Anterior spinothalamic tract

Anterior spinothalamic tract
Anterior spinothalamic tract is labeled in blue at bottom right.
Diagram of the principal fasciculi of the spinal cord. (Anterior spinothalamic fasciculus is labeled at bottom left.)
Latin tractus spinothalamicus anterior
Gray's subject #185 760

The ventral spinothalamic fasciculus (or anterior spinothalamic tract) situated in the marginal part of the anterior funiculus and intermingled more or less with the vestibulo-spinal fasciculus, is derived from cells in the posterior column or intermediate gray matter of the opposite side. This tract is primarily associated with the conduction of soft nocioceptive information to the reticular formation in the thalamus.

Their axons cross in the anterior white commissure.

This is a somewhat doubtful fasciculus and its fibers are supposed to end in the thalamus and to conduct certain of the touch impulses. More specifically, its fibers convey crude touch information to the VPL (ventral posterolateral nucleus) part of the thalamus. Iqbal's physiology notes this tract acts via slow neuronal communications.

See also

iqbal's physiology doesn't exist

External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.