The Autonomic Nervous System

Question 1

From where do the sympathetic nerves arise?

Answer 1

From the thoracolumbar spinal cord

Question 2

From where do the parasympatheic nerves arise?

Answer 2

From the brainstem (cranial) and the sacral part of the spinal cord (S2-S4)

Question 3

What are the features of the sympathiec nerves in the head?

Answer 3

The smooth muscles of the eyelids- tarsal muscle that acts to retract the eyelid and keeps the eyelid wide and the iris (dilator papillae) that will act to dilate the pupil as much as possible. Also activates the sweat glands, and the arrectaro pilli muscles adn decreases secretions from the salviary and lacrimal glands

Question 4

What are the features of the parasympathic system in the head and neck?

Answer 4

Smooth muscle of irsi the spincter pupillae and the ciliary body are activated, the lacrimal glands and the salivary and the mucosal glands are activated

Question 5

What is the route for the sympatheic nerves to the head?

Answer 5

Arise from the spinal cord, go to the sympatheic chain, and then to the cervical ganglion, and then hitchikes onto blood vessels to the target tissues

Question 6

From where do the nerves going to the head arise?

Answer 6

Begin in the T1 and T2 region of the spinal cord

Question 7

What are the most intresting structure in the sypatheic chain regarding the head and neck?

Answer 7

The superior, middle and inferior cervical ganglia

Question 8

What are some of the features of the superior cervical ganaglion?

Answer 8

Located posteriorly to the cartoid atery and anterior to the C1-C4 vertebrae.

Question 9

Which blood vessels do the sympathiec fibres hitchike along?

Answer 9

The internal cartoid nerve hitchkikes along the internal carotid artery, and forms a number of branches called the internal cartoid plexus, and then the external carotid nerve that hitchkikes along the common and external cartoid artery

Question 10

What can cause Horners Snydrome?

Answer 10

Sympatheic fibres can be stretched and damaged along their course

Question 11

What are the three key features of Horners Syndrome?

Answer 11

Partail Ptosis, Misosis and Anhydrosis

Question 12

Why do you see partial Ptsosis in Horners Syndrome?

Answer 12

There is paralysis of the superior tarsal msucle

Question 13

What is misosis and why do you see it in horners syndrome?

Answer 13

This is constriction of the pupuk, and due to the paralsysis of the dilator pupillae

Question 14

Why do you see anhydrosis in hroners scyndrome?

Answer 14

There is a loss of innervation to the sweat glands of the face

Question 15

What can cause horners syndrome?

Answer 15

Spinal cord lesions, trauma, a pancoast tumour, and if neck pain there could be some form of cartoid atery dissection

Question 16

What are the four cranial nerves that parasmpatheic fibres piggy back on?

Answer 16

The occulomotor nerve, the facial nerve, the glossopharnygeal nerve and the vagus nerve

Question 17

Which are the four parasympatheic ganglia that are assoicated with the head?

Answer 17

The ciliary (asscoiated with the occulomotor) the otic (associated with the glossopharyngeal) and the pterygopalpatine and the submanibular that are associated with the facial nerve

Question 18

What are the four different nuclei of the parasympathic fibres?

Answer 18

Edginer Westphal (associated with oculomotor) 
Superior salivary (submanidbular ganglion)
Inferior salviary (the otic gangilon) 
The dorsal ganglion

Question 19

What is the route that a parasympathiec nerve takes?

Answer 19

Arise in the brainstem from the parasympathiec nuclei, and they hitchkie on one of 4 cranial neves, and then go to galnglia from where they hitchike on branches of the trigeminal to the target tissues

Question 20

What is the route of the parasympatheic fibres associated with the occulomotor nerve?

Answer 20

Arise in the brainstem form the Edginer Westphal nucleus, hitchhikes on CNII, and then go to the ciliary ganglion, and the Hitchkikes on small fibres from CNV1, and then goes to the eye, the ciliary body and the spincther papillae

Question 21

What is a adies pupil?

Answer 21

Is a ciliary gnglion is damaged there is a loss of innrevation to the spincther pupillae, and these results in a permentanly dilated pupil

Question 22

What are the two different nerves that parasymapatheics associated with the facial nerve can hitchike with?

Answer 22

The chorda tympani and the greater petrosal

Question 23

What is the route of the parasympatheics that hitchike on the chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve?

Answer 23

They go to the subanibular ganglion and then hitchike on branches of the trigeminal to the sublingual and submanibular salviary glands

Question 24

What is the route of the parasympathiec fibres assoicated with the greater petrosal nerve?

Answer 24

They go to the pterygopalatine ganglion, and then hitchkie on the branches of the trigeminal to the lacrimal glands, the nasal and oral muscaol glands

Question 25

What is the affect on the postion of pathology on the facial nerve relative to the genitculate ganglion?

Answer 25

Pathology at or before the geniculate glanion may involve all the parasympathiec functions carried wihtin CNVII, whereas pathology after the geniculate ganglion will not involve the greater petroasl nerve and therefore the the lacrmial gland

Question 26

What is the route of the parasaympatheic fibres assoicated with the glossopharngeal nerve?

Answer 26

They go to the otic ganglion, and then hitchike on a branch of CNV3, and go to partoid galnd, and provide motot to the staylopharyngeus, sensory from the oropharync and tonsils and taste and general sensation to the posterior 2/3 of tongue, and sensory branches to the cartoid body and sinus

Question 27

What is the route of parasympathics associated with the vagus nerve?

Answer 27

Go form the brainstem and then hitchkikes on CNX and its branches, and meets ganglion in or on the effector tissue