Week 6 - SCI & spinal cord syndromes

The peak incidence of spinal cord injuries occurs at:

15-29 and 65+

What are the three primary ascending tracts?

dorsal column, anterolateral, dorsal/ventral spinocerebellar

What is the dorsal column responsible for?

proprioception, vibratory sensation, deep touch, discrimitive touch

What is the anterolateral tract responsible for?

pain, temperature, crude touch

What are the three tracts wtihin the anterolateral tract

spinothalamic, spinoreticular, spinotectal

A 30-year-old woman accidentally touches a hot stove and immediately pulls her hand away. She describes the pain as sharp and well-localized.

Which tract is primarily responsible for transmitting this pain sensation to the cerebral cortex?

spinothalamic tract

A 65-year-old man with metastatic cancer reports dull, aching pain that he finds emotionally exhausting and sleep-disrupting. He appears fatigued and irritable, but cannot localize the pain precisely.

Which spinal pathway is most associated with the affective and arousal components of pain?

spinoreticular tract

A 40-year-old patient with chronic back pain reports that deep breathing and focused relaxation techniques seem to reduce their pain perception. Functional MRI shows activation of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) in the midbrain.

Which tract is most directly involved in activating descending pain inhibition through the PAG?

spinomesencephalic tract

What is the lateral corticospinal tract responsible for?

voluntary movement