Week 2: Spinal + Supraspinal pathways of nociception

Question 1

How is the message sent from the dorsal horn to the brain?

Answer 1

Via ascending tracts in the spinal cord

Question 2

Where do second order neurons cross over at? Where do they ascend to?

Answer 2

The spinal cord. They ascend to integrative centres in the thalamus.

Question 3

What are the two most important spinal tracts?

Answer 3

Spinothalamic & Spinoreticular

Question 4

Are the ascending tracts in white or grey matter?

Answer 4

White matter

Question 5

What are the two types of spinothalamic pathways?

Answer 5

Lateral & Anterior

Question 6

What does the lateral spinoathalamic tract ascend directly to?

Answer 6

The thalamus

Question 7

Role of the lateral spinothalamic tract?

Answer 7

Serves in the sensory discriminative aspect of pain perception

Question 8

What does the anterior spinothalamic tract send collaterals to?

Answer 8

Sends collaterals to the periaqueductal grey matter, hypothalamus and reticular system in the midbrain before reaching the thalamus (ie not direct like the lateral spinothalamic tract)

Question 9

Where does the spinoreticular tract arise from?

Answer 9

It arises from laminae VII and VIII

Question 10

Where does the spinoreticular tract terminate?

Answer 10

Terminates in the reticular formation of the medulla and pons

Question 11

From the ….. ….. …… and medial ……, ….. order neurons project to higher cortical (…… cortex) and ….. centres (….. system)

Answer 11

Ventral, posterior, lateral, nuclei, third, somatosensory, midbrain, limbic