Dorsal spinocerebellar tract

Dorsal spinocerebellar tract

Posterior spinocerebellar tract is labeled in blue at right.

Diagram of the principal fasciculi of the spinal cord. (Dorsal spinocerebellar fasciculus visible at center left.)
Latin	tractus spinocerebellaris posterior, tractus spinocerebellaris dorsalis
Gray's	subject #185 761

The dorsal spinocerebellar tract (posterior spinocerebellar tract, Flechsig's fasciculus, Flechsig's tract) conveys inconscient proprioceptive information from the body to the cerebellum.^[1]

It is part of the somatosensory system and runs in parallel with the ventral spinocerebellar tract. Proprioceptive information is taken to the spinal cord via central processes of dorsal root ganglia (first order neurons). These central processes travel through the dorsal horn where they synapse with second order neurons of Clarke's nucleus. Axon fibers from Clarke's Nucleus convey this proprioceptive information in the spinal cord in the peripheral region of the posteriolateral funiculus ipsilaterally until it reaches the cerebellum, where unconscious proprioceptive information is processed.

This tract involves two neurons and ends up on the same side of the body.

External links

NeuroNames hier-804

References

^ Adel K. Afifi Functional Neuroanatomy pag.51 ISBN 970-10-5504-7

Anatomy of torso (primarily): the spinal cord (TA 14.1.02, GA 9.749)

External, dorsal

Posterior median sulcus · Posterolateral sulcus

Grey matter/
Rexed laminae

I–VI: Posterior horn	I: Marginal nucleus · II: Substantia gelatinosa of Rolando · III+IV: Nucleus proprius · Spinal lamina V · Spinal lamina VI

VII: Lateral horn	Intermediolateral nucleus · Posterior thoracic nucleus

VIII–IX: Anterior horn	Interneuron · Alpha motor neuron (Onuf's nucleus)

X: Other	Central gelatinous substance · Gray commissure Central canal

White matter

somatic/ ascending (blue)	Posterior/PCML: touch: Gracile · Cuneate Lateral: proprioception: Spinocerebellar (Dorsal, Ventral) · pain/temp: Spinothalamic (Lateral, Anterior) · Posterolateral (Lissauer) · Spinotectal Spinoreticular tract · Spino-olivary tract

motor/ descending (red)	Lateral: Corticospinal (Lateral) · Ep (Rubrospinal, Olivospinal) Anterior: Corticospinal (Anterior) · Ep (Vestibulospinal, Reticulospinal, Tectospinal)

both	Anterior white commissure

External, ventral

Anterior median fissure · Anterolateral sulcus

External, general

Cervical enlargement · Lumbar enlargement · Conus medullaris · Filum terminale · Cauda equina

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

Human brain: rhombencephalon, myelencephalon: medulla (TA A14.1.04, GA 9.767)

Dorsal

Surface	Posterior median sulcus · Posterolateral sulcus · Area postrema · Vagal trigone · Hypoglossal trigone · Medial eminence

Grey: Cranial nuclei	afferent: GVA: VII,IX,X: Solitary/tract/Dorsal respiratory group · SVA: Gustatory nucleus · GSA: VIII-v (Lateral, Medial, Inferior) efferent: GSE: XII · GVE: IX,X,XI: Ambiguus · SVE: X: Dorsal · IX: Inferior salivatory nucleus

Grey: other	Gracile nucleus · Cuneate nucleus · Accessory cuneate nucleus

White: Sensory/ascending	Sensory decussation · Medial lemniscus · Inferior cerebellar peduncle (Juxtarestiform body) · Ascending dorsal longitudinal fasciculus · MLF, III, IV and VI

White: Motor/descending	Descending dorsal longitudinal fasciculus · MLF, III, IV and VI

Ventral

White: Motor/descending	Motor decussation · Olivocerebellar tract · Rubro-olivary tract

Grey matter	Ventral respiratory group · Arcuate nucleus of medulla · Inferior olivary nucleus · Rostral ventromedial medulla

Surface	Anterior median fissure · Anterolateral sulcus · Olive · Pyramid

Grey: Raphe/
reticular

Reticular formation (Gigantocellular, Parvocellular, Ventral, Lateral, Paramedian) · Raphe nuclei (Obscurus, Magnus, Pallidus)

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

Human brain, rhombencephalon, metencephalon: cerebellum (TA 14.1.07, GA 9.788)

Surface anatomy

Lobes	Anterior lobe · Posterior lobe (Horizontal fissure) · Flocculonodular lobe (Flocculus, Nodule) Primary fissure

Medial/lateral	Vermis: anterior (Central lobule, Culmen, Lingula) · posterior (Folium, Tuber, Uvula) · Vallecula of cerebellum Hemisphere: anterior (Alar central lobule) · posterior (Biventer lobule, Cerebellar tonsil)

