ABSTRACT
The sixth cranial nerve nucleus lies in the lower pons, separated from the floor of the fourth ventricle by looping fibres of the seventh (facial) nerve. The nucleus contains motor neurons for the lateral rectus muscle and interneurons that ascend via the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) to innervate contralateral medial rectus motor neurons. Thus, the sixth cranial nerve nucleus coordinates ipsilateral horizontal conjugate gaze.
