Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX USA) Practice

What is the visceral sensation level corresponding to the heart?

1. T1-T3

2. T1-T5

3. T2-T5

4. T2-T4

The correct answer is: T1-T5

The visceral sensation level corresponding to the heart is generally understood to be T1 to T5. This range reflects the spinal nerves that carry sympathetic innervation to the heart and also convey sensory information related to visceral pain. The heart primarily receives parasympathetic innervation from the vagus nerve, but when it comes to the sensation of pain or discomfort originating from the heart, it is primarily referred through the thoracic sympathetic ganglia corresponding to the T1 to T5 segments of the spinal cord. Viscera, like the heart, can produce referred pain to the skin that is innervated by these specific spinal segments. This explains why individuals may experience pain in the chest, shoulder, and even the arm when experiencing issues related to the heart, such as in the case of angina or myocardial infarction, which are associated with these thoracic levels. The other answer choices focus on different, narrower spinal levels which do not encompass the full range of innervation relevant to visceral sensations from the heart. Thus, the correct range successfully captures the full extent of the heart's sensory circuitry as it relates to viscerosomatic reflexes and pain perception.