SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM

AND SOMATOMOTOR SYSTEM

SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM

DEFINITION AND TYPES OF SENSATIONS

SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM IS DEFINED AS THE SENSORY SYSTEM
• ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY.
• SENSATIONS ARE OF TWO TYPES:
• 1. SOMATIC SENSATIONS
• 2. SPECIAL SENSATIONS
1. SOMATIC SENSATIONS
• SOMATIC SENSATIONS ARE THE SENSATIONS ARISING FROM
• SKIN, MUSCLES, TENDONS AND JOINTS. THESE SENSATIONS
• HAVE SPECIFIC RECEPTORS, WHICH RESPOND TO A PARTICULAR
TYPE OF STIMULUS.
2. SPECIAL SENSATIONS
• SPECIAL SENSATIONS ARE THE COMPLEX SENSATIONS FOR
• WHICH THE BODY HAS SOME SPECIALIZED SENSE ORGANS.
• TYPES OF SOMATIC SENSATIONS
• GENERALLY, SOMATIC SENSATIONS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE

TYPES:
• 1. EPICRITIC SENSATIONS
• 2. PROTOPATHIC SENSATIONS

3. DEEP SENSATIONS
• 1. EPICRITIC SENSATIONS
• EPICRITIC SENSATIONS ARE THE MILD OR LIGHT SENSATIONS SUCH SENSATIONS ARE
PERCEIVED MORE ACCURATELY.
EPICRITIC SENSATIONS ARE:
• I. FINE TOUCH OR TACTILE SENSATION
II. TACTILE LOCALIZATION
III.TACTILE DISCRIMINATION
• IV. TEMPERATURE SENSATION WITH FINER RANGE BETWEEN 25°C AND 40°C.
• 2. PROTOPATHIC SENSATIONS
• PROTOPATHIC SENSATIONS ARE THE CRUDE SENSATIONS. THESE SENSATIONS ARE
PRIMITIVE TYPE OF SENSATIONS.
• PROTOPATHIC SENSATIONS ARE:
• I. PRESSURE SENSATION
• II. PAIN SENSATION
• III. TEMPERATURE SENSATION WITH A WIDER RANGE, ABOVE 40°C AND BELOW 25°C
• 3. DEEP SENSATIONS
• DEEP SENSATIONS ARE SENSATIONS ARISING FROM DEEPER STRUCTURES BENEATH THE SKIN AND VISCERAL
ORGANS.DEEP SENSATIONS ARE:
I. SENSATION OF VIBRATION OR PALLESTHESIA, WHICH IS THE COMBINATION OF TOUCH AND PRESSURE
SENSATION
II. KINESTHETIC SENSATION OR KINESTHESIA: SENSATION OF POSITION AND MOVEMENTS OF DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE BODY. THIS SENSATION ARISES FROM THE PROPRIOCEPTORS PRESENT IN MUSCLES, TENDONS, JOINTS
AND LIGAMENTS.
PROPRIOCEPTORS ARE THE RECEPTORS, WHICH GIVE RESPONSE DURING VARIOUS MOVEMENTS OF A JOINT.
• KINESTHETIC SENSATION IS OF TWO TYPES:
• A. CONSCIOUS KINESTHETIC SENSATION
B. SUBCONSCIOUS KINESTHETIC SENSATION IMPULSES OF THIS SENSATION ARE CALLED
NONSENSORY IMPULSES.
• III. VISCERAL SENSATIONS ARISING FROM VISCERA
• SYNTHETIC SENSES
• SYNTHETIC SENSES ARE THE SENSATIONS SYNTHESIZED AT CORTICAL LEVEL, BY
INTEGRATION OF IMPULSES OF BASIC SENSATIONS. TWO OR MORE BASIC
SENSATIONS ARE COMBINED IN SOME OF THE SYNTHETIC SENSES. BEST EXAMPLES
OF
• SYNTHETIC SENSES ARE VIBRATORY SENSATION,
• STEREOGNOSIS
• AND TWO-POINT DISCRIMINATION.
SENSORY PATHWAYS

