Somatosensory & Visual Pathways Flashcards
where are sensory cell bodies located? what kind of cells are they?
in the dorsal root ganglion or trigeminal ganglion
pseudounipolar
what size are axons for fine touch?
thick axons
what size are axons for pain and temp?
thin axons
what are proprioceptors?
muscle spindle organ - supports contraction
Golgi tendon organs - allows for stretching of muscle
what are proprioceptor axons like? what kinds of fibers are they?
large diameter & myelinated
A-alpha fibers travel ~80-120 m/s
what are mechanoreceptors?
meissner’s corpuscles and Merkel’s cells - texture and superficial sensation
Ruffini’s corpuscles - deep pressure
pacinian corpuscles - vibration
what are mechanoreceptor axons like? what kinds of fibers are they?
medium diameter & myelinated
A-beta fibers travel ~35-90 m/s
what are pain and temp receptors?
bare nerve endings (cold/heat/nociceptive)
what are bare nerve ending axons like? what kinds of fibers are they?
small diameter
A-delta fibers (myelinated) ~5-40 m/s
C fibers (unmyelinated) ~0.5-2 m/s
what is somatotopic organization like in the spinal cord?
more proximal parts of the body will be closer to the grey matter
continues into the posterior limb of internal capsule
what is the somatosensory cortex layout like?
similar to motor cortex
what is the ventral posterior medial thalamic nuclei important for?
sensation related to the face
what is the ventral posterior lateral thalamic nuclei important for?
sensation related to the body
what is the medial dorsal thalamic nuclei important for?
emotional processing of pain
what does the dorsal column/medial lemniscus pathway carry
fine touch, vibration, conscious proprioception of body
dorsal column/medial lemniscus pathway
1st neuron travel through fasciculus gracilis/cuneatus
synapses on 2nd neuron in nucleus gracilis/cuneatus
crosses midline in internal arcuate fibers in medulla
travel through medial lemniscus to synapse on 3rd neuron in ventral posterior lateral nucleus
travels through posterior limb of internal capsule to post central gyrus
what does the trigeminal lemniscus pathway carry
fine touch and vibration of face
trigeminal lemniscus pathway
1st neuron comes through CN V to synapse on main trigeminal sensory nucleus
2nd neuron crosses midline in pons, travels through trigeminal lemniscus to ventral posterior medial nucleus to synapse on 3rd neuron
travels through posterior limb of internal capsule to post central gyrus