Neuro 12: Spinal Cord

Front 1

Describe the basic blood supply to the spinal cord

Back 1

Anterior and posterior spinal arteries which are branches of the vertegral arteries, radicular arteries derived from segmental vessels

Front 2

where does the spinal cord start/ end

Back 2

extends from the medulla at the level of the foramen magnum to the lower border of the first lumbar vertebra

Front 3

Describe the spinal cord enlargements

Back 3

cervical and lumbar innervating the upper and lower extremeties respectively

Front 4

Describe the termination of the spinal cord

Back 4

Terminates in a conical formation called the conus medullaris between L1 and L2. The lumbosacral roots continue on as the cauda equina and the spinal cord is anchored by the filum terminale, a condensation of pia mater from the conus medullaris the coccygeal ligament

Front 5

How many spinal nerves are there? WHat is their distribution? Where do they enter/ exit

Back 5

31 pairs (8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, 1 coccygeal), C1-C7 exit above the vertebrae, C8 exits between C7 and T1, T1 and below exit below their vertebrae, the spinal nerves exit the vertebral canal via the intervertebral foramina

Front 6

what strucuture lies in the anterior median fissure of the spinal cord

Back 6

anterior spinal artery

Front 7

The posterolateral sulcus marks the entry of which structure into the spinal cord

Back 7

The dorsal roots. This sulcus is located at the top of the "H" formed by the grey matter of the posterior horn

Front 8

The anterolateral sulcus marks the exit of which structure from the spinal cord

Back 8

the ventral roots.

Front 9

WHere can the posterior intermediate sulcus be found and what is it's significance?

Back 9

The posterior intermediate sulcus is found in the cervical and upper thoracic levels. It separates the faciculus gracilis medially from the fasciculus cuneatus laterally. (Caudal to T6 each posterior column is undivided as the fasciculus gracilis, rostral to T6, afferents entering the spinal cord form a second bundle lateral to T6, the fasciculus cuneatus)

Front 10

describe the three main divisons of the white mater of the spinal cord

Back 10

1. posterior funiculus 2. lateral funiculus 3. anterior funiculus

Front 11

Describe the two main divisions of the posterior funiculus. What is their function

Back 11

Below T6 is f. gracilis carrying somatosensory information from the sacral and lumbar regions. Around T6, additional sensory fibers join carrying information from the thoracic and cervical regions, these fibers form the f. cuneatus on the lateral side of the posterior funiculus. The funiculi are separated by the posterolateral sulcus.

Front 12

The lateral funiculus carriers both sensory and motor information. Name two tracks that carry each type

Back 12

Ascending/ senosry=lateral spinothalamic and posterior spinocerebellar; Descending/motor= lateral corticospinal and rubrospinal

Front 13

What types of fibers are found in the anterior funiculus

Back 13

smaller ascending and descending tracts

Front 14

expalin how the grey matter is divided and note the function of each division

Back 14

1. dorsal horn=sensory 2. ventral horn=motor 3. lateral horn=sympathetic outflow (T1-L2)

Front 15

The ventral horn houses two types of motorneurons. What are these and what do they do?

Back 15

1. alpha motorneurons innervate extrafusal (normal) muscle fibers; 2. gamma motor neurons innervate intrafusal (muslce spindle) fibers

Front 16

What type of information is carried in the lateral corticospinal tract of the lateral funiculus

Back 16

the lateral corticospinal tract is a descending tract. It carries motor information from the contralateral cerebral cortex

Front 17

What type of information is carried by the rubrospinal tract of the lateral funiculus

Back 17

the rubrospinal tract is a descending tract. It carriers motor information from the contral lateral red nucleus

Front 18

What type of information is carried by the lateral spinothalamic tract of the lateral funiculus

Back 18

The lateral spinothalamic tract is an ascending tract, it carries pain and temp. information from the contralatreal body to the thalamus

Front 19

What type of information is carried by the posterior spinocerebellar tract of the lateral funiculus

Back 19

the posterior spinocerebellar tract is an ascending tract, it carriers proproception from the ipsilateral body to the dorsal nucleus of clark to the cerebellum

Front 20

what deficits would you expect with a dorsal root lesion? Why?

Back 20

hyperthesia/ anesthesai due to damage to sensory axons

Front 21

What deficits would you expect with a ventral root leision? WHy?

Back 21

weakness, flaccid paralysis, atrophy of muscles, possible autonomic dysfunction due to damage to motor neurons and autonomic preganglionic fibers

Front 22

What deficits would you expect with a spinal cord hemisection

Back 22

Brown-sequard syndrome: 1. loss of fine touch, vibration, and proprioception ipsilaterally b/c of daamge fo posterior column 2. loss of pain and temperature sensation contralaterally b/c of damage to spinothalamic tract 3. ipsilateral spastic paralysis due to damage to latearl cortiocospinal tract

Front 23

What deficits would you expect with a spinal cord transection

Back 23

Acute-spinal shock with flaccid paralysis and anesthesi;chronic- spastic paralysis and pain. caused by destruction of ascending and descending tracts

Front 24

Syringomyelia is causes by enlargement of the central canal of the spinal cord usually at the lower cervical or upper thoracic levels. What deficits would be expected from this injury

Back 24

1. Loss of pain and temperature BI laterally due to damage to crossing fibers; 2. weakness and atrophy of muscles due to damage to anterior horn