

It gives rise to the lateral (medullary) reticulospinal tract which influences muscle tone of limb and trunk muscles, is involved in coordination of head-eye movements, promotes parasympathetic reduction of heart rate to decrease blood pressure, induces inspiration, and participates in the descending pain-inhibiting pathway.