The area postrema is located at the caudal end of the rhomboid fossa in the medulla oblongata in the brainstem and is one of the circumventricular organs. The capillaries in the area postrema are fenestrated, which can be regarded as the morphological substrate of a partially disrupted blood–brain barrier1.
Fiber connections
The axons of the area postrema project to specific regions of the solitary tract nucleus complex, the parabrachial nuclei, and the fastigial nucleus of the cerebellum2.
Function
Functionally, the area postrema is considered to play an important role in the emetic response.
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