12. CNS (Sensory) (1) Flashcards
- The nervous system is divided into the CNS: (2)
- The nervous system is divided into the CNS (brain and spinal chord) and PNS (neurones entering and exiting the CNS)
- Peripheral innervation is to somatic structures e.g. skin, muscles, visceral structures like the GIT
Anatomical organisation: (4)
- In the periphery there are receptor that are stimulated by specific stimuli
- Stimuli are converted into electrical signals and transported via afferent/sensory neurones as action potentials to the CNS
- The information is then relayed via neurones in the CNS through various segments of the spinal chord depending on the origin of info
- Neurones pass through the brainstem and then to higher centres including the thalamus and somatosensory cortex
Sensory systems:
- Sensory input to the CNS is generally from two major components —-> The general sensory input (somatic +visceral) and the special senses
How is sensory input divided? (3)
What are Neuroglia? (3)
- Cell types associated with the nervous system
- Make up 90% cells in CNS but occupy half the volume
What is the function of astrocytes? (4)
- Act as a scaffold/frame that helps to hold nervous system together
- Repair
- K+ uptake
- Neurotransmitter uptake
Astrocytes
- Two subtypes:
Two subtypes: fibrous astrocytes in white matter that contain many intermediate filaments and protoplasmic astrocytes in gray matter that have a granular cytoplasm Both induce capillaries to form tight junctions making up the blood-brain barrier
What are Oligodendrocytes? (2)
- Form myelin sheath in the CNS (in the periphery, myelin is formed by Schwann cells
-Growth factors
What are Microglia? (3)
- Immune defence through phagocytosis
- Removal of debris following infection, injury and disease
- Involved in brain protection and repair
What are Ependymal cells?
- Formation of CSF
- Neuroglia support neurones physically, metabolically and ______.
functionally
Classification/properties of sensory receptors:
Source of stimulus: (7)
- Exteroceptors —-> External environment
- Mechanoreceptors (mechanical energy like pressure and touch)
- Visual receptors (light)
- Chemoreceptors (specific chemicals)
- Thermoreceptors (temperature) - Proprioreceptors —-> Position in space and time
- Interoceptors —> Internal environment
What is the Threshold of response?
- Receptors can be classified by the level/ amount of stimulus required to activate them
Threshold of response
* Low threshold —>
* High threshold —>
- Low threshold —> Low intensity stimulus elicits a response e.g light touch
- High threshold —> High intensity stimulus elicits a response e.g pain
What is “an adaptation to stimulus”?
- Refers to how receptors respond to a constantly present stimulus.
- Receptors that become insensitive to a constantly present stimulus is said to have ______
- A receptor that keeps responding to a constantly present stimulus is said to be ____-______ e.g receptors responding to noxious stimuli
- adapted
- on-adapting
- Some receptors are slow adapting that in the presence of a long-term stimulus, after a while there is a reduced response to the _____ but there is still a response —–> Tonic receptors e.g proprioceptors
- _____ receptors are rapidly adapting —> Despite the presence of a stimulus they stop responding e.g when you first put clothes on you feel them but after a while, you stop feeling them
Stimulus
Phasic
Modality-
* Unimodal:
* Polymodal:
- Unimodal —> Responds to 1 type of stimulus
- Polymodal —-> Responds to more than 1 type of stimulus
Examples of receptors based on their stimuli
* thermoreceptors : (4)
- Detect thermal gradients
- Warmth thermoreceptors
- Cold thermoreceptors
- Extreme heat (>45 degrees) or extreme cold (<5) = pain
Examples of receptors based on their stimuli
* photoreceptors:
- Rods & cones
Examples of receptors based on their stimuli
* Osmoreceptors:
- Detect concentrations of solutes in fluids
Examples of receptors based on their stimuli
* Osmoreceptors:
- Detect concentrations of solutes in fluids
Examples of receptors based on their stimuli
* Proprioceptors: (4)
- Muscle spindle (amount and rate of stretch)
- GTO (Muscle/tendon tension)
- Joint receptors: position of joints
- Inner ear: semicircular canals, utricle, saccule
Adaptation to stimulus:
- No adaptation
- Tonic
- Phasic
What are chemoreceptors?
