Somesthesis Flashcards
Light touch
Detected by cutaneous extero-receptors that are rapidly adapting (detect transient events)
Transmitted by A-beta fibers
Proprioception
Perception of body projections and movement (including info from muscles, joint capsules, ligaments, tendons, and vestibular system)
More deeply situated by groups I-a, I-b, and II afferents
Nervous system must compare output to muscle with input from muscle and tendons
Gross touch
Detected by cutaneous extra-receptors that are rapidly adapting (detect transient events)
Transmitted by A-beta and A-delta fibers
Temperature
Separate sets of fibers and thermoreceptors that respond to increases and decreases in skin temperature
Slowly adapting neurons
Cold receptors: A-delta and C fibers
Warmth receptors: unmyelinated afferents
Fast pain
Pain from cutaneous tissues comes from A-delta fibers
Muscle afferents
info about contractile status
Deep receptors
Joints and proprioception
Cutaneous receptors
Subserve tactile sensation
SI (primary somatosensory cortex)
Complete map of body represented in postcruciate gyrus, projects to primary motor cortex (MI)
Oral and facial projections (from VCM)
terminate more laterally
Trunk and limb projections (from VCL)
terminate medially
Slow pain
Pain from cutaneous tissues comes from C fibers
Dentin
Radially oriented tubules with odontoblasts protruding in at dento-pulpal interface
Changes in hydrodynamic pressure in tubules cause odontoblast to move -> afferents -> pain
A-delta = sharp localized pain
C = diffuse, poorly localized aching
Trigeminal ganglion
cell bodies of receptors which innervate facial skin and oral cavity, analogous to dorsal root ganglia; reflects 3 incoming branches (V1, 2, 3)
Subnucleus oralis
Division of V spinal nucleus
Represents oral cavity (tooth pulp, gingival, palate, buccal mucosa)
Mediates oral cavity reflexes (chewing and defensive)
Subnucleus interpolaris
Division of V spinal nucleus
Represents head and oral cavity
Mediates tactile facial reflexes
Subnucleus caudalis
Division of V spinal nucleus
Complete representation of face and oral cavity
Relay of pain and thermal sensation
C fibers
Lightly myelinated or unmyelinated
Smaller diameter axons, slower conducting
Pain and temperature
Spinothalamic tract
formed by axons that cross the spinal cord at levels in which their cell bodies are located
Interruption reduces pain and temp sensations contra laterally, targets ventrocaudal thalamus
Spinoreticular tract
many fibers terminate in medullary reticular formation, some relay in midbrain reticular formation, involved in arousal and motivational-affective reactions to nociceptive stimulation
Reticular
most primitive motor system
Tooth pulp
Contains endings of A-delta and C afferents -> pain
A-beta afferents -> non-painful sensations
Directly sensitive to mechanical disturbances
Nociceptors
pain receptors
Gracile fasiculus
Receives input from sacral, lumbar, and lower thoracic roots, representing lower trunk and legs
Pacinian corpuscle
Fast adapting A-beta touch fibers
Laminated with central neurotic, sensitive to minimal skin distortion (gingival)
More sensitive
Meissner’s corpuscle
Specialized fast adapting receptors
Located within dermal papillae of glabrous skin and supplied by A-beta class fibers
Less sensitive
Hair cells
A-beta fibers
Quickly adapting
No sustained discharge if hair is bent for more than a few seconds
Slowly adapting
Discharge for the duration of the stimulus
Maintained events
Free nerve endings
Nociceptors that detect pain
Subspecialized, myelinated and unmyelinated
A-delta fibers in skin and mucosa
Cuneate fasiculus
Added lateral and gracile fascicles at ind-thoracic cord level
Transmits input from upper trunk, arms, and neck