Unit 5: Ch 13 (Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerves, & Somatic Reflexes) Flashcards
Cervical plexus
(do i need details for each sub-nerve?)
- Located on each side of the neck
- Receives fivers from the anterior rami of nerves C1 - C5 and gives rise to the following nerves:
- Lesser occipital
- Great auricular
- Transverse cervical
- Ansa cervicalis
- Supraclavicular
- Phrenic
*Flexor (withdrawal) reflex
- The quick contraction of flexor muscles resulting in the withdrawal of a limb from an injurious stimulus
*Patellar tendon reflex arc
TBD
Layers of spinal meninges
- Separate the tissue of the CNS from the bones of the vertebrae and skull
- 3 layers
- Dura mater
- Arachnoid mater
- Pia mater
Afferent fibers
- Carry sensory signals from receptors to the CNS
Ansa cervicalis n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous and joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor and proprioceptive)
- Composition: motor
- Cutaneous and joint innervation (sensory): none
-
Muscular innervation (motor and proprioceptive):
- omohyoid, sternohyoid, and sterothyroid muscles
Anterior corticospinal
- Funiculus
- Decussation
- Functions
- Funiculus: Anterior
- Decussation: Spinal cord
- Functions: Fine control of limbs
Anterior spinocerebellar
- Funiculus
- Decussation
- Functions
- Funiculus: Lateral
- Decussation: Spinal cord
- Functions: Same as posterior spinocerebellar
Arachnoid mater
- Consists of the arachnoid membrane; 5-6 layers of squamous to cuboidal cells adhering to the inside of the dura and looser array of cells and elastic fibers spanning the gap between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater
- This gap, the subarachnoid space is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
- Notes
- When a sample of CSF is needed for clinical purposes, it is taken from the lumbar cistern via a spinal tap
Ascending tracts
- Carry sensory signals up the spinal cord
- Typically travel across 3 neurons from their origin in the receptors to the destination in the brain
- First-order neuron: detects a stimulus and transmits a signal to the spinal cord or brainstem
- Second-order neuron: continues as far as a “gate-way” called the thalamus at the upper end of the brainstem
- Third-order neuron: carries the signal the rest of the way to the cerebral cortex
Axillary n.
- Composition
- Cord of origin
- Cutaneous and joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor and proprioceptive)
- Composition: mixed
- Cord of origin: posterior
-
Cutaneous and joint innervation (sensory):
- skin of lateral shoulder and arm
- shoulder joint
- Muscular innervation (motor and proprioceptive): deltoid and teres minor muscles
Brachial plexus
- Formed predominately by the anterior rami of nerves C5 - T1
- Subdivisions are called roots, trunks, divisions, and cords
- 5 roots are anterior rami of C5 - Ti
- C5 - C6: upper trunk
- C7: middle trunk
- C8 - T1: lower trunk
- Each trunk divides into an anterior and posterior division
- These nerves carry sensory signals from the skin of the shoulder and upper limb to the spinal cord
- Major nerves
- Musculocutaneous
- Axillary
- Radial
- Median
- Ulnar
List the classification of nerve fibers
- Afferent fibers
- Efferent fibers
- Visceral fibers
- General fibers
- Special fibers
Contralateral reflex arc
- The input and output are on opposite sides
Crossed extension reflex
- The contraction of extensor muscles in the limb opposite from the one that is withdrawn
- Extends and stiffens that limb and enables you to keep your balance
- To produce this reflex, branches of the afferent nerve fibers cross from the stimulated side of the body to the contralateral side of the spinal cord. There, they synapse with interneurons, which excite or inhibit alpha motor neurons to the muscles of the contralateral limb
Cuneate fasciculus
- Funiculus
- Decussation
- Functions
- Funiculus: Posterior
- Decussation: Medulla
-
Functions:
- Same as gracile fasciculus; from level T6 up
Dermatome
- A specific region innervated by a spinal nerve
Dermatome map
- A diagram of the cutaneous regions innervated by each spinal nerve
- Dermatomes overlap at their edges up to 50%, therefore severance of one sensory nerve root does not fully deaden sensation from a dermatome
- It is necessary to sever or anesthetize 3 sequential spinal nerves to produce a total loss of sensation from one dermatome
Distal branches
- Immediately after emerging from the intervertebral foramen, the nerve divides into the following branches
- anterior ramus
- posterior ramus
- meningeal branch
Dura mater
- Forms a loose-fitting sleeve called the dural sheath around the spinal cord
- Tough membrane; composed of multiple layers of dense irregular connective tissue
- The space between the sheath and the vertebral bones is the epidural space, which is occupied by
- blood vessels
- adipose tissue
- loose connective tissue
Efferent fibers
- Carry motor signals from the CNS to effectors
Femoral n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive)
- Composition: mixed
-
Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory):
- skin of anterior, and lateral thigh and knee
- skin of medial leg and foot
- hip and knee joints
-
Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive):
- iliacus
- pectineus
- quadriceps femoris
- sartorius muscles
Fibular n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive)
- Composition: mixed
-
Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory):
- skin of anterior distal 3rd of leg
- dorsum of foot
- toes I-II
- knee joint
-
Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive):
- biceps femoris muscle
- anterior and lateral muscles of leg
- extensor digitorum brevis muscle of foot
Ganglion
- A cluster of neurosomas outside the CNS
General fibers
- Innervate widespread organs such as muscles, skin, glands, viscera, and blood vessels
Genitofemoral n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive)
- Composition: mixed
-
Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory):
- skin of middle anterior thigh
- male scrotum
- female labia majora
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive): male cremaster muscle
Gracile fasciculus
- Funiculus
- Decussation
- Functions
- Funiculus: Posterior
- Decussation: In medulla
-
Functions:
- Sensations of limb and trunk position and movement, deep touch, visceral pain, and vibration, below level T6
Gray matter
- Core consists mainly of two posterior (dorsal) horns, which extend toward the posterolateral surfaces of the cord and two thicker anterior (ventral) horns, which extend toward the anterolateral surfaces
- Right and left sides connected by the gray commissure
- In the middle of the commissure is the central canal
- Lateral horn is visible on each side of the gray matter from segments T2 through L1. Contains neurons of the sympathetic NS
Great auricular n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous and joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor and proprioceptive)
- Composition: somatosensory
-
Cutaneous and joint innervation (sensory):
- most of the external ear, mastoid region, region from parotid salivary gland
- Muscular innervation (motor and proprioceptive): none
Iliohypogastric n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive)
- Composition: mixed
- Cutaneous & joint innervation: skin of lower anterior abdominal and posterolateral gluteal regions
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive):
- internal and external oblique
- transverse abdominal muscles
Ilioinguinal n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive)
- Composition: mixed
-
Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory):
- skin of upper medial thigh
- male scrotum and root of penis
- female labia majora
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive): internal oblique
Inferior gluteal n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive)
- Composition: mixed
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory): none
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive): gluteus maximus
Intersegmental reflex arc
- When the input and output occur at different levels (segments) of the spinal cord
Ipsilateral reflex arc
- When the sensory input and motor output are on the same side of the spinal cord
Lateral corticospinal
- Funiculus
- Decussation
- Functions
- Funiculus: Lateral
- Decussation: Medulla
- Functions: Fine control of limbs
Lateral femoral cutaneous n.
- Composition
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory)
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive)
- Composition: somatosensory
- Cutaneous & joint innervation (sensory): skin of anterior and upper lateral thigh
- Muscular innervation (motor & proprioceptive): none