spinothalamic tract

(noun)

A sensory pathway originating in the spinal cord. It transmits information to the thalamus about pain, temperature, itch, and crude touch.

Related Terms

Examples of spinothalamic tract in the following topics:

  • Sensory and Motor Tracts

    • The spinothalamic tract is a somatosensory tract and the corticospinal tract is a motor tract.
    • The spinothalamic tract is a sensory pathway originating in the spinal cord.
    • The types of sensory information transmitted via the spinothalamic tract are described as affective sensation.
    • The corticospinal tract conducts impulses from the brain to the spinal cord.
    • The corticospinal tract is made up of two separate tracts in the spinal cord: the lateral corticospinal tract and the anterior corticospinal tract.

  • Functions of the Brain Stem

    • This includes the corticospinal tract (motor), the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway (fine touch, vibration sensation, and proprioception) and the spinothalamic tract (pain, temperature, itch, and crude touch).
    • It contains tracts that carry signals from the cerebrum to the medulla and to the cerebellum.
    • It also has tracts that carry sensory signals to the thalamus.
    • The ascending pathways from the body to the brain are the sensory pathways, including the spinothalamic tract for pain and temperature sensation and the dorsal column, fasciculus gracilis, and cuneatus for touch, proprioception, and pressure sensation. 
    • The facial sensations have similar pathways and also travel in the spinothalamic tract and the medial lemniscus.

  • Somatic Sensory Pathways to the Cerebellum

    • Both tracts involve two neurons.
    • There it makes a synapse with the dendrites of two neurons that send their axons bilaterally to the ventral border of the lateral funiculi (transmit the contralateral corticospinal and spinothalamic tracts).
    • This is one of the few afferent tracts through the superior cerebellar peduncle.
    • The dorsal spinocerebellar tract (also called the posterior spinocerebellar tract, Flechsig's fasciculus, or Flechsig's tract) conveys inconscient proprioceptive information from the body to the cerebellum.
    • This tract involves two neurons and ends up on the same side of the body.

  • Somatic Sensory Pathways

    • This is the target for neurons of the dorsal column–medial lemniscal pathway and the ventral spinothalamic pathway.
    • Other ascending pathways, particularly those involved with control of posture, are projected to the cerebellum, including the ventral and dorsal spinocerebellar tracts.

  • Organization of Motor Neuron Pathways

    • These are the upper motor neurons of the corticospinal tract.
    • They then descend as the lateral corticospinal tract.
    • These are the rubrospinal tract, the vestibulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the reticulospinal tract.
    • The function of lower motor neurons can be divided into two different groups: the lateral corticospinal tract and the anterior corticalspinal tract.
    • Included in the diagram are the following motor pathways: corticospinal tracts (pyramidal tract), and extrapyramidal tracts (tectospinal tract not delineated).

  • Anatomy of the Digestive System

    • The upper gastrointestinal tract consists of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
    • The lower gastrointestinal tract includes most of the small intestine and all of the large intestine .
    • It contains the plicae circulares and villi to increase the surface area of that part of the GI Tract.
    • The ligament of Treitz is sometimes used to divide the upper and lower GI tracts.
    • This image shows the position of the small intestine in the gastrointestinal tract.

  • Mucosa

    • The mucosa is the innermost layer of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, composed of simple epithelium cells.
    • It is the absorptive and secretory layer of the GI tract.
    • The GI tract is composed of four layers.
    • The mucosae (singular: mucosa) are highly specialized in each organ of the gastrointestinal tract, in order to deal with the different digestive tract conditions.
    • Describe the structure and function of the mucosa of the GI tract

  • Muscularis

    • The muscularis is responsible for segmental contractions and peristaltic movement in the GI tract.
    • The GI tract is composed of four layers or also know as tunics.
    • These muscles cause food to move and churn with digestive enzymes down the GI tract.
    • The thickness of muscularis externa varies in each part of the tract.
    • Alone among the GI tract, the stomach has a third layer of muscularis externa.

  • Organs of the Digestive System

    • The organs of the digestive system can be divided into upper and lower digestive tracts.
    • The upper digestive tract consists of the esophagus, stomach, and the small intestine, while the lower tract includes all of the large intestine, the rectum, and anus.
    • The major organs within our digestive system can be split up into two major segments of this tube: the upper gastrointestinal tract, and the lower gastrointestinal tract.
    • The exact dividing line between "upper" and "lower" tracts can vary, depending on which medical specialist is examining the GI tract.
    • The stomach is a muscular, hollow bag, and it’s an important part of the upper GI tract.

  • X-Ray Studies of the GI Tract

    • Upper GI series, also upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract radiography, is a radiologic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
    • Upper GI series, also known as upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract radiography, is a radiologic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract .
    • The upper GI tract consists of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
    • Describe the process and purpose of taking X-rays of the GI tract