Last edited: 9/3/2021

24. ASCENDING TRACTS | DORSAL COLUMN : MEDIAL LEMNISCUS PATHWAY

Ascending Tracts | Dorsal Column: Medial Lemniscus Pathway Medical Editor: Dr. Christina Perry

OUTLINE II) SKIN & MUSCLE RECEPTORS

I) FUNCTION OF THE DCML PATHWAY

II) SKIN & MUSCLE RECEPTORS
III) TYPES OF NERVE FIBERS
IV) INSIDE THE CNS
V) REVIEW QUESTIONS
VI) REFERENCES

I) FUNCTION OF THE DCML PATHWAY

Figure 3: Receptors in the skin
Several receptors within the skin and muscles help to
transmit signals that are relayed through the DCML

Figure 1: Function of DCML pathway

Discriminative touch = two-point touch
o Performed by touching surface of the skin at two
different points of contact
Proprioception = knowing position of body in space
Figure 4: Receptors in the skin cont.

Table 1: Skin receptors and their functions

RECEPTOR
Meissner’s Corpuscles
Merkel Discs
Pacinian Corpuscles
Peritrichial Nerve Endings
Ruffini Corpuscles
FUNCTION
Fine & discriminative touch
Fine touch, superficial pressure
Pressure change & vibrations
Hair bending & touch
Skin stretch & vibrations

Figure 2: Ascending tract in the CNS

DCML = an ascending tract
o Tract – bundle of axons in the CNS
Figure 5: Receptors in the muscles
Peripheral process receives stimulus and projects it into
Skeletal muscles are made up of:
the spinal cord  stimulus ascends the spinal cord
o Extrafusal fibers – these are the ones that are
Stimuli can be received at any level of the spinal cord
contracting
including cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral regions
o Intrafusal fibers – 2 types that respond to stretch in
The axons send the stimulus up the tract to the cerebral
the muscle
cortex
 Nuclear chain – stretch onset
 Nuclear bag – progressive stretch of muscle
Muscle spindles (Type 1A fibers) come from the nuclear
chain and bag fibers (respond to muscle stretch)
Golgi tendon organs (GTO) (Type 1B fibers) respond to
tendon

Figure 6: Overview of fibers entering the CNS

Ascending Tracts | Dorsal Column: Medial Lemniscus Pathway NEURO PHYSIOLOGY: Note #24. 1 of 4
 III) TYPES OF NERVE FIBERS IV) INSIDE THE CNS

Figure 7: Types of nerve fibers

Table 2: Types of nerve fibers
NERVE FIBER DESCRIPTION

Aα - (fastest; 120m/s) muscle

spindles/GTOs
Aβ - (all skin receptors
TYPE A Aδ - (slowest; 30 m/s) fast, prick
pain, crude touch/pressure
Most myelinated
Very fast

TYPE B Moderately myelinated

Medium speed

Least/unmyelinated
TYPE C Pain, temperature, itch
Slow

Figure 9: Overview of DCML pathway in the CNS

Fibers from the skin and muscle receptors enter the
spinal column below T6 via the 1st order neuron – dorsal
root ganglion (DRG)
o Central processes projecting into the posterior/dorsal
gray horn
o The fibers will then funnel into the fasciculus gracilis
(below T6) without synapsing
o Fasciculus Gracilis picks up information from below
T6 form the legs and lower body trunk
Fibers from the skin and muscle receptors also enter the
CNS above T6 via the dorsal root ganglion
Figure 8: Types of nerve fibers cont.1 o Central processes project into the dorsal white
column (lateral to fasciculus gracilis)
o The fibers will funnel into the fasciculus cuneatus
(above T6) without synapsing
o Fasciculus cuneatus picks up information from
above T6 the upper limbs and upper body trunk

TIP: To remember that the

fasciculus Gracilis carries fibers from
the lower extremity/trunk, think that
the Gracilis muscle is found in the
leg

