Spinal Tracts: Ascending And Descending Tracts Flashcards

1
Q

What are the ascending tracts of the spinal cord?

A

Responsible for sensory information. Divided into the conscious sensory tracts and the unconscious sensory tracts.

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2
Q

What is the role of the anterior spinothalamic tract?

A

Crude touch and pressure.

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3
Q

What is the role of the lateral spinothalamic tract?

A

Pain and temperature.

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4
Q

What is the role of the dorsal column tract?

A

Fine touch, propioception and vibration.

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5
Q

What is the significance of the fasiculus gracilis?

A

Dorsal column pathway below T6 for the lower limbs.

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6
Q

What is the significance of the fasiculus cuneatus?

A

Dorsal column pathway above T6 for the upper limbs.

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7
Q

What are the unconscious sensory tracts?

A

Spino-cerebellar
Spino-tectal
Spino-olivary
Spino-reticular

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8
Q

What is the role of the spino-olivary tract?

A

Transmit propioceptive information to the inferior olivary nucleus, for balance.

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9
Q

What is the role of the spino-cerebellar tract?

A

Unconscious propioceptive information from the muscle spindles and Golgi Tendon to the cerebellum.

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10
Q

What is the role of the spino-reticular tract ?

A

Provides information to reticular formation for consciousness, awareness and emotional response to pain.

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11
Q

What is the role of the spino-tectal tract?

A

Sensory information to transmit to the superior colliculi for orientation of our eyes and head.

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12
Q

What are the descending tracts?

A

Motor actions which are divided into pyramidal and extra-pyramidal tracts.

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13
Q

What are the pyramidal tracts?

A

Tracts which arises from the cortex and travels through the pyramids of the medulla. This includes the corticospinal and corticobulbar tract.

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14
Q

What are the extrapyramidal tracts?

A

Arise from the brain stem and are responsible for unconscious motor actions, not passing through the pyramids of the medulla:
Tectospinal
Vestibulospinal
Reticulospinal
Rubrospinal

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15
Q

What is the role of the anterior corticospinal tract?

A

Voluntary control of the ipsilateral and contralateral axial and trunk muscles. It is ipsilateral at the pyramids.

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16
Q

What is the role of the lateral corticospinal tracts?

A

Voluntary control of the contralateral distal limbs. Makes up a majority of fibres which decassate at the pyramids.

17
Q

What is the role of the rubrospinal tract?

A

Extrapyramidal tract which is responsible for fine control and flexor muscles.

18
Q

What is the role of the tectospinal tract?

A

Originates from the superior colliculi to transmit to the head and eyes for orientation in response to auditory and visual stimuli.

19
Q

What is the role of the medial vestibulospinal tract?

A

Act on the head and neck ipsilateral extensor muscles for posture and balance, exiting at the cervical segment.

20
Q

What is the role of the lateral vestibulospinal tract?

A

Acts on the appendicular extensor muscles of the limbs, exiting at the thoracic segment.

21
Q

What is the role of the medial reticulospinal tract?

A

Arises from the pons to increase muscle tone and facilitate voluntary movement.

22
Q

What is the role of the lateral reticulospinal tract?

A

Receives information from the corticoreticular fibres. It arises from the medulla and inhibiting voluntary movement and reduce muscle tone, involved in automatic breathing.

23
Q

Lesion to the pyramidal tract?

A

Positive Babinski sign with dorsiflexion, hyperreflexia, hypertonia and weakness.

24
Q

Lesion to the extrapyramidal tract?

A

Parkinsonism with rigidity, tremor and postural defects. Dystopia may occur, which is involuntary muscle spasms.

25
Q

How does an UMN lesion present?

A

Hypertonic
Hyperreflexia
Clonus
Weakness
Positive babinski sign

26
Q

How does a LMN lesion present?

A

Fasiculation
Muscle atrophy
Hypotonia
Hyporeflexia
Flaccid paralysis