espinotalámico

Espinotalámico refers to a crucial sensory pathway in the central nervous system responsible for transmitting pain, temperature, and crude touch sensations from the body to the brain. This pathway begins in the spinal cord and ascends to the thalamus, a relay center in the brain.

The pathway starts with primary sensory neurons whose cell bodies are located in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord. Upon entering the spinal cord, these neurons synapse with secondary neurons in the gray matter. These secondary neurons then cross to the contralateral (opposite) side of the spinal cord and ascend within the spinothalamic tract. This tract is also known as the anterolateral system.

The spinothalamic tract is located in the anterior and lateral portions of the white matter of the spinal cord. As it ascends through the brainstem, it continues towards the thalamus. Within the thalamus, the secondary neurons synapse with tertiary neurons. These tertiary neurons then project to various sensory areas of the cerebral cortex, where the sensations are processed and consciously perceived.

Damage or dysfunction of the spinothalamic tract can lead to a variety of sensory deficits, including loss of pain and temperature sensation (analgesia and thermanesthesia), or conversely, hypersensitivity to these stimuli (hyperalgesia and hyperthermia). Conditions affecting this pathway can result from spinal cord injury, stroke, tumors, or degenerative diseases. The precise location of the lesion determines the pattern of sensory loss.