L14 - HARC: The Motor System - Clinico-anatomical correlations Flashcards
1. Define the components of the basal ganglia - the nuclei and pathways 2. Describe and define the differences between an upper motor neuron and a lower motor neuron. 3. Describe and define the differences between an upper motor neuron lesion and a lower motor neuron lesion and their implications. 4. Describe how cranial nerve abnormalities can manifest - trigeminal neuralgia, facial palsy and disorders of the eye. 5. Be able to trace the pathways of the major sensory and motor pathways thro
What is the function of Basal ganglia?
Control of movement.
Where are the Basal Ganglia located?
Forebrain and midbrain
Disorders in the Basal ganglia can lead to…
Abnormalities in:
- motor control
- posture
- muscle tone
What are the components of the basal ganglia?
- Putamen
- Caudate nucleus
- Globus Pallidus (2 parts)
- Substantia Nigra (2 parts)
- Subthalamic nucleus
Describe the neostratium?
Caudate + Putamen
- separated by anterior limb of internal capsule
What is the Nucleus accumbens associated with?
- Reward and Gratificatio centres
How is the putamen separated from the globus pallidus?
- thin lamina of nerve fibres known as the lateral medullary lamina.
What are the 2 divisions of the Globus Pallidus?
Pallidum
GP external (lateral) GP internal (medial)
Describe the pathways used by the Basal Ganglia?
Direct
- facilitates purposeful behaviour and movement
Indirect
- Inhibits unwanted movement
What is the internal capsule?
White matter tract pathway
- Boomerang shaped
What structures are lateral to the internal capsule?
Pallidum and Putamnen
What structures are medial to the internal capsule?
Caudate nucleus (CN) Thalamus
Describe the structure of the internal capsule?
- Anterior Limb
- frontopontine and thalamocortical fibres - Genu
- corticobulbar (corticonuclear) tract - Posterior Limb
- corticospinal tract
What is the blood supply to the Upper internal capsule?
Lateral striate aa.
Branches fro the Middle Cerebral artery.
Describe the blood supply to the lower internal capsule?
Anterior Limb - medial striatea. from ACA Genu - Internal carotid artery branches Posterior Limb - Anterior choroidal artery from middle cerebral artery.
Striatum and Pallidum
Distinguish which does output and which does input
Striatum - Input
Pallidum - Output
Describe the direct pathway?
BG removes inhibition of thalamus.
- Promotes excitation of motor areas.
- Increases activity
- involves Globus Pallidus (internal)
Describe how Parkinson’s disease may occur?
Degeneration of dopamingeric neurons of substantia nigra.
Neuron loss in the Pars Compacta.
Depletion of striatal dopamine.
Describe the striatum?
Striatum consists: Caudate nucleus and putamen, connected across internal capsule
- Striatum receives cortical information
What provides inhibitory control during visual processing within the thalamus?
Release of GABA from local interneurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.
In the direct pathway, what effect does the Basal Ganglia have on the thalamus?
Basal ganglia removes inhibition of thalamuss
- promotes excitation of motor areas
- increases activity
- inhibition of the inhibition
- involves globus pallidus internal
Describe how the basal ganglia reinforce thalamic inhibition?
- Prevent excitation of motor areas by the thalamus.
- decreases activity
- promotes inhibition
What area of the Pallidum is iinvolved in the indirect pathway?
Globus Pallidus externus
Briefly describe how a basal ganglia disorder may arise?
Imbalance between direct and indirect pathway.
- Hypokinetic (Parkinson’s)
Excess indirect output, limited direct output
- Hyperkinetic (Huntington’s)
- Excess direct output, limited indirect output
What area of brain is involves in Parkinson’s disease?
Substantia Nigra
What pathway is affected in Parkinson’s disease?
Nigostriatal pathway
What are some key symptoms of Parkinson’s?
Resting tremor
Postural instability
Slowness of movement (Hypokinesia)
What kind of condition is Huntington’s disease?
Genetic condition.
Autosomal Dominant.
Hyperkinetic disorder characterised by involuntary movements.
How may Huntington’s disease arise?
Mutation of the Huntingtin protein.
How do UMN carry information from cerebral cortex?
Descending motor pathways
- pyramidal tracts (generation of voluntary movement)
- extrapyramidal tracts (coordination of voluntary movement)