Sensory And Motor Tracts

Front 1

Fasciculus cuneatus (posterior or dorsal column)

Back 1

sensory tract for trunk, neck, and UE proprioception, vibration, two-point discrimination, and graphesthesia

Front 2

Fasciculus gracilis (posterior or dorsal column)

Back 2

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

Front 3

Spinocerebellar tract (dorsal)

Back 3

Sensory tract that ascends to the cerebellum for ipsilateral subconscious proprioception, tension in muscles, joint sense, and posture of the trunk and LE

Front 4

Spinocerebellar tract (ventral)

Back 4

Sensory tract that ascends to the cerebellum, some fibers crossing with subsequent recrossing at the level of the pons for ipsilateral subconscious proprioception, tension in muscles, joint sense, and posture of the trunk, UE, and LE

Front 5

Spino-olivary tract

Back 5

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

Front 6

Spinoreticular tract

Back 6

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

Front 7

Spinotectal tract

Back 7

Sensory tract providing afferent information for spinovisual reflexes and assists with movement of eyes and head towards a stimulus

Front 8

Spinothalamic tract (anterior)

Back 8

Sensory tract for light touch and pressure

Front 9

Spinothalamic tract

Back 9

Sensory tract for pain and temperature sensation

Front 10

Corticospinal tract (anterior)

Back 10

Pyramidal motor tract responsible for ipsilateral voluntary, discrete, and skilled movements

Front 11

Corticospinal tract (lateral)

Back 11

Pyramidal tract motor tract responsible for contralateral voluntary fine movement; damage to the corticospinal (pyramidal tracts) results in a positive babinski sign, absent superficial abdominal reflexes and cremasteric reflex, and the loss of fine motor or skilled voluntary movement

Front 12

Reticulospinal tract

Back 12

extrapyramidal motor tract responsible for facilitation or inhibition of voluntary and reflex activity through the influence on alpha and gamma motor neurons

Front 13

Rubrospinal tract

Back 13

extrapyramidal motor tract responsible for motor input of gross postural tone, facilitating activity of flexor muscles, and inhibiting the activity of extensor muscles

Front 14

Tectospinal tract

Back 14

extrapyramidal motor tract responsible for contralateral postural muscle tone associated with auditory/visual stimuli

Front 15

Vestibulospinal tract

Back 15

extrapyramidal motor tract responsible for ipsilateral gross postural adjustments subsequent to head movements; facilitating activity of the extensor muscles and inhibiting activity of the flexor muscles

Front 16

Ascending tracts

Back 16

in the white matter of the spinal cord arise either from cells of spinal ganglia or from intrinsic neurons within the gray matter that receive primary sensory input; these tracts relay sensory feedback to the cerebrum and cerebellum

Front 17

Descending tracts

Back 17

involved with voluntary motor function, muscle tone, reflexes and equilibrium, visceral innervation, and modulation of sensory signals. The largest, the corticospinal tract, originates in the cerebral cortex. Smaller descending tracts originate in nuclei in the midbrain , pons, and medulla oblongata