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Related Concept Videos

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

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Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
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Spinal Cord: Information Processing01:10

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The spinal cord is an integral hub for motor and sensory information that enables the brain to communicate with the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This communication consists of relaying sensory data and transmission of motor commands.
Sensory Information Processing
Sensory information processing begins at the sensory receptors located in the skin and other tissues, which detect somatic sensory stimuli such as touch, temperature, or pain. These receptors function as catalysts, initiating...
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Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

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Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
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Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

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The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
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Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

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Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
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Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

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The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
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Recording Network Activity in Spinal Nociceptive Circuits Using Microelectrode Arrays
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A Spinal Circuit for Mechanically-Evoked Itch.

Steve Davidson1

  • 1Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.

Trends in Neurosciences
|December 29, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Researchers discovered a new spinal circuit controlling mechanical itch and a mechanism regulating it. This finding offers potential new strategies for alleviating chronic itch conditions.

Keywords:
Itchmechanoreceptorpainscratchspinaltouch

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Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Spinal Cord Research
  • Itch Mechanisms

Background:

  • Neurobiological understanding of itch remains incomplete.
  • Spinal circuits play a crucial role in sensory processing, including itch.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To uncover novel spinal circuits involved in mechanically-induced itch.
  • To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms governing these itch pathways.
  • To explore potential therapeutic targets for chronic itch.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced genetic and imaging techniques in preclinical models.
  • Investigated neuronal pathways in the spinal cord.
  • Analyzed the function of specific neural circuits in response to mechanical stimuli.

Main Results:

  • Identified a previously unrecognized spinal circuit specifically for mechanically-induced itch.
  • Elucidated a novel inhibitory mechanism that regulates this itch circuit.
  • Demonstrated that dysregulation of this circuit is linked to chronic itch.

Conclusions:

  • The newly discovered spinal circuit and its regulatory mechanism are critical for controlling mechanical itch.
  • Targeting this circuit offers a promising new therapeutic strategy for managing chronic itch disorders.