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Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord
Chapter 54:
Motor Functions of the Spinal Cord
DR Sabeen Haq
The Spinal Cord is More Than Just a Conduit for Nerve Fibers
Neuronal circuits for walking and various reflexes are contained within the spinal cord. Higher brain centers activate and command these circuits.
walking maintaining equilibrium Analytical and command signals
Copyright 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.
Functions
SPINE
Posture Support Walking
Brain
Commands Sequences Lean forward during walk Walk to jump change Monitor continuously Control equilibrium
Initial Spinal Shock All help to study Spinal Funtions Later most intrisic funtions return Initial increased tone Very excitable reflexes
Propriospinal fibers
travel up and down the cord for 1 - 2 segments provide pathways for multisegmental reflexes
Muscle spindle
3 to 10mm long 3 to 12 small intrafusal muscle fibers Attached to glycocalyx of extrafusal fibers No or few actin and myosin filaments in midway
Flower-Spray secondary
1-3/spindle
Static Response
3-9/spindle
Whenever skeletal muscle is stretched the muscle spindles are stimulated. They detect:
Changes in the length of muscle fibers. The rate of change at which the muscles are lengthening.
- Spindle is normally tonically active as a result of input from higher brain centers. - Controls the intensity of the stretch reflex. - Performs a damping function by adjusting sensitivity.
Copyright 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.
Muscle Spindle
The intrafusal muscle fibers are tiny muscle fibers attached to either end of the stretch receptor. They are innervated by gamma efferent neurons and are not part of the stretch reflex arc.
This has been a brief description of the muscle stretch reflex arc and how it operates. The next series of slides will demonstrate how the muscle stretch reflex arc, the intrafusal muscle fibers, and the gamma efferent neurons are used in local control of muscle fibers.
Review: what happens when the stretch receptor is stretched? Notice the change in frequency of action potentials.
Reminder: The intrafusal muscle fibers are innervated by gamma efferent neurons.
This seems like a stupid thing to do because it would be easier just to stimulate the extrafusal muscle fiber with the alpha efferent neuron. But look what actually happens:
Descending neurons (pyramidal tracts!) stimulate both alpha and gamma neurons.
Both the intrafusal fibers AND the extrafusal fibers contract to the same extent. The stretch receptor doesnt feel a thing!
What if the load is too big for the muscle to lift? What happens to the stretch receptor?
It becomes stretched (the muscle doesnt shorten, remember?) and increases the frequency of action potentials along the stretch receptor afferent..
which stimulates only the alpha efferent, causing the extrafusal muscle fiber to generate greater amounts of tension.
This combined stimulation of the alpha and gamma efferent neurons sets up a situation in which there will automatically be an increase in tension of the muscle if the load is too heavy. This combined stimulation of the two neuron types is called alpha-gamma co-activation.
Copyright 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.
Can be done with almost any muscle. Index of the facilitation of the gamma efferents. Cortical lesions usually increase muscle stretch reflexes.
Copyright 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.
Withdrawal Reflex
Painful stimulus elicits a flexor reflex in affected limb and an extensor reflex in the opposite limb. Extensor reflex begins 0.2 - 0.5 seconds after the painful stimulus. Serves to push body away from the stimulus, also to shift weight to the opposite limb.
Examples of Reflexes:
Crossed extensor reflex
1. Stimulus sensed on one side 2. sensory neuron to spinal cord, 3. synapse with association neuron; synapse with motor neuron (to withdraw on same side) & impulse crosses to opposite side of cord, synapse with motor neuron (to extend opposite appendage) 4. Motor neurons to muscle cells/ motor units
14 June 2007
Copyright 2006 by Elsevier, Inc.
Reflexes.ppt
73
Scratch reflex
Initiated by itch and tickle sensation Involves
Position sense To and fro scratching movements
Vascular tone changes in response to temprature Sweating Intestino-Intestinal reflexes Peritoneo-intestinal reflexes Evacuation reflexes Mass reflex
Spontaneus discharge from large cord segments Flexor spasm of body Colon and bladder likely to evacuate Raised arterial pressure Profuse sweating in large areas of body
Spinal shock
Loss of all spinal functions in response to sudden transaction of cord
Mechanism
Loss of tonic excitation from Reticulospinal tracts Vestibulospinal tracts Corticospinal tracts