Somatosensory System/ Ascending Tracts Flashcards
What are the 4 modalities of the somato-sensory system?
- Discriminative Touch
- Proprioception
- Nociception
- Temperature
What is divergent neural proccessing?
- Potential spreads to more than 1 system
- The axon gives off collaterals
What is the purpose of convergence?
To increase the contrast of the neural signal
What is the term for contrast enhancement ?
- Lateral inhibition
What are the 3 types of lateral inhibition?
- Feed forward
- Feedback
- Distal
What is feedforward control?
Lateral collaterals activate inhibitory cell off of primary neuron provide stimulation to inhibitory neurons. (no feedback)
What is local feedback inhibition?
Collaterals from inhibitory neurons receiving strong sensory input synapse on interneurons and inhibit analogous/ neighboring inhibitory neurons to better pinpoint the source of the stimulus.
What is distal feedback inhibition?
Axons from the motor and sensory areas of the cerebral cortex synapse on an interneuron that synapses on an inhibitory neuron targeting the secondary neurons of a somatosensory system, further inhibiting weaker input,
What is the overall purpose of convergence/ contrast enhancement?
- Inhibit weaker signals for stronger clarity of the more powerful sensory information
What is kinesthetic and position sense considered mysterious?
- We are unaware of it since it has no defined sensation that is identifiable
What 3 types of receptors combine to form awareness of joint position? What other signal contributes? Which is the primary receptor?
- Muscle spindles (primary)
- Skin/ SA ruffini endings
- Joint receptors (detect end of motion)
- Signals of central origins sense effort or will
Why are position and movements of joints separate senses?
- They share the same receptors, but central processing occurs in the different areas/ pathways
What 2 receptors are especially important in determining joint position?
- SA cutaneous receptors
- Tonic muscle spindles
What 3 receptors are especially important in determining movement?
- FA receptors
- Muscle spindles
- Golgi tendon organs
Where are receptors found for touch and pressure?
In the skin
What are the 3 primary sensory afferents for touch and pressure?
- Group II fast
- Group III and IV slow
Where is the origin of the fasciculus gracilis?
The dorsal root ganglions of T7 - S5
Do the fibers of the fasciculus gracilis cross?
No.
Where is the tract of the fasciculus gracilis found?
- Throughout the entire spinal cord
On what does the fasciculus gracilis synapse in the higher centers?
- The nucleus gracilis in medulla
What sensations run through the fasciculus gracilis?
- Conscious proprioception, discriminative touch, pressure, 2 point discrimination, kinesthetic sense
Where is the origin of the fasciculus cuneatus?
- Dorsal root ganglions of C1- T6
Do the fibers of the fasciculus cuneatus cross the spinal cord?
No.
Where is the tract of the fasciculus cuneatus found in the spinal cord?
Above T6
What does the fasciculus cuneatus synapse on in the higher centers?
- The nucleus cuneatus in the medulla
What sensations run through the fasciculus cuneatus?
- Consious proprioception, discriminative touch, pressure, 2 point discrimination, kinesthetic sense
What is the origin of the spinocervical thalamic tract?
- The lateral cervical nuclei of the dorsal horn (at C1, and above)
Do the fibers of the spinocervical thalamic tract cross?
Yes
What do the fibers of the spinocervical thalamic tract synapse on in the higher centers?
- Thalamus
What sensation runs through the spinocervical thalamic tract?
- Discrimitive touch
- Passive manipulation (somewhat)
What fascicle is the spinocervical thamalic tract analgous to?
- The fasciculus cuneatus (maybe?)
What is the origin of dorsal spinocerebellar tract?
- Laminae 7/ Clark’s Column of T1 - L2
What is Clark’s Column
- Ias, Ibs, and IIs, give off collaterals to interneurons, which exit the horn laterally and ascends up from the lateral portion of the spinal cord
Do the fibers of the dorsal spinocerebellar tract cross?
- No
Where do the dorsal spinocerebellar tracts synapse?
On the nuclei in L3 - C1
Where are the dorsal spinocerebellar tracts found in the spinal cord?
- Fibers are found throughout
What sensory information runs through the dorsal spinocerebellar tract?
- Ia, Ib, and II fiber propriception
- UNCONCIOUS proprioception
Where does the ventral spinocerebellar tract originate?
- Laminae 5 - 7 of L3 - L5 (Spinal border cells)