Midterm 8 Flashcards
Posture and balance Cerebellum and motor control
The point where the mass of the body is equally distributed
Center of mass
The area of the body in contact with the support surface
Base of support
The center of distribution of force applied to the supporting surface
Center of pressure
The center of pressure moves continuously around the center of mass, true or false?
True, the center of pressure moves continuously around the center of mass
The center of _____________ is an indirect measure of postural sway
The center of pressure is an indirect measure of postural sway
The center or ___________________ is like a herding dog and the center of ______________ is like the sheep.
The center of pressure is like a herding dog and the center of mass is like the sheep (the center of pressure keeps the center of mass in check).
Postural control relates to controlling the body position in space for the dual purpose of ________________ and ________________.
Postural control relates to controlling the body position in space for the dual purpose of orientation and stability.
Postural orientation = ______________
Postural stability = ________________
Postural orientation = posture
Postural stability = balance
Ability to maintain an appropriate position of the whole body with respect to the environment and the task.
Postural orientation
Ability to control center of mass relative to gravity and base of support during perturbation or motor tasks.
Postural stability (balance)
Challenges to balance include:
- Gravitational forces
- Forces arising from muscle contraction
- Interaction between limbs during movement
- External perturbations
What are the three main sources of sensory input to the central nervous system? What percentage do they contribute?
Vestibular system (20%)
Vision (10%)
Somatosensory (70%)
People rely more on ______________ sensory input when learning a new skill.
People rely more on visual sensory input when learning a new skill.
Name the parts of the vestibular apparatus:
Bony labyrinth:
Auditory: cochlea
Vestibular: Otolith organs (utricle and saccule), semicircular canals
Membranous labyrinth: suspended within the bony labyrinth, surrounded by fluid (perilymph), filled with fluid (endolymph), sensory receptors (hair cells)
What are the two main aspects (parts) of the vestibular apparatus?
The bony labyrinth and the membranous labyrinth
The bony labyrinth is comprised of…
Auditory components:
- Cochlea
Vestibular components:
- Otolith organs (utricle and saccule)
- Semicircular canals
The bony labyrinth is comprised of three general components:
- Cochlea
- Otolith organs (utricle and saccule)
- Semicircular canals
The otolith organs include the ___________ and _______________.
Otolith organs: utricle and saccule
The semicircular canals are 3 perpendicular bones in each ear, each canal has an ________________.
The semicircular canals are 3 perpendicular bones in each ear, each canal has an ampulla.
The semicircular canals are 3 perpendicular bones in each ear, each canal has an ampulla, within each ampulla is the ___________.
The semicircular canals are 3 perpendicular bones in each ear, each canal has an ampulla, within each ampulla is the cupula (gelatinous mass) with hair bundles embedded within.
What structure is found within the ampulla?
The cupula (gelatinous mass) with hair bundles.
In each of the semicircular canals is an ampulla, ____________ acceleration rotates gel, and displaces hair cells.
In each of the semicircular canals is an ampulla, angular acceleration rotates gel, and displaces hair cells.
In each of the semicircular canals is an ampulla, angular acceleration rotates gel, and displaces hair cells, this _______________ all hair cells together.
In each of the semicircular canals is an ampulla, angular acceleration rotates gel, and displaces hair cells, this depolarizes all hair cells together.
The semicircular canals are very sensitive to…
Active or passive angular acceleration.
What is the purpose of the semicircular canals?
Stabilize vision during head turns.
The semicircular canals are oriented at ______ degrees to one another.
The semicircular canals are oriented at 90 degrees to one another.
What are the three semicircular canals named?
Superior (anterior), posterior, and horizontal.
The superior and posterior canals are positioned how?
45 degrees from midline
Explain the counterbalanced design of semicircular canals:
Each canal works with a partner on the opposite side and responds to a different direction.
The semicircular canal on the side the person is moving toward activates and the semicircular canal on the side the person is moving away from deactivates.
When the head rotates to the right, firing rate increases in the _________ horizontal semicircular canal. Meanwhile, the firing rate decreases in the ______ horizontal semicircular canal.
When the head rotates to the right, firing rate increases in the RIGHT horizontal semicircular canal. Meanwhile, the firing rate decreases in the LEFT horizontal semicircular canal.
In the semicircular canals, the direction of movement will correspond with an increase in…
the activity of that canal.
When the head is rotated on the transverse plane (head turns), there is maximal activity in which semicircular canal?
Horizontal canal
When the head is moved in the sagittal plane (nodding head forward), there is maximal activity in which semicircular canal?
Superior/anterior canal
When the head is moved in the coronal plane (side bending), there is maximal activity in which semicircular canal?
Superior/anterior canal and posterior canal
When the head is moved in the sagittal plane (tilting head backwards), there is maximal activity in which semicircular canal?
Posterior canal
Which semicircular canal would you expect to be activated during this movement:
Turning head to the right
Right horizontal canal
Which semicircular canal would you expect to be activated during this movement:
Nodding head forward
Superior/anterior canals (both sides)
Which semicircular canal would you expect to be activated during this movement:
Tilting head to the right
Right superior/anterior canal
and
Right posterior canal
In semicircular canals, the frequency of action potentials increases with…
higher angular acceleration
There is _______ utricle and _______ saccule on each side of the head.
