Ascending and descending tracts Flashcards
what are the different type of axon fibres from skin
Aa (alpha)
Ab (beta)
Ad (gamma)
C
Describe the diameter, speed, myelination and sensory receptors for Aa fibres
Diameter (nanometre): 13-20
Speed (m/sec): 80-120
Myelinated: very fast
Sensory receptors: proprioceptors of skeletal muscle
Describe the diameter, speed, myelination and sensory receptors for Ab fibres
Diameter (nanometre): 6-12
Speed (m/sec): 35-75
Myelinated: slower speed than Aa but faster than Ad
Sensory receptors: mechanoreceptors of skin
Describe the diameter, speed, myelination and sensory receptors for Ad fibres
Diameter (nanometre): 1-5
Speed (m/sec): 5-30
Myelinated: slower speed than Aa and Ab
Sensory receptors: pain, temperature
Describe the diameter, speed, myelination and sensory receptors for C fibres
Diameter (nanometre): 0.2-1.5
Speed (m/sec): 0.5-2
NOT Myelinated: slowest
Sensory receptors: Temperature, pain and itch
what type of neurons are sensory neurons
Unipolar neuron
see pic online
Describe the pain fibre input
- Painful stimulus on skin (needle prick)
- AP released that travels along the sensory neuron with Ad or C fibre axon
- AP reaches the SUPERFICIAL dorsal horn of the spinal cord
Describe the touch fibre input
- Touch stimulus on skin (touching dots)
- AP released that travels along the sensory neuron with Ab fibre
- AP reaches DEEP dorsal horn of the spinal cord
Explain DAVE
Dorsal root
Afferent (sensory info arrives into spinal cord)
Ventral root
Efferent (motor info exits out of spinal cord)
what are ascending and descending tracts
Tracts of myelinated axons- forms spinal cord white matter
Ascending- carries sensory info from periphery to brain
Descending- carries motor info from brain to spinal cord
what are the two types of ascending tracts
- Discriminative (fine) touch- feather touching foot
Dorsal column pathway - Pain
Spinothalamic pathway
How does the info in sensory pathways travel
1st neuron- Primary sensory neuron (periphery-takes info from mechanoreceptors)
2nd neuron- Secondary sensory neuron (spinal cord/brainstem)
3rd neuron- Tertiary sensory neuron (thalamus to cerebral cortex)
what are the 3 types of TOUCH cutaneous and subcutaneous mechanoreceptors (Ab afferents)
Meissner’s corpuscle
Merkel disk
Hair follicle receptor
what are the 2 types of PRESSURE cutaneous and subcutaneous mechanoreceptors (Ab afferents)
Pacinian corpuscle
Ruffini ending
Describe the dorsal column (descrimininative touch) pathway
- Touch stimulus on skin (touching dots)
- AP released that travels along the sensory neuron with Ab fibre
- AP reaches DEEP dorsal horn of the spinal cord
PRIMARY: - primary afferent signal (same axon) travels in the dorsal column/ funiculus through the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spinal cord.
- in the medulla- the primary afferent neuron synpases into dorsal column nuclei and becomes internal arcuate fibres.
SECONDARY - the internal arcuate fibres cross over to the other side and goes up through the medial lemniscus in the pons and midbrain
- from midbrain the signal goes to the VPL (ventral posterolateral nucleus) of the thalamus
TERTIARY - the signal goes from thalamus to the internal capsule and then to the sensory cortex (info processed here)