SENSORY PATHWAYS ARE OF TWO TYPES:

• 1. PATHWAYS OF SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM
• 2. PATHWAYS OF VISCEROSENSORY SYSTEM.
• PATHWAYS OF SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM CONVEY THE INFORMATION FROM
SENSORY RECEPTORS IN SKIN, SKELETAL MUSCLES AND JOINTS. PATHWAYS OF THIS
SYSTEM ARE
• CONSTITUTED BY SOMATIC NERVE FIBERS CALLED SOMATIC AFFERENT NERVE
FIBERS.
• PATHWAYS OF VISCEROSENSORY SYSTEM CONVEY THE INFORM ATION FROM
RECEPTORS OF THE VISCERA. PATHWAYS OF THIS SYSTEM ARE CONSTITUTED BY
VISCERAL OR AUTONOMIC FIBERS.
• SOMATOSENSORY PATHWAYS
EACH SENSORY PATHWAY IS CONSTITUTED BY TWO OR THREE GROUPS OF NEURONS:
• I. FIRST ORDER NEURONS
• II. SECOND ORDER NEURONS
• III. THIRD ORDER NEURONS.
SENSORY FIBERS OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE

• TRIGEMINAL NERVE CARRIES SOMATOSENSORY INFORMATION FROM FACE, TEETH,

PERIODONTAL TISSUES (TISSUES AROUND TEETH), ORAL CAVITY, NASAL CAVITY,
CRANIAL DURA MATER ANDMAJOR PART OF SCALP TO SENSORY CORTEX. IT ALSO
CONVEYS PROPRIOCEPTIVE IMPULSES FROM THE EXTRINSIC MUSCLES OF THE
EYEBALL.
• ORIGIN
• SENSORY FIBERS OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE ARISE FROM THE TRIGEMINAL GANGLION
SITUATED NEAR TEMPORAL BONE. PERIPHERAL PROCESSES OF NEURONS IN THIS
GANGLION FORM THREE DIVISIONS OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE, NAMELY OPHTHALMIC,
MANDIBULAR AND MAXILLARY DIVISIONS.
• TERMINATION
• AFTER REACHING THE PONS, FIBERS OF SENSORY ROOT DIVIDE INTO TWO GROUPS,
NAMELY DESCENDING FIBERS AND ASCENDING FIBERS. DESCENDING FIBERS
TERMINATE ON PRIMARY SENSORY NUCLEUS AND SPINAL NUCLEUS OF TRIGEMINAL
NERVE. PRIMARY SENSORY NUCLEUS IS SITUATED IN PONS. SPINAL NUCLEUS OF
TRIGEMINAL NERVE IS SITUATED BELOW THE PRIMARY SENSORY NUCLEUS AND
EXTENDS UP TO THE UPPER SEGMENTS OF SPINAL CORD.
• ASCENDING FIBERS OF SENSORY ROOT TERMINATE IN THE MESENCEPHALIC
NUCLEUS OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE, SITUATED IN BRAINSTEM ABOVE THE LEVEL OF
PRIMARY SENSORY NUCLEUS
• CENTRAL CONNECTIONS
• MAJORITY OF FIBERS FROM THE PRIMARY SENSORY NUCLEUS AND SPINAL NUCLEUS OF
TRIGEMINAL NERVE ASCEND IN THE FORM OF TRIGEMINAL LEMNISCUS AND TERMINATE IN
VENTRAL POSTEROMEDIAL NUCLEUS OF THALAMUS IN THE OPPOSITE SIDE. REMAINING
FIBERS FROM THESE TWO NUCLEI TERMINATE ON
• THE THALAMIC NUCLEUS OF SAME SIDE. FROM THALAMUS, THE
• FIBERS PASS VIA SUPERIOR THALAMIC RADIATION AND REACH THE
• SOMATOSENSORY AREAS OF CEREBRAL CORTEX.
• PRIMARY SENSORY NUCLEUS AND SPINAL NUCLEUS OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE RELAY
THE SENSATIONS OF TOUCH, PRESSURE,PAIN AND TEMPERATURE FROM THE
REGIONS MENTIONED ABOVE.
• FIBERS FROM MESENCEPHALIC NUCLEUS FORM THE TRIGEMINOCEREBELLAR TRACT
THAT ENTERS SPINOCEREBELLUM VIA THE SUPERIOR CEREBELLAR PEDUNCLE OF
THE SAME SIDE. THIS NUCLEUS CONVEYS PROPRIOCEPTIVE IMPULSES FROM FACIAL
MUSCLES, MUSCLES OF MASTICATION AND OCULAR MUSCLES
LEMNISCUS

