PHYSIOLOGY OF

NERVOUS SYSTEM

WIDAYANTI,DR., M.KES
MOTORIC PATHWAY
1. Pyramidal System (direct motor pathway)
Components:
a. Corticospinal Tract
b. Corticobulbar Tract
2. Extrapyramidal System (indirect motor
pathway)
Components:
a. Rubrospinal tract
b. Vestibulospinal tract
c. Reticulospinal tract
d. Tectospinal tract
e. Olivospinal tract
CORTICOSPINAL TRACT

1. Lateral corticospinal tract (75 – 85%)

Made up of corticospinal fibers that
have crossed in medulla.
Supply all levels of spinal cord

2. Anterior corticospinal tract:

Made up of corticospinal fibers that
cross near level of synapse with LMNs.
Supply neck and upper limbs.
CORTICOSPINAL TRACT
CORTICOSPINAL
TRACT FUNCTIONS
Add speed and agility to conscious
movements:
Especially movements of hand

Provide a high degree of motor

control:
i.e., movement of individual fingers
CORTICOBULBAR
TRACT
Innervates the head

The motor nuclei of the cranial nerves

receive impulses from the cerebral
cortex through the corticobulbar
(corticonuclear) fibers

The majority of the corticonuclear fibers

to the motor cranial nerve nuclei cross
the median plane before reaching the
nuclei
ERVES
 CN Name Function
I Olfactory Sensory : smell
II Optic Sensory : vision
III Oculomotor Motor : eye movement
Parasympathetic : pupil constriction & accomodation

IV Trochlear Motor : eye movement

V Trigeminal Sensory : facial sensory
Motor : muscle of mastication

VI Abducens Motor : eye movement

VII Facial Sensory : taste from anterior two thirds of tongue
Motor : facial expression
Parasympathetic : submandibular & sublingual salivary glands, lacrimal gland

VIII Vestibulocochlear Sensory : hearing & balance

IX Glosssopharyngeal Sensory : taste from posterior one-third of tongue, pharynx
Motor : pharyngeal muscle
Parasympathetic : parotid salivary gland

X Vagus Sensory : inferior pharynx, larynx, thoracic & abdominal organs

Motor : soft palate, pharynx, larynx (voice production)
Parasympathetic : thoracic & abdominal viscera

XI Accessory Motor : sternocleidomastoid & trapezius muscles

XII Hypoglossal Motor : tongue muscles
SENSORIC PATHWAY
SPINOTHALAMIC
PATHWAY

1. Pain
2. Thermal
3. Crude touch &
pressure
4. Tickle & itch
5. Sexual sensations
DORSAL COLUMN
MEDIAL LEMNISCAL
SYSTEM

1. Touch
2. Vibratory
3. Position
4. Pressure
REFLEX
 A reflex is a fast, automatic, unplanned sequence of
actions that occurs in response to a particular stimulus

1. Spinal reflex : integration of impuls takes place in the

spinal cord gray matter i.e patellar reflex (knee jerk)
2. Cranial reflex : integration of impuls occurs in the brain
stem : tracking movements of the eyes when you read
the sentence
REFLEX ARCH
A reflex arc has 5 functional components :
1. Sensory receptor
Responds to a specific stimulus : a change in the internal or external environment by producing a
graded potential called a generator (or receptor) potential
If a generator potential reaches the threshold level of depolarization, it will trigger one or more
nerve impulses in the sensory neuron
2. Sensory neuron
The nerve impulses propagate from the sensory receptor along the axon of the sensory neuron to
the axon terminals, which are located in the gray matter of the spinal cord or brain stem
3. Integrating center
One or more regions of gray matter within the CNS act as an integrating center. In the simplest
type of reflex, the integrating center is a single synapse between a sensory neuron and a motor
neuron.
- monosynaptic reflex arc
- polysynaptic reflex arc
4. Motor neuron
Impulses triggered by the integrating center propagate out of the CNS along a motor neuron to the
part of the body that will respond
5. Effector
The part of the body that responds to the motor nerve impulse, such as a muscle or gland, is the
effector
- somatic reflex : if the effector is skeletal muscle
- autonomic (visceral) reflex : if the effector is smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, or a gland
RECIPROCAL INHIBITION
• Excitation of one group of muscles is often
associated with inhibition of another group
• When a stretch reflex excites one muscle, it
often simultaneously inhibits the antagonist
muscles
RAS (RETICULAR
ACTIVATING SYSTEM)
• Stimulation of some parts of reticular formation increases
activity of the cerebral cortex
• When reticular activating system (RAS) is active, many
nerve impulses are transmitted to widespread areas of the
cerebral cortex, both directly and via the thalamus
• The effect is a generalized increase in cortical activity,
wakefullness (consciousness)
• Many sensory stimuli can activate the RAS:
1. painful stimuli detected by nociceptors
2. touch and pressure on the skin
3. movement of the limbs
4. bright light
5. auditory stimuli