Differences of the medial lemniscus and spinothalamic tract according to the cortical termination areas: A diffusion tensor tractography study.

We investigated differences of the medial lemniscus and its thalamocortical pathway (ML), and the spinothalamic tract and its thalamocortical pathway (STT) according to the cortical termination areas. We found that the ML and STT terminated in the motor cortex and the somatosensory cortex. The ML may be closely related to the motor cortex for motor planning and execution, while the STT may be closely related to the cerebral cortex for somatosensory function and motor execution.