Corona Radiata Fibres

The corona radiata is a broad, fan-shaped sheet of projection fibres that connects the cerebral cortex with deeper structures of the brain. As these fibres descend, they converge to form the internal capsule; superiorly, they spread widely toward different regions of the cerebral cortex. It carries both ascending sensory fibres from the thalamus to the cortex and descending motor fibres from the cortex toward the brainstem and spinal cord. Thus, it acts as an important communication highway between the cerebral cortex and the rest of the nervous system. Because motor and sensory fibres pass through the corona radiata, infarction, haemorrhage or traumatic injury in this region may produce contralateral weakness, sensory deficits or combined sensorimotor impairment, depending on the fibres involved.