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Dual Dorsal Columns: A Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Charles H. M. Beck
Charles H. M. Beck*
Affiliation:
Neuropsychology Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
*
Department of Psychology, Biological Sciences Bldg.University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G2E1
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Recent evidence indicates that Wall (1970) may have been premature in concluding that dorsal column lesions produce no discernable sensory defects. Much of the negative evidence Wall presented to support this view is inconclusive. In addition several studies have reported significant sensory deficits in animals with severed dorsal columns. On the other hand, the literature strongly supports Wall's view that dorsal column lesions cause motor disturbances. A review of the anatomical and electrophysiological literature reveals growing evidence for the dissociation of two major subsystems relaying in the dorsal column nuclei. The possible functions of these two systems are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , February 1976 , pp. 1 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1976

References

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