Final answer:
The medial lemniscus is positioned medially or laterally in the caudal medulla, which is true. It is part of the dorsal column system and carries axons from the body to the brain, where they cross over in the medulla before ascending to the thalamus
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the medial lemniscus is initially positioned medially or laterally in the caudal medulla is true. The medial lemniscus is a fiber tract of the dorsal column system that extends from the nuclei gracilis and cuneatus to the thalamus and performs a decussation (crossing over) in the medulla. This pathway originates with axons of a dorsal root ganglion neuron, which join the dorsal column white matter in the spinal cord. Once these axons enter the dorsal column, they are arranged so that axons from lower levels of the body are positioned medially, while axons from upper levels of the body are placed laterally, before they ascend as part of the medial lemniscus.