Neuroscience: ascending tracts

Question 1

Ascending Tracts

Sensory tract for trunk, neck, and upper extremity proprioception, vibration, two-point discrimination, and graphesthesia

Answer 1

Fasciculus Cuneatus (posterior or dorsal column)

• Brain lesion: contralateral loss
• SC lesion: ipsilateral loss

Question 2

Ascending Tracts

Sensory tract for trunk and lower extremity proprioception, two-point discrimination, vibration, and graphesthesia

Answer 2

Fasciculus Gracilis (posterior or dorsal column)

• Brain leasion: contralateral loss
• SC lesion: ipsilateral loss

Question 3

Ascending Tracts

Sensory tract that ascends to the cerebellum for ipsilateral subconscious proprioception, tension in muscles (GTO’s and muscle spindles), joint sense, and posture of the trunk and lower extremities

Answer 3

Spinocerebellar Tract (dorsal)

Travels ipsilaterally in SC, brainstem & cerebellum

Question 4

Ascending Tracts

Sensory tract that ascends to the cerebellum for ipsilateral subconscious proprioception, tension in muscles (GTO’s and muscle spindles), joint sense, and posture of the trunk and upper extremities, and lower extremities

Answer 4

Spinocerebellar Tract (ventral)

Question 5

Ascending Tracts

Sensory tract for pain, temperature, and simple tactile sensations: light touch and pressure

Answer 5

Spinothalamic Tract

(Anterolateral System)

• SC injury: contralateral loss
• Brain Injury: contralateral

Question 6

Ascending Tracts

Sensory tract for light touch and pressure

Answer 6

Anterior Spinothalamic Tract

• SC injury: contralateral loss
• Brain injury: contralateral loss

Question 7

Ascending Tracts

Sensory tract for pain and temperature sensation

Answer 7

Lateral Spinothalamic Tract

• SC injury: contralateral loss
• Brain injury: contralateral loss

Question 8

Ascending Tracts

Ascends to the cerebellum and relays information from cutaneous and proprioceptive organs

Answer 8

Spino-olivary Tract

Question 9

Ascending Tracts

The afferent pathway for the reticular formation that influences levels of consciousness

Answer 9

Spinoreticular Tract

part of the spinothalamic system

Question 10

Ascending Tracts

A patient’s medical chart indicates that a patient has a lesion in the posterior portion of the spinal cord. Which of the following impairments would MOST likely be observed?

1. inability to determine joint position
2. inability to distinguish between hot and cold
3. inability to distinguish between sharp and dull
4. inability to feel light touch

Answer 10

Proprioception is the sense of static joint position. Proprioceptive information is transmitted to the brain via the dorsal column-medial lemniscus tract.

Question 11

Ascending Tracts

Proprioception is the sense of static joint position. Proprioceptive information is transmitted to the brain via the

Answer 11

dorsal column-medial lemniscus tract

Question 12

Ascending Tracts

which tract is located in the posterior portion of the spinal cord

Answer 12

dorsal column-medial lemniscus tract

Question 13

Ascending Tracts

Sensory information is transmitted to the brain either by the spinothalamic tract or the dorsal column-medial lemniscus tract. The spinothalamic tract is located in the

Answer 13

anterior and lateral portions of the spinal cord

Question 14

Ascending Tracts

Sensory information is transmitted to the brain either by the spinothalamic tract or the dorsal column-medial lemniscus tract. The dorsal column-medial lemniscus tract is located in the

Answer 14

posterior portion of the spinal cord

Question 15

Ascending Tracts

The spinothalamic tract primarily transmits nondiscriminatory sensations (e.g., temperature, pain, touch), while the dorsal column-medial lemniscus tract transmits more…

Answer 15

discriminative sensations (e.g., discriminative touch, stereognosis, kinesthesia)

(vibration, proprioception, discriminative touch)