Chapter 8 selected Flashcards
primary motor cortex
Fritsch/Hitzig; precentral gyrus of the frontal cortex just anterior to the central sulcus; elicits movements
posterior parietal cortex
one of the first areas to become active in movement; keeps track of position of body relative to the world; damage results in trouble finding objects in space even after describing appearance accurately
supplementary motor cortex
important for planning and organizing a rapid sequence of movements (i.e. inhibiting habitual movement when needed)
prefrontal cortex
active dduring a delay before movement, stores sensory information relevant to a movementand is important for considering the probably outcomes of possible movements (damage = illogical movements)
Mirror neurons
active during preparation for a movement and while watching someone else perform a similar movement; one of the most exciting for researchers because they may be important for understanding other people, identifying with them and imitating them; activated by seeing or being reminded of an action
readiness potential
motor cortex produces activity called readiness potential before any voluntary movement; begins approx 500ms before the movement
corticospinal tracts
paths from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord
lateral corticospinal tract
set of axons from the primary motor cortex, surrounding areas and red nucleus; axons of the lateral tract extend directly from the motor cortexto their target neurons in the spinal cord; in medullar pyramids it crosses to contralateral side of cord; controls movement in peripheral areas such as hands and feet
red nucleus
a midbrain area primarilty responsible for controlling the arm muscles
medial corticospinal tract
axons from many parts of cerebral cortex and surrounding areas; includes axons from midbrain tectum, reticular formation, and vestibular nucleus; axons go to both sides of spinal cord and controls muscles of the neck, shoulders, and trunk
vestibular nucleus
brain area that receive input from vestibular system
nuclei
clusters of cell bodies
cerebellar cortex
surface of the cerebellum
Purkinje cells
neuron of cerebellar cortex; flat, 2D, sequential planes, parallel to one another
parallel fibers
neuron of cerebellar cortex; axons parallel to one another and perpendicular to planes of Purkinje cells
basal ganglia
group of large subcortical structues in the forebrain incl caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus; cn and p send info to gp, then to thalamus and relayed to cerebral cortex
antisaccade task
a task where you are supposed to look away from a powerful attention-getter
Parkinson’s Disease
rigidity, tremors, slow movements, difficulty initiating physical and mental activity; 1-5% of people over 65; loss of olfaction an early syptom; basal gangia cells are impaired
MPTP
a chemical drug that the body converts to MPP that produces parkinson’s-like disease; accummulates in and destroys neurons that release dopamine
L-Dopa
precursor to dopamine that can cross the blood-brain barrier; neurons in the brain convert it to dopamine (ineffective for some patients, does not prevent continued loss of neurons, unpleasant side effects incl nausea, insomnia, hallucinations etc.)
stem cells
immature cells that are capable of differentiating into a wide variety of other cell types
Huntington’s disease
severe neurological disorder affecting 1/1000 in the US; associated with gradual, extensive brain damage especially int he caudate nucleus, putamen, cerebral cortex and globus pallidus
Huntingtin
protein coded by gene for huntington’s disease; mutant form only harmful in the brain where it occurs inside neurons, increasing nt release and later forming clusters that impairs mitochondria and transport of chemicals own the axon
