Ascending & Descending tracts of spinal cord

General overview

Ascending tracts - Sensory

Descending tracts Motor

General arrangement of both tracts pathway

1st order neuron

2nd order neuron
3rd order neuron
The only difference is the different locations where each order of neuron ends.

Decussation is the cross-over of the tract from one side to the other. Therefore,
there are instances where the left side of the body is controlled by the right brain
hemisphere. Decussation occurs at different locations for each tract.

Clinical anatomy:

Lesion of one half of the spinal cord may lead to

Opposite side of body
loss of pain, temperature, light touch, pressure sensations
Same side of body
loss of the other sensations
Sensory cortex of the cerebral hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body
contralateral
Lesion above the sensory decussation
all the sensations of the OPPOSITE side of the body are lost
Lesion below the sensory decussation
sensations of the SAME side of the body are lost
Cortical lesions
affected areas are usually limited

paralysis/parasthesia is localized
Internal capsule lesions
all ascending & descending tracts are affected
hemiplegia/hemiparasthesia
Same homunculus arrangement
more sensitive areas in the body have a greater representation

Descending tracts (Motor)

General arrangement of descending tracts

1st order neuron

First-order neurons conduct impulses from receptors of the skin and from
proprioceptors (receptors located in a join, muscle or tendon) to the spinal cord
or brain stem, where they synapse with second-order neurons. First-order
neurons cell bodes reside in ganglion (dorsal root or cranial).
starts at the cerebral cortex in the somatomotor area
2nd order neuron
2nd neuron to carry an order. The order could be a sensory stimulus or a motor
stimulus.
axon of the 1st order neuron will synapse with the 2nd order neuron at the level
of the brain stem, which commonly decussate (crosses over) to the opposite
side.
3rd order neuron
The 3rd order neuron is located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord, which will
exit with the spinal nerve to supply the muscle.

Types of descending tracts:

Lateral corticospinal tract

Anterior corticospinal tract
Therefore, the descending tract is also known as corticospinal tract.

Flow of arrangement of the corticospinal tract:

Corticospinal tract arise from

long axons of the pyramidal cells (extrapyramidal layer) of the precentral gyrus
(primary motor centre of the cerebral cortex)
lies in front of the central sulcus
Homunculus arrangement

arranged upside down

the finer the movement, the more the cortical representation
fingers, face, tongue more
trunk, lower limbs less
medial surface: lower limbs
superolateral surface: everything else

1) 1st order neuron

Fibres of the 1st order neuron arise from the precentral gyrus
These fibres converge and enter a small area
internal capsule
like a bunch of flowers with a ribbon tied around it
ALL the fibers (from ascending & descending tracts) converge here
Function: separates the caudate nucleus and the thalamus from the lenticular
nucleus
Ques: location of internal capsule
bounded medially by the thalamus and caudate nucleus
bounded laterally by the lenticular nucleus

Parts of internal capsule (not homunculus arrangement, normal head to toe)

anterior limb
head & neck fibres most anterior
posterior limb
lower limb fibres most posterior
The descending fibres passes through the
LATERAL half of the posterior limb of internal capsule
After the internal capsule, the fibres enter the brain stem
midbrain
pons
medulla

2) 2nd order neuron

Fibres of the 1st order neuron ends when it enters the brain stem and synapse
with the 2nd order neuron
The fibres pass through the brainstem
1st through the (mid 5th) crus cerebri of midbrain
2nd through the anterior part of the pons
3rd in the medulla oblongata
80-85% of the fibres cross to the opposite side

Motor decussation
uncrossed fibres
Enters the spinal cord

3) 3rd order neuron

2nd order neuron fibres in the medulla oblongata enters the spinal cord and
synapse with the 3rd order neuron
Motor decussation
in the spinal tract, the crossed tract descend as the lateral corticospinal tract
Therefore, the motor cortex of the cerebral hemisphere controls the opposite
side of the body (L R, R L)

contra-lateral side
In upper motor neuron lesions:
above the motor decussation (above medulla)
opposite side of body affected
below the motor decussation
same side of body affected
ipsilateral side
Uncrossed fibres
in the spinal tract, the uncrossed tract descent as the anterior corticospinal tract
its fibres cross at spinal level?

ASCENDING TRACTS (SENSORY)

Types of ascending tracts:

Spinothalamic tracts

Lateral - pain & temperature

Anterior - light touch & pressure

Posterior/Dorsal column tract - soft touch & pressure, proprioception, vibration

sensation
Spinocerebellar tract - posture & coordination

Flow of arrangement of Spinothalamic tracts:

1st order neuron:
Arise from sensory receptors of the body The fibres enter the spinal cord via
dorsal root and ends at the substantia gelatinosa tip of posterior gray horn

2nd order neuron:

The fibres of 1st order neuron synapse with the 2nd order neuron at the
substantia gelatinosa These fibres then cross to the opposite side
Pain & temperature fibres - enters the lateral spinothalamic tract
Light touch & crude touch/ pressure fibres - enters the anterior spinothalamic
tract
These tracts ascend to brainstem, in brainstem these fibres ascend to medulla
oblongata, pons and midbrain via tracts flattened in the brainstem spinal
lemniscus Reaches and terminates at the ventral posterolateral (VPL) nucleus
of the thalamus
3rd order neuron:
The 3rd order neurons arise from the VPL nucleus of thalamus and pass through
the internal capsule thalamocortical fibres enters the postcentral gyrus
primary sensory cortex (Area no 3,1,2) of the cerebrum behind the central sulcus

Flow of arrangement of the dorsal column tracts:

1st order neuron:

Fasciculus Gracilis originate from the receptors from the lower half of the body
Fasciculus cuneatus originate from the receptors from the upper half of the body
Fibres enter the dorsal column of the SAME side (posterior column of spinal cord)
ascends through the spinal cord and enters medulla oblongata (does not synapse
and end here like spinothalamic tract) and Fasiculus Gracilis terminates
ipsilaterally on Nuceus Gracilis whereas Fasiculus Cuneatus terminates
ipsilaterally on Nuceus Cuneatus.

2nd order neuron:

Starts at the gracile & cuneate nucleus of the medulla oblongata These fibres
crosses/ decussate to the opposite side of the medulla oblongata Ascends
through the brain stem via medial lemniscus Ends in the ventral posterolateral
nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus

3rd order of nucleus:

Arise from the VPL of thalamus Pass through the internal capsule (medial
aspect of the posterior limb of internal capsule) Reaches the postcentral gyrus
(Area no 3,1,2) & somatosensory areas at the wall of the lateral sulcus

Flow of arrangement of Spinocerebellar

tract:

1st order neurons:

Arise from the sensory receptors of the body (proprioceptors of muscles and
joints) Enters the spinal cord and ends in the Clarkes Column of the posterior
grey horn synapse with 2nd order neurons at the dorsal horn of spinal cord.

* Proprioceptive information is obtained by Golgi tendon organs and

muscle spindles.
2nd order neuron:
Secondary neurons stay ipsilateral and ascends through the lateral column of
spinal cord via spinocerebellar tracts to the brain stem
Dorsal spinocerebellar tract enters cerebellum through inferior cerebellar
peduncle

Ventral spinocerebellar tract enters cerebellum through superior cerebellar

peduncle

* interior and superior cerebellar peduncles are the only tract that
enters the cerebellum
These tracts decussate 2 times therefore cerebellum controls same side of body
(right spinocerebellar tract controls the right side and vice versa)

Actual decussation of these tracts: "double-crosser."