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Postsynaptic Dorsal Column Projection, Anatomical Organization

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Pain

  • 200 Accesses

Synonyms

Cutaneous mechanical sensation; Ipsilateral second order sensory relay; PSDC projection; Visceral pain

Definition

Postsynaptic dorsal column (PSDC) cells are second-order sensory relay neurons in the spinal cord. The PSDC cells receive cutaneous mechanical and/or noxious visceral information from primary afferent nerves in the periphery. The information is relayed by PSDC axons ascending uncrossed through the dorsal column that innervate the dorsal column nuclei in the caudal medulla. The largest numbers of PSDC cells are located in laminae III and IV, primarily transmitting information about innocuous cutaneous mechanical input. The PSDC cells located in medial laminae III–VII and X transmit information about noxious input received from afferent fibers innervating inflamed or distended visceral organs.

Characteristics

The traditional view of the dorsal column as solely a direct pathway for primary afferent fiber transmission of discriminative cutaneous and deep sensory...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, MS-508 Medical Center 0298, Lexington, KY, 40536-0298, USA

    Karin Westlund High

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  1. Karin Westlund High
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Correspondence to Karin Westlund High .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Gerald F. Gebhart

  2. Physiologisches Institut der, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Robert F. Schmidt

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High, K.W. (2013). Postsynaptic Dorsal Column Projection, Anatomical Organization. In: Gebhart, G.F., Schmidt, R.F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28753-4_3475

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