LAUSR

Pain information from the face enters the pons via the trigeminal nerve before creating an anatomical “elbow” that turns caudally into the spinal trigeminal tract (SpTV). Visualization of the descending tract of the trigeminal nerve as it begins its descent from the nerve root entry zone (NREZ) in the pons would improve the accuracy of current procedures aimed at altering or lesioning the trigeminal nerve within the brainstem. The focus of this study was to develop a standardized protocol using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and deterministic tractography methods to image the SpTV. There are currently no standard techniques used to visualize the trigeminal nerve using DTI.