Spinal cord

In cross section of the spinal cord, white matter is peripheral and gray
matter is internal and has general butterfly shape. In the center is an
opening, the central canal.
Gray matter is divided into:
Posterior horn contains somatic and visceral sensory nuclei
Anterior horns deal with somatic motor control
Lateral horns contain visceral motor neurons
Gray commissures contain axons that cross from one side to the other

Spinal cord neurons are large and multipolar, especially the motor
neurons in the anterior horns.
White matter is divided into six columns (tracts):
Ascending tracts relay information from the spinal cord to the brain
Descending tracts carry information from the brain to the spinal cord.

Descending Tracts of the Spinal Cord (Motor)

-They are divided into UMN and LMN.
UMN: neurons (cell body) present in cerebral cortex or subcortical levels.
LMN: neurons in AHCs or cranial nerve nuclei, their axons → muscles.

-The UMNs are classified into Δ and extra Δ tracts.

Pyramidal tracts (Δ)
1. Cortico-spinal tracts:
– Originate in primary motor area.
– UMN is the pyramidal cell body (Betz cells), its axon forms the
cortico-spinal tract.
– LMN: is the anterior horn cell (AHC).
– Function: Controls voluntary movement & ↑ muscle tone and muscle
reflexes. It regulates fast and fine (skilled) movements.

2. Cortico-bulbar tracts:
The fibres arise from the cerebral cortex and terminate in motor nuclei of
cranial nerves in the brain stem. It is further subdivided into:
 Medial cortico-bulbar: fibres arise from motor cortex area 8 → corona
radiate → genu of internal capsule → 3 & 4& 6 cranial nerve nuclei on
both sides.
Lateral Cortico-bulbar: motor cortex (area 4) → corona radiate →
genu of internal capsule → 5 & 7 & 9& 10& 11 & 12 cranial nerve
nuclei on both sides.

Extrapyramidal Tracts (extra Δ)

Function:
• Regulation and integration of voluntary movement so, its disturbance →
static tremors as Parkinsonism (regular) or chorea (with stress only).
• Inhibition of muscle tone of the opposite side, so lesion → rigidity on
the other side.
• Inhibition of deep reflexes of opposite side.
• Regulation of emotional and associative movements, so lesion → mask
face