Ascending Tracts | Spinothalamic Tract

Video Description

Official Ninja Nerd Website: https://ninjanerd.org Ninja Nerds! In this lecture, Professor Zach Murphy explains the spinothalamic tract, a major ascending sensory pathway of the spinal cord responsible for transmitting pain, temperature, crude touch, and pressure sensations to the brain. We start by describing the receptors involved in detecting these stimuli, such as nociceptors and thermoreceptors, and how first-order sensory neurons carry this information into the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The lecture then details the synapse of first-order neurons onto second-order neurons within the dorsal horn, particularly in the substantia gelatinosa and nucleus proprius. We cover how these second-order neurons immediately decussate via the anterior white commissure and ascend contralaterally in either the lateral spinothalamic tract (primarily pain and temperature) or the anterior spinothalamic tract (primarily crude touch and pressure). This ascending pathway continues through the spinal cord and brainstem to reach the thalamus's ventral posterior lateral (VPL) nucleus, where third-order neurons project to the primary somatosensory cortex for conscious perception. Enjoy the lecture and support us below! 🌐 Official Links Website: https://www.ninjanerd.org Podcast: https://podcast.ninjanerd.org Store: https://merch.ninjanerd.org 📱 Social Media https://www.tiktok.com/@ninjanerdlectures https://www.instagram.com/ninjanerdlectures https://www.facebook.com/ninjanerdlectures https://x.com/ninjanerdsci/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninja-nerd/ 💬 Join Our Community Discord: https://discord.gg/3srTG4dngW #ninjanerd #SpinothalamicTract #AscendingTracts