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Biological Psychology > 11 - Motor Control and Plasticity > Flashcards

11 - Motor Control and Plasticity Flashcards

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0
Q

Reflex

A

A simple, highly stereotyped, and unlearned response to a particular stimulus (e.g., an eye blink in response to a puff of air)

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1
Q

Spinal animal

A

An animal whose spinal cord has been surgically disconnected from the brain to enable the study of behaviors that do not require brain control

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2
Q

Movement

A

A brief, unitary activity of a muscle or body part; less complex than an act.

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3
Q

Act

A

Also called action pattern. Complex behavior, as distinct from a simple movement

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4
Q

Motor plan

A

Also called motor program. A plan for action in the nervous system

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5
Q

Electromyography (EMG)

A

The electrical recording of muscle activity

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6
Q

Closed-loop control mechanism

A

A control mechanism that provides a flow of information from whatever is being controlled to the device that controls it

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7
Q

Ramp movement

A

Also called smooth movement. Slow, sustained motion that is often controlled by the basal ganglia

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8
Q

Open-loop control mechanism

A

A control mechanism in which feedback from the output of the system is not provided to the input control

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9
Q

Ballistic movement

A

A rapid muscular movement that is often organized or programmed in the cerebellum

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10
Q

Smooth muscle

A

A type of muscle fiber, as in the heart, that is controlled by the autonomic nervous system rather than by voluntary control

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11
Q

Tendon

A

Strong tissue that connects muscles to bone

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12
Q

Antagonist

A

A muscle that counteracts the effect of another muscle

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13
Q

Synergist

A

A muscle that acts together with another muscle

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14
Q

Muscle fiber

A

A collection of large cylindrical cells, making up most of a muscle, that can contract in response to neurotransmitter released from a motoneuron

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15
Q

Striated muscle

A

A type of muscle with a striped appearance, generally under voluntary control

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16
Q

Myosin

A

A protein that, along with actin, mediates the contraction of muscle fibers

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17
Q

Actin

A

A protein that, along with myosin, mediates the contraction of muscle fibers

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18
Q

Fast-twitch muscle fiber

A

A type of striated muscle that contracts rapidly but fatigues readily

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19
Q

Slow-twitch muscle fiber

A

A type of striated muscle fiber that contracts slowly but does not fatigue readily

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20
Q

Motoneuron

A

Also called motor neuron. A nerve cell in the spinal cord that transmits motor messages from the spinal cord to muscles.

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21
Q

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A

A neurotransmitter produced and released by parasympathetic postganglionic neurons, by motoneurons, and by neurons throughout the brain

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22
Q

Neuromuscular junction (NMJ)

A

The region where the motoneuron terminal and the adjoining muscle fiber meet; the point where the nerve transmits its message to the muscle fiber

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23
Q

Motor unit

A

A single motor axon and all the muscle fibers that it innervates

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24
Q

Innervation ratio

A

The ratio expressing the number of muscle fibers innervated by a single motor axon

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25
Q

Final common pathway

A

The information processing pathway consisting of all the motoneurons in the body. Motoneurons are known by this collective term because they receive and integrate all motor signals from the brain and then direct movement accordingly

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26
Q

Size principle

A

The idea that, as increasing numbers of motor neurons are recruited to produce muscle responses of increasing strength, small, low-threshold neurons are recruited first, followed by large, high-threshold neurons

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27
Q

Proprioception

A

Body sense; information about the position and movement of the body that is sent to the brain

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28
Q

Muscle spindle

A

A muscle receptor that lies parallel to a muscle and sends impulses to the central nervous system when the muscle is stretched

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29
Q

Intrafusal fiber

A

One of the small muscle fibers that lie within each muscle spindle

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30
Q

Extrafusal fiber

A

One of the ordinary muscle fibers that lie outside the spindles and provide most of the force for muscle contraction

31
Q

Primary sensory ending

A

Also called annulospiral ending. The axon that transmits information from the central portion of a muscle spindle

32
Q

Secondary sensory ending

A

Also called flower spray ending. The axon that transmits information from the ends of a muscle spindle

33
Q

Gamma motoneuron

A

Also called gamma efferent. A motor neuron that innervates the contractile tissue in a muscle spindle

34
Q

Alpha motoneuron

A

A motoneuron that control the main contractile fibers (extrafusal fibers) of a muscle

35
Q

Golgi tendon organ

A

One of the receptors located in tendons that send impulses to the central nervous system when a muscle contracts

36
Q

Stretch reflex

A

The contraction of a muscle in response to stretch of that muscle

37
Q

Central pattern generator

A

Neural circuitry that is responsible for generating the rhythmic pattern of a behavior such as walking

