What is the dorsal column?
The dorsal column is part of the spinal cord, which is responsible for the transmission of sensory entry from the body to the cortex. This part of the spinal cord is the key to perceiving a fine touch, such as those used to distinguish textures, along with vibrations. The dorsal column also contributes to the body proprioception system, used to orient the body in space and to coordinate muscle movements, due to information about the position of the body.
Many people consider the spinal cord to be the only entity. In fact, it is a bundle of gray and white matter, with a series of connecting nerves, surrounded by several hard layers of material that are designed to protect it from damage. The spinal cord carries signals to the brain and the brain, which requires a lot of literal connection to communicate with different parts of the body. "Dorsal" is a term used in anatomical positioning that refers to something in the back of the body, which means that the dorsal column is in the back of the spinal cord. The "column" indicates that the structure is one of several columns located in the spinal cord.
The connection series is obtained by information from the body to the spinal cord. Numerous interconnected neurons pass through sensory information along the back column and the dorsal column includes several segments that end in different areas of the brain. For someone who has a healthy dorsal column, the signals in seconds are routed to the brain and the brain uses this information to make different decisions, from deciding that the hand touches velvet to muscle settings to compensate for rough terrain.
Damage to the dorsal column causes a loss of feeling under the area of damage. Damage may occur as a result of lesions that occur in the case of some diseases that attack the central nervous system, and may also be caused by trauma, such as damage to the spine caused in a traffic accident, or pressure exerted on the dorsal column by anatomical irregularities. A neurologist can use a number of tests to find a place of damage afterby the power of sensory stimulation to find out which level of the dorsal column caused injury and display of the spine to learn more about injury. This examination can also reveal other forms of spinal cord damage and fiber bundles that carry information up and down the spine.