Basal Ganglia Flashcards
Historically, the basal ganglia were once believed to be part of what motor pathway?
Extrapyramidal Pathway
The basal ganglia are part of a sub-cortical loop feeding back onto the ________
Motor Cortex
The basal ganglia modulate activity in the ___________
Corticospinal Tracts
The basal ganglia simply ________ the output from the ___________, and therefore ________ activity in the corticospinal tracts.
Modulate
Motor Cortex
Modulate
Often times, the term “extrapyramidal” is used to describe pathologies of the _________
Basal Ganglia
What is the function of the basal ganglia?
To suppress unwanted and inappropriate cortical activity
How does the basal ganglia play a major role in motor control?
Via outputs to the motor cortex
How does the basal ganglia play a major role in moods and emotions?
Via outputs to orbital frontal cortex
How does the basal ganglia play a major role in organizing goal-directed behaviors and complex thought?
Via outputs to pre-frontal association cortex
For this course, we should focus our attention on the basal ganglia and their role in __________ :)
Motor control
The major motor function of the basal ganglia is to encode “________” or combinations of “_______”
“motor subroutines”
i.e. flexion at the shoulder, smiling
During complex motoric activity, what part of the brain determines which individual units of motor activity are required and in what order?
Cerebral Cortex
The cortex elicits the appropriate “subroutines” from the basal ganglia, which in turn project to what neurons in the pre and primary motor cortex?
Upper Motor Neurons
Which neurons actually carry out the “subroutines”?
Upper motor neurons
Where are the basal ganglia located?
lie near the junction of the brain stem and cerebrum
