EXCITABLE
TISSUES
OBJECTIVE
Spinal Cord
Reflexes
Functions of spinal cord
Spinal cord serves three groups of functions:
• Sensory functions,
• Motor functions and
• Autonomic functions
1. Sensory functions
a. Entry of somatic sensations in spinal cord
All the somatic afferent impulses such as thermal, pain
and proprioceptive impulses (touch, deep pressure, joint
sense, vibration sense) enter the spinal cord through the
dorsal nerve root
b. Onward transmission of somatic sensations.
After entering the spinal cord, all the somatic sensations are conveyed
to the brain (postcentral gyrus) by the ascending tracts
2. Motor functions
Spinal cord performs motor functions through the:
• Pyramidal tracts (corticospinal) tracts, and
• Extrapyramidal tracts
Motor functions served by spinal cord are:
• Control of tone and power of muscles
• Control of movement of muscles and joints
• Control of deep (tendon) reflexes and
• Control of superficial reflexes
3. Autonomic functions
Autonomic efferents travelling through spinal cord
supply the visceral organs and control the activity of
smooth muscles, heart, glands of GIT, sweat glands and
adrenals
Reflexes
Reflex is a response that occurs automatically without
conscious effort
A reflex is an involuntary response to a peripheral
nervous stimulation
It is a mechanism by which sensory impulse is
automatically converted into a motor effect through the
involvement of CNS
It is a type of protective mechanism which tries to
protect the body from irreparable damage.
For example, when the hand is placed inadvertently on a hot object, it is
immediately withdrawn reflexly. Thus, the hand is protected from getting burnt.
Reflex arc
The pathway for a reflex activity is called reflex
arc
Components of reflex arc are Five:
1- Sensory Receptor
2- Afferent pathway
3- Center
4- Efferent pathway
5- Effector organ
Classification of
reflexes
Reflexes can be classified in different ways:
I. Depending upon the number of synapses
1. Monosynaptic reflexes are those which contain only one
synapse, e.g. stretch reflexes (biceps, triceps or knee jerk)
2. Disynaptic reflexes have two synapses, i.e. one interneuron
is placed between afferent and efferent neurons of the reflex
arc, e.g. inverse stretch reflex
3. Polysynaptic reflexes are characterized by more than one
II. Anatomical classification
Depending upon the location of reflex arc centre, the reflexes
can be classified as:
1. Cortical reflexes: centre of reflex arc is located in cerebral
cortex
2. Cerebellar reflexes: centre of reflex arc in cerebellum
3. Midbrain reflexes: centre of reflex arcis located in midbrain
4. Bulbar or medullary reflexes: centre is located in the
medulla oblongata
5. Spinal reflexes: centre of reflex arc is in the spinal cord
Assignment
Study the other classification of
reflexes
A. Inborn versus acquired
reflexes
B. Clinical classification
(Superficial, Deep, Visceral and Pathological
reflexes)
Spinal Cord Reflexes
Spinal cord reflexes are simple behaviors produced by
central nervous system (CNS) pathways that lie entirely
within the spinal cord
The sensory afferent fibers that evoke these reflexes
enter the spinal cord and activate spinal motor neurons
directly or through a chain of one or more spinal
interneurons
Although these pathways are entirely spinal, they are affected by descending
pathways from the brain, either directly or through other spinal interneurons
Through these descending pathways, the brain exerts
both short-term and long-term influence over spinal cord
reflex function
The spinal cord is the simplest and most technically
accessible part of the mammalian CNS
Thus, spinal cord reflexes provide the basis of powerful
experimental protocols for studying reflexes
In the Past, Reflexes:
Were automatic and stereotyped
Occurred in response to some stimulus being applied to
peripheral receptors
Today,
Known reflexes can be modified and adapt to tasks
Can be smoothly incorporated with movements initiated
by the cortex
Depending upon the segments involved, the spinal reflexes
can be divided into three groups:
1. Segmental reflexes: In such reflexes, the efferent neuron
begins in the same segment of the spinal cord where the
afferent neuron ends
2. Intersegmental reflexes: In these reflexes, the afferent
