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2 - Brain and behaviour > 21. Somatosensory system > Flashcards

21. Somatosensory system Flashcards

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1
Q

Where is somatosensation and what is it? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Occurs all over the body

- Tells us what is happening in the body and what is happening in the environment

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2
Q

What does an increase in receptors lead to? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

An increase in sensitivity to stimulation

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3
Q

What are the two types of skin humans have? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Hairy skin = low sensitivity

- Glabrous skin = high sensitivity

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4
Q

What test can reveal the differences in skin sensitivity? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Two point discrimination test

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5
Q

What are the three types of somatosensory perception? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Nocioception
  • Hapsis
  • Proprioception
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6
Q

What are nocioceptors? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Free nerve endings
  • Occurs due to dendrite activity
  • Damage to dendrites releases chemicals that produce action potentials
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7
Q

What are haptic receptors? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Dendrites attached to hair/connective tissue

- Mechanical stimulation leads to action potentials firing

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8
Q

What are proprioceptors? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Triggered by movement that stretch the receptor, stimulating dendrite activity, allowing an action potential to fire

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9
Q

What is the function of the rapidly adapting receptors? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Body sensory receptor that responds briefly to the beginning and end of a stimulus in the body

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10
Q

What is the function of the slowly adapting receptors? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Body sensory receptor that responds as long as the sensory stimulus is on the body

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11
Q

What is the dorsal root ganglion neuron? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

A cluster of nerve cell bodies in the dorsal root of the spinal nerve

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12
Q

What does myelin allow for? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Natural impulses to travel faster as they jump from node to node

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13
Q

What was found through patient G.O? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Lost sensation due to peripheral neuropathy
  • Motor cortex was not lost
  • Simple actions required visual feedback (almost like everything was numb)
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14
Q

What is differentiation? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

The loss of incoming sensory input, usually due to damage to the sensory fibres

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15
Q

What are the two pathways to the brain? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Dorsal spinothalamic tract

- Ventro spinothalamic tract

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16
Q

What is the dorsal spinothalamic tract route? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Carries haptic and prophoceptive information
  • Dorsal ganglion
  • Spinal cord
  • Dorsal column nuclei
  • Cross over
  • Project up the medial lemniscus pathway
  • Project to somatosensory cortex
17
Q

What is the ventral spinothalamic tract route? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Carries nocioceptive information
  • Dorsal root ganglion
  • Spinal cord
  • Cross over
  • Axons from contralateral spinal cord = medial lemniscus
  • Axons from thalamus = project to the somatosensory cortex
18
Q

What is one form of spinal reflex? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Monosynaptic reflex e.g. kneww jerk reflex

19
Q

What does the vestibular system contribute to? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Balance and spatial orientation

20
Q

What does each ear have? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Vestibular organ (comprised of three semi-circular canals and otolith organs)

21
Q

What happens when the head moves? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Endolymph (fluid) pushes against hair cells
  • Cilia bend
  • Direction of cilia determines polarisation or hyperpolarisation
  • Response to angular acceleration
22
Q

What happens when the head is tilted? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • Gelatin and otoconia push against hair cells
  • Action potential firing rate altered
  • In response to linear acceleration
23
Q

What does the primary somatosensory cortex do? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Receives projections from the thalamus and begins the process of constructing perceptions

24
Q

What does the secondary somatosensory cortex do? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A

Continues the construction of perceptions and projects onto the frontal cortex

25
Q

Why is reorganisational possible after damage to the somatosensory cortex? (Somatosensory system B&B)

A
  • High levels of plasticity
  • E.g. if there is damage to the arm, the face may be hyper sensitive
  • Remapping process

2 - Brain and behaviour (19 decks)

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