AP1 Spinal Cord Final Exam

• what's in cns


  brain and spinal cord

  
• cauda equina


  lumbar and sacral spinal nerve roots - sensory and motor functions

  
• conus medullaris


  the end of the pointed spinal cord in lumbar region; anchored to sacrum

  
• filum terminale


  anchors conus medullaris to coccyx (connective tissue)

  
• epidural injection vs. lumbar puncture near cauda equina


  epidural: superficial placement of needle; outside all 3 meninges, delivers drugs. used during childbirth

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  lumbar: needle inserted into the csf; move spinal nerve roots out of the way
• cervical enlargement


  wider part of spinal cord servicing the upper extremities

  
• lumbar enlargement


  wider part of spinal cord servicing the lower extremities

  
• anterior median fissure (ventral median fissure)


  front groove; in midline

  
• posterior median sulcus (dorsal median sulcus)


  large groove in back

  
• central canal


  in between the anterior fissure and posterior sulcus-- ----

  function: contains cerebrospinal fluid inside spinal cord

  
• gray commissure


  surrounding central canal-- functions: contains unmyelinated fibers crossing over contralaterally

  
• ventral horns (anterior horns)


  horn of gray matter in spinal cord with cell bodies of motor neurons

  
• dorsal horns (posterior horns)


  horn of gray matter in spinal cord with sensory neurons

  
• lateral horns


  in thoracic region of spinal cord, contains cell bodies of motor neurons in the sympathetic ns

  
• sensory ascending tracts vs. motor descending tracts

  sensory: tracts carrying sensory info to the brain

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  motor: tracts carrying motor control messages from the brain

  
• columns of white matter

  contain sensory tracts going up and motor tracts going down spinal cord
• lateral white matter column

  
• ventral white matter column

  
• dorsal white matter column

  
• paralysis vs. paresthesia


  paralysis - skeletal muscles deprived of neural excitation do not function

  ---------------

  paresthesia - sensory function is abnormal

  
• paraplegia vs. quadriplegia


  paraplegia - severe injury to spinal cord above the lumbar enlargement

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  quadriplegia -

  spinal cord injury occurs in cervical region, loss of function in all 4 limbs

  
• poliomyelitis


  paralyzing disease polio causes

  
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

  kills motor neurons in spinal cord, Lou Gehrig's disease

  
• spina bifida


  neural tube defect; spinal cord doesn't properly form @ the bottom, doesn't fuse all the way down

  
• cerebral palsy


  genetic condition or hypoxia during birth; brain disorder

  
• dorsal root ganglion


  contains cell bodies of sensory neurons

  
• pia mater


  inner layer of meninges attached to spinal cord

  
• arachnoid mater


  middle layer of meninges with CSF deep to it

  
• dura mater


  tough outer layer of meninges

  
• dorsal root


  spinal nerve root with sensory neurons entering spinal cord

  
• ventral root


  spinal nerve root with motor neurons exiting spinal cord

  
• spinal nerve


  formed from merged roots, exits intervertebral foramen