Something I have always had trouble understanding

This post isn't really a blog as such. I have spent the last week in neurology in the RVH and I have realized I am in dire need of a revision or at least basic understanding of the spinal tracts. For a start I never had a great understanding as I found neuroscience and neuroanatomy quite poorly taught in comparison to other aspects of physiology and anatomy in Queen's. I've found it hard to access a source online that puts what I want to know together. I have also found it difficult finding a basic guide that doesn't get too in depth. I remember making decent notes on this before, but misplaced them, so if I put it up here it can't be lost.

First I'm dividing things up into:

Motor Tracts

Sensory Tracts

Next I'll focus on Motor Tracts. These run down the spinal cord. They are named as follows:

1) Corticobulbar Pathway

- Begins in cerebral cortex and ends in the brainstem

- Runs through the internal capsule of the brain

- For simplicity, this pathway decussates in the midbrain (I think)

2) Corticospinal Pathway also known as the Pyramidal Motor System. It has a medial and lateral part.

- Cortico = cortex

- Spinal = spine

- So, this pathway runs from the cerebral cortex to synapse in the spine.

- Runs through the internal capsule of the brain

- For simplicity, this pathway decussates in the medulla, therefore will end on the opposite side of the spinal cord to its origin in the cortex

- Controls muscles of trunk and limbs

Sensory Tracts

These run up the spinal cord

1) Dorsal Columns

- Fine touch and vibration sensation

- Decussates in the medulla

2) Spinothalamic Tracts. These have anterior (ventral) and lateral parts

- Temperature and pain sensation - Lateral

- Coarse Touch - Anterior (Ventral)

- Decussates at level of entry in the spine

3) Spinocerebellar Tracts

- Proprioceptive Sense

- Decussates in medulla (I think)

In summary:

Motor

Corticobulbar Pathway

Corticospinal Pathway

- Medial corticospinal pathway

- Lateral corticospinal pathway

Sensory

Dorsal Columns

Spinothalamic Tracts

- Anterior (Ventral) Spinothalamic Tract

- Lateral Spinothalamic Tract

Spinocerebellar Tract

I did the above quite quickly, so I'm pretty sure there may be a few mistakes. Any corrections would be welcomed, as they would definitely make things easier clearer to me.

Peace

bEn