I. THE NEUROLOGICAL BACKGROUND

Before going in-depth into the results of our study, a brief review of neurology is indispensable. In this chapter, we will cover the ascending system, the descending or pyramidal system, the autonomic nervous system, the reticular formation and its impact on posture, and finally cortical activity and motion. In the ascending system section, we will look at some of the major afferent pathways through which the body receives information from the surrounding media. These will include the dorsal column system, the spinothalamic system, the cerebellum, and the spinocerebellar tract. We have limited this review of the sensory pathways to those systems to which we commonly refer in our diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. We would, however, direct the reader to any standard volume on neuroanatomy for additional information on the olfactory system, the auditory and visual pathways, and other cranial nerves.

        In the discussion of the pyramidal system, we will describe the corticospinal tract, which is particularly important in our therapeutic approach (unlike the corticobulbar tract which supplies the voluntary muscles of the head and is not prominently used in the treatment of patients). Next, we will briefly review the autonomic nervous system before turning our attention to the reticular formation and its association to posture and subsequently to cortical activity and its association to motion.