New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive Input
Orofacial pain in patients relies on the anatomical pathways conducting nociceptive information, originating from the periphery towards the trigeminal sensory nucleus complex (TSNC) and finally, to the grey matter structures located in the diencephalon and the somatosensorical cortical regions. The...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2016.00053/full |
| _version_ | 1831839017648259072 |
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| author | Dylan J.H.A. Henssen Dylan J.H.A. Henssen Erkan eKurt Tamas eKozicz Robert evan Dongen Ronald H.M.A. Bartels Anne-Marie evan Cappellen van Walsum |
| author_facet | Dylan J.H.A. Henssen Dylan J.H.A. Henssen Erkan eKurt Tamas eKozicz Robert evan Dongen Ronald H.M.A. Bartels Anne-Marie evan Cappellen van Walsum |
| author_sort | Dylan J.H.A. Henssen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Orofacial pain in patients relies on the anatomical pathways conducting nociceptive information, originating from the periphery towards the trigeminal sensory nucleus complex (TSNC) and finally, to the grey matter structures located in the diencephalon and the somatosensorical cortical regions. The anatomy and function of the so-called trigeminothalamic tracts have been investigated before. In these animal-based studies the intracerebral pathways were mapped using different retro- and anterograde tracing methods. We review the literature on the trigeminothalamic tracts. The observations of these studies are related to clinical findings using fMRI trials. The trigeminothalamic tracts can be subdivided into three pathways: a ventral (contralateral) and dorsal (ipsilateral) trigeminothalamic tract and the intranuclear pathway. Based on the reviewed evidence we hypothesize the co-existence of a nociceptive ipsilateral conduction to the cerebral cortex and we translate evidence from animal-based research to the human anatomy. Our hypothesis differs from the current hypothesis that orofacial pain arises only from nociceptive information via the contralateral, ventral trigeminothalamic pathway. Better understanding of the histology, anatomy and connectivity of the trigeminal fibers could contribute to the discovery of a more effective pain treatment in patients suffering from various orofacial pain syndromes |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:43:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b005fd15cbf4451988fa05ae7dcc6eda |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5129 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:43:35Z |
| publishDate | 2016-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-b005fd15cbf4451988fa05ae7dcc6eda2022-12-21T17:58:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroanatomy1662-51292016-05-011010.3389/fnana.2016.00053183430New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive InputDylan J.H.A. Henssen0Dylan J.H.A. Henssen1Erkan eKurt2Tamas eKozicz3Robert evan Dongen4Ronald H.M.A. Bartels5Anne-Marie evan Cappellen van Walsum6Radboud University Medical CentreRadboud University Medical CentreRadboud University Medical CentreRadboud University Medical CentreRadboud University Medical CentreRadboud University Medical CentreRadboud University Medical CentreOrofacial pain in patients relies on the anatomical pathways conducting nociceptive information, originating from the periphery towards the trigeminal sensory nucleus complex (TSNC) and finally, to the grey matter structures located in the diencephalon and the somatosensorical cortical regions. The anatomy and function of the so-called trigeminothalamic tracts have been investigated before. In these animal-based studies the intracerebral pathways were mapped using different retro- and anterograde tracing methods. We review the literature on the trigeminothalamic tracts. The observations of these studies are related to clinical findings using fMRI trials. The trigeminothalamic tracts can be subdivided into three pathways: a ventral (contralateral) and dorsal (ipsilateral) trigeminothalamic tract and the intranuclear pathway. Based on the reviewed evidence we hypothesize the co-existence of a nociceptive ipsilateral conduction to the cerebral cortex and we translate evidence from animal-based research to the human anatomy. Our hypothesis differs from the current hypothesis that orofacial pain arises only from nociceptive information via the contralateral, ventral trigeminothalamic pathway. Better understanding of the histology, anatomy and connectivity of the trigeminal fibers could contribute to the discovery of a more effective pain treatment in patients suffering from various orofacial pain syndromeshttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2016.00053/fullTrigeminal NerveOrofacial PainTrigeminal neuropathytrigeminothalamic tractBilateral registration |
| spellingShingle | Dylan J.H.A. Henssen Dylan J.H.A. Henssen Erkan eKurt Tamas eKozicz Robert evan Dongen Ronald H.M.A. Bartels Anne-Marie evan Cappellen van Walsum New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive Input Frontiers in Neuroanatomy Trigeminal Nerve Orofacial Pain Trigeminal neuropathy trigeminothalamic tract Bilateral registration |
| title | New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive Input |
| title_full | New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive Input |
| title_fullStr | New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive Input |
| title_full_unstemmed | New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive Input |
| title_short | New Insights in Trigeminal Anatomy: A Double Orofacial Tract for Nociceptive Input |
| title_sort | new insights in trigeminal anatomy a double orofacial tract for nociceptive input |
| topic | Trigeminal Nerve Orofacial Pain Trigeminal neuropathy trigeminothalamic tract Bilateral registration |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2016.00053/full |
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