Case 2 Flashcards
How many spinal nerves are there?
31 pairs (C-8, T-12, L-5, S-5, C-1)
What is a dermatome?
It is area of the skin inner gated by the right and left dorsal roots of a single spinal segment - there is overlaps in the dorsal root innervation (more for pressure, touch and vibration than pain and temperature)
What are the spinal cell types?
- Interneurones - 97%; connects to other cells in the spinal cord
- projection neurones - 3%; cell axons of ascending pathways (1%) and motor neurones that innervantes skeletal muscles (2%)
What are inhibitory and excitatory neurones?
Spinal cord interneurones
Inhibitory - limit the receptive field or activity of other neurones vis inhibitory neurotransmitters (GABA, Glycine and Enkephalin)
Excitatory - stimulation leads to AP in other cells via use of glutamate and various neuropeptides
Where do somatic sensation originate from?
Afferent nerve fibres activity
What is the somatic sensory receptors?
Mechanoreceptors
Some lack these receptors - these fibres are important in sensation of pain
What is the process of sensory transduction?
Stimuli > change in ionic permeability of receptors > receptor potential triggers AP
What are the different types of afferent fibres?
(From biggest diameter to smallest)
- 1a/A-alpha: supply sensory muscle spindles, Golgi tendon Organs receptors (proprioception)
- A-Beta: supply sensory muscle spindles, meissner corpuscle, merkel’s disks, Pacinian corpuscle, and Ruffini endings receptors ( proprioception, heavy pressure, light touch, deep touch/vibration + skin stretch)
- A-Delta: nociceptors and thermoreceptors (pain and temperature)
- C: nociceptors and thermoreceptors (pain and temperature)
What type of receptors does A-Beta fibres supply?
Mechanoreceptors which are low-threshold receptors I.e. provide rapid central transmission of Tactile (touch) information
What is the function of muscle spindle?
Provide information about muscle length i.e. degree to which it is stretched
What does the Golgi Tendon Organs do?
They inform the CNS about changed in muscle tension from the collage fibres
What fibres are linked with Muscle Spindle?
1a (primary sensory endings) and 1b fibres carry information to CNS, information is relayed back to the muscle via gamma motor fibres causing muscle to contract
Which sensations are involved in somatosensory?
Touch, pressure, pain, temperature and proprioception
Where is the cell body for somatosensory neurones found?
Ganglion (collection of cell bodies outside CNS)
What is the main sensory relay centre?
Thalamus
Where are third neurones of somatosensory pathway found?
Ventral posterior nucleus in the thalamus (VPN)
What are the ascending tracts?
- Spinothalamic : lateral - pain and temperature; ventral - pressure and touch; 2 order neurone decussate on spinal cord
- Dorsal Columns: discriminative touch, vibration and proprioception; fasiculus Gracilis - mid-thoracic and lower limbs; fasiculus cuneatus - upper limbs; decussation of 2 order neurone is in the nucleus gracilis or cuneatus in medulla > forms the medial Lemniscus
What are the fibres in the medial Lemniscus called?
Internal raciste
What is the two divisions of the VP complex of the thalamus?
Lateral nucleus - somatosensory information from medial Lemniscus
Medial nucleus - trigeminal Lemniscus from pricipak or spinal nucleus (mechanisensory or painful and thermal stimuli)
Where is the primary somatic secondary Cortex locates?
Post central gurus of parietal lobe
Where does the primary sensory cortex send projections?
Secondary somatosensory > limbus structures (amygdala and hippocampus for tactile learning and memory)
Descending fibres to thalamus, brain stem and spinal cord
What do the somatic motor pathways (descending tracts) carry?
Motor information from brain to spinal cord and then periphery
What’s the corticospinal tract?
Motor cortex > fibres travel in internal capsule to medullary pyramids > 75-85% decussate down lateral tract and remaining amount ipsilaterally in ventral tract (they then decussate on spinal cord at level of exit)
UMN decussate before synapsing with LMN
What is the mnemonic for cranial nerves and function?
On Occassion Our Trusty Truck Acts Funny Very Good Vehicle Any How
Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More
Where are the cranial nerves nuclei found?
Brain stem
Motor nuclei are cell bodies of LMN
What is the cranial nerves sensory pathway?
Ipsilateral 1st order neurone from periphery (ganglion in head region) > synapse in trigeminal nucleus w/ 2nd order nucleus > decussation in brain stem to thalamus > synapse in VPN of thalamus with 3rd order neurones > sensory cortex
Which cranial nerves carry general sensation?
- Trigeminal nerve - 1st order cell body in trigeminal ganglion
- Facial nerve - geniculate ganglion
- Glossopharyngeal and vague nerves - superior and inferior ganglia
What are the three subnuclei of trigeminal sensory nucleus?
Chief sensory - touch and pressure
Spinal - pain and temperature
Mesencephalic - proprioception