• LEMNISCUS OR FILLET IS THE PROMINENT BUNDLE OF SENSORY NERVES IN BRAIN.

LEMNISCUS IS OF FOUR TYPES:
1. SPINAL LEMNISCUS FORMED BY SPINOTHALAMIC TRACTS IN MEDULLA OBLONGATA
2. LATERAL LEMNISCUS FORMED BY THE FIBERS CARRYING SENSATION OF HEARING FROM COCHLEAR NUCLEI TO
INFERIOR COLLICULUS AND MEDIAL GENICULATE BODY
3. MEDIAL LEMNISCUS FORMED BY FIBERS ARISING FROM NUCLEUS CUNEATUS AND NUCLEUS GRACILIS
4. TRIGEMINAL LEMNISCUS FORMED BY FIBERS FROM SENSORY NUCLEI OF TRIGEMINAL NERVE. THIS LEMNISCUS
CARRIES GENERAL SENSES FROM HEAD, NECK, FACE, MOUTH, EYEBALLS AND EARS.
SOMATOMOTOR SYSTEM

• MOTOR ACTIVITIES OF THE BODY:

1. ACTIVITIES OF SKELETAL MUSCLES
2. ACTIVITIES OF SMOOTH MUSCLES, CARDIAC MUSCLES
• VARIOUS TYPES OF MOVEMENTS OR MOTOR ACTIVITIES BROUGHT ABOUT BY THESE
MUSCLES ARE:

1. EXECUTION OF SMOOTH, PRECISE AND ACCURATE VOLUNTARY MOVEMENTS

2. COORDINATION OF MOVEMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR SKILLED ACTIVITIES

3. COORDINATION OF MOVEMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF

POSTURE AND EQUILIBRIUM.
• COORDINATION AND CONTROL OF MOVEMENTS INITIATED BY CEREBRAL CORTEX
DEPENDS UPON TWO FACTORS:

1. FEEDBACK SIGNALS FROM PROPRIOCEPTORS IN MUSCLE AND OTHER SENSORY

RECEPTORS

2. INTERACTION OF OTHER PARTS OF BRAIN SUCH AS BRAINSTEM,CEREBELLUM AND

BASAL GANGLIA.

THUS, THE MOTOR SYSTEM INCLUDES SPINAL CORD AND ITS NERVES, CRANIAL
NERVES, BRAINSTEM, CEREBRAL CORTEX CEREBELLUM AND BASAL GANGLIA.
SPINAL CORD AND CRANIAL
NERVE NUCLEI
MOTOR NEURONS:
• ALPHA MOTOR NEURONS IN THE SPINAL CORD, WHICH INNERVATE THE EXTRAFUSAL FIBERS OF
SKELETAL MUSCLES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTRACTION OF MUSCLES IN UPPER
LIMBS, TRUNK AND LOWER PART OF THE BODY.
• THE GAMMA MOTOR NEURONS, WHICH INNERVATE THE INTRAFUSAL FIBERS OF MUSCLE, ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF MUSCLE TONE.
• MOTOR NEURONS OF THE CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI SITUATED IN BRAINSTEM SEND THEIR
SIGNALS TO THE MUSCLES OF NECK AND UPPER PART OF TRUNK VIA CRANIAL NERVES.
• FINAL COMMON PATHWAY ACTIVITIES OF A PARTICULAR SKELETAL MUSCLE DEPEND
UPON

THE EXCITATION OF ALPHA MOTOR NEURON (ALSO KNOWN AS LOWER MOTOR

NEURON) IN THE SPINAL CORD OR CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI.

