Question

After a concussion, Andria was asked by her athletic trainer to perform a single leg stance test to examine the ability of balance. While she was standing on right foot, which was an easy task to her before the concussion, she felt a little of shaking her body, which made her difficult to maintain the upright posture. Name one each of ascending and descending spinal tracts that might be associated.

Answer 1

The spinocerebellar tract is an ascending tract important for proprioception, while the rubrospinal tract is a descending tract involved in motor coordination; both could be associated with difficulties in balance post-concussion.

Step-by-step explanation:

After experiencing a concussion, balance and coordination can be affected. The ascending spinal tract likely involved in Andria's difficulty maintaining balance during a single leg stance test is the spinocerebellar tract, which carries proprioceptive information to the cerebellum. The descending spinal tract that could be involved is the rubrospinal tract, which descends from the red nucleus of the midbrain and helps modify motor commands to facilitate coordination and balance.

Proprioception is a key component in the maintenance of balance, and after a concussion, there could be an impairment in the proprioceptive feedback or in motor coordination. The spinocerebellar tract sense of proprioception is crucial for Andria to maintain upright posture without visual cues as assessed in the Romberg test. The rubrospinal tract is part of the motor system that, when working properly, allows for smooth and coordinated movements.