6 Questions
Which type of pain is transmitted through the pathway of slow pain?
Diffuse, unbounded pain
What is the main function of the spino-tectal tract?
To coordinate eyes, head, and neck movements toward touch and painful stimuli
Where do the axons of the 1st neuron in the spino-reticular tract terminate?
In the nuclei of reticular formation
What is the location of the neuronal pathway of the spino-tectal tract?
In the lateral funiculus of spinal cord
What type of cells are the 1st neuron in the spino-reticular and spino-tectal tracts?
Pseudounipolar cells
Where do the dendrites of the 1st neuron in the spino-reticular and spino-tectal tracts run?
In the spinal nerves
Study Notes
Neuronal Pathways for Pain and Touch
- Slow Pain Pathway: located in the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord, transmits diffuse, unbounded pain, and is part of the Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS) which regulates consciousness and modulates CNS activity.
- First Neuron: pseudounipolar cells of the spinal ganglion, with dendrites in spinal nerves and axons terminating in the posterior horns of the spinal cord.
- Second Neuron: ispilateral nucleus proprius of the posterior horn, with most axons running ipsilaterally and a small part contralaterally, accompanying the lateral spinothalamic tract in the spinal lemniscus and terminating in the nuclei of the reticular formation.
Spino-Reticular Tract
- Function: transmits touch and painful stimuli to the reticular formation.
- Connections: 2-neuron pathway, with the first neuron being pseudounipolar cells of the spinal ganglion, and the second neuron being ispilateral nucleus proprius of the posterior horn.
Spino-Tectal Tract
- Location: in the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord, rudimentary in humans.
- Function: transmits touch and painful stimuli to the tectum of the midbrain, serving for coordination of eyes, head, and neck movements towards touch and painful stimuli.
- Connections: 2-neuron pathway, with the first neuron being pseudounipolar cells of the spinal ganglion, and the second neuron being ispilateral nucleus proprius of the posterior horn, with axons crossing over in the spinal lemniscus to the superior colliculus of the tectum.
This quiz covers the neuronal pathway responsible for transmitting diffuse, unbounded pain, part of the ARAS that keeps consciousness awake and modulates CNS activity. It involves two neurons, starting from pseudounipolar cells in spinal ganglion and ending in the posterior horn of the spinal cord.
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