There is one utricle and one saccule on each side of the head.
Otolith organs each contain…
Each saccule and utricle contain a sensory epithelium (macula), consisting of hair cells enclosed by a gelatinous mass topped by crystals (otoconia).
The sensory epithelium found in otolith organs is called:
Macula
The crystals found in otolith organs are called:
Otoconia
The otolith organs are sensitive to…
The otolith organs are sensitive to linear movements of the head and static head tilts (gravitational forces).
The orientation of the otolith organs is different making each type more sensitive to different movements, explain:
Utricles are more horizontal and therefore are more responsive to side bending and side stepping.
Saccules are more vertical and therefore are more responsive to up-down and tilting forward and backward.
Utricle = ______________ movements
Saccule = _____________ movements
Utricle = horizontal movements
Saccule = vertical movements
The saccular and utricular maculae are mirror images with the opposite side, true or false?
True
On opposite sides of each macula (of the utricle and saccule), hair cells are sensitive to…
On opposite sides of each macula (of the utricle and saccule), hair cells are sensitive to opposite movements.
During side-bending, the discharge rate of the vestibular nerve axon coming from the utricle ________________.
Increases
During side-bending, the discharge rate of the vestibular nerve axon coming from the utricle increases. There is an _______________ response from that neuron when moving in the opposite direction.
During side-bending, the discharge rate of the vestibular nerve axon coming from the utricle increases. There is an opposite response from that neuron when moving in the opposite direction.
Decreased firing rate.
Vestibular pathways are ____________sensory (receive visual and vestibular input).
Vestibular pathways are multisensory (receive visual and vestibular input).
Vestibular pathways are multisensory (receive visual and vestibular input). This is essential for…
Postural control and control of eye movements
Vestibular nuclei provide very fast compensatory ________________and _____________ movements.
Vestibular nuclei provide very fast compensatory EYE and HEAD movements.
The __________________ fasciculus tells the eyes which way they should move via connections with cranial nerves.
The medial longitudinal fasciculus tells the eyes which way they should move via connections with cranial nerves.
Which fasciculus is involved in the vestibulo-ocular reflex?
The medial longitudinal fasciculus is involved in the vestibulo-ocular reflex.
Explain the purpose of the vestibulo-occular reflex
Keep eyes on target while head is moving
Explain the vestibulo-ocular reflex through describing what happens as the head turns to the right…
As head turns to the right, the right horizontal semicircular canal is activated (the left horizontal semicircular canal is inhibited).
The eye musculature responsible for moving the eyes to the left are activated. Eye musculature responsible for moving the eyes to the right are inhibited.
Explain the vestibulo-ocular reflex through describing what happens as the head turns to the left…
As the head turns to the left, the left horizontal semicircular canal is activated, the right semicircular canal is inhibited.
The eye musculature responsible for moving the eyes to the right is activated. The eye musculature responsible for moving the eyes to the left is inhibited.
The vestibulospinal tract is involved in the control of postural orientation and stability. Information from the vestibular nerve travels to the vestibular nuclei and cerebellum. Vestibular nuclei give rise to the…
lateral and medial vestibulospinal tracts
The medial vestibulospinal tract arises from the…
Medial vestibular nucleus
The medial vestibulospinal tract arises from the medial vestibular nucleus, then descends ____________ in the spinal cord.
The medial vestibulospinal tract arises from the medial vestibular nucleus, then descends BILATERALLY in the spinal cord.
The medial vestibulospinal tract arises from the medial vestibular nucleus, descends bilaterally in the spinal cord, then terminates…
The medial vestibulospinal tract arises from the medial vestibular nucleus, descends bilaterally in the spinal cord, then terminates in the medial anterior horn of the cervical cord.
Where does the medial vestibulospinal tract terminate?
The medial anterior horn of the cervical spinal cord.
The medial vestibulospinal tract regulates…
The medial vestibulospinal tract regulates head and neck position.
The _________________ reflex moves head in opposite direction of motion.
The vestibular cervical reflex moves head in opposite direction of motion.
The lateral vestibulospinal tract arises from ______________________.
The lateral vestibulospinal tract arises from lateral vestibula nuclei.
The lateral vestibulospinal tract project the full length of the spinal cord, true or false?
True
The lateral corticospinal tract arises from the lateral vestibular nuclei then projects…
ipsilaterally (same-side it originates from) down the full length of the spinal cord.
The medial vestibulospinal tract projects ipsilaterally down the full length spinal cord, whereas the lateral vestibulospinal tract projects bilaterally down the spinal cord and terminates in the cervical region, true or false?
False (opposite), the LATERAL vestibulospinal tract projects ipsilaterally down the full length spinal cord, whereas the MEDIAL vestibulospinal tract projects bilaterally down the spinal cord and terminates in the cervical region, true or false?
The _____________ vestibulospinal tract controls proximal extensor muscle tone for maintenance of posture.
The lateral vestibulospinal tract controls proximal extensor muscle tone for maintenance of posture.
Which tract(s) are involved in the vestibular-spinal reflex?
The medial vestibulospinal tract
The lateral vestibulospinal tract
The reticulospinal tract
Which reflex