What is the function of the spinothalamic tract?

What is the function of the spinothalamic tract?

The spinothalamic tract is a collection of neurons that carries information to the brain about pain, temperature, itch, and general or light touch sensations. The pathway starts with sensory neurons that synapse in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

Where is the spinothalamic located?

the spinal cord
The lateral spinothalamic tract, also known as the lateral spinothalamic fasciculus, is an ascending pathway located anterolaterally within the peripheral white matter of the spinal cord. It is primarily responsible for transmitting pain and temperature as well as coarse touch.

What type of information does the spinothalamic tracts carry?

The spinothalamic tract pathway is an imperative sensory pathway in human survival because it enables one to move away from noxious stimuli by carrying pain and temperature information from the skin to the thalamus where it is processed and transmitted to the primary sensory cortex.

What happens if spinothalamic tract is damaged?

Damage to the spinothalamic tract within the spinal cord, as seen in Brown Squared syndrome, results in contralateral loss of pain and temperature whilst vibration and proprioception, transmitted via the dorsal columns, will be affected ipsilaterally.

Is ipsilateral touch?

Consequently, within the spinal cord, discriminative touch and proprioception of the right side of the body is represented in the ipsilateral (right) posterior funiculus and pain and temperature from the right side of the body is represented in the contralateral (left) lateral funiculi.

Is the spinothalamic tract contralateral or ipsilateral?

Since the dorsal columns and spinothalamic tracts contain ipsilateral and contralateral fibres, respectively, transection of one-half of the spinal cord leads to a characteristic pattern of sensory loss. This is known as Brown–Sequard syndrome or sensory dissociation.

How many spinothalamic tract are there?

Structure. There are two main parts of the spinothalamic tract: The lateral spinothalamic tract transmits pain and temperature. The anterior spinothalamic tract (or ventral spinothalamic tract) transmits crude touch and firm pressure.

Is the spinothalamic tract ipsilateral or contralateral?

What is the final destination for the Spinothalamic tracts?

Final Destination The ultimate destination of the anterior as well as the lateral spinothalamic tract is the sensory cortex. The axons of third-order neurons terminate in the primary somatosensory area of the cerebral cortex.

Which spinal tract is for light touch?

anterior spinothalamic tract
The anterior spinothalamic tract transmits light touch. Autonomic function traverses within the anterior interomedial tract. Sympathetic nervous system fibers exit the spinal cord between C7 and L1, whereas parasympathetic system pathways exit between S2 and S4.

What are the spinspinothalamic tracts?

spinothalamic tract. two spinal cord tracts carrying afferent nerve fibers to the thalamus; includes two principal tracts, the lemniscal and the extralemniscal systems.

Where does the spinothalamic tract originate and terminate?

As the name indicates, spinothalamic tracts originate in the spinal cord and terminate in the thalamus, which is a part of the forebrain. Spinothalamic tracts include an anterior tract and a lateral tract.

What is the difference between the anterior and lateral spinothalamic tract?

The anterior spinothalamic tract carries information about crude touch. The lateral spinothalamic tract conveys pain and temperature. In the spinal cord, the spinothalamic tract has somatotopic organization.

What type of sensory information is transmitted through the spinothalamic tract?

The types of sensory information transmitted via the spinothalamic tract are described as affective sensation. This means that the sensation is accompanied by a compulsion to act. For instance, an itch is accompanied by a need to scratch, and a painful stimulus makes us want to withdraw from the pain.