Introduction to the ANS

Question 1

autonomic nervous system

Answer 1

unconscious control of visceral function

Question 2

parasympathetic division?

Answer 2

craniosacral

cranial nerves 3, 7, 9, 10
sacral nerves S 2, 3, 4 (from lateral horn)

Question 3

sympathetic division

Answer 3

thoracolumbar

T1-L2 lateral horn

Question 4

visceral afferent location?

Answer 4

parallel to sympathetic division and within branches of CN 7, 9, 10

Question 5

visceral pain>

Answer 5

usually sympathetic

Question 6

feeling of distention?

Answer 6

usually parasympathetic

Question 7

how many neurons in autonomic division?

Answer 7

2 neurons

Question 8

parasympathetic ganglia?

Answer 8

cranial - individually named ganglia

vagal and sacral - ganglia in walls of organs

Question 9

sympathetic ganglia?

Answer 9

paravertebral (sympathetic chain)

Question 10

white ramus communicans

Answer 10

myelinated preganglionic sympathetic

**only T1-L2

Question 11

gray ramus communicans

Answer 11

unmyelinated postganglionic sympathetic

Question 12

pre-vertebral ganglia?

Answer 12

anterior to aorta

Question 13

long postganglion/short preganglion

Answer 13

sympathetic

PS is vice versa

Question 14

three possibilities for sympathetic fibers?

Answer 14

travel gray ramus (postganglionic) to dorsal or ventral spinal nerves

ascend descend sympathetic chain

pass through sympathetic chain via splanchnic nerves to prevertebral ganglia

Question 15

head and neck preganglion sympathetic?

Answer 15

T1-4

Question 16

thorax preganglionic sympathetic?

Answer 16

T1-6

Question 17

upper limb preganglionic sympathetic?

Answer 17

T2-7

Question 18

abdomen preganglionic sympathetic?

Answer 18

T5-L2

Question 19

pelvis and perineum preganglionic sympathetic?

Answer 19

T11-L2

Question 20

lower limb preganglionic sympathetic?

Answer 20

T9-L2

Question 21

preganglionic sympathetic distribution?

Answer 21

through cranial nerves and plexi on organs or arteries to visceral organs

**don’t innervate the arteries

Question 22

are parasympathetic fibers in spinal nerves?

Answer 22

NO!

don’t go to the periphery

Question 23

pelvic splanchnic nerve?

Answer 23

does go through spinal nerve but only for short distance

Question 24

autonomic plexus?

Answer 24

sympathetic and parasympathetic travel together on surface of arteries

• *postganglionic parasympathetic aren’t there
• bc they synapse in ganglia in target organs

exception in the head
-pass through branches of trigenmial nerve (V)

Question 25

ratio of postganglionic to preganglionic?

Answer 25

higher in sympathetic division

• *leads to global affect
• as opposed to local affect of parasympathetic

Question 26

neurotransmitters?

Answer 26

preganglionic - both AcH

S postganglionic - NE
PS postganglionic - AcH

Question 27

visceral pain

Answer 27

acute - visceral afferents in sympathetic
-comes at same level of spinal cord

dull/nauseous - visceral afferents in parasympathetic craniosacral innervation

Question 28

disease or infection?

Answer 28

visceral afferents fire more

• stimulating ascending (afferent) tracts more often
• can be perceieved as pain from certain spinal segment identical to where visceral afferent came to spinal cord

Question 29

viscerosomatic reflex

Answer 29

visceral afferents enter spinal cord synapse with interneurons
-can lead to stimulation of somatic ventral motor neurons and preganglionic sympathetic motor (visceral organs)

Question 30

facilitated segment

Answer 30

level in spinal nerve that has increased firing because of visceral afferent stimulation

**can be important in manipulation treatment