lecture 3 - spinal cord Flashcards

1
Q

spinal cord functions (3)

A

conducts sensory impulses to the brain and motor impulses to effectors

integrates EPSPs and IPSPs

processes spinal cord reflexes

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2
Q

white matter consists of:

A

sensory and motor tracts

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3
Q

tracts

A

bundles of axons in the CNS

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4
Q

site for integration

A

grey matter

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5
Q

spinal cord reflexes only involve:

A

spinal nerves and spinal cord

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6
Q

spinal cord is protected by (3)

A

vertebral column
meninges
CSF

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7
Q

vertebral canal is formed by

A

vertebral foramen in a line

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8
Q

intervertebral foramen vs vertebral foramen

A

vert - spinal cord passage
inter - spinal nerve passage

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9
Q

meninges (3) deep to superficial

A

pia mater
arachnoid mater
dura mater

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10
Q

all laters of spinal cord stuff deep to superficial (7)

A

spinal cord
pia mater
subarachnoid space
arachnoid mater
subdural space
dura mater
epidural space

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11
Q

epidural space

A

contains fat
outermost layer

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12
Q

dura mater

A

toughest
continuous with epineurium

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13
Q

subdural space

A

filled with ISF

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14
Q

arachnoid mater

A

spider like
thin
avascular coverings of collagen + elastic
continuous to brain

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15
Q

subarachnoid space

A

filled with CSF

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16
Q

pia mater

A

delicate
highly vascularized
adheres to spinal cord and brain
has denticulate ligaments

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17
Q

denticulate ligaments

A

part of pia mater that hold the spinal cord in place

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18
Q

cerebrospinal fluid (what does it do?)

A

CSF
circulates through the brain ventricles and subarachnoid space

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19
Q

how is CSF removed?

A

removed from the subarachnoid space via a spinal tab or lumbar puncture between L3/L4 or L4/L5

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20
Q

spinal cord extends to and from:

A

medulla oblongata to L2 in adults

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21
Q

spinal enlargements

A

cervical - arms
lumbosacral - legs

these are present to innervate the limbs

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22
Q

hoe many pairs of spinal nerves

A

31

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23
Q

cervical nerves (which ones)

A

first 8

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24
Q

cervical enlargement nerves

A

C4 - T1

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25
Q

thoracic nerves

A

T1-12

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26
Q

lumbosacral enlargement nerves

A

T9-12

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27
Q

lumbar nerves

A

L1-5

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28
Q

sacral nerves

A

s1-s5

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29
Q

coccygeal nerve

A

last pair of nerves

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30
Q

conus medullaris

A

terminal end of the spinal cord at L1/l2
cone shaped

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31
Q

cauda equina (horses tail)

A

roots of lowest spinal nerves
resembles a horses tail

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32
Q

filum terminale

A

extension of pia mater
anchors spinal cord to coccyx

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33
Q

white matter functions as

A

highways for upward and downward travel of information

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34
Q

grey matter functions to

A

integration nerve impulses

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35
Q

grey matter of the spinal cord

A

shaped like an H
has paired horns
- posterior grey horns
- anterior grey horns
- lateral grey horns

has central canal

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36
Q

central canal

A

runs whole spinal cord
filled with CSF

37
Q

posterior grey horns have:

A

axons of sensory neurons
cell bodies, and axons of interneurons

38
Q

anterior grey horns have

A

somatic motor nuclei to skeletal muscle

39
Q

lateral grey horns have

A

autonomic motor nuclei

40
Q

if there was a loss of function at the lateral grey horns of the spinal cord, what would happen?

A

there would be a loss of autonomic motor function (cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, glands)

41
Q

white matter of the spinal cord

A

surrounds grey matter
has grooves that divide it in half
divided into funiculi by grey horns
- anterior posterior and lateral funiculi

42
Q

funiculi (and what they contain?)

A

sections of white matter in the spinal cord that contain tracts

43
Q

a tract contains

A

axons with common origin/destination

44
Q

ascending tracts vs descending

A

asc - carry info up to brain - sensory
desc - carry info down from brain - motor

45
Q

tracts are names based on:

A

location, beginning to end

eg. spinothalamic tract
starts in spinal cord, ends in thalamus

46
Q

motor tracts can be divided into 2 types

A

direct (pyramidal)
indirect (extrapyramidal)

47
Q

spinal ganglion

A

bulges of sensory cell bodies shortly before entering the spinal cord

48
Q

rootletts

A

small nerves that enter/exit the cord, become/were roots

rootletts -> roots > nerves

49
Q

anterior medial fissure

A

anterior groove in spinal cord

50
Q

posterior medial sulcus

A

posterior groove in spinal cord

51
Q

why is the amount of grey matter largest in cervical and lumbar segments?

A

the enlargements are there

52
Q

how does the white matter content change in the spinal cord from superior to inferior? why?

A

it gets less and less as we go down

this is because as tracts exit the spinal cord, there is less info coming from the brain by the bottom

53
Q

the internal anatomy of the cord allows sensory and motor info to be:

A

processed in an organized way

54
Q

nerve

A

bundles of hundreds/thousands of axons outside of the brain/cord

made of neurons

bundle of fascicles within an epineurium

55
Q

layers of nerves

A

endoneurium
perineurium
epineurium

just like muscle

56
Q

fiber

A

single axon within an endoneurium

57
Q

fascicle

A

bundle of fibres within a perineurium

58
Q

all layers of nerve deep > superficial
(6)

A

single axon
endoneurium
bundle of fibres
perineurium
bundle of fascicles
epineurium

59
Q

spinal nerves are connected to the cord by:

A

two roots (anterior and pos)

60
Q

mixed nerve

A

a nerve that contains both sensory and motor axons

eg, when teh two roots meet from cord

61
Q

posterior root

A

contains axons of sensory neurons
- conducts NPs from receptors toward CNS
- has spinal ganglion that contains cell bodies of the sensory neurons

62
Q

anterior root

A

contains axons of motor neurons
- conducts nerve impulses from CNS to effectors

63
Q

rami

A

branches of spinal nerves

64
Q

types of rami and what they supply

A

posterior rami - deep muscles of posterior trunk
anterior rami - anterior trunk + limbs
meningeal branches - meninges, vertebrae
communicating rami - autonomic NS

65
Q

anterior rami are special, why

A

the do not go directly to the part they supply, they go to axonal networks called plexuses

66
Q

spinal plexus

A

webs of nerves that function to innervate all body parts extensively

67
Q

5 spinal plexuses

A

cervical
brachial
lumbar
sacral
coccygeal

68
Q

why is there no thoracic plexus

A

anterior rami directly innervate the intercostal spaces via the intercostal nerves

69
Q

dermatomes

A

skin segments supplied by all the spinal nerves except C1

70
Q

transection

A

injury that severs the spinal cord and leads to loss of sensation and motor control below the level of injury - higher = worse

71
Q

reflex

A

fast predictable involuntary response to changes in the environment - can be inborn or learned

72
Q

types of reflexes

A

spinal and cranial
somatic and autonomic

73
Q

spinal reflex

A

integration takes place in spinal cord
(in the grey matter)

74
Q

cranial reflex

A

integration takes place in brain

75
Q

somatic reflex

A

involves contraction of skeletal muscles
is perceived

76
Q

autonomic reflex

A

involves contraction of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, or glands

is not perceived

77
Q

reflex arc (what is it + 5 things involved)

A

the pathway followed by nerve impulses in a reflex

  1. sensory receptor
  2. sensory neuron
  3. integrating centre
  4. motor neuron
  5. effector
78
Q

monosynaptic reflex arc

A

arc that involves one synapse
ex. hammer knee reflex

79
Q

polysynaptic reflex

A

arc that involves more than one synapse
ex. stepping on a sharp object

80
Q

whihc neurons participate in a monosynaptic reflex

A

just sensory and motor

81
Q

4 important somatic spinal reflexes

A

stretch
tendon
flexor
crossed extensor

82
Q

stretch reflex

A

monosynaptic
ipsilateral
(with polysynaptic arc to antagonist muscles)

operates as a feedback mechanism to control muscle length by causing muscle contraction

ex. patellar reflex

83
Q

reciprocal innervation

A

simultaneous contraction of one muscel and relaxation of its antagonist

84
Q

tendon reflex

A

polysynaptic
ipsilateral
(with polysynaptic arc to antagonist muscles)

operated as a feedback mechanism to control muscle tension by causing relaxation when muscle force is too extreme

ex. when quads tense up too much they are signalled to relax + and hammies to contract)

85
Q

flexor reflex

A

polysynaptic
ipsilateral
intersegmental

protective reflex that moves a limb in response to pain.

intersegmental - activation of interneurons that branch to dif cord segements - engages several motor fibre segments

multiple muscle groups activated to move limb

86
Q

crossed extensor reflex

A

polysynaptic
contralateral

helps to maintain balance during the flexor reflex

interneurons that synapse to motor neruons on contralateral side activate opposing side muscles

used to balance on one leg if the other is injured

87
Q

babinski sign

A

abnormal response to reflex test

88
Q

direct motor pathways function to
(pyramidal)

A

cause voluntary movement of skeletal muscle

89
Q

indirect motor pathways function to
(extrapyramidal)

A

cause automatic movements like muscle tone, postural muscles, and equilibrium of the body in response to head movement