Grey matter

Deep cerebellar nuclei	Dentate · interposed (Emboliform, Globose) · Fastigial

Cerebellar cortex	Molecular layer (Stellate cell, Basket cell) Purkinje cell layer (Purkinje cell, Bergmann glia cell = Golgi epithelial cell) Granule cell layer (Golgi cell, Granule cell, Unipolar brush cell) Fibers: Mossy fibers · Climbing fiber · Parallel fiber

White matter

Internal	Arbor vitae

Peduncles	Inferior (medulla): Dorsal spinocerebellar tract · Olivocerebellar tract · Cuneocerebellar tract · Juxtarestiform body (Vestibulocerebellar tract) Middle (pons): Pontocerebellar fibers Superior (midbrain): Ventral spinocerebellar tract · Dentatothalamic tract · Trigeminocerebellar fibers

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

Brain and spinal cord: neural tracts and fasciculi

Sensory/
ascending

PCML

1°: Pacinian corpuscle/Meissner's corpuscle → Gracile fasciculus/Cuneate fasciculus → Gracile nucleus/Cuneate nucleus

2°: → sensory decussation/arcuate fibers (Posterior external arcuate fibers, Internal arcuate fibers) → Medial lemniscus/Trigeminal lemniscus → Thalamus (VPL, VPM)

3°: → Posterior limb of internal capsule → Postcentral gyrus

Anterolateral/
pain

Fast/lateral	1° (Free nerve ending → A delta fiber) → 2° (Anterior white commissure → Lateral and Anterior Spinothalamic tract → Spinal lemniscus → VPL of Thalamus) → 3° (Postcentral gyrus) → 4° (Posterior parietal cortex) 2° (Spinotectal tract → Superior colliculus of Midbrain tectum)

Slow/medial	1° (Group C nerve fiber → Spinoreticular tract → Reticular formation) → 2° (MD of Thalamus) → 3° (Cingulate cortex)

Motor/
descending

Pyramidal	flexion: Primary motor cortex → Posterior limb of internal capsule → Decussation of pyramids → Corticospinal tract (Lateral, Anterior) → Neuromuscular junction

Extrapyramidal	flexion: Primary motor cortex → Genu of internal capsule → Corticobulbar tract → Facial motor nucleus → Facial muscles flexion: Red nucleus → Rubrospinal tract extension: Vestibulocerebellum → Vestibular nuclei → Vestibulospinal tract extension: Vestibulocerebellum → Reticular formation → Reticulospinal tract Midbrain tectum → Tectospinal tract → muscles of neck

Basal ganglia	direct: 1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPi) → 3° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 4° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 5° (Motor cortex) indirect: 1° (Motor cortex → Striatum) → 2° (GPe) → 3° (Subthalamic fasciculus → Subthalamic nucleus) → 4° (Subthalamic fasciculus → GPi) → 5° (Lenticular fasciculus/Ansa lenticularis → Thalamic fasciculus → VL of Thalamus) → 6° (Thalamocortical radiations → Supplementary motor area) → 7° (Motor cortex) nigrostriatal pathway: Pars compacta → Striatum

Cerebellar

Afferent

Vestibular nucleus → Vestibulocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellum → Granule cell

Pontine nuclei → Pontocerebellar fibers → MCP → Deep cerebellar nuclei → Granule cell

Inferior olivary nucleus → Olivocerebellar tract → ICP → Hemisphere → Purkinje cell → Deep cerebellar nuclei

Efferent

Dentate nucleus in Lateral hemisphere/pontocerebellum → SCP → Dentatothalamic tract → Thalamus (VL) → Motor cortex

Interposed nucleus in Intermediate hemisphere/spinocerebellum → SCP → Reticular formation, or → Cerebellothalamic tract → Red nucleus → Thalamus (VL) → Motor cortex

Fastigial nucleus in Flocculonodular lobe/vestibulocerebellum → Vestibulocerebellar tract → Vestibular nucleus

Bidirectional:
Spinocerebellar

Unc. prop.	lower limb → 1° (muscle spindles → DRG) → 2° (Posterior thoracic nucleus → Dorsal/posterior spinocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellar vermis) upper limb → 1° (muscle spindles → DRG) → 2° (Accessory cuneate nucleus → Cuneocerebellar tract → ICP → Anterior lobe of cerebellum)

Reflex arc	lower limb → 1° (Golgi tendon organ) → 2° (Ventral/anterior spinocerebellar tract→ SCP → Cerebellar vermis) upper limb → 1° (Golgi tendon organ) → 2° (Rostral spinocerebellar tract → ICP → Cerebellum)

M: CNS

anat(n/s/m/p/4/e/b/d/c/a/f/l/g)/phys/devp

noco(m/d/e/h/v/s)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1A/2AB/C/3/4/7A/B/C/D)

M: PNS

anat(h/r/t/c/b/l/s/a)/phys(r)/devp/prot/nttr/nttm/ntrp

noco/auto/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(N1B)