60 Questions
Which part of the spinal cord receives sensory input?
Dorsal horn
What is the function of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)?
To protect the spinal cord from injury
Which region of the spinal cord contains lots of white matter?
Lateral columns
What is the main focus of the lecture?
The ascending and descending tracks in the spinal cord
Which part of the spinal cord contains more grey matter?
Cervical region
What is the function of the ventral horn in the spinal cord?
Motor
What type of sensory information is carried by the ascending tracks in the spinal cord?
Proprioceptive
What is the function of the dorsal root ganglia?
Carrying sensory information into the spinal cord
Which part of the brain is responsible for processing somatic sensory information?
Thalamus
What is the main symptom of a lesion in the dorsal column?
Loss of balance
What is the Romberg sign used to assess?
Proprioception
Which part of the spinal cord is responsible for relaying pain information to the brain?
Dorsal horn
Which region of the spinal cord do fibers from the lower limb tend to sit in the anterolateral column?
Lateral
Where do second order neurons from the anterolateral column ascend towards?
The thalamus
What happens to the axons of second order neurons in the anterolateral column after they cross the midline?
They project towards the sensory cortex
What type of injury would result in the loss of pain in the lower limb first?
Outer tract injury
Which pathway controls all of your skeletal muscles?
Pyramidal tracts
Where do the pyramidal tracts pass through?
The pyramids of the medulla
Where do the upper motor neurons project from?
The cerebral cortex
What happens if there is an injury to the dorsal aspect of the lateral column?
Loss of proprioception in the left lower limb
Which pathway carries information about light touch from the skin?
Dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway
Where do the first order neurons in the dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway enter the spinal cord?
Dorsal roots
Which part of the dorsal column is responsible for carrying information from the upper limb?
Fasciculus cuneatus
Where do the second order neurons in the dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway sit within the medulla?
Nucleus cuneatus
Which part of the motor cortex innovates the lower limb?
Medial parts
Where do the axons of the upper motor neurons descend through?
The internal capsule
What is the fate of the brains and the cerebral paid uncles?
They cross the midline to enter the pyramids
What percentage of fibers cross the midline to enter the pyramids?
80%
Which part of the motor cortex innovates the upper limb?
Lateral parts
Which part of the brain stem do the axons of the upper motor neurons pass through?
The ventral part
What type of sensory information is carried in the ascending tracts of the spinal cord?
Proprioceptive and exteroceptive information
What is the function of the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway?
To provide the brain with positional information
Where do first-order neurons in the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway enter the spinal cord?
Dorsal root
Which part of the spinal cord receives sensory input?
Dorsal horn
What is the main symptom of a lesion in the anterolateral column?
Loss of pain, temperature, and crude touch on the opposite side
What is the Romberg's sign used to assess?
Coordination and balance
What type of injury would result in the loss of pain in the upper limb first?
Injury to the anterolateral column
What is the fate of the axons of second-order neurons in the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway after they cross the midline?
They ascend to the thalamus
What is the function of the ventral column in the spinal cord?
To carry motor information
What is the main focus of the lecture?
The organization of the tracts
Which part of the spinal cord is responsible for relaying sensory information to the brain?
Dorsal horn
Where do the upper motor neurons project from?
Cerebral cortex
What is the function of the ventral horn in the spinal cord?
Motor neuronal cell bodies
Which part of the brain is responsible for processing somatic sensory information?
Cerebral cortex
What happens if there is an injury to the dorsal aspect of the lateral column?
Loss of proprioception
What is the function of the dorsal root ganglia?
Receiving sensory input
Which part of the dorsal column is responsible for carrying information from the upper limb?
Cuneate fasciculus
What is the main function of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
Protection of the brain
Where do second order neurons from the anterolateral column ascend towards?
Brainstem
What type of injury would result in the loss of pain and temperature sensation in the lower limb first?
Dorsal root ganglia injury
Which tract carries unconscious muscle proprioception from muscle spindles and golgi tendon organs?
Spinocerebellar tracts
Which tract carries proprioceptive information from the trunk and lower limb?
Dorsal and ventral spinocerebellar tracts
Where do the spinocerebellar tracts terminate in the cerebellum?
On the same side
Which tract comprises of multiple tracts that carry proprioceptive information from the upper limb?
Cuneocerebellar tract
Which tract crosses back in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord?
Dorsal spinocerebellar tract
Which tract controls smooth motor coordination?
Ventral spinocerebellar tract
Which descending tract is mainly from the cerebral cortex or brainstem and is responsible for voluntary motor control?
Corticospinal tract
What is the main symptom of a lesion in the corticospinal tract?
Increased muscle tone
What is the main symptom of a lesion in the lower motor neurons?
Flaccid paralysis
Which disease selectively affects both lower and upper motor neurons, leading to progressive muscle weakness and atrophy?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Study Notes
Organization and Function of the Spinal Cord
- The lecture focuses on the ascending and descending tracks in the spinal cord that carry information to and from the brain.
- The previous lecture covered the ventricular system, including the ventricles, production and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and disorders affecting the system.
- The spinal cord consists of grey matter (organized in an h shape) and white matter (organized into columns or tracks).
- The grey matter includes the dorsal horn (sensory), ventral horn (motor), and lateral horn (sympathetic neurons).
- Interneurons in the grey matter form circuits involved in reflexes.
- The amount of grey matter varies at different levels of the spinal cord, with more in the cervical and lumbar regions due to innervation of the upper and lower limbs.
- The white matter contains ascending tracks (carrying sensory information) and descending tracks (carrying motor information).
- Ascending tracks are located in the dorsal and lateral columns, while descending tracks are found in the ventral and lateral columns.
- Sensory information carried in the ascending tracks includes proprioceptive (from within the body) and exteroceptive (from outside the body) information.
- The dorsal column medial lemniscal pathway carries information about light touch, vibrations, and proprioception from muscles and joints to the cortex.
- The first, second, and third order neurons are involved in this pathway, with primary sensory neurons entering the dorsal column on the same side and ascending to the brainstem.
- In the brainstem, the axons of the first order neurons synapse with second order neurons in the nucleus gracilis or nucleus cuneatus, depending on whether the information is from the lower or upper limb.
Quiz: Test your knowledge on Spinal Cord Tracts and Proprioceptive Information Challenge yourself with this quiz on spinal cord tracts and proprioceptive information. Explore the main tracks involved in transmitting information from the lower and upper limbs, and discover how they contribute to our sense of movement and coordination. Put your knowledge to the test and see how much you know about these important aspects of the nervous system.
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