Lecture 12: Motor Tracts Flashcards
How many neurons are involved in motor tracts?
2: Upper Motor Neurons (UMN) and Lower Motor Neurons (LMN)
Where are the cell bodies of the UMNs located?
Cerebral cortex or brainstem
Where are the cell bodies of the LMNs located?
Cell body in spinal cord or brainstem that directly innervates skeletal muscle
What are examples of LMNs?
Peripheral and motor component of Cranial Nerves
What is the direct somatic motor pathway?
Cerebral Cortex –> brainstem/spinal cord –> muscle
What is the indirect somatic motor pathway?
Direct pathway + synapses in brainstem, basal ganglia, thalamus, reticular formation, and cerebellum
Briefly, how does the corticospinal tract work?
UMN from cortex synapses at LMN at spinal cord, which allows voluntary movement
What does the medial and lateral corticospinal tract do?
Medial: Postural muscles (not imp)
Lateral: Voluntary movement
What horn do the UMNs and LMNs of the corticospinal tract synapse?
Ventral
What part of the internal capsule do the cell bodies of the corticospinal tract travel through?
Posterior limb
In the corticospinal tract, how do UMN reach LMN?
- Leave motor cortex via posterior limb of internal capsule
- Descend to middle ⅓ of cerebral peduncle
- Travel down anterior pons and medulla
- Decussate in pyramids of medulla
- Synapse at LMN in spinal cord
What initiates voluntary movement?
Mostly the primary motor cortex in precentral gyrus
*controls opposite side of the body
What supplies the cerebral peduncle?
P1 of Posterior Cerebral Artery
What supplies anterior pons?
Paramedian Branches of Basilar Artery
What supplies pyramid?
Sulcal Branches of Anterior Spinal Artery
What supplies the posterior limb of the internal capsule?
Lenticulostriate Artery from Middle Cerebral Artery
Lesion in the median corticospinal tract would affect what structures? On what side?
Ipsilateral postural muscles
What are the cranial nerves are influenced by the corticobulbar tract?
5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
What part of the internal capsule does the corticobulbar tract travel through?
Genu
What is the relationship between the corticobulbar and corticospinal tracts?
Corticobulbar travels medially to corticospinal
If CN IX is being influenced by the corticobulbar tract, what side is being affected?
Ipsilateral