SC and PNS Flashcards
Spinal white matter: sensory pathways
Dorsal and Lateral Column
- Dorsal column
- Spinocerebellar
- Spinothalamic
- Spinoreticular
Spinal white matter: motor pathways
Anterior and Lateral Column
- Corticospinal
- Rubrospinal
- Reticulospinal
- Vestibulospinal
- Tectospinal
Dorsal column pathway
Sensory:
Conscious touch and proprioception
- Touch/proprioception info from limbs enters SC
- Ascends in dorsal column to ipsilateral medulla
- Synapse in medulla
- Crosses spinal cord and ascends in medial lemniscus to contralateral thalamus
- Synapse in thalamus
- Ascends to cortex
Spinocerebellar pathway
Sensory:
Unconscious proprioception
Spinothalamic pathway
Sensory:
Conscious pain and temperature
- Pain/temperature information from limbs enters SC and synapses in dorsal horn
- Crosses to contralateral SC
- Ascends in spinothalamic tract
- Synapse in thalamus
- Ascends to cortex
Spinoreticular pathway
Sensory:
Alerting, arousal
Corticospinal tract
Motor:
Voluntary movement and fine motor control
- Cell body in motor cortex
- Crosses in medullary pyramid
- Descends in lateral column
- Synapses w/ alpha motor neuron
Rubrospinal tract
Motor:
Gross motor movements
- Cell body in red nucleus
- Crosses immediately
- Synapses w/ alpha motor neuron
Reticulospinal tract
Motor:
Trunk movements, postural control
Vestibulospinal tract
Motor:
Trunk movements, postural control
Tectospinal tract
Motor:
Reflexive movement of the head
Upper Motor Neuron (UMN)
Clinical signs: Paresis, spasticity, hyperreflexia, hypertonia
Diseases: Stroke, TBI, SCI, MS, PD
Lower Motor Neuron (LMN)
Clinical signs: Atrophy, flaccid paralysis, loss of reflexes, fibrillations/fasciculations
Diseases: Polio, Peripheral Nerve Injury, Guillian Barre Syndrome
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
AKA Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Both an UMN and LMN disease
