Spinothalamic tract

Organization and role

After a spinal relay, many fibers cross and ascend on the opposite side. This arrangement helps explain dissociated sensory loss in some spinal cord lesions.

Clinical relevance and investigation

Assessment compares sensory modalities and their distribution. Radiating pain alone does not prove injury to this tract and may arise from a nerve root or peripheral nerve.

Points to consider

Location matters as well as extent. Motor and sensory pathways do not all follow the same course or cross at the same level. Strength, reflexes and different sensory modalities are examined for a coherent pattern of findings.

Role of TAGMED care

At TAGMED, assessment aims to understand symptoms, history and functional limitations. Manual care and osteopathy, motorized spinal decompression, laser and shockwave have different indications. The term described in this entry is not enough to select any of these modalities. Their relevance, limitations and possible contraindications should be discussed in relation to diagnosis and individual goals.

Related concepts and distinctions

These concepts belong to the same field, but are not synonyms.

• Corticospinal tract — Descending motor pathway linking the cerebral cortex to spinal circuits and contributing especially to the control of precise voluntary movements.
• Dorsal columns of the spinal cord — Ascending pathways in the posterior spinal cord involved in discriminative touch, vibration and conscious proprioception.
• Central canal of the spinal cord — Small longitudinal channel in the center of the spinal cord, lined by ependymal cells and often very narrow or obliterated in adults.

Medical references

1. OpenStax, Rice University. Anatomy and Physiology 2e — The Central Nervous System.
2. Radiological Society of North America. RadLex Radiology Lexicon — terminology resource.

References document the topic; their inclusion does not imply endorsement of TAGMED services by those organizations.