Cortical Motor Connections Flashcards
- received sensory input from the sensory relay nuclei of the thalamus
- afferent information from the contralateral side of the body, face and head
primary somatosensory cortex/post central gyrus
- gives rise to descending corticospinal tract (pyramidal tract)
- controls movement of contralateral side of the body
primary motor cortex/pre central gyrus
- contains interneurons that receive afferent and efferent from a variety of areas
- involved in analysis of sensory information
- integration of sensory information into perception and motor planning
association areas
large apical dendrite with up to 20,000 dendritic spines; large axon with many collateral branches that extend through the cortex into the spinal cord
pyramidal cells
what is the name for the largest pyramidal cells and where are they the most dense
- betz cells
- motor cortices
- also known as granular cells
- interneurons
- smaller, star-shaped with numerous short dendrites in many directions
stellate cells
do stellate cells leave the cortex
no
how many cell layers compose the cortex and how are they arranged
- 6 layers
- laminar columns
input layers of the cortex that receive input from many areas within the cortex, thalamus, subcortical regions
layer I-IV
this cortical layer is the thickest in the motor areas because this layer is the primary motor output for efferent axons (Betz cells and cells for all the extrapyramidal pathways)
layer V
cortical layer that lies adjacent to the internal capsule and corona radiata and consists mostly of association and commissural fibers
layer VI
ultimate command center for motor control; plans and executes complex voluntary motor activity; receives information from the basal ganglia, cerebellum and thalamus
cerebral cortex
initiation and motivation to move, control of muscle tone, quality and quantity of movement
basal ganglia
integrates visual, auditory, vestibular and somatosensory information to modify movement
cerebellum
what does the cerebellum do to help with overall movement
smooth, orderly, sequenced, and coordinated (SOSC)
- timing, speed, direction and precision
what is involved in direct regulation of motor activity
primary motor cortex and secondary motor cortices
the direct regulation of motor activity will directly influence voluntary motor activity via direct projections from the corticospinal tracts to:
- brainstem cranial nerve nuclei (via corticobulbar tract)
- reticular formation (autonomic system)
- anterior horn cells in spinal cord
what structures are involved in indirect regulation of motor activity by sending and receiving information about movement commands from primary and secondary motor cortices via the motor nuclei of the thalamus
basal ganglia and cerebellum
basal ganglia and cerebellum exert their influence on the brainstem and spinal cord by way of
extrapyramidal pathways
neurotransmitter for pyramidal cells and is excitatory
glutamate
too much of this neurotransmitter thought to contribute to aging of the nervous system and degenerative pathologies
glutamate
inhibitory neurotransmitter utilized by non-pyramidal neurons
GABA
where does the primary motor cortex receive input from
primary somatosensory, supplementary motor, cerebellum, basal ganglia, cingulate motor
emotions and memory components of movement
cingulate motor area