RT Journal Article
T1 Sensory pathways in the human embryonic spinal accessory nerve with special reference to the associated lower cranial nerve ganglia
A1 Cho, Kwang Ho
A1 Jang, Hyung Suk
A1 Cheong, Jin Sung
A1 Rodríguez Vázquez, José Francisco
A1 Murakami, Gen
A1 Abe, Hiroshi
AB Background and purposeMuscles supplied by the spinal accessory nerve are particularly prone to the development of trigger points characteristic of myofascial pain. This study aimed to confirm sensory pathways in the spinal accessory nerve and to describe sensory ganglion cell distributions along the lower cranial nerve roots.MethodsUsing sagittal sections of ten human embryos at 6–7 weeks and horizontal sections of three 15- to 16-week-old embryos, we analyzed ganglion cell distributions along the lower cranial nerve roots, including the spinal accessory (XI) nerve.ResultsIn all ten 6- to 7-week-old embryos, the XI nerve root contained abundant ganglion cells, which were evenly distributed along the XI nerve root at levels between the jugular foramen and the dorsal root of the second cervical nerve. However, the hypoglossal (XII) nerve roots did not contain ganglion cells and did not communicate with nearby roots in the dural space. Thus, the so-called Froriep’s occipital ganglion is unlikely to be associated with the XII nerve but rather with the XI nerve roots. According to observations of three larger fetuses (15–16 weeks), most of Froriep’s ganglion cells seemed to have degenerated during early fetal life.ConclusionNociceptive sensory pathways in the adult human XI nerve may be much more limited in number than would be expected based on previous animal studies. However, it is possible that sensory ganglion cells in the embryonic XI nerve root send axons toward the developing spinal accessory nerve fibers outside of the jugular foramen.
PB Springer Nature
SN 0256-7040
YR 2014
FD 2014-09-17
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/110164
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/110164
LA eng
NO Cho, K.H., Jang, H.S., Cheong, J.S. et al. Sensory pathways in the human embryonic spinal accessory nerve with special reference to the associated lower cranial nerve ganglia. Childs Nerv Syst 31, 95–99 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-014-2546-9
NO Wonkwang University
DS Docta Complutense
RD 10 abr 2025