The anterior spinothalamic tract carries crude touch and pressure from the opposite side of the body. Like the lateral tract, its fibres cross in the anterior white commissure, but it ascends in the anterior part of the cord. Many texts now group it with the lateral tract as the anterolateral system.
| Location | Anterior funiculus of the spinal cord, anterior and medial to the lateral spinothalamic tract |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Connections | |
| Blood Supply | Anterior spinal artery |
Conveys crude (non-discriminative) touch and pressure from the opposite side of the body.
Because crude touch is carried both here and in the dorsal columns, a lesion of one pathway alone rarely abolishes touch sensation completely. In anterior cord syndrome, this tract is damaged along with the lateral spinothalamic and corticospinal tracts.
Damage to the front of the cord, often from anterior spinal artery infarction, affecting the spinothalamic and corticospinal tracts while sparing the dorsal columns.
Reduced crude touch on the opposite side after cord damage, often subtle because dorsal column touch pathways remain.
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