Quick Facts
Origin: Olfactory tract.
Course: Run on either side of the anterior perforated substance and enter the cerebral cortex proper.
Branches: None.
Supply: Convey olfactory information to the cerebral cortex, particularly the septal nuclei and primary olfactory cortex.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The olfactory striae originate under the inferior surface of the cerebral cortex at the olfactory trigone. This area just anterior to the anterior perforated substance is the point at which the olfactory tract bifurcates into medial and lateral olfactory striae. However, the existence of the medial olfactory stria is disputed within the literature (Sakamoto et al, 1999).
Course
The medial olfactory stria runs medially, anterior to the anterior perforated substance. It penetrates the cortex and sends axons to the septal nuclei and through the anterior commissure to the contralateral olfactory cortex.
The lateral olfactory stria runs laterally, anterior to the anterior perforated substance. It penetrates the uncus where it sends axons to the primary olfactory cortex.
Branches
There are no named branches.
Supplied Structures
The medial olfactory stria connects to the limbic system via the septal nuclei and the contralateral olfactory cortex via the anterior commissure.
The lateral olfactory stria contains the fibers classically associated with smell and its axons run to the primary olfactory cortex in the uncus.
References
Sakamoto, N., Pearson, J., Shinoda, K., Alheid, G. F., Olmos, J. S. d. & Heimer, L. (1999) Chapter I - The human basal forebrain. Part I. An overview, in Bloom, F. E., Björklund, A. & Hökfelt, T. (eds), Handbook of Chemical NeuroanatomyElsevier, 1-55.