HENCE, THE ALPHA MOTOR NEURON ARE CALLED ‘FINAL COMMON PATHWAY’ OF
MOTOR SYSTEM.
FUNCTIONS OF MOTOR NEURONS

• NEURONS SITUATED IN THE MEDIAL PART OF VENTRAL GRAY HORN INNERVATE THE
MUSCLES NEAR MIDLINE OF THE BODY CALLED AXIAL MUSCLES AND MUSCLES IN
THE PROXIMAL PORTIONS OF LIMBS CALLED PROXIMAL MUSCLES. THESE TWO
TYPES OF MUSCLES ARE INVOLVED IN THE ADJUSTMENT OF POSTURE AND GROSS
MOVEMENT.
• MOTOR NEURONS IN LATERAL PART OF VENTRAL GRAY HORN INNERVATE THE
MUSCLES IN DISTAL PORTIONS OF THE LIMBS CALLED DISTAL MUSCLES. DISTAL
MUSCLES ARE INVOLVED IN THE WELL COORDINATED SKILLED VOLUNTARY
MOVEMENTS.
• MOTOR NEURONS IN CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI OF BRAINSTEM INNERVATE THE
EXTRINSIC MUSCLES OF EYEBALL AND MUSCLES OF FACE, TONGUE, NECK AND
UPPER PART OF TRUNK. THESE MUSCLES ARE CONCERNED WITH OCULAR
MOVEMENTS AND MOVEMENTS OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, CHEWING, SWALLOWING
AND MOVEMENTS OF HEAD AND SHOULDER. MOTOR NEURONS

ARE SITUATED IN THE NUCLEI OF CRANIAL NERVES III, IV, V, VI,VII, IX, X, XI AND XII.
CEREBRAL CORTEX

• CORTICAL AREAS CONCERNED WITH ORIGIN OF MOTOR SIGNALS ARE THE PRIMARY
MOTOR AREA, PREMOTOR AREA AND SUPPLEMENTARY MOTOR AREA IN FRONTAL
LOBE AND SENSORY AREA IN THE PARIETAL LOBE.
• CORTICAL AREAS SEND THEIR OUTPUT SIGNALS TO SPINAL CORD VIA
CORTICOSPINAL TRACTS AND TO BRAINSTEM VIA CORTICOBULBAR TRACTS. ABOUT
30% OF THE FIBERS FORMING CORTICOSPINAL AND CORTICOBULBAR TRACTS TAKE
THEIR ORIGIN FROM PRIMARY AND SUPPLEMENTARY MOTOR CORTEX, 30% FROM
PREMOTOR AREA AND REMAINING 40% FROM PARIETAL LOBE PARTICULARLY FROM
SOMATOSENSORY AREA
CEREBELLUM

• CEREBELLUM PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PLANNING, PROGRAMMING AND

INTEGRATING THE SKILLED VOLUNTARY MOVEMENTS. IT IS ALSO CONCERNED WITH
THE MAINTENANCE

OF MUSCLE TONE, POSTURE AND EQUILIBRIUM.

CEREBELLUM RECEIVES IMPULSES FROM PROPRIOCEPTORS OF MUSCLE , VESTIBULAR

APPARATUS, CEREBRAL CORTEX, BRAINSTEM AND BASAL GANGLIA. IT INTERPRETS
THESE IMPULSES AND SENDS SIGNALS TO MOTOR CORTEX, RETICULAR FORMATION
AND NUCLEI

OF BRAINSTEM.
BASAL GANGLIA
• BASAL GANGLIA PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE COORDINATION OF SKILLED
MOVEMENTS, REGULATION OF AUTOMATIC ASSOCIATED MOVEMENTS AND CONTROL
OF MUSCLE TONE BY SENDING OUTPUT SIGNALS TO MOTOR CORTEX, RETICULAR
FORMATION AND SPINAL CORD.
CLASSIFICATION OF MOTOR PATHWAYS

• THERE ARE TWO METHODS TO CLASSIFY THE MOTOR PATHWAYS.

