The Motor System. Lesions in the Spinal Cord. Flashcards
What are the 4 functional areas of the spinal cord?
C1-C5.
C6-T2.
T3-L3.
L4-S2.
What is a common cause of lesions in the spinal cord?
Prolapsed discs.
What areas of the spinal cord are most likely to be affected by lesions that cause compression of the spinal cord?
The peripheral areas of the spinal cord.
What material makes up the periphery of the spinal cord?
White matter.
Is the white matter or grey matter of the spinal cord most likely to be compressed first?
The white matter as it is on the outside.
What spinal tracts are most likely to be affected first if there is compression of the spinal cord?
The lateral funiculus.
The spino-cerebellar tracts.
The dorsal funiculus.
What information is carried in the spino-cerebellar tracts?
Unconscious proprioception.
What information is carried in the dorsal funiculus of the spinal cord?
Conscious proprioception.
What responses are likely to be affected if a medium amount of pressure is placed on the spinal cord?
Voluntary motor control.
What is a classic symptom when a medium amount of pressure is placed on the spinal cord?
Muscle weakness.
Will larger or smaller nerve fibres be more likely to be damaged if pressure is placed in the spinal cord?
The larger the fibres the more easy they are to damage.
How do we test superficial pain?
By pricking the skin.
What are the last tracts to be affected by increasing pressure on the spinal cord?
The fasciculus proprius.
Where are the fasciculus proprius tracts located in the spinal cord?
Right next to the grey matter.
Are the fibres in the fasciculus proprius tracts myelinated?
No.
How do we test an animals sense of deep pain?
By pinching etc.
Will pinching and skin pricking tell you where the lesion is?
No, but they will tell you how serious it is.
What determines the graveness of the prognosis of neurological lesions?
The more areas that are affected, the worse the prognosis.
When will the dorsal and ventral horns be affected by lesions to the spinal cord?
If the grey matter is affected.
From least amount of pressure to most, what senses will be affected from 1st to last?
1st. Proprioception.
2nd. Voluntary motor control.
3rd. Superficial pain.
4th Deep pain.
From least amount of pressure to most, what tracts will be affected from 1st to last?
1st. Dorsal column and spinocerebellar tracts.
2nd. Extrapyramidal system and pyramidal system.
3rd. Spinothalamic tract.
4th. The fasciculus proprius.
What will be affected if there is damage to the ventral horn of the spinal cord?
The descending/lower motor neurons.
This will affect plexus nerves in the hindlimb and forelimb.
What is a key sign of damage to the ventral horn of the spinal cord?
Flaccid paralysis is the key sign as the muscles are not receiving any stimuli.
This results in quick muscle atrophy as there are no more stimuli arriving at the muscle.
What will be affected if there is damage to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord?
Sensory information.
