Dorsal column of the spinal cord

The dorsal column of the spinal cord is a major ascending white matter tract located in the posterior portion (back) of the spinal cord, composed mainly of the gracile fasciculus (medially, lower body) and the cuneate fasciculus (laterally, upper body)[3]. It forms the first part of the dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway (DCML), a sensory pathway in the central nervous system that conveys fine touch, vibration, pressure, two-point discrimination, and conscious proprioception from the skin and joints to the brain. Signals travel through the dorsal root ganglia, enter the spinal cord, ascend the dorsal columns, synapse in the medulla, and ultimately reach the somatosensory cortex. Lesions of this tract result in characteristic sensory deficits but it is not a molecular drug target in itself[1][2][3]. Key point: The "spinal cord dorsal column" is an anatomical structure (a white matter tract), not a molecule, receptor, or protein, and thus does not fit the normal pattern for drug discovery molecular targets[1][3].

Other names

Posterior columnpart of the dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway (DCML)posterior funiculus