Lecture 36. Motor Control Flashcards
What is an example of a spinal reflex ?
Knee jerk
What is the hierarchy of the sensory motor system ?
- Cortical area
- Sub-cortical area
- Muscles
- Receptors
What is in the cortical area ?
- Primary motor cortex M1
- Premotor cortex
- Supplementary motor area
- S-1 and S-22
- PPC
What are the sub-cortical areas ?
- Cerebellum
2. Basal Ganglia
What is a key piece of information about descending motor pathways ?
There are multiple descending motor pathways that may or may not cross over each other
What is the connectome ?
Neural connectivity to understand complex brain function
How does a worm move ?
Via a sequence of muscle contractions
In the C. Elegans, how many motor neurons are there and how many muscle cells do they control?
There are 75 motor neurons controlling 95 muscle cells
What do muscle cells receive activity from ?
One excitatory and one inhibitory neuron which are activated in turn
How does the C. Elegans generate its bend and oscillatory activity ?
Feedback from the body
How does the feedback from the C. Elegans cause the worm to bend ?
Excitation of motor neurons will cause muscle contraction as the body bends, sensors detect the force and inhibit motor neurons
What are central pattern generators ?
Neuronal circuits that generate periodic motor commands for rhythmic motions
When do central pattern generators occurs ?
Shaped by sensory input, but can occur in the absence of sensory feedback
What is an example of a model system for understanding central pattern generators ?
Hirudo medicinalis
What does the hirudo medicinalis have that makes it a good model for understanding central pattern generators ?
- Accessible nervous system
- A repetitive behavior
- Easy elicited behavior