THE FIRST METHOD OF CLASSIFICATION, MOTOR PATHWAYS ARE DIVIDED INTO

PYRAMIDAL AND EXTRAPYRAMIDAL TRACTS.

THE SECOND METHOD, MOTOR PATHWAYS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO LATERAL AND
MEDIAL SYSTEMS
PYRAMIDAL AND EXTRAPYRAMIDAL
PATHWAYS
LATERAL AND MEDIAL MOTOR SYSTEMS

• DEPENDING UPON THE LOCATION OR TERMINATION, MOTOR PATHWAYS ARE DIVIDED

INTO TWO CATEGORIES, NAMELY THE LATERAL SYSTEM OR PATHWAY AND THE
MEDIAL SYSTEM OR PATHWAY. LATERAL MOTOR SYSTEM IS PHYLOGENETICALLY
NEW AND MEDIAL MOTOR SYSTEM IS OLD.
• LATERAL MOTOR SYSTEM
• FIBERS OF THIS SYSTEM TERMINATE ON MOTOR NEURONS SITUATED IN LATERAL
PART OF VENTRAL GRAY HORN IN SPINAL CORD (DIRECTLY OR VIA INTERNEURONS)
AND ON EQUIVALENT MOTOR NEURONS OF CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI IN BRAINSTEM.
1. LATERAL CORTICOSPINAL TRACT, WHICH ARISES FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF CEREBRAL
CORTEX AND TERMINATES IN THE ALPHA MOTOR NEURONS SITUATED IN LATERAL PART
OF VENTRAL GRAY HORN OF SPINAL CORD
2. RUBROSPINAL TRACT, WHICH ARISES FROM RED NUCLEUS IN MIDBRAIN
3. PART OF CORTICOBULBAR TRACT, WHICH ARISES FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF FRONTAL
AND PARIETAL LOBES OF CEREBRAL CORTEX ALONG WITH CORTICOSPINAL TRACTS. PART
OF CORTICOBULBAR TRACT BELONGING TO LATERAL MOTOR SYSTEM TERMINATES ON
THE NUCLEUS OF HYPOGLOSSAL NERVE AND MOTOR NUCLEUS OF FACIAL NERVE. FIBERS
FROM HYPOGLOSSAL NERVE INNERVATE THE MUSCLES OF TONGUE. FIBERS FROM
MOTOR NUCLEUS OF FACIAL NERVE INNERVATE THE MUSCLES OF LOWER PART OF FACE.
• FUNCTIONS OF LATERAL MOTOR SYSTEM:

1. LATERAL CORTICOSPINAL TRACT ACTIVATES THE MUSCLES OF DISTAL PORTIONS OF

LIMBS AND REGULATES THE SKILLED VOLUNTARY MOVEMENTS

2. RUBROSPINAL TRACT FACILITATES THE TONE IN THE MUSCLES, PARTICULARLY THE

FLEXOR MUSCLES

3. CORTICOBULBAR FIBERS OF LATERAL SYSTEM ARE CONCERNED WITH THE

MOVEMENTS OF EXPRESSION IN LOWER PART OF FACE AND MOVEMENTS OF TONGUE.
• MEDIAL MOTOR SYSTEM
• FIBERS OF MEDIAL MOTOR SYSTEM TERMINATE ON MOTOR NEURONS SITUATED IN
THE MEDIAL PART OF VENTRAL GRAY HORN OF SPINAL CORD (VIA INTERNEURONS)
AND ON EQUIVALENT MOTOR NEURONS OF CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI, SITUATED IN
THE BRAINSTEM.
COMPONENTS OF MEDIAL MOTOR SYSTEM:

