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pathway

pathway

56 6.3
A route in the brain that carries nerve signals
  • noun
  • /ˈpæθweɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vía neuronal
  • And the more you practice the skill, the more that neural pathway gets isolated.
  • neural pathways
  • motor pathway
  • auditory pathways

This is the classic reward pathway in all mammals.

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Examples

  • There are several possible pathways that would give rise to this association.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The two share the same chemistry and the same pathways in the brain.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • This is the classic reward pathway in all mammals.

  • Your brain can create new neural pathways until the day you die.

  • The impact of providing I-BEST students with support services and structured pathways may extend to student learning outcomes.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Drug abuse researchers are examining medications that block brain pathways activated by drugs like cocaine.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The subject's brain continues to create new neural pathways at an unprecedented and alarming rate.

  • Of critical importance here is the connection of neural pathways through the thalamus to the neocortex.

    Academic text (1990)
  • That's true, but Olivia's treatment created a unique network of neural pathways in the brain.

  • The classic reward pathway in the brain activates when we experience pleasure.

Synonyms

tract
vspathway
  • Specialized
4 7.9

A bundle of nerve fibers in the brain or spinal cord that carry signals

is limited to myelinated brain signal bundles, not all fiber groups or spinal ones
nerve pathway
vspathway
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A group of long cells that carry signals between body parts and the brain

is specific to myelinated brain fibers transmitting signals along a set route
nerve tract
vspathway
  • Specialized
6.2

A group of nerve fibers in the brain or spinal cord that carry messages

is focused on brain myelinated fibers and their signal route rather than broader use

Compounds

nerve pathway
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A group of long cells that carry signals between body parts and the brain

A way to reach success in work or goals

monosynaptic pathway
  • Specialized
8.2

A nerve pathway that sends a signal across one connection between two nerve cells

A route that is hard to find and often used in secret

A process someone follows to get better after illness, injury, or hard times

uveoscleral pathway
  • Specialized
8.2

A route in the eye that drains extra watery fluid through the colored layer and the white outer layer

How Complex

nervous system
  • Specialized
81 2.8
neural network
  • Specialized
1 4.7
pathway
  • Specialized
56 6.3
synapse
  • Specialized
24 6.1

Surface Forms

pathway singular
pathways plural

Morphology

pathway = path + way (semi-transparent) = path + way

Formally a compound of 'path' + 'way', but the technical neurological sense is a metaphorical extension and domain-specific.

Etymology

Pathway comes from path ('a track') and way ('a route'). A helpful image is a little road inside the brain that messages travel along, which is why a neural pathway is a route for signals between parts of the brain.