Spinal Cord

Maryann Martone 1/20/2011

Functions of Spinal Cord

Final common pathway for the somatomotor system
Conveys somatosensory information from the body Autonomic neurons Reflexes Central pattern generators

Spinal cord segments, nerves and vertebrae

Cervical (C) - Neck (C1-8) Thoracic (T) - Chest (T1-12)

Vertebra Spinal segment Spinal root

Lumbar (L) - Back (L1-5)

Sacral (S) - Pelvis (S1-5)

Coxygeal

Caudal End
conus medullaris
(Spinal cord terminates around vertebra L1)

filum terminale (composed of pia mater): anchors spinal cord cauda equina

Meninges

Dura transitions to epineurium at spinal nerve

Sensory and Motor Roots

Dorsal: sensory Ventral: somatic motor + visceral motor

Alar vs Basal Plates

Internal structure
Posterior/ Dorsal Horn Posterior Funiculus (white matter)

Posterior/Dorsal

Lateral Column/ Funiculus

Section of human spinal cord (C8) myelin stain

Anterior/ Ventral Horn Anterior Column

Anterior/Ventral)

White matter external; gray matter internal

Anterior median fissure Posterior median sulcus Central canal Anterior white commissure

Levels of the Spinal Cord

Cervical Upper Thoracic

Lumbar

Sacral

The ratio of white matter to gray matter increases from caudal to rostral

Principles of Cord Organization

1) Longitudinal Arrangement
Fibers (White Matter) ------------- White Column / Fasciculus Cell Groups (Gray Matter) ------- Gray Column / Nucleus

2) Transverse Arrangement
Afferent & Efferent Fibers Crossing (Commissural and Decussating) Fibers

3) Somatotopical Arrangement

Rexeds Laminae
Lissauer tract

Lamina I: posteromarginal nucleus

Lamina Lamina Lamina Lamina

II: substantia gelatinosa III, IV: nucleus proprius V, VI VII: intermediate gray

Clarkes column (Nucleus dorsalis; C8-L2, sensory relay) intermediolateral cell column -sympathetic T1-L2, parasympathetic in sacral cord)

Lamina VIII Lamina IX: anterior horn motor neurons Lamina X: gray commissure

Somatic Motor Neurons

Multipolar Transmitter: acetylcholine Output: One motor neuron to several muscle cells = one motor unit
-motor neurons: muscle fiber innervation -motor neurons:muscle spindle innervation

Input from

dorsal root ganglion cells spinal interneurons long tracts from brain

Integrate Somatotopic Map

proximal to distal muscle: medial to lateral in spinal cord Flexor-extensor muscle: dorsal to ventral in spinal cord

Autonomic neurons

Sympathetic and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons are segregated in the spinal cord
Parasympathetic= cervical and sacral Sympathetic = thoracic and lumbar
Intermediate horn

Dorsal root ganglion neurons

Pseudomonopolar Cells have specialized endings for each modality
Encapsulated
(touch, proprioception)

Unencapsulated (free nerve endings)

Pain and temperature

Differ in size of axon, cell body, myelination, transmitter

Dermatomes
The region of skin innervated by a single dorsal root ganglion

Human Nervous System:

31 pairs of spinal nerves
Divided into cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral levels

Spinal nerves impose segmentation; actual cord consists of columns of cells Innervation of body is segmented (dermatomes)

Mono- vs. polysynaptic reflexes

Monosynaptic reflex
Sensory neuron synapses directly on a motor neuron

Polysynaptic reflex
At least one interneuron between sensory afferent and motor efferent
Longer delay between stimulus and response Length of delay is proportional to the number of synapses involved. more complicated responses than monosynaptic reflexes as the interneurons can control several muscle groups.

