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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

5.3K
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...
5.3K
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

1.2K
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...
1.2K
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

38.4K
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.
38.4K
Spinal Cord: Information Processing01:10

Spinal Cord: Information Processing

1.7K
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...
1.7K
Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

5.7K
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
5.7K
Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy01:16

Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy

2.4K
The cross-sectional anatomy of the spinal cord offers a detailed view of its complex structure and function within the central nervous system. At the core of the spinal cord lies the gray matter, characterized by its butterfly or "H"-shaped appearance in cross-section. This central region is enveloped by white matter, with the overall structure divided into symmetrical halves by the dorsal median sulcus and the ventral median fissure.
Gray Matter and its Components
Central to the gray matter is...
2.4K

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Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Imaging Serotonergic Fibers in the Mouse Spinal Cord Using the CLARITY/CUBIC Technique
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Spinal ascending pathways for somatosensory information processing.

Lin-Han Wang1, Wen-Qun Ding1, Yan-Gang Sun2

  • 1Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing, China.

Trends in Neurosciences
|June 14, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Spinal projection neurons transmit sensory signals from the body to the brain. This review explores the anatomy, molecules, and functions of these crucial somatosensory pathways.

Keywords:
itchpainprojection neuronsomatosensationspinal cord

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Somatosensory system research

Background:

  • The somatosensory system is vital for survival, processing mechanical, thermal, and chemical signals.
  • Spinal projection neurons are key for transmitting sensory information from periphery to brain.
  • Understanding somatosensory information processing in spinal ascending pathways remains incomplete.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the anatomic, molecular, and functional characteristics of spinal ascending pathways.
  • To highlight recent findings on the diversity and roles of these pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies.
  • Analysis of anatomic, molecular, and functional data.

Main Results:

  • Spinal ascending pathways exhibit diversity in their structure and function.
  • These pathways play critical roles in processing various somatosensory information.
  • Mechanisms of information processing are being increasingly elucidated.

Conclusions:

  • Spinal ascending pathways are complex and essential for somatosensation.
  • Further research into their characteristics will advance understanding of sensory processing.
  • This review consolidates current knowledge on these vital neural networks.