- Chemicals, gases, electrolytes
- Compound sensations = perception from central integration of various inputs e.g wetness = touch + pressure + thermal
What is Transduction? (2)
- The process of converting various stimuli/energy forms into electrical signals
*The various intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli in different energy forms in the body need to be converted to a ‘language’ which the nervous system can understand
What is Transduction? (2)
- The process of converting various stimuli/energy forms into electrical signals
*The various intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli in different energy forms in the body need to be converted to a ‘language’ which the nervous system can understand
Sensory receptors in the human skin: (2)
- The skin is the largest organ of the body and is subjected to various stimuli
- There are several types of receptors which can transduce those stimuli into electrical signals
What is Receptive fields? (2)
- A receptive field is an area in which stimulation leads to response of a particular sensory neurone
- it is affected by convergence/divergence
How are receptive fields tested? (5)
- If you place the tips of a calliper in the receptive field of a single neurone, the brain interprets the calliper tips as a single point
- When the tips are placed in two different receptive fields where there is no convergence of neurones, the tips are interpreted as two separate points —-> Two-point discrimination
- Receptive fields of receptors in the tips of the finger are smaller than those on the back
- The minimum distance between two calliper points that can be perceived as separate points is called two-point discrimination threshold
- It is also a measure of tactile acuity
What is the localisation of a stimulus aided by? (2)
- Localisation of a stimulus is aided by lateral inhibition where sensory neurones with receptors at the peripheral edge of a stimulus are inhibited compared to sensory info at the centre of the stimulus
- Lateral inhibition also allows for contrast
What is Chemesthesis? (2)
- Process whereby chemicals activate other sensations e.g pain, touch, temperature, texture
- Many chemicals activate transient receptor potentials (TRP) channels that are also involved in thermal sensation
What is Chemesthesis? (2)
- Process whereby chemicals activate other sensations e.g pain, touch, temperature, texture
- Many chemicals activate transient receptor potentials (TRP) channels that are also involved in thermal sensation
What is the Somatosensory system?
- Detects temperature, proprioception, head and body movement & touch
- Allows for the perception of pain
- Touch includes pressure, vibration and stereognosis (ability to recognise and identify object based on touch alone)
- Pain includes sense of itch & tickle
- Primary receptor surface for somatosensory system is located in the skin and peripheral component in muscles, tendons, and internal organs
What is the Somatosensory system?
- Detects temperature, proprioception, head and body movement & touch
- Allows for the perception of pain
- Touch includes pressure, vibration and stereognosis (ability to recognise and identify object based on touch alone)
- Pain includes sense of itch & tickle
- Primary receptor surface for somatosensory system is located in the skin and peripheral component in muscles, tendons, and internal organs
General arrangement/hierarchy of ascending neurones: (2)
- Generally, sensory info from one side of the body is processed in the Contralateral cerebral cortex hemisphere
- Therefore there has to be decussation (crossing over) somewhere in the pathway
What is the function of the primary afferents? (4)
- Primary afferents enter the spinal chord via the dorsal root
- Some afferents decussate immediately or close to the spinal region of the dorsal roots and project onto second order neurones
- These ascend in the Contralateral tracts to the thalamus and then to the post central gyrus of the somatosensory cortex
- Other pathways ascend ipsilaterally after entering the dorsal root and decussate at the level of the medulla oblongata then to the thalamus and sensory cortex
What is the function of the primary afferents? (4)
- Primary afferents enter the spinal chord via the dorsal root
- Some afferents decussate immediately or close to the spinal region of the dorsal roots and project onto second order neurones
- These ascend in the Contralateral tracts to the thalamus and then to the post central gyrus of the somatosensory cortex
- Other pathways ascend ipsilaterally after entering the dorsal root and decussate at the level of the medulla oblongata then to the thalamus and sensory cortex
What are Dorsal columns? (2)
- Associated with sensations of fine touch, pressure, vibrations and proprioception
- Pathway ascends ipsilaterally upon entrance in the dorsal root and decussate at the level of the medulla
Dorsal columns:
What are the nuclei involved? (2)
- Cuneate nuclei and fasciculus cuneatus are associated with info from superior parts of the body
- The gracile nuclei and fasciculus gracilis are associated with info from inferior parts of the body
What is the Spinothalamic tract? (3)
- Also know as the anteroposterior tract of the ventrolateral tract
- It decussate immediately in the spinal level
- Conveys pain, temperature and crude touch
What is Spinocerebellar tract?
- Associated with proprioception and the information is conveyed to the cerebellum ipsilaterally
What is Spinocerebellar tract?
- Associated with proprioception and the information is conveyed to the cerebellum ipsilaterally
- We also need to consider the _____ nerves with sensory functions
- They have their nuclei in the _________
cranial
brainstem
- We also need to consider the _____ nerves with sensory functions
- They have their nuclei in the _________
cranial
brainstem
Tracts in the spinal chord:
Tracts in the spinal chord:
Somatosensory pathways summary: