Nervous System 1 Embryology

Anatomy for Dentistry

Lecture 3
Sensory Systems
Proprioceptive Systems
by
18 days
John McGeachie
School of Anatomy & Human Biology
The University of Western Australia 21 days

CNS = brain & spinal cord

Develop from the neural tube starting at 4 weeks

All neurones come from

CNS
=
Brain
&
Spinal cord Neural Crest
+
CN I & II Neural Tube

From Netter’s
Atlas

Neural Crest derived Neurones

Neural
Tube
&
Neural
Crest
derived
Neurones
Summary

1
 Neural Nerves – come in many shapes
Crest
derivatives Neurones Cell bodies
Doral root ganglia come processes
ANS ganglia in many
Schwann cells of
PNS forms
Satellite cells of
PNS
Meninges
Odontoblasts
Neuro-endocrine
cells
Adrenal medulla

The nervous system Simple DRG

Functional organization reflex

arc
Three elements must be understood
Sensory input
1. Sensory input (afferent) to the CNS CNS processing
2. Central processing/integration in the CNS Motor output
3. Motor output (efferent) from the CNS (to muscle)

Sensory input pathways Sensory pathways

1. Pain temperature & touch
Two pathways will be described
1. Pain temperature & touch Qualities
a. from spinal nerves Poorly defined sensations (pain vs. touch)
b. from cranial nerves Peripheral receptors - not specific
(mostly naked nerve endings)
2. Proprioception & discriminative sensation Low priority input - slow conducting fibres
a. from spinal nerves
Low priority in the CNS - heavily filtered
b. from cranial nerves (Eg. Feeling spectacles on nose)

2
 Pain, temperature & touch pathway
Pain, temperature & touch pathway
a. Spino-thalamic
a. Spino-thalamic

Three nerve relays

1. Periphery to spinal cord (or brain stem)

2. Spinal cord to thalamus (spino-thalamic) 3

2

3. Thalamus to sensory cortex

1

Proprioceptive pathway
Proprioceptive pathways Discriminative inputs
2. Discriminative inputs By contrast to the spino- & trigemino–
trigemino–thalamic
pathways, this has different qualities
Pressure
Vibration sense Precisely defined sensations (two point discrimination)
Peripheral receptors -highly specific (mostly encapsulated)
Muscle tension endings – Eg. Muscle spindles, Pacinian & Meissner’
Meissner’ s
corpuscles,
Joint position
High priority input - fast conducting fibres
Two point discrimination High priority in the CNS – rapid processing
(Eg. Muscle reflexes)

Proprioceptive pathway
Discriminative inputs - Receptors
Myelinated
Eg nerves
Muscle
Spindle

Muscle
Spindle

Heavily myelinated fibres

3
 DRG
Proprioception
Proprioception
Receptor
Sensory collateral
in
dorsal horn
Sensory input Sensory input
to dorsal horn CNS DRG

of spinal cord processing

1st Neurone ascends to Brain Stem

in DORSAL or POSTERIOR COLUMNS
Proprioception - Dorsal Columns

Sensory input Sensory input

CNS DRG CNS
processing processing

Proprioception via Dorsal Columns Review

Fasciculus = Spinal
bundle (axons) Cord
Cuneatus =
wedge-shaped
Gracilis =
slender

4
 Proprioceptive pathway

Proprioceptive This has various names

Pathway
Spinal nerve input – Dorsal column or
Dorsal
columns Medial lemniscal
I shall explain the latter soon

Proprioceptive pathway – Spinal Proprioceptive pathway – Spinal

Overview Three
of 3 nerve
Three relay
nerve 1st
relay Neurone
2
goes
straight
up cord 1st order
Neurone
1 1

Proprioceptive pathway – Spinal Dorsal

Column
Nuclei
Three Three
nerve nerve
relay relay
1st 1st
Neurone Neurone
Nucleus Gracilis
relays relays
in dorsal in dorsal Nucleus Cuneatus

medulla medulla

5
 Proprioceptive pathway – Spinal Proprioceptive pathway – Spinal

Three Three
nerve nerve 3
relay
relay 3rd order
2nd
neurone
3rd Neurone

in neurone
2 2
Medial in
Lemniscus 2nd order
Neurone
Thalamus

1 1

Thalamus Proprio
in ception
forebrain
Lies
either Sensory
side Cortex
of
the 3rd
ventricle
Thalamus
in RED

Proprio Proprio
ception ception

Sensory What
Cortex about
Homon the
culus Head

6
 Proprioceptive pathway – Cranial
Proprio
ception
3
What Three
detects nerve
occlusal relay 2
forces similar
in to the
natural spinal
1
1
teeth system

Proprioception via cranial nerves

Proprioceptive pathway

This has various names

Spinal nerve input – Dorsal column or
Medial lemniscal
Cranial nerve input – Trigemino-thalamic Principal
or Trigeminal lemniscal Nucleus of V
1
Note: the latter is confusing but the CNS processing is
more direct than with the pain, temperature & light 1st
order
touch pathway
Neurone

Proprioception via cranial nerves Proprioception via cranial nerves

3rd order
Neurone
Thalamus - Cortex
3

Thalamus Thalamus

Principal Principal
Nuc. V Nuc. V

2
2nd order
Neurone

7
 Proprioceptive pathway – Cranial
Sensory
Pathways
3 Dorsal
Three
column
nerve
&
relay 2 Spino-
similar thalamic
to the
spinal
1
1
system

Sensory Sensory
pathways pathways
Trigeminal Trigeminal
inputs inputs
Sensory What is
input
this
is also
from
Mesencephalic
VII Nucleus
IX
X

Mesencephalic nucleus
for fast muscle reflexes Mesencephalic
Nucleus

Needed
for
very
fast
masticatory
reflexes

8
 Mesen-
Mesen- Mesencephalic Nucleus

cephalic
Nucleus

Needed
for Mono-synaptic Reflex
very
fast
masticatory
reflexes Pretty
Tricky
Eh

End of lecture
on proprioception