Anterior trigeminothalamic tract

The ventral trigeminothalamic tract serves as pain, temperature, and light touch pathway from the face. It receives input from free nerve endings and Merkel’s discs. It receives discriminative tactile and pressure input from the contralateral principal sensory nucleus of CN V, which terminates in the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus. It then ascends to the contralateral sensory cortex via three neurons.