Laterodorsal tegmental nucleus

The laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (or lateroposterior tegmental nucleus) is a nucleus situated in the brainstem, spanning the midbrain tegmentum and the pontine tegmentum.

Function
It sends cholinergic (acetylcholine) projections to many subcortical and cortical structures.

Targets include the thalamus, hypothalamus, substantia nigra (dopamine neurons), ventral tegmental area (dopamine neurons), cortex (with bidirectional connections with the prefrontal cortex).

It may be involved in modulating sustained attention or in mediating alerting responses.

Also involved in the generation of REM sleep (along with the pedunculopontine nucleus).