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Chapter 19 Viscerosensory Pathways. MP. Thibeault-Eybalin, R4 Academic Half-Day March 25 th , 2009. Outline. In parallel to somatosensory system conveying info from external environment, viscerosensory system conveys info about internal environment
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Chapter 19Viscerosensory Pathways MP. Thibeault-Eybalin, R4 Academic Half-Day March 25th, 2009
Outline • In parallel to somatosensory system conveying info from external environment, viscerosensory system conveys info about internal environment • Viscerosensory receptors, fibers, ascending sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways • Examples of reflexes based on above
Viscerosensory receptors 2 types • Nociceptors • Free nerve endings of Aδ and C fibers located in heart, respiratory, GI and GU tracts • Project to Lamina 1 and 5 in dorsal horn • Mediate visceral pain, e.g. angina pectoris • Physiologic receptors • Mechanoreceptors • Rapidly adapting, e.g. cough • Slowly adapting, e.g. full stomach or urinary bladder • Baroreceptors, e.g. baroreflex • Chemoreceptors, e.g. in carotid and aortic bodies • Osmoreceptors, e.g. osmolarity and ADH production • Internal thermal receptors, e.g. core temperature in hypothalamus
Classification of viscerosensory receptors and their respective stimuli
Baroreceptor • Chemoreceptor
Viscerosensory fibers • A.K.A. General visceral afferents • Travel with general visceral efferents in • Sympathetic nerves • e.g. splanchnic and cardiac nerves • Efferents>afferents • Mainly info from nociceptors • Parasympathetic nerves • e.g. vagus and pelvic nerves • Afferents>efferents • Mainly info from physiologic receptors
Ascending sympathetic pathways • Mainly nociceptive info from thoracic and abdominal viscera via splanchnic and cardiac nerves • Cell bodies are in DRG T1 to L2 • Synapse onto 2nd order neurons • Afferent • In lamina 1 and 5, cross through anterior white commissure to project to ALS contralaterally, about 2 sensory levels higher → VPL of thalamus → inferolateral post-central gyrus (parietal opeculum) and insular cortex • In lamina 7 and 8 to project to spinoreticular tracts bilaterally • periaqueductal gray → dorsal longitudinal fasciculus • mesencephalic reticular formation → mammillary peduncle and medial forebrain bundle • ultimately to hypothalamus and intralaminar thalamic nuclei • Efferent • In intermediolateral column at same level → anterior horn → pre-ganglionic sympathetic efferent • Large receptive fields in brain, poorly localizing
1st order visceral afferent 2nd order visceral afferent Visceral efferent
→ dorsal longitudinal fasciculus → mammillary peduncle and medial forebrain bundle
Referred pain • Noxious stimuli originating from visceral organs are perceived as arising from somatic tissues (skin, bone, muscle, etc.) • Whose afferents enter the spinal cord at the same level • Due to collateral synapses between visceral and somatic afferents in dorsal horn • Example: Angina pectoris • Pain referred to retrosternal area and left ± right arms, neck, jaw, TMJ
Angina pectoris Sympathetic trunk
Ascending parasympathetic pathways (cranial and sacral) • Cranial • Only CN 9 and 10 have significant parasympathetic afferents • CN 9 • Chemoreceptors from carotid bodies • Baroreceptors from carotid sinus wall • Nociceptors from oropharynx (afferent limb for gag reflex) • CN 10 • Chemoreceptors and baroreceptors in aortic arch • Physiologic receptors from thoracic and abdominal viscera above splenic flexure of colon • Both enter skull through jugular foramen • Cells bodies located in INFERIOR ganglia of CN 9 and 10 • Superior ganglia contain cell bodies of somatic afferents • Synapse onto 2nd order neuron in solitary nucleus • Mediate vasopressor and vasodepressor responses
Dual role of solitary nucleus in baroreflex Reticular formation Hypothalamus
Ascending parasympathetic pathways • Sacral • Parasympathetic afferents from S2-3-4 travel through pelvic nerves, then spinal nerves • Relay info on bowel and bladder distension • Via ALS and spinoreticular fibers • To VPL of thalamus, reticular formation, and hypothalamus • Spinal and supraspinal autonomic reflexes
Summary points • Viscerosensory afferents • Sympathetic • Mostly nociceptors • Referred pain due to collaterals with somatosensory afferents • Parasympathetic • Mostly physiologic receptors • Bowel, bladder, baroreflex • Information goes to reticular formation, periaqueductal gray, VPL and intralaminar nuclei of thalamus, hypothalamus, and cortex • Brief chapter but essential to neurophysiology