6. Pyramidal system Flashcards
Location of the motor cortex
- Postcruciate +/- precruciate gyrus
- Rostral suprasylvian gyrus
- Parietal +/- Frontal lobe
- Overlaps with SI
General somatotopic organization of the motor cortex
- Postcruciate gyrus: limbs (appendicular)
- Rostral syprasylvian gyrus: head + neck
Which cortical layers contain the UMN cell bodies in the motor cortex
V (Betz cells = giant pyramidal cells)
2 periods of motor cortex development in dogs
- Birth - 3 weeks: no spatial representation of the limbs and limited range of movements
- 3 weeks - 3 months: Progressive somatotopic representation and complexification of movements
- 3 months: mature motor cortex
When is the motor cortex mature in dogs?
3 months
Where are the UMN cell bodies?
Motor cortex + brainstem motor nuclei
The motor tracts of UMN travel in which SC funiculi?
Lateral and ventral corticospinal tracts run in the LATERAL and VENTRAL funiculi
UMN typically terminate on a short___
INTERNEURON in the brainstem or SC (3-neuron pathway)
Understand the terminology of motor tracts (slide 17)
1. first name
2. 2nd name
3. adjunct name
- origin
- termination
- funiculus or nucleus of origin
Pyramidal vs extrapyramidal system
Slide 22
What are the 3 neurons of the pyramidal system pathway
- MOTOR CORTEX
- SHORT INTERNEURON (corticonuclear: vicinity of CN motor nucleus; lateral corticospinal: base of dorsal horn. May be missing in primates)
- MOTOR NUCLEUS of brainstem or LMN in VENTRAL HORN of SC
Describe the pyramidal system pathway rostral to pyramids (corticonuclear tract)
- Motor cortex (Betz cells, layer V)
- Corona radiata
- Internal capsule
- Crus cerebri (midbrain)
- Longitudinal fibers (pons)
- CORTICUNUCLEAR TRACT: decussation in the vicinity of a CN motor nuclei, synapse on short interneuron, to CN motor nuclei
Describe the pyramidal system pathway from pyramids downwards (corticospinal tracts)
- Majority of fibers DECUSSATE at the pyramids (medulla) to form the LATERAL corticospinal tract (travels in controlateral lateral funiculus)
- Minority of fibers DO NOT decussate, forming the VENTRAL corticospinal tract (travel in ipsilateral ventral funiculus). Will eventually decussate in the vicinity of a target ventral horn, at the ventral commissure.
- Synapse on short interneuron at the base of dorsal horn
- Innervates γ > α motorneurons
What is the function of the corticonuclear tract
Controls voluntary movements of the head (eyes, jaw, face, tongue, pharynx, larynx, neck)
Which CN are under the influence of the corticonuclear tract
All except I, II, VIII
Midbrain: III-IV
Pons: V
Medulla : VI-VII, IX-XII