The course and termination of the striae of Monakow and held in the cat

The course and termination of the stria of Monakow and stria of Held were studied with Nauta-Gygax technique following a localized lesion of the dorsal cochlear nucleus in the cat. A dense preterminal degeneration within all homolateral primary cochlear nuclei and a tract of degenerated fibers crossing the restiform body dorsally were found. This tract divides in two branches forming the stria of Held and stria of Monakow. The stria of Held followed the course described by classical anatomists. In the homolateral side, the stria gave terminals to the medial and lateral preolivary nuclei, lateral superior olive nucleus and retro-olivary groups. In the contralateral side, preterminal degeneration was found in the medial preolivary nucleus and medial retro-olivary group. The stria of Monakow is essentially crossed pathway given numerous terminals to the contralateral dorsal retro-olivary group, rostral part of the lateral preolivary nucleus, the ventral and dorsal nuclei of the lateral lemniscus, and nucleus of the inferior colliculus.