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NYCC Neuro 1 > Internal Anatomy Of The Spinal Cord > Flashcards

Internal Anatomy Of The Spinal Cord Flashcards

1
Q

Functions of Spinal cord

A
  • relay centre for incoming sensory info through dorsal roots & horn
  • conduit for ascending (afferent) & descending (efferent) pathways
  • origin of lower motor neurons “final common pathway of Sherrington” and thus “commands” to skeletal muscles of the body through ventral horns & roots
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2
Q

Bell-Magendie Law

A
  • sensory info goes into spinal cord via dorsal roots of spinal nerves
  • motor “commands” leave spinal cord via ventral roots of spinal nerves
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3
Q

Upper motor neurons origin

A

Start in higher centres (cortex)

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4
Q

UMNs send commands to ___

A

LMNs

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5
Q

Lesion to UMN leads to ____ or ____

A

Spastic paresis (hyperreflexia & hypertonia) or paralysis

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6
Q

LMN origin

A

Start in spinal cord (ventral horn cells) & brainstem (cranial nerve nuclei)

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7
Q

LMNs command

A

Directly command muscles to contract via spinal & cranial nerves

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8
Q

LMN lesion leads to ____

A

Flaccid paresis/paralysis (hyporeflexia & hypotonia)

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9
Q

Pericornual cells

A

Relay centre for pain & temperature

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10
Q

Substantia gelatinosa

A

Involved in ‘editing’ pain
- inhibits pain nuclei

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11
Q

Nucleus proprius

A

Contains cell bodies of neurons in several tracts
(Pain, temperature, tickle, itch)

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12
Q

Nucleus dorsalis (Clarke’s column)

A

C8-L2,3 only
Involved in proprioception of lower body

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13
Q

Intermediolateral cell column

A

T1-L2: preganglionic sympathetic neuron cell bodies
S2-4: preganglionic parasympathetic cell bodies

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14
Q

Motor nuclei (ventral horn cells)

A

Contain cell bodies of LMNs, both alpha & gamma, which innervate skeletal muscle

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15
Q

Cell columns in gray matter

A
  1. Pericornual cells
  2. Substantia gelatinosa
  3. Nucleus proprius
  4. Nucleus dorsalis
  5. Intermediolateral cell column
  6. Motor nuclei
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16
Q

Rexed Laminae I

A

Pericornual cells

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17
Q

Rexed Laminae II

A

Substantia gelatinosa

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18
Q

Rexed Laminae III-VI, part of VI

A

Nucleus proprius

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19
Q

Rexed Laminae VII

A

Intermediate zone, includes nucleus dorsalis & Intermediolateral column

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20
Q

Rexed Laminae VIII

A

Part of ventral horn, projections to lamina IX

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21
Q

Rexed Laminae IX

A

Motor nuclei

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22
Q

Rexed Laminae X

A

Ventral & dorsal gray commisures

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23
Q

Ascending pathways carry information from ____ to ____

A

Lower centres (or peripheral body) to higher centres

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24
Q

The first neuron in an ascending pathway is the ____

A

Primary afferent neuron

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25
Q

Functions of dorsal columns/medial lemniscus pathway

A
  • vibration sense
  • conscious proprioception
  • discriminatory touch (fine touch)
  • stereognosis (3D knowledge)
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26
Q

Dorsal columns (dorsal funiculus) carry ____

A

Primary afferent neurons

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27
Q

Fasciculus gracilis:
From ____
Ends in ____
Exits at ____

A

From ipsilateral lower body
Ends in nucleus gracilis in medulla
Exits at all spinal cord levels

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28
Q

Fasciculus Cuneatus:
From ____
Ends in ____
Exits at ____

A

From ipsilateral upper body
Ends in nucleus cuneatus of medulla
Exits from T6 and above

29
Q

Somatopy

A

Organization of many tracts, nuclei, and brain areas reflects the body’s organization - adjacent body parts are represented in adjacent parts of the tract, etc.

30
Q

Spinocerebellar tracts carry ____ information

A

Proprioception

31
Q

Spinocerebellar tracts carry proprioceptiive information from ____ to ____

A

From lower body to ipsilateral cerebellum

32
Q

Lesion to Spinocerebellar tracts leads to ____

A

Ataxia (unsteady, wide gait)

33
Q

Anterolateral system (spinolathamic tracts)
1° and 2° afferents run through….

