REV MED12 months ago

Somatosensory Pathways

Basics of the Somatosensory pathways. Dorsal Column system & Antero-lateral system.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Spinal cord is made up of the butterfly shaped gray matter and the rest as the white matter. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ The gray matter is divided between a dorsal (posterior), ventral (anterior) and some levels of the spinal cord have a lateral horn, as shown. While the gray matter has the cell bodies, the white matter consist of the column systems. ⁣⁣⁣ The 3 Major White Matter Column Systems. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Think of the tracts found in these columns as highways & dirt roads. The Dorsal Column system is a highway, and the Anterorior & Lateral Column systems are like dirt roads. It is because the dorsal column is heavily myelinated and fast, and the antero-lateral column is poorly myelinated. So the advanced system is the faster one, being the dorsal column because cars go faster on a highway. ⁣⁣⁣ Dorsal Column (Dorsal Funiculus) the system in the back. ⁣⁣⁣ *Only ascending tracts. ⁣⁣⁣ *Advanced & Modern sensations⁣⁣⁣ *Highway - high velocity⁣⁣⁣ *Fine touch⁣⁣⁣ *2-point discrimination⁣⁣⁣ *Fast⁣⁣⁣ *More accuracy⁣⁣⁣ *Proprioception - sense of position⁣⁣⁣ *Better localized sensations from specific areas - highway lanes are consistent⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Anterior & Lateral Column systems⁣⁣⁣ *Both ascending and descending tracts. ⁣⁣⁣ *Primitive & Old School sensations⁣⁣⁣ *Dirt Roads - low velocity⁣⁣⁣ *Crude touch⁣⁣⁣ *Pain⁣⁣⁣ *Temperature ⁣⁣⁣ *Slower ⁣⁣⁣ *Less accuracy ⁣⁣⁣ *Sexual sensation⁣⁣⁣ *Poor localized sensations - dirt road lanes vary ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Check out our YouTube channel, easy to follow and learn Anatomy videos (link in bio) ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Instagram @rev.med⁣⁣