Ascending and Descending Spinal Tracts 2016

Ascending and Descending
Spinal Tracts
Ajao M. S.
MB;BS., M.Sc., Ph.D.
Ascending Spinal Tract
• Ascending tracts carry impulses from pain,
thermal, tactile, muscle and joint receptors to the
brain.
• Some of this information eventually reaches a
conscious level (the cerebral cortex), which is
destined for subconscious centres (eg the
cerebellum)
• Pathways that carry information to a conscious
level share certain common characterstics
1. The first neurone (first-order neurone or
primary afferent neurone) enters the spinal
cord through the dorsal root of a spinal nerve
and its cell body lies in the dorsal root
ganglion.
• The central process may collateralise
extensively with many synaptic connections
that mediate spinal reflexes and intersegmental
coordination.
• The main fibres remains in the ipsilateral side
of the cord and terminates in the spinal grey
matter with the second neurone.
2. The second neurone (second-order neurone) lies in
cell body in the cord or medulla oblongata. Its
axon crosses over (decussate) to the opposite side
of the CNS and ascends to the thalamus, where it
terminates upon third neurone.
3. The third-order neurone have it cell body in the
thalamus. Its axon passes to the somatosensory
cortex of parietal lobe of the cerebral hemisphere.
There are two main tract systems in the spinal cord
that fit into this pattern
i. The Dorsal (posterior) columns, and
ii. The spinothalamic
Dorsal Columns
• The dorsal columns are located between the
dorsal median sulcus and the dorsal horn.
• There are two main tracts that are recognised
1. The fasciculus gracilis situated medially
2. The fasciculus cuneatu situated laterally
The tracts carry impulses concerned with
proprioception (movement and joint position
sense) and discriminative touch
• The fasciculus gracilis consists of
fibres that join the cord at sacral,
lumbar and lower thoracic levels while
fibres of the fasciculus cuneatus enters
the upper thoracic and cervical roots.
• Since the dorsal columns contain
primary afferent neurones, they carry
information relating to the ipsilateral
side of the body.
Spinothalamic Tract
• The Spinothalamic tract lies lateral and ventral to
the ventral horn of the spinal grey matter.
• It carries information related to pain and thermal
sensations and also non-discriminative touch and
pressure
• It is a second-order neurones and the cell bodies
lies in the contralateral dorsal horn and receive
input from primary afferent fibres that terminate
in this region.
Spinothalamic Tract
• Spinothalamic decussate to the opposite side
ventral to the central canal.
• Axons carrying pain and temperature
decussate within one segment of their
origin, while those carrying touch and
pressure may ascend for several segments
before crossing
• The Spinothalamic tract is sometimes
referred to as the Neospinothalamic system
The Spinoreticulothalamic System
• It represents an additional, phylogenetically
older, route by which sensory impulses
ascend to higher centres.
• Some second-order neurones from the
dorsal horn ascend in the ventrolateral
region of the cord and then terminate in the
brain stem reticular formation, particularly
within the medulla
The Spinocerebellar Tract
• These are the ascending tracts from dorsal
and ventral that are located near the
dorsolateral and ventrolateral surfaces of the
cord, respectively.
• They contains second-order neurones and
carry information derived from muscle
spindles, golgi tendon organs and tactile
receptors for control of posture and
coordination of movement
Descending Spinal Tracts
• The descending tracts of the spinal cord
originate from the cerebral cortex and
brain stem.
• They are concerned with the control of
movements, muscle tone, spinal
reflexes, spinal autonomic functions
and the modulation of sensory
transmission to higher centres
Corticospinal Tract
• The corticospinal tracts are primarily
concerned with the control of voluntary,
discrete, skilled movements, especially those
of the distal part of the limbs.
• The neurones arises from the cell bodies in
the cerebral cortex.
• The cells of origin are widely distributed in
the motor and sensory cortices including the
precentral gyrus or primary motor cortex.
Corticospinal Tract
• Approximately, 55% of corticospinal
neurones terminate at the cervical level, 20%
at the thoracic and 25% at lumbosacral
levels.
• Fibres terminate extensively in the spinal
grey matter and many of these fibres that
originate from the motor cortex terminate in
the ventral horn, some making
monosynaptic contact with motor neurones.
Some clinical applications
• Tabes Dorsalis is a late manifestation of syphilis
infection of the CNS. It mostly affect the
lumbosacral dorsal spinal roots and the dorsal
columns of the spinal cord
• Subacute combine degeneration: Vit B12
deficiency leading to sensory ataxia
• Multiple sclerosis: Immune damage of the
fasciculus cuneatus of the cervical spinal cord
leading to loss of proprioception of the hands and
fingers
Test Yourself
1. Discuss the sequences of the neurones involves
in the ascending spinal tracts
2. Write short notes on the dorsal columns and add
a note on it clinical anatomy
3. Comments on the corticospinal tract and add
notes on it clinical anatomy
4. In a tabular form, list other descending spinal
tracts under the following headings: Pathway,
function, origin, site of crossover and destination

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