Grey Matter vs White Matter in the Brain - SpinalCord.com

Gray matter, named for its pinkish-gray color, is home to neural cell bodies, axon terminals, and dendrites, as well as all nerve synapses. This brain tissue is ... MENU (877)336-7192 ContactUs GreyMattervsWhiteMatterintheBrain Author:Spinalcord.comTeam PublishDate:June07,2020  About276,000peopleintheU.S.currentlylivewithspinalcordinjuries,withanadditional12,500newcaseseveryyear.Theseinjuriesaffectoneofthemostcomplicatedandmysteriousareasofthebody—anareathatmanyinjurysurvivorsknewlittleaboutpriortotheiraccident. Knowingthebasicsofcentralnervoussystemanatomycanhelpyoubetterunderstandtheinformationyourdoctorprovides,empoweringyoutobeabetteradvocateforyourselforalovedone.Alotofconfusionrevolvesaroundthedistinctionbetweengrayandwhitematterinthebrain,butthedifferenceisactuallyaprettysimpleone. GreyMatterintheBrainandSpinalCord Graymatter,namedforitspinkish-graycolor,ishometoneuralcellbodies,axonterminals,anddendrites,aswellasallnervesynapses.Thisbraintissueisabundantinthecerebellum,cerebrum,andbrainstem.Italsoformsabutterfly-shapedportionofthecentralspinalcord. Thebackportionofthisbutterflyshapeisknownastheposterior,sometimescalledthedorsalgrayhorn.Thisregionpassessensoryinformationviaascendingnervesignalstothebrain.Thefrontpart, whichissometimescalledtheventralgrayhorn,sendsdescendingnervesignalsgoverningmotoractivitiestoyourautonomicnerves.Aproblemwiththedorsalgrayhornmayaffectyourbrain'sabilitytointerpretsensoryinformation,whileissueswiththeventralgrayhorninterferewithyourbody'sabilitytoreceivemotorinformation;paralysis,tingling,andmuscleweaknessareoftentheproductsofdamagetotheventralgrayhorn. WhiteMatterintheBrainandSpinalCord Thewhitematterofyourbrainandspinalcordiscomposedofbundlesofaxons.Theseaxonsarecoatedwithmyelin,amixtureofproteinsandlipids,thathelpsconductnervesignalsandprotecttheaxons.Whitematter'sjobistoconduct,process,andsendnervesignalsupanddownthespinalcord.Damagetothewhitematterofyourbrainorspinalcordcanaffectyourabilitytomove,useyoursensoryfaculties,orreactappropriatelytoexternalstimuli.Somepeoplewithdamagedwhitemattersufferdeficitsinreflexivereactions. WhiteMatter,GreyMatter,andSpinalTracts Together,thegrayandwhitematterofyourbrainandspinalcordhelpformspinaltracts.Thesepathwayssendnervesignalsfromyourbraintotherestofyourbody.Knowingthemostcommontractscanhelpyoudiscernthesourceofyourinjury.Thosetractsinclude: Posteriortracts:Thesetracts,locatedatthebackofyourspinalcord,conveyinformationfromyourskinaboutpressure,touch,andpain.Theyalsohelpyoupositionyourbodyandspace,soyoucanmoveaccordingtoyoursurroundings. Spinothalamictracts:Thesesensorytractstellyourbrainaboutyourbody'stemperatureandpainlevel. Corticospinaltracts:Thesemotortractssendnervesignalsfromthebrain,downthespinalcord,andintovariousskeletalmuscles,enablingyoutomove. Remember,beinganinformedpatientcanhelpyouaskintelligentquestionsandselectthebesttreatmentoptions,soifyoudon'tunderstandwhatyourdoctortellsyouaboutgrayorwhitematterinthebrain,don'tbeafraidtospeakup.Keepaskingquestionsuntilitallmakessense;everytraumaticbrainorspinalcordinjurysurvivorhastolearntobeastrongadvocate andaskingpointedquestionscanhelpyoubeginmasteringtheartofadvocacy. Sources: •MacKenzie,RuairiJ.,GrayMattervsWhiteMatter.LearnMore •Mercadante,AnthonyA.&PrasannaTadi,Neuroanatomy,GrayMatter.LearnMore •Jensen,MatthewBarry,GrayandWhiteMatter.LearnMore •WhiteMattervs.GrayMatter:Difference&MedicalTerms.LearnMore Topics:TraumaticBrainInjury StayUpdatedonAdvancementsOnTraumaticBrain&SpinalCordInjuries AbouttheAuthor SpinalCordTeam TheauthorsofSpinalcord.comaremadeupofattorneys,thoseinthemedicalfield,andsurvivorsofspinalcordinjuriesortraumaticbraininjuries.LearnmoreaboutourteamofauthorsincludingabriefbiographythatexplainshowtheyimpacttheSCIandTBIcommunity. LearnMoreAbouttheAuthor LeaveaComment true SpinalCordInjury TypesofSpinalCordInjuries SecondaryComplications Causes Symptoms Prognosis LegalHelp BrainInjury TypesofBrainInjuries Causes Symptoms Prognosis LegalHelp FindingTreatment PhysicianDirectory RehabilitationDirectory TechnologyAdvancements Prevention LegalOptions SpinalCordInjuryLawyer BrainInjuryLawyer TypesofPersonalInjuryClaims WhereToStart LocalAssistance AboutUs Spinalcordinjuriesaretraumaticforpatientsandtheirfamilies.Theycausedisruptivechangestoeveryaspectofyourlifeandthereisalotofnewinformationtonavigateandunderstand.Ourexpertshavecollectedeverythinginoneplacetohelpyoulearnmoreaboutyourinjury,locatedoctorsandtreatmentcenters,findfinancialsupport,andgetassistancenavigatingyournextmove. LearnMoreAboutSpinalCord.com→ ContactUs  877-336-7192 [email protected] Copyright2019|AllRightsReserved.SpinalCord,Inc. SponsoredbySwope,RodanteP.A.aFloridalawfirmlocatedat1234E5thAve,Tampa,FL33605.SwopeLaw. TheinformationprovidedbySpinalCord.comisnotasubstituteforprofessionalmedicaladvice,diagnosis,ortreatment,seeDisclaimerPolicy.