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Robotic Spine Universe

Structures · Tracts (white matter)

Spinal lemniscus (spinothalamic and spinoreticular tracts)

A bundle of axons in the cord's white matter, part of the spinothalamic tract.

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At a glance

Source of the outline
A region of the PAM50 white-matter atlas, drawn at each segment levelLévy et al. 2015; De Leener et al. 2018
Levels with this region in the atlas sections
C1 to S1 (26 levels)
Pathway
Spinothalamic tract: pain and temperature

Cross-section at L5

left fasciculus gracilisright fasciculus gracilisleft fasciculus cuneatusright fasciculus cuneatusleft lateral corticospinal tractright lateral corticospinal tractleft spinal lemniscusright spinal lemniscusleft ventrolateral reticulospinal tractright ventrolateral reticulospinal tractleft ventral corticospinal tractright ventral corticospinal tractleft tectospinal tractright tectospinal tractleft medial reticulospinal tractright medial reticulospinal tractleft medial longitudinal fasciculusright medial longitudinal fasciculusleft ventral hornright ventral hornleft intermediate zoneright intermediate zoneleft dorsal hornright dorsal hornAnteriorPosteriorLR
  • Ascending (sensory)
  • Corticospinal (motor)
  • Other descending
  • Grey matter
Regions in this section (text list)
  • left fasciculus gracilis (spared)
  • right fasciculus gracilis (spared)
  • left fasciculus cuneatus (spared)
  • right fasciculus cuneatus (spared)
  • left lateral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • right lateral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • left spinal lemniscus (focus)
  • right spinal lemniscus (focus)
  • left ventrolateral reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • right ventrolateral reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • left ventral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • right ventral corticospinal tract (spared)
  • left tectospinal tract (spared)
  • right tectospinal tract (spared)
  • left medial reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • right medial reticulospinal tract (spared)
  • left medial longitudinal fasciculus (spared)
  • right medial longitudinal fasciculus (spared)
  • left ventral horn (spared)
  • right ventral horn (spared)
  • left intermediate zone (spared)
  • right intermediate zone (spared)
  • left dorsal horn (spared)
  • right dorsal horn (spared)

Highlighted: this region of the white-matter atlas, both sides. Outline from the PAM50 template and atlas, cut at the segment midpoint. De Leener et al. 2018; Lévy et al. 2015

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What the sources say

“Axons from these second neurons decussate within the spinal cord, then they ascend to the brain and enter the thalamus where each synapses with the third neuron in its respective pathway.” Betts et al. 2022, §14.2
“The dorsal column system is primarily responsible for touch sensations and proprioception, whereas the spinothalamic tract pathway is primarily responsible for pain and temperature sensations.” Betts et al. 2022, §14.2

Read more

  • Gate control of pain

    Melzack and Wall's 1965 idea that the dorsal horn of the cord works like a gate on pain signals, opened or closed by other inputs and by the brain. What it proposed, what it changed, and how it is described now.

  • Incomplete cord syndromes

    Why damage to one part of the cord's cross-section gives a recognisable pattern. Brown-Séquard, central cord, anterior cord and posterior cord patterns, explained from the tracts and the blood supply.

  • The spinothalamic tract

    The route for pain and temperature. Its fibres synapse as soon as they enter the cord and cross there, so a lesion of one side of the cord affects pain on the other side of the body.

For learning only. Levels and sizes vary between people; nothing here describes a particular person or gives medical advice. Sources: Betts et al. 2022, §14.2; Lévy et al. 2015; De Leener et al. 2018.