Discuss the use of the macaque monkey for understanding human motor control and as an animal model of human stroke

Question 1

Why is the Macaque monkey specifically useful for understanding human motor control?

Answer 1

Macaques are very anatomically and functionally similar to humans and posses a highly evolved motor cortex and a corticospinal tract that closely parallels those found in humans

Question 2

What is one area of motor control that is particularly significant to study?

Answer 2

The planning and execution of movements, by studying these processes in macaques, scientists can gain a better understanding of how these actions are carried out in humans

Question 3

What does the macaque model allow for recovery research?

Answer 3

An in-depth investigation of. neural plasticity following injury

Question 4

What is neural plasticity?

Answer 4

its a central component of the brain’s recovery process after incidents such as trauma or stroke, involving the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize itself.

Question 5

Why are macaques useful for studying strokes?

Answer 5

it presents a unique opportunity to mimic stroke-like injuries in a controlled environment, enabling the detailed study of the recovery process

Question 6

What are facts about strokes?

Answer 6

Stroke remains a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, many survivors experience severe motor deficits, which can profoundly impact their quality of life

Question 7

What are the future directions for studying stroke in the model

Answer 7

Researchers can closely observe the neural plasticity that underpins recovery of motor function, evaluate the effectiveness of various rehabilitation strategies and explore the potential for innovative treatment approaches

Question 8

What it the down side of using the macaque monkey?

Answer 8

There are significant ethical considerations with using animals in research and it needs to be justified and proven that there have been all feasible measures to minimize harm to the animals