superior olive - BrainInfo

superior olive (SOl)

The term superior olive refers to one of three components of the superior olivary complex. Identified by topology it is composed of the medial superior olivary nucleus and the lateral superior olivary nucleus ( Carpenter-1983 ). The other parts of the complex are the periolivary region and the trapezoid nucleus ( Amunts-2012 ). Functionally it is part of the subcortical auditory system ( Swanson-2004 ).

Also known as: superior olive, Oliva superior, superior olivary nuclei, superior olivary nucleus, Nucleus olivaris superioris, Nucleus olivaris superior, Nucleus olivaris rostralis, Nucleus olivaris metencephali, superior olivary complex (Schroeder van der Kolk)

NeuroNames ID: 570

All Names & Sources

1 of 17

Showing 17 synonym(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 17 synonym(s)

Name:

SOl

Language:

acronym

Organism:

human

Source:

Mai-1997

Citation:

San Diego: Academic Press, 1997

Source Title:

Atlas of the Human Brain

Name:

superior olive

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

superior olive

Language:

English

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis

Source:

Martin-1997

Citation:

Primate Information Center, University of Washington, Seattle, 1997.

Source Title:

Template Atlas of the Primate Brain

Name:

superior olive

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

Oliva superior

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Riley-1943

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1943

Source Title:

An Atlas Of The Basal Ganglia, Brain Stem And Spinal Cord (Based On Myelin-Stained Material)

Name:

superior olivary nuclei

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

superior olivary nucleus

Language:

English

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis

Source:

Szabo-1984

Citation:

J Comp Neurol 1984 Jan 10;222(2):265-300

Source Title:

A stereotaxic atlas of the brain of the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Name:

Nucleus olivaris superioris

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Nomina-1983

Citation:

Fifth Edition, Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1983

Source Title:

Nomina Anatomica

Name:

Nucleus olivaris superior

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Shantha-1968

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1968

Source Title:

A Stereotaxic Atlas Of The Java Monkey Brain (Macaca irus)

Name:

Nucleus olivaris rostralis

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Nomina-1983

Citation:

Fifth Edition, Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1983

Source Title:

Nomina Anatomica

Name:

Nucleus olivaris metencephali

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Riley-1943

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1943

Source Title:

An Atlas Of The Basal Ganglia, Brain Stem And Spinal Cord (Based On Myelin-Stained Material)

Name:

nukleus olivari superior

Language:

Indonesian

Organism:

human

Source:

Noback-1982

Citation:

Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kedokteran EGC, 1982

Source Title:

Anatomi Susunan Saraf Manusia, Prinsip-Prinsip Dasar Neurobiologi

Name:

superior olivary complex (Schroeder van der Kolk)

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-1998

Citation:

Second Revised Edition, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1998

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain

Name:

ядро сверхней оливы

Language:

Russian

Organism:

human

Source:

Sapin-1998

Citation:

Vol. 3, Moscow: Elista APP "Dzhangar", 1998

Source Title:

Anatomiia Cheloveka

Name:

nucleo olivare superiore

Language:

Italian

Organism:

human

Source:

Carpenter-1995

Citation:

EdiSes, s.r.l.- Napoli, 1995

Source Title:

Fondamenti di Neuroanatomia

Name:

SOC

Language:

acronym

Organism:

mouse

Source:

Hof-2000

Citation:

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000

Source Title:

Comparative Cytoarchitectonic Atlas of the C57BL/6 and 129/Sv Mouse Brains

Name:

superior olivary nucleus

Language:

Indonesian

Organism:

human

Source:

Noback-1982

Citation:

Jakarta: Penerbit Buku Kedokteran EGC, 1982

Source Title:

Anatomi Susunan Saraf Manusia, Prinsip-Prinsip Dasar Neurobiologi

Illustrations

Showing 4 illustration(s)

myelin stain & diagram of
all aspects in
human

labeled line drawings of
sagittal section in
Macaca fascicularis

multiple views of
3D reconstruction in
Macaca mulatta

photomicrograph of
coronal section in
primate

Species With The Structure

Equivalent By	Human	Macaque	Rat	Mouse
Topology	Has The Structure	Has The Structure	Has The Structure	Relevant Data Not Located

1 of 11

Showing 11 record(s) - Use arrows to navigate

Showing 11 record(s)

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus olivaris metencephali

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus olivaris rostralis

Source:

Nomina-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus olivaris superior

Source:

Shantha-1968

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Nucleus olivaris superioris

Source:

Nomina-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

Oliva superior

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

superior olivary nuclei

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Homo sapiens (human)

Their Name:

superior olive

Source:

Carpenter-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis)

Their Name:

superior olivary nucleus

Source:

Szabo-1984

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis (Macaca fascicularis)

Their Name:

superior olive

Source:

Martin-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

superior olivary complex (Schroeder van der Kolk)

Source:

Swanson-1998

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

superior olive

Source:

Bowden-1997

Models Where It Appears

Structural CNS Model - Macaque

Brain structures of the macaque are illustrated in BrainInfo’s NeuroMaps macaque brain atlas. Structures are grouped by proximity in a hierarchy corresponding to the central nervous system hierarchy of NeuroNames ( Bowden-1995 Martin-2000 ). Structures in the NeuroMaps atlas are based on the segmentation of an MRI of the brain of a 3-year old male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). The atlas is most useful for targeting structures for implantating electrodes and chemtrodes. Updated 29 Oct 2025.

metabrain (metencephalon)

pons

pontine tegmentum

pontine reticular formation

superior olivary complex

superior olive

trapezoid nucleus (trapezoid nuclei)

facial nerve fibers