Response properties of upper cervical spinothalamic neurons in cats. A possible explanation for the unusual sensory symptoms associated with upper cervical lesions in humans.

Lesions in the foramen magnum and upper cervical spinal cord often cause an unusual array of sensory changes and atrophic weakness, primarily involving the ipsilateral forelimb. Furthermore, small midline myelotomies performed at C1 often lead to widespread analgesia covering most of the body in patients with chronic pain. These observations challence physicians' understanding of anatomy and physiology in the upper cervical region