Answer
In the brain, rostral means “towards the forehead” and caudal means “towards the spinal cord”.
In the brainstem and spinal cord, rostral means “higher” and caudal means “lower”.
Work Step by Step
Rostral means “towards the nose” and caudal literally means “towards the tail” for animals. Because humans walk upright (and also lack tails), these terms are changed a little bit. Also because the brainstem and spinal cord are vertically oriented, rostral means “higher” (which is closer to the nose) and caudal means “lower” (which would be closer to the tail/butt).
