title: Nuclei of the human raphe.
abstract: Along the raphe of the brain stem, a series of small neuronal groups can be observed in the medulla oblongata, the pons and the mesencephalon. The neurons located in and adjacent to the raphe are considered to produce mainly serotonin (5-HT). The groups of nuclei containing 5-HT were first reported in experimental animals in the early 1960s. The presence of such nuclei, however, has not yet been brought to light in the human brainstem except the few atlases, although in several neuroanatomy textbooks, extrapolated data are shown in the form of drawings as if they were the data from the human brain. The aim of this study is to present microscopic photos of such raphe nuclei made from serial sections of the human brainstem, and to clarify the differences between findings in human and textbook drawings from animal data.
authors.affiliation: Kanagawa University of Human Services, Faculty of Health and Social Services, 10-1 Heiseicho 1, Yokosuka 238-8522, Japan. shibata-m@kuhs.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonaka
mesh_terms: D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000166:cytology*