Sensory System II Flashcards
What does somatic sensation detect?
touch, pain, and position of the body
What are somesthetic tracts
ascending tracts that mediate signals from the somatosensensory receptors
What kind of information is somesthetic tracts sending
afferent
Where do ascending spinal tracts reach?
Brain stem; the thalamus or cerebellum
A nerve tracts consist of ___ connecting ____ of the CNS
bundles of nerve fibers; nuclei
When the tract carries two name what do they indicate?
The 1st indicates the origin, whereas the 2nd indicates the site of
termination
ex. Spinothalamic tract
When the tract carries three names what do they indicate?
middle name indicates the site where axons from the origin synapse with neurons that protect axons to the destination
Ex. Sinocervicothalamic tract
Somatosensory cerebral pathways
specific modality neurons carry signals to specific areas of the thalamus which then project to specific areas of the somatosensory cerebral cortex
Nociception
Free nerve endings
Do not adapt
What type of noxious stimulus is pain
Conscious perception and accompanied by an unpleasant emotional response
What is the location of nociception
Superficial layers of skin and certain internal tissues
Peiosteum, arterial walls, joint surfaces and specific areas of the skull
Nociception can stimulate two pathways ___ + ____
somatic and automomic responses and reflexes
What provides evidence that there is stimulus in the nociceptors?
Noxious stimulus that MAY be transmitted to the brain and in `result experience pain.
Animals demonstrate by behaviour
Turning the head, crying, vocalizing trying to bite
Trying to move the whole body away from the noxious stimulus
Self selection of analgesia as observed in laboratory animals
What is withdraw reflex not a sign of?
An intact nocicpetion
What are the two fibers that pain is transmitted by?
A delta fibers and C fibers
What are the characteristic of A delta fibers
Transmit fast pain
Also called superficial pain
Mostly originated in the skin
Localized (sharp) pain
Warn the brain of the potential for tissue damage and cause rapid responses
How is fast pain tested?
Light squeeze of the skin manually or using haemostats
What are the characteristics of C fibers
Slow pain and increases slowly over many seconds or min. often called deep pain
originated from the skin or deeper structures
Can occur in the skin and almost any deep tissue or organ
associated with tissue destruction
lead to prolonged unbearable suffering - cause individuals to withdraw ad rest aiming to promote healing
How is slow pain tested?
Usually tested by squeezing of the digits with a strong pair of haemostats
How do both the fibers of nociception enter the body?
Via dorsal and synpase in the dorsal horn
From there connections are made within or between segments for reflex activity such as the withdrawal reflex (animal withdraws the limb from the noxious stimulus)`