1. ANTERIOR CORTICOSPINAL TRACT

2. PART OF CORTICOBULBAR FIBERS OF MEDIAL SYSTEM
3. LATERAL AND MEDIAL VESTIBULOSPINAL TRACTS
4. RETICULOSPINAL TRACT, WHICH ARISES FROM RETICULAR FORMATION IN
BRAINSTEM
5. TECTOSPINAL TRACT, WHICH TAKES ORIGIN FROM SUPERIOR COLLICULUS OF
MIDBRAIN
FUNCTIONS OF MEDIAL MOTOR SYSTEM:

1. ANTERIOR CORTICOSPINAL TRACT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF POSTURE AND EQUILIBRIUM
2. FIBERS OF CORTICOBULBAR TRACT BELONGING TO MEDIAL MOTOR SYSTEM, INNERVATING MUSCLES OF
UPPER PART OF TRUNK ARE INVOLVED IN THE MAINTENANCE OF POSTURE AND EQUILIBRIUM. FIBERS
INNERVATING MUSCLES OF JAW AND FACE ARE INVOLVED IN THE MOVEMENTS OF CHEWING AND MOVEMENTS
OF EYEBROW.
3. VESTIBULOSPINAL TRACT IS CONCERNED WITH THE ADJUSTMENT OF POSITION OF HEAD AND BODY DURING
ANGULAR AND LINEAR ACCELERATION
4. PONTINE FIBERS OF RETICULOSPINAL TRACT FACILITATE THE TONE OF EXTENSOR MUSCLES AND REGULATE
THE POSTURAL REFLEXES. HOWEVER, MEDULLARY FIBERS OF THIS TRACT INHIBIT THE TONE OF THE MUSCLES
INVOLVED IN POSTURAL MOVEMENTS.
5. TECTOSPINAL TRACT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MOVEMENT OF HEAD IN RESPONSE TO VISUAL AND AUDITORY
STIMULI.
UPPER MOTOR NEURON AND
LOWER MOTOR NEURON
• NEURONS OF THE MOTOR SYSTEM ARE DIVIDED INTO UPPER MOTOR NEURONS AND
LOWER MOTOR NEURONS, DEPENDING UPON THEIR LOCATION AND TERMINATION.
 UPPER MOTOR NEURON

• UPPER MOTOR NEURONS ARE THE NEURONS IN HIGHER CENTERS OF BRAIN, WHICH CONTROL THE
LOWER MOTOR NEURONS.
UPPER MOTOR NEURONS ARE OF THREE TYPES:
1. MOTOR NEURONS IN CEREBRAL CORTEX. FIBERS OF THESE NEURONS FORM CORTICOSPINAL (
PYRAMIDAL) AND
CORTICOBULBAR TRACTS.
2. NEURONS IN BASAL GANGLIA AND BRAINSTEM NUCLEI
3. NEURONS IN CEREBELLUM MOTOR NEURONS IN CEREBRAL CORTEX, WHICH GIVE ORIGIN TO
PYRAMIDAL TRACTS BELONG TO THE PYRAMIDAL SYSTEM AND THE REMAINING MOTOR NEURONS
BELONG TO EXTRAPYRAMIDAL SYSTEM.
• LOWER MOTOR NEURON
• LOWER MOTOR NEURONS ARE THE ANTERIOR GRAY HORN CELLS IN SPINAL CORD
AND MOTOR NEURONS OF CRANIAL NERVE NUCLEI, SITUATED IN BRAINSTEM, WHICH
INNERVATE THE MUSCLES DIRECTLY.THUS, THE LOWER MOTOR NEURONS
CONSTITUTE ‘FINALCOMMON PATHWAY’ OF MOTOR SYSTEM. LOWER MOTOR
NEURONS ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF UPPER MOTOR NEURONS.