38
Q

Pyramidal system or corticospinal system

A

The motor system that includes neurons within the cerebral cortex and their axons, which form the pyramidal tract

39
Q

Primary motor cortex (M1)

A

The apparent executive region for the initiation of movement; primarily the precentral gyrus

40
Q

Nonprimary motor cortex

A

Frontal lobe regions adjacent to the primary motor cortex that contribute to motor control and modulate the activity of the primary motor cortex

41
Q

Supplementary motor area (SMA)

A

A region of non-primary motor cortex that receives input from the basal ganglia and modulates the activity of the primary motor cortex

42
Q

Premotor cortex

A

A region of non-primary motor cortex just anterior to the primary motor cortex

43
Q

Mirror neuron

A

A neuron that is active both when an individual makes a particular movement and when an individual sees another individual make that same movement

44
Q

Extrapyramidal system

A

A motor system that includes the basal ganglia and some closely related brainstem structures

45
Q

Reticular formation

A

An extensive region of the brainstem (extending from the medulla through the thalamus) that is involved in arousal (waking)

46
Q

Reticulospinal tract

A

A tract of axons arising from the brainstem reticular formation and descending to the spinal cord to modulate movement

47
Q

Red nucleus

A

A brainstem structure related to motor control

48
Q

Rubrospinal tract

A

A tract of axons arising from the red nucleus in the midbrain and innervating neurons of the spinal cord

49
Q

Basal ganglia

A

A group of forebrain nuclei, including caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and putamen, found deep within the cerebral hemispheres

50
Q

Striatum

A

The caudate nucleus and putamen together

51
Q

Muscular dystrophy (MD)

A

A disease that leads to degeneration of and functional changes in muscles

52
Q

Dystrophin

A

A protein that is needed for normal muscle function

53
Q

Myasthenia gravis

A

A disorder characterized by a profound weakness of skeletal muscles; caused by a loss of acetylcholine receptors

54
Q

Autoimmune disorder

A

A disorder caused when the immune system mistakenly attacks a person’s own body, thereby interfering with normal functioning

55
Q

Polioviruses

A

A class of viruses that destroy motoneurons of the spinal cord and brainstem

56
Q

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

A

Also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. A disease in which motoneurons and their target muscles waste away

57
Q

Flaccid paralysis

A

A loss of reflexes below the level of transection of the spinal cord

58
Q

Plegia

A

Paralysis, the loss of the ability to move

59
Q

Paresis

A

Partial paralysis

60
Q

Spasticity

A

Markedly increased rigidity in response to forced movement of the limbs

61
Q

Apraxia

A

An impairment in the ability to begin and execute skilled voluntary movements, even though there is no muscle paralysis

62
Q

Ideomotor apraxia

A

The inability to carry out a simple motor activity in response to a verbal command, even though this same activity is readily performed spontaneously

63
Q

Ideational apraxia

A

An impairment in the ability to carry out the sequence of actions, even though each element or step can be done correctly

64
Q

Parkinson’s disease

A

A degenerative neurological disorder, characterized by tremors at rest, muscular rigidity, and reduction in voluntary movement, that involves dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra

65
Q

Substantia nigra

A

A brainstem structure in humans that innervates the basal ganglia and is named for its dark pigmentation

66
Q

a-synuclein

A

A protein that has been implicated in Parkinson’s disease

67
Q

Parkin

A

A protein that has been implicated in Parkinson’s disease

68
Q

L-dopa

A

The immediate precursor of the transmitter dopamine

69
Q

Huntington’s disease

A

Also called Huntington’s chorea. A progressive genetic disorder characterized by abrupt, involuntary movements and profound changes in mental functioning

70
Q

Huntingtin

A

A protein produced by a gene (called HTT) that, when containing too many trinucleotide repeats, results in Huntington’s disease in a carrier

71
Q

Trinucleotide repeat

A

Repetition of the same three nucleotides within a gene, which can lead to dysfunction, as in the cases of Huntington’s disease and fragile X syndrome

72
Q

Spinocerebellum

A

The uppermost part of the cerebellum, consisting mostly of the vermis and anterior lobe

73
Q

Ataxia

A

An impairment in the direction, extent, and rate of muscular movement, often caused by cerebellar pathology

74
Q

Cerebrocerebellum

A

The lowermost part of the cerebellum, consisting especially of the lateral parts of each celebellar hemisphere

75
Q

Decomposition of movement

A

Difficulty of movement in which gestures are broken up into individual segments instead of being executed smoothly; a symptom of cerebellar lesions

76
Q

Vestibulocerebellum

A

The middle portion of the cerebellum, sandwiched between the spinocerebellum and and the cerebrocerebellum and consisting of the nodule and the flocculus

Biological Psychology (11 decks)

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