neuron ends in a segment of spinal cord and the efferent
neuron begins in some other segment of spinal cord
3. Suprasegmental reflexes: The centre for such reflexes lies
above the spinal cord
Figure: Sensory receptors in muscle (Silverthorn 2nd Ed)
Stimuli for reflexes come from receptors in:
• Skin
• Joints
• Muscles
Receptor responds to the stimulus and produces action potential
(AP)
AP is taken by afferent pathway to the integrating center (usually
CNS)
Spinal cord and brain integrate basic (automatic) reflexes
Integrating center processes all the information and makes the
decision about the response
Instruction from integrated center are sent via efferent pathway to
the Effector organ (muscle or gland)
Classification of reflexes
Monosynaptic or stretch reflex or tendon jerk eg. Bicep
jerk ,tricep jerk, supinator jerk knee jerk, ankle jerk
Polysynaptic reflex eg. Withdrawal reflex Abdominal reflex
Plantar reflex Visceral reflex eg. Micturation, defecation reflex
Jendressik Phenomenon
Three Principles of Reflexes
[Link] in reflex pathways is set
according to the motor task (Called a
functional set)
[Link] input from a localized stimulus
source produces reflex responses in many
muscles and some responses can be far
away from the stimulus
[Link] centers modulate and help
spinal reflexes adapt
Assignment
Study the Properties of reflexes
1. Adequate stimulus
2. Delay
3. One-way conduction (Bell–Magendie law)
4. Summation
5. Occlusion
6. Subliminal fringe
7. Recruitment
8. Irradiation
9. Final common pathway
10. Facilitation
11. Inhibition
12. After discharge
13. Fatigue or habituation
14. Rebound phenomenon
15. Fractionation
16. Sensitization
Types of Reflexes
Two types
1. Monosynaptic
2. Polysynaptic
Monosynaptic Reflex
Involves one synapse between a sensory fiber from a muscle
and an alpha-motor neuron
Examples
a. Monosynaptic stretch reflex (posture)
b. Patellar reflex
Stretch
Reflex
Is the contraction of a
muscle that occurs
when a muscle is
lengthened
As you begin to
stretch out the
muscle, it begins to
contract
Conclusion: stretch stimuli cause
Also, the opposing excitation in some motor neurons and
inhibition in others
muscles relax
STRETCH REFLEX MECHANISM
Sensory receptors in the muscle sense that the
muscle is beginning to stretch
They send their signals to neurons in the spinal
which in turn
signal other neurons to Relax opposing muscles
and Contract the muscle that begins to stretch
• Allows a feedback loop
Figure: Patellar reflex
Polysynaptic Reflexes
Involves multiple synapses between sensory
axons, interneurons, and motor neurons
Axons from the afferent muscle spindles can
synapse onto:
• Alpha motor neuron connected to the agonist muscle
• An inhibitory interneuron connected to the antagonist
muscle
• Signals from the muscle spindle activate the
agonist and inhibit the antagonist muscle
Example of polysynaptic reflex: Withdrawal - Reflex Arcs
Usually in response to Noxious (painful) Stimulus
Occurs from interaction with
• Afferent neurons (sensory)
• Internuncial neurons
• Efferent neurons (Motor)
• Also sends information to cortical structures
Why is withdrawal reflex important since we already have
the traditional pain pathway?
What happens if you step on a nail with your right foot?
It takes a long time before you pick up your foot. By the time you do, the nail is through your foot
Alternative Pathway (Withdrawal reflex)
Stimulus
Afferent neuron sends information to dorsal horn of spinal cord
Synapses on an internuncial neuron
Synapses with an efferent neuron
Efferent neuron sends information via final common pathway to
muscle
Contraction takes pressure off the nail
CONCLUSION: Compared with the traditional pain pathway, Withdrawal reflex prevents
significant damage to the tissue
Conclusion
• Events in withdrawal Reflexes are biphasic
• Have an initial removal of pressure
• Removal of limb from the damaging object
• Many systems are involved depending on the stimulus event
• Sometimes can be overridden by cognitive systems. You can
train yourself not to pull away
Clinical Importance of reflexes
To test the integrity of reflex arc
Localization of neurological lesion
Identifying the type of lesion
Monitoring the progress of neurological
deficit