Both the fasciculus grascilis and fasciculus cuneatus

travel up the spinal cord within the dorsal column

Figure 10: Somatotopic arrangement of spinal cord2

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 o The nucleus is called the ventroposterior lateral (VPL)
The DCML pathway is ipsilateral at nucleus
level of spinal cord o This is the 3rd order neuron
The posterior 1/3 limb of the internal capsule receives
axons from the VPL
The fibers from both fasciculi ascend into the medulla to o The posterior 1/3 limb of the internal capsule are
the 2nd order neurons supplied by the lenticulostriate arteries (branches
from the middle cerebral artery)
o An infarct here will affect the sensory fibers ascending
from the internal capsule
Fibers extend out into the cortex and form the corona
radiata

Figure 13: Inside the cerebral cortex

The postcentral gyrus, AKA the primary somatosensory
cortex – S1, is located just posterior to the central sulcus
o There is another gyrus just posterior to that called the
Figure 11: Pathway to the 2nd order neurons secondary somatosensory cortex – S2

There are 4 nuclei in the medulla that receive fibers from

the ascending fasciculi
o Two lateral nuclei: Nucleus cuneatus
 Receive fibers from the fasciculus cuneatus on
their respective ipsilateral side from above T6
• Ex) R fasciculus cuneatus fibers will ascend
and synapse on the R nucleus cuneatus
o Two medial nuclei: Nucleus gracilis
 Receive fibers from the fasciculus gracilis on their
respective ipsilateral side from below T6
• Ex) R fasciculus gracilis fibers will ascend and
synapse on the R nucleus gracilis Figure 14: Somatotopic arrangement in the cerebral cortex
Any fibers that come from the thalamus and extend to
certain parts of the cerebral cortex will be associated with
different parts of the body
o External genitalia and the lower extremity can be
found at the medial section of the cortex
o The trunk and neck can be found superiorly
o The arm, head, thumb, face, tongue, pharynx, and
intraabdominal sections can be found laterally and
inferiorly extending respectively

Figure 12: Pathway to the 3rd order neurons

The R nucleus cuneatus and R nucleus gracilis fibers
come together and cross over to the L side of the medulla
Figure 15: Fiber pathways in the CNS
and form the left medial lemniscus
The L nucleus cuneatus and L nucleus gracilis fibers Projection fibers allow information to travel up and down
come together and cross over to the R side of the Commissural fibers allow information to travel from left
medulla and form the right medial lemniscus ↔ right cerebral hemispheres
The center where both fibers cross in the posterior aspect Association fibers allow information to travel from
of the medulla behind the pyramids is called the internal anterior ↔ posterior
arcuate fibers
The right and left medial lemnisci fibers ascend
ipsilaterally into the brainstem and synapse on a special
nucleus in the thalamus

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 V) REVIEW QUESTIONS
Which of the follow is not a function of the DCML
pathway?
a. Proprioception
b. Discriminative touch
c. Vibrations, pressure, stretch
d. Temperature

T/F 2nd order neuron fibers cross in the spinal cord

and ascend to the 3rd order neurons in the
thalamus
a. True
b. False

T/F There are 4 nuclei located in the medulla that

receive fibers from the ipsilateral and
corresponding fasciculi: gracilis and cuneatus
a. True
b. False

Which of the following is not true regarding Type A

nerve fibers
a. Made up of 3 types
b. Unmyelinated
c. Fast
d. Most myelinated
The fasciculus cuneatus receives information from
above T6 and this area of the body
a. Lower trunk and extremity
b. Only the head
c. Upper extremity and upper trunk
d. All of the skin

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

VI) REFERENCES
Chudler, E. H. (2019). Neuroscience for kids.
Neuroscience For Kids - conduction velocity.
https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/cv.html.
Accessed 04 Sep 2021.
Brodal, A. (1969). Chapter 6 - Somesthesia - Central
Mechanism. In Neurological Anatomy (2nd ed.). essay,
New York, Oxford Univ. Press.

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