Somatosensory Tracts 1: Proprioception and Tactile Flashcards
The somatosensory system transmits and analyzes what types of information from external and internal locations on the body and head?
Discrimintive Touch
Vibration
Proprioception (body postion in space)
Crude Touch
Temperature
Nociception (pain)
Discriminitive touch, vibration (flutter), and proprioception sensations from the body are transmitted through what pathway/
What pathway relays these same sensations, including pain, from the face?
Medial Leminiscal Pathway (posterior column, dorsal column)
Trigeminothalamic PAthway
Two-point discrimination varies widley over different parts of the body, and the more sensitive areas have a higher density of peripheral nerve endings, called a receptive field. Which of the following best describes the receptive field of the hand?
A. Small receptive field with low receptor desnity
B. Small receptive field with high receptor density
C. Large receptive field with high receptor density
D. Large receptive field with low receptor density
Small receptive field with high receptor density
NOTE: the smaller receptive fields will ALWAYS have higher receptor density
Primary afferent fibers (sensory expns with cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia) will enter the spinal cord, branch, and terminate in what general structure of the spinal cord?
Spinal Gray Matter
T/F: Peripheral distribution of afferent nerves delineats segmental pattern of dermatomes
True
The largest set of branches ascend cranially and form the posterior columns. What structure is found more medially in the posterior column and recieves afferent from the lower extremities?
What spinal cord levels is the structure/region found in?
Fasculus Gracilis
Everything below T6
The largest set of branches ascend cranially and form the posterior columns. What structure is found more laterally in the posterior column and receives afferents from the upper extremities?
What spinal cord levels is the structure/region found in?
Fasciculus Cuneatus
T6 to C1
Fibers within the posterior columns are organized topographically. Going from most medial to lateral, what spinal cord regions would be found.
Coccygeal > Sacral > Lumbar > Thoracic > Cervical
A lesion of the spinal cord in the Fasciulus Gracilis region would generally result in which of the following issues?
A. Ipsilateral loss of discriminitive, positional, and vibratory sensations of the upper extremity
B. Contralateral loss of discriminitive, postional, and vibratory sensation of the upper extremity
C. Ipsilateral loss of discriminitive, positional, and vibratory sensations of the lower extremity
D. Contralateral loss of discriminitive, positional, and vibratory sensation of the lower extremity
Ipsilateral loss of discriminitive, positional, and vibratory sensations of the lower extremity
NOTE: lesions of the primary, 2nd, or 3rd order neurons will not affect strength
Loss of muscle stretch (tendon) reflex is called sensory ataxia. How does this symptom result?
A. Spinal Cord Lesion
B. Damage to second order neurons
C. Damage to 3rd order neurons
D. All of the above
Spinal Cord Lesion
- damage to primary afferent neurons
T/F: A patient who is seen walking with a wide-based stance that places the feet to the floor with excessive force may be acting in an effort to compensate for missing proprioceptive input
True
1st order neurons synapse on second order neurons in what anatomical structure?
Primary neurons from the Fasciculus Gracilis synapse on 2nd order neurons in what nuclei?
Posterior Medulla
Nucleus Gracilis
NOTE: Likewise, Nucelus Cuneatus recieves input from the corresponding fasciculus cuneatus
Within their nuclei, 2nd order neurons send there axons to which of the following places in the medial leminiscal pathway after using what fiber to loop anteromedially in the medulla? What does the 2nd order neuon ascend as?
A. Ipsilateral medulla; internal arcuate fibers
B. Ipsilateral Thalmus; external arcuate fibers
C. Contralateral Thalamus; internal arcuate fibers
D. Contralateral Thalamus; external arcuate fibers
Contralateral Thalamus;internal arcuate fibers
Medial Lemnicus
As the medial lemincus rotates laterally in the pons on its way up to the thalamus, the upper extremity fibers now lie ______, while the lower extremity fibers now lie _______.
As the medial lemincus rotates laterally in the pons on its way up to the thalamus, the upper extremity fibers now lie medially, while the lower extremity fibers now lie laterally.
Where does the medial lemnicus terminate in the thalamus when carrying sensory information for the body?
Ventral Posterolateral Nucleus (VPL)