Copyright 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Spinal Cord Pathways

Descending motor Ascending sensory Intraspinal Sympathetic and parasympathetic

Nomenclature: usually origin to target e.g. corticospinal: from cortex to spinal cord

Descending pathways
1) Medial Pathways (vestibulo-, reticulo-, tectospinal)
Termination in ventromedial gray matter Axial and proximal innervation Termination in dorsolateral gray matter Distal muscle innervation

2) Lateral pathways (cortico-, rubrospinal) 3) Aminergic pathways (coerulo-, raphaespinal)

Diffuse termination, modulatory systems serotonin, noradrenalin

 Vestibulospinal
Reticulospinal
posture

Medial pathways

Balance and posture / vestibular labyrinth

Ipsilateral projection, mostly on propriospinal and interneurons Tectospinal

Contralateral, only cervical, head and eye movement coordination

Aminergic pathways
Coerulospinal tract-Locus coeruleus Raphaespinal system- Modulation of pain

Lateral pathways
Corticospinal tract (CST)
From motor cortex

Rubrospinal tract
From red nucleus in midbrain

Corticospinal tract
Also called pyramidal tract
Arises primarily from primary motor cortex, premotor and supplementary motor cortex Somatosensory cortex also contributes

70-90% of fibers cross in the lower medulla (decussation of pyramids)

Crossed = lateral corticospinal tract Uncrossed = anterior/ventral corticospinal tract

Synapses with:
Alpha and gamma motor neurons Propriospinal neurons

Interneurons

Internal capsule

Midbrain

pons medulla decussation

Crus cerebri

Longitudinal pontine fibers Pyramids

spinal cord

Species differences in mammalian corticospinal tract anatomy

change in location of the corticospinal tract from rat to ape. Function: CST is far more important to humans and monkeys than it is to rats, while the rubrospinal tract becomes less significant in humans. Increase in bilateral projections
Kuypers, 1977

Three major sensory systems

Dorsal Column system
Fine, discriminitive touch Conscious proprioception

Spinocerebellar system
Unconscious proprioception

Spinothalamic system=anterolateral system

Pain, temperature, pressure and vibration

Major Ascending Tracts

Dorsal columns Fine, discriminitive touch, conscious proprioception, pressure and vibration sense Facisculus gracilis vs fasciculus cuneatus First synapse: relay nuclei in the medulla (nucleus gracilis and nucleus cuneatus), ascend ipsilaterally in the spinal cord Anterolateral system=spinothalamic system Pain and temperature Form Lissauers tract=posterolateral tract First synapse: dorsal horn 2nd order neuron crosses in anterior white commisure: ascend as spinothalamic tract (also spinoreticular and spinomesencephalic tracts) Spinocerebellar Dorsal and ventral: mostly ipsilateral Unconscious proprioception
(First synapse: Clarkes nucleus neurons or acessory cuneate nucl.)

Dorsal Columns Somatotopically organized:

Fasciculus gracilis & cuneatus above T7

Ascends ipsilaterally

First synapse: medulla: nucl. gracilis and nucl. cuneatus Output from relay nuclei to thalamus crosses Conscious touch on contralateral side of the body

Dorsal column/medial lemniscus

1. Dorsal Root Ganglion

dorsal root - dorsal column

2. Dorsal Column Nuclei (N.

gracilis or N.cuneatus)

internal arcuate fiber - lemniscal decussation- medial lemniscus

3. Thalamus (VPL)
internal capsule -corona radiata

4. Primary sensory cortex (S I)

Anterolateral system
(spinothalamic)
DRG axons form Lissauer tract Pain and temperature on contralateral side of body Many peptidergic neurons, transmitter: substance P Crosses in spinal cord

Thalamus via spinal lemniscus

(spinoreticular, spinomesencephalic tracts)

Summary
Ascending
Voluntary motor control Reflexes and spinal circuitry

Descending

Facsciulus Proprius
Propriospinal neurons in dorsal horn (lamina III+IV) Intersegmental coordination of various muscles ~30% of white matter derived from propriospinal axons Axons mostly surrounding gray matter

Corticospinal tract=pyramidal tract

Projections from large, layer V pyramidal neurons (including Betz cells)

Macaca mulatta (brainmaps.org)