Anatomy and Cell Biology

Korean Association of Anatomists (대한해부학회)
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Innervation of pineal gland by the nervus conarii: a review of this almost forgotten structure

  • Kion Gregory (Tulane University School of Medicine) ;
  • Tyler Warner (Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University) ;
  • Juan J. Cardona (Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine) ;
  • Arada Chaiyamoon (Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University) ;
  • Joe Iwanaga (Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine) ;
  • Aaron S. Dumont (Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine) ;
  • R. Shane Tubbs (Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University)
  • Received : 2023.02.03
  • Accepted : 2023.06.16
  • Published : 2023.09.30
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Abstract

The nervus conarii provides sympathetic nerve innervation to the pineal gland, which is thought to be the primary type of stimulus to this gland. This underreported nerve has been mostly studied in animals. One function of the nervus conarii may be to activate pinealocytes to produce melatonin. Others have also found substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide from the nervus conarii ending in the pineal gland. The following paper reviews the extant medical literature on the nervus conarii including its anatomy and potential function.

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References

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