OBJECTIVES
1. Define a tract
• Same origin
• Same destination
• Same function
Corticospinal Vestibulospinal
Tectospinal
Reticulospinal
Olivospinal
Ascending tracts
I. Conscious sensory II. Unconscious informative
a) Gracile and cuneate (dorsal a) Spinocerebellar
column)
b) Spinotectal
b) Lateral spinothalamic
c) Spinoreticular
c) Anterior spinothalamic
d) Spinoolivary
General considerations 1
• Conscious sensory information reaches the cerebral cortex where
sensations are felt .
• Medial division of the posterior root enters the posterior white column of the same side
• Descending branches give collaterals that synapse with cells of the posterior gray horn,
inter-nuncial neurons and anterior horn cells.
• The long ascending fibers travel upward in gracile and cuneate tracts.
Dorsal columns (3)
• Second order neuron is the gracile and cuneate nuclei of the medulla
oblongata.
• Receptors: free nerve endings (pain), Ruffini organ (heat) and Krause
bulb (cold) senses.
• First order neuron: are small cells in the posterior root ganglion.
Axons of PRG enter the spinal cord in the lateral division of the
posterior root to the dorsolateral tract of Lissauer.
Lateral spinothalamic tract (2)
• Second order neuron: includes the substantia gelatinosa of Rolando
(Rexed lamina II).
• Fibers cross the spinal cord obliquely and reach their tract 3 or 4
segments higher than their posterior root.
Lateral spinothalamic tract (3)
• As the tract ascends through the spinal cord, new fibers are added to
its anteromedial aspect
• Axons of the third order neuron pass through the posterior limb of
the internal capsule to end in the sensory area (area 3,1,2).
Anterior spinothalamic tract
• Function: carries light (crude) touch and pressure sensation.
• Axons of the third order neuron pass through posterior limb of the
internal capsule and the corona radiata to end in the primary sensory
area.
Clinical notes
• Destruction of ant.spinothalamic T. produces contralateral deficit of
light touch and pressure.
• Bilateral destruction causes complete loss of itching, tickling and
pleasant libidinous feeling.
• Lesion of one lateral spinothalamic tract produces analgesia and
thermoanesthesia of the contralateral side of the body below the
level of the lesion.
• Visceral pain is preserved because it is more diffuse (polysynaptic)
and is bilaterally represented.
Clinical notes (2)
• Syringomyelia is central gliosis and cavitation of the spinal cord as a
result of abnormal formation of the central canal.
• The patient has segmental bilateral loss of pain and thermal senses
and some impairment of touch. As the cavitation expands, other
tracts and nerve cells become involved such as anterior horn cells and
corticospinal tracts.
Anterior spinocerebellar tract
• Function: Conveys proprioceptive information to the cerebellum
concerning muscle position and movements of the trunk and lower
limbs.
• Axons of PRG enter the gray matter as collaterals from the posterior
white column to terminate in the second order neuron which is the
spinal border nucleus .
• These are widely distributed cells at the base of the anterior gray
column in lamina VII.
• Fibers ascend in the brain stem and enter the cerebellum through the
superior cerebellar peduncle and terminate in the cerebellar cortex.
• Axons enter the spinal cord and terminate on unknown second order
neuron in the posterior horn.
• Axons from theses cells ascend bilaterally in the lateral white column
mixed with the lateral spinothalamic tract.