A
  • dorsolateral fasciculus
  • lateral spinothalamic tract
34
Q

Dorsolateral fasciculus:
- neuron type
- cell body location
- ____ to stimulus
- ends in ____

A
  • primary pain & temperature afferents
  • cell bodies in DRG
  • ipsilateral to stimulus
  • ends in ipsilateral nucleus proprius, 2 levels above where it entered SC
35
Q

Lateral spinothalamic tract:
- neuron type
- cell body location
- ____ to stimulus
- ends in ____

A
  • secondary pain & temp afferents
  • cell bodies in nucleus proprius
  • axons cross in ventral white commissure to enter lateral spinothalamic tract, becoming contralateral
  • ends in thalamus
36
Q

Cervical spinal cord appearance

A

Bigger ventral horn (gray)
More white matter

37
Q

Thoracic spinal cord appearance

A

Distinct intermediolateral horn
More white matter than lumbar

38
Q

Lumbar spinal cord appearance

A

Larger ventral horn (gray)
Less white matter

39
Q

Pathway responsible for light and poorly localized/crude touch

A

Ventral spinothalamic tract

40
Q

Ventral spinothalamic tract:
- neuron type
- _____ to sensation
- ends in____

A
  • secondary afferents
  • contralateral to sensation
  • ends in thalamus
41
Q

Pathway responsible for pain & temperature

A

Anterolateral system (spinothalamic tracts)

42
Q

White matter descending pathways

A
  • Lateral Corticospinal Tract (LCST)
  • Ventral Corticospinal Tract (VCST)
43
Q

LCST & VCST are both part of the ____

A

Corticospinal Tract (pyramidal tract)

44
Q

LCST & VCST both contain ____ neurons mostly involved in _____ movement

A

UMN
voluntary movement

45
Q

Corticospinal fibers begin at the ____

A

Cerebral cortex

46
Q

Corticospinal fibers proceed through….

A

Corona radiata
Internal capsule
Crus cerebri (midbrain)
Basilar pons
Pyramids of medulla

47
Q

LCST

At the lower medulla ____% of fibers cross the pyramidal decussation and enter the lateral Corticospinal tract

48
Q

fibers that enter the LCST affect ____ muscles

A

Ipsilateral muscles

49
Q

LCST fibers synapse onto ____MNs in the ____ horn

A

LMNs
Ventral horn

50
Q

LCST fibers effect…

A

Distal mostly flexor muscles

51
Q

____% of fibers that do NOT cross the pyramidal decussation enter the Ventral Corticospinal tract

52
Q

Fibers of VCST cross in the ____

A

Ventral white commissure

53
Q

Fibers of VCST synapse onto interneurons or directly onto ____

54
Q

VCST fibers effect…

A

Core musculature

55
Q

Ascending pathways

A
  • fasciculi gracilis & cuneatus
  • Spinocerebellar tracts
  • dorsolateral fasciculus & lateral spinothalamic tract (with ventral spinothalamic tract)
56
Q

Descending pathways

A
  • lateral Corticospinal tract
  • Ventral Corticospinal tract
57
Q

Brown- sequard syndrome: lesion

A

Lesion of white matter on one side (hemisection)

58
Q

Brown-sequard syndrome results in….

A
  • loss of ipsi deep sensibility from level of lesion down (dorsal columns: FG, FC)
  • loss of contra P&T from 2 levels below lesion down (LSTT)
  • ipsi spastic paralysis from level of lesson down (LCST)
  • loss of proprioception from lower limb -> ataxia (Spinocerebellar Tracts)
  • ipsi loss of P&T at level of lesion and possibly 2 below (Dorsolateral fasciculus of Lissauer)
59
Q

Syringomyelia

A
  • expansion of central canal into spinal cord destroys ventral white commissure first, the progress laterally & dorsally
  • bilateral segmental loss of P&T 2 levels below lesion only
60
Q

general rule

lesion above pyramidal decussation

A

contralateral

61
Q

general rule

lesion below pyramidal decussation

A

ipsilateral

62
Q

general rule

lesion to ventral root/horn (LMN)

A

flaccid paralysis

63
Q

general rule

lesion to LCST

A

spastic paralysis

64
Q

name the ascending pathways

A
  1. Dorsal columns/medial Lemniscus: fasciculi gracilis & cuneatus
  2. spinocerebellar tracts
  3. Spinothalamic: dorsolateral fasciculus & lateral spinothalamic tract (with ventral spinothalamic tract)
65
Q

motor neurons in dorsal ramus go to…

66
Q

motor neurons in the ventral ramus go to…

A

front & extremities

67
Q

pain in the neck or back travels through the ____ ramus

A

dorsal ramus

68
Q

What lesions result in Brown-Sequard syndrome?

A

Lesion of white matter on one side:
- dorsal columns: FG, FC
- LSTT
- LCST
- Spinocerebellar tracts
- Dorsolateral Fasciculus of lissauer

NYCC Neuro 1 (20 decks)

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