Neuro 5 Flashcards
Posterior column- medial lemniscus pathway Spinothalamic tract (anterolateral pathway)
terminate in cortex – we have consciousness of them.
Posterior spinocerebellar tract
Cuneocerebellar tract
Anterior spinocerebellar tract
they terminate in cerebellum – we have no consciousness of them
Ascending and Descending Pathways
Consists of three general types:
Long, ascending fibers going to thalamus, cerebellum or various brainstem nuclei
Long, descending fibers going from cerebral cortex or various brainstem nuclei to spinal cord gray matter
Short, propriospinal fibers interconnecting different spinal cord levels
These fibers help coordinate flexor reflexes
Fibers with similar connections (destinations) tend to
travel together and form tracts in the spinal cord
Ascending tracts found in
all three funiculi (AF, LF, PF)
Descending tracts primarily located in
anterior (AF) & lateral (LF) funiculi
Propriospinal fibers
surround the spinal cord gray matter (propriospinal tract)
Somatosensory Receptors
Detect mechanical, chemical or thermal changes
All are pseudounipolar neurons with:
Cell body in DRG or cranial nerve ganglion
A central CNS process (spinal cord or brainstem)
Peripheral process with an ending in skin, muscle, or a joint
free nerve endings
touch = simple crude touch (brushing up against your arm).
pain, temp
Merkel endings
discriminative touch (texture, very fine) (two point discrimination)
Ending around hairs
touch
Ruffini ending
pressure
meisner corpuscle
descriminitve touch (two point descrimination)
Pacinian corpuscle
vibration
Obex
apex of fourth ventricle where it narrows to the central canal
Pyramidal decussation
interrupts anterior median fissure, at junction of brainstem and spinal cord. Contains corticospinal tract, motor fibers from cerebral cortex on their way to the spinal cord. Note pyramid bounded by anterolateral sulcus.
Fasciculus cuneatus
extends to cuneate tubercle, marking site of the nucleus cuneatus. Fasciculus gracilus extends to the gracile tubercle which is at the site of nucleus gracilus.
Posterior columns ascend to
medulla
Caudal (closed) Medulla
Caudal to the 4th ventricle
Spinothalamic tract (STT)
Nucleus and fasciculus gracilis (NG, FG)
Nucleus and fasciculus cuneatus (NC, FC)
Rostral (open) Medulla
Medial lemniscus (ML) Spinothalamic tract (STT)
Medial lemniscus
ascends to thalamus
Posterior column- medial lemniscus pathway
Discriminative touch; Mostly ascending large myelinated primary afferents from various mechanoreceptors
Two point discrimination & conscious proprioception
Vibratory sense
Synapses in medulla and then decussates forming the medial lemniscus
Relays in the lateral thalamus
Ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL)
Terminates in the postcentral gyrus
Posterior column- medial lemniscus pathway
Spinal afferents have their cell bodies in ipsilateral DRGs
As DRG rootlets enter cord, fibers divide into two divisions:
Medial- heavily myelinated, large diameter fibers; enter posterior column and ascend to brainstem
Lateral- finely myelinated and unmyelinated, small diameter fibers
Rostral to T6 few fibers are added to
medial lemniscus pathway
fasiculus gracilis, and fasiculus cuneatus starts to form