SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM

Information pyramid

Components of reflex arc

Organization of neuronal pool

divergence

convergence

Zones of facilitation

epsp

Interneuronal relations

summation

occlusion

Reccurent inhibiton

Receptors definition

Classification according the energy

Classification according to the source

Classification of receptors according to the source of stimulus:

1. Telereceptors- eye, ear

2. Exteroreceptors- skin

3. Interoreceptors- inside body

4. Proprioreceptors

General concepts of somstosensory system

Somatic sensory system

Receptor potential

The stimulus that produces a response in particular receptor is termed an adequate stimulus for that receptor. Many receptors are tuned to be most sensitive to a narrow range of energy (for example, a particular frequency of vibration or particular wavelength of light). The excitability of the receptor is highest for an adequate stimulus.

Relationship of amplitude receptor

adaptation

Adaptation of receptors

Somatosensory receptors

proprioceptors

Major classes

Cutaneous receptors

Tactile receptors 1. Free nerve endings 2. Meissners corpuscle-an elongated encapsulated nerve ending of large A myelinated fiber. Inside the capsulation many branching. In nonhairy skin (fingertips, lips). Sensitive to movement of objects and low frequency vibrations. 3. Merkels discs- present with #2 in fingertips inside expanded tip tactile receptors. Are often grouped together in receptor organ Iggo dome receptor projecting upward against underside of epithelium. Slowly adapting

4. Hair end-organ
5. Ruffinis end-organs- multibranched, encapsulated endings adapting very slowly, signaling continuous deformation ( prolonged touch and pressure), located in deeper layers of the skin and deeper internal tissues. Also found in joints capsules to signal the degree of joints rotation. 6. Paccinian corpuscles- immediately beneath the skin and deep in fascial tissues. Very rapidly adapting (vibration)

Merkels discs

Iggo dome receptor

Skin receptors

Receptors in glabrous skin

Ticle and itch

Receptive field

Temperature sensation

There are six distinct Trp channels in thermoreceptors that confer different temperature sensitivities. As a rule, different thermoreceptive neurons express only single type of channel. An exception appear to be some cold receptors that also express a Trpv1, and are therefore also sensitive to increases in temperature above 43oC. Paradoxical feeling of cold

Spinal cord

Dorsal column system

Spinothalamic tract

Spinothalamic pathway

Dorsal column pathway

Ascending tracts2

Segmental organization of the spinal cord

Dermatomes 1

Purpose of pain

Pain sensitivity

NOCICEPTIVE STIMULUS
pain

INACTIVE TISSUE KALIKREINS

ACTIVE TISSUE KALIKREINS

TISSUE KININOGENS

KININES

POLARIZED FREE NERVE ENDINGS

DEPOLARIZED FREE NERVE ENDINGS

PAIN IMPULSES

> GENERATING OF PAIN IMPULSES AFTER A STIMULUS INJURING TISSUES <

Substances in nociception

Hyperalgesia description

Hyperalgesia and inflamation

PAIN
1. Hyperalgesia- primary- peripheral hypersensitivity e.g. sunburned skin - secondary- facilitation of sensory transmission in spinal cord and thalamus -the thalamic syndrome- posteroventral portion degenerate, medial and anterior nuclei intact -herpes zoster segmental pain 2. Visceral reffered pain_ Causes of visceral pain: -ischemia -chemical stimulation -spasm or overdistension of hollow organs 3. Visceral parenchyma (liver, lungs, kidneys) no pain innervation. Sensitive to pain- capsules, ducts, membranes like pleura or peritoneum

Pain tracts

Refered pain

Pain fibers

Mechanisms of referred pain

Descending pain pathway

Pain modulation picture

gating

herpes

capsaicin

Surgical treatment of pain

A visceral pain pathway was discovered in the dorsal-column medial lemniscal system. Primary visceral afferents from viscera enter the spinal cord and synapse on second-order neurons in the dorsal horn. Some of these neurons give rise to the anterolateral system contributing in referred pain patterns. Another neurons send their axons through the dorsal columns in a position very near to the midline.

Trigeminal system

TRIGEMINAL SYSTEM- provides sensory innervation to the face, oral cavity, and supratentorial dura via general somatic afferent (GSA) fibers. It also innervates the muscles of mastication via special visceral efferent (SVE) fibers Trigeminal system 1. Ventral trigeminothalamic tract- pain + temperature from the face and oral cavity. 1O neurons in trigeminal ganglion, 2O neurons in spinal trigeminal nucleus 3O neurons in the VPM nucleus of the thalamus via posterior limb of internal capsule to the somatosensory cortex Dorsal trigeminothalamic tracttactile and pressure sensation from the face and oral cavity. 1Oneurons in trigeminal ganglion 2O neurons in the principal sensory nucleus of CN V 3O neurons in the VPM nucleus of the thalamus via posterior limb of internal capsule to the somatosensory cortex.

2.

Trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus- is the only example of first order neuron with its cell body in the CNS

Trigeminal reflexes

Cavernous sinus

The cavernous sinus contains the ophtalmic (CV V-1) and maxillary (CN V-2) divisions of the trigeminal nerve (CN V), and the cochlear (CN IV) and oculomotor (CN III) nerves. The siphon of the internal carotid artery and the abducent nerve (CN VI) lie within the cavernous sinus.

Somatosensory thalamus

Vp nuclei are also termed specific nuclei because they project to particular cortical regions. This is in contrast to nonspecific nuclei that receive input from the reticular formation and project more widely within the cerebral cortex .

Organization of the thalamus

The thalamus is a chief traffic relay station for directing sensory and other signals to appropriate points in both the cerebral cortex and the deeper areas of the cerebrum as well.

Third ventricle bisects the thalamus into two halves. Each halves functions separately with the cerebral cortex. Lateral part of the thalamus contains four major nuclei: ventral anterior, ventral lateral, ventral posterolateral, ventral posteromedial

Topografic organization of somatosensory thalamus

Somatosensory cortex

Certain cortical areas seem to be sites where simple segregated streams of sensory information converge to generate particularly complex neural representations. The posterior parietal cortex is such an area. Moreover, the area is concerned not only with somestetic sensation but also with visual stimuli, and even persons state of attentiveness. Damage to posterior parietal areas may lead to different neurological disorders like agnosia, astereogosia, neglect syndrome. Synesthesia? Spatial relationships, accurate body image, coordination of the body in space

Hommunculus

Hommunculus 2

Barrel cortex

Sensory cortex representation