Session 6 Flashcards
What is the autonomic nervous system?
- Divided into parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems
- Part of the peripheral nervous system
- Controls non-voluntary actions of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands
- Maintains and fine-tunes internal environment
- Many structures receiving autonomic innervation are dually innervated with sympathetic and parasympathetic fibres
What are the actions of the sympathetic nervous system?
- Retract eyelids
- Dilates pupils
- Increases activity of sweat glands
- Constricts smooth muscle of blood vessels in skin and gut
- Bronchodilates airways
- Decreases gut motility
- Increases rate and force of contraction of cardiac muscle
What are the actions of the parasympathetic nervous system?
- Constricts pupil
- Makes lens fatter (smooth muscle in ciliary body)
- Increases activity of lacrimal glands
- Increases activity of salivary glands
- Increases activity of mucosal glands
- Increases contraction of smooth muscle of respiratory and GI tract
- Decreases rate and force of contraction of heart
Where are pre-ganglionic neurones found?
- Cell bodies (nuclei) within CNS
- Axons exit CNS to synapse with another autonomic neurone
Where are post-ganglionic neurones found?
- Cell body lies within a ganglion outside of CNS
- Axon exits ganglion to synapse with tissues
Where do sympathetic fibres exit the CNS?
- Thoracolumbar outflow
- T1-L2 spinal segments only
Where do parasympathetic fibres exit the CNS?
- Craniosacral outflow
- Brainstem x4 cranial nerves
- Sacral S2-S4 pelvic splanchnics
Outline how 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order neurones reach the structures of the head and neck?
- 1st order neurone descends via brainstem into spinal cord
- Synapses onto cell body of 2nd order neurone
- 2nd order neurone exits at T1/T2 level in thoracolumbar region of spinal cord
- Then enters and ascends in sympathetic chain up into the neck
- At superior cervical ganglion 2nd order neurone synapses onto 3rd order neurone
How do 3rd order neurones travel in the head and neck?
- Hitch-hike onto blood vessels
- Runs on outside of CCA and then along ICA and ECA to reach target tissues
How do 3rd order sympathetic neurones to the eye and orbit reach their targets?
- Run with ICA
- Then into orbit
- Run alongside ophthalmic artery and distal branches of Va
- Increase retraction of upper eyelid
- Dilate the pupil
How do 3rd order sympathetic neurones to the sweat glands of the face and neck reach their targets?
- Run with branches of the ECA
What are the points where sympathetic innervation to the head and neck can be damaged?
- 1st order neurones - within the CNS
- 2nd order neurones - exiting the CNS and within the sympathetic chain
- 3rd order neurones - running with blood vessels
Which pathologies/injuries affect the sympathetic nerves reaching the head and neck?
- Pathology/injury to CCA or ICA - e.g. carotid artery dissection or aneurysm
- Apical lung cancer e.g. Pancoast’s tumour (can interrupt sympathetic innervation to head and neck and involve structures relating to eye)
What is the clinical manifestation of interruption of sympathetic innervation to face and eye?
- Horner’s syndrome:
1. Partial ptosis
2. Miosis (constricted pupil)
3. Anhidrosis (ability to sweat is lost on affected side of face)
4. Apparent enophthalmus
Why does interruption of sympathetic innervation lead to partial ptosis, not a complete or severe ptosis?
- Levator palpabrae superioris contracts to elevate (retract) upper eyelid
- Two muscle types within it contribute different amounts
- Skeletal muscle innervated by CN III (somatic) has major contribution
- Smooth muscle innervated by sympathetics has smaller contribution