Final Flashcards
Definition of locomotion
Controlled act of moving the body as a whole from one place to another
What are the 3 components of control in locomotion?
- control of limb and body movements
- control of where you are going
- control of posture & orientation
Stance phase definition
Part of locomotor cycle (one leg) during which some part of the foot is on the ground
Begins at heel strike
Swing phase definition
Part of locomotion (one leg) where no part of the foot is in contact with the ground
Stride definition
One movement cycle of a single leg; consists of a stance and swing phase
Walk (bipedal) definition
Legged locomotion in which the legs move in antiphase
Run (bipedal) definition
Both feet never on the ground at the same time, but some flight periods; move in antiphase
Central pattern generator (CPGs)
Grouping of neurons (or circuits) within the spinal cord or brainstem that can generate coordinated rhythmic muscle activity
- leads to rhythmic oscillatory behaviour (locomotion, flying, swimming) without afferent feedback
Who first demonstrated rhythmicity (CPGs) and what reflex was it called?
Sherrington; scratch reflex
Scratch reflex
Rhythmic movements of limb used to remove annoying stimulus
How did spinalised animals respond (in terms of reflex latency) when stimulation intensity increases?
As stimulation intensity increases, reflex latency decreases
What occurs to muscle contraction when stimulation increases in the scratch reflex?
As stimulation intensity increases, the strength of muscle contraction increases
What occurs to the duration of response when stimulation intensity increases?
As stimulation intensity increases, duration of response increases and outlasts the stimulus
What is the rhythmic movement of extension and flexion independent of?
Supraspinal or peripheral feedback
Who demonstrated rhythmic stepping in spinal animals after dorsal spinal root transection?
Brown (1914)
What are half-centres?
A type of spinal circuitry organization that explains rhythmic stepping
- mutual inhibition
What is each limb controlled by?
An independent half-centre
What did Grillner confirm?
Confirmed Brown’s hypothesis about half-centres
What was the primary conclusion of Grillner’s work with spinalised cats?
Circuitry for locomotion is intrinsic to the spinal cord
What occurs when the inhibitory synapse is blocked in half-centres?
Rhythmic motion is still evoked
What are 3 motor regions that can be artificially stimulated to produce locomotor activity?
- subthalamic locomotor region
- mesencephalic locomotor region
- diencephalic locomotor region
Locomotor region definition
Region of the brain containing neurons that produce descending signals that activate spinal locomotor CPG circuits causing locomotion
What did Shik, Severin, and Orlovsky show about descending stimulation from the mesencephalic locomotor region?
Locomotion was dependent on the stimulus intensity of the MLR
What are the 5 jobs of the brain in locomotor control?
- initiating and terminating CPG activity
- controlling the speed of locomotion and gait
- adapting locomotion to the task
- coordinating locomotor activity with concurrent activities
- maintaining postural equilibrium during locomotion
What is a SCI?
Spinal cord injury; no sensory or motor function below the level of the lesion
AIS A vs AIS B
Sensory complete spinal cord injury; sensory incomplete spinal cord injury
What does epidural stimulation of spinal circuitry result in for completely paralyzed individuals?
Process sensory input to regain some voluntary control of paralyzed muscles
What is the stepping reflex? What does it provide evidence for?
An infant makes stepping motions when their feet touch the ground
Human evidence for CPGs and locomotion, present even in anacephalic infants with no descending control
What is the difference in evidence for CPGs and locomotion in animals vs humans?
Strong evidence for locomotion after SCI in animals, not as strong in humans
What are the 4 functions of the vestibular system?
- balance and equilibrium
- detect head motion
- determine gravitational vertical
- fixation of eyes while head moves
What are the 5 sensory organs of the vestibular system? How are they divided?
Three semicircular canals
- anterior
- posterior
- horizontal
Two otolith organs
- utricle
- saccule
What cranial nerve innervates the hair cells?
CN VIII: auditory
Where are the cell bodies of the vestibular system found?
Scarpa’s ganglion
Once information of the alignment of stereocilia is conveyed to the brainstem and cerebellum where does the info go? 2
- MNs to extraocular muscles
- MNs of antigravity muscles
On which side is the kinocilia in the hair cells of the right and left side?
Right, the kinocilia is on the right
Left, the kinocilia is on the left
When the kinocilia is deflected away from the midline what occurs?
Depolarization
When the kinocilia is deflected towards the midline what occurs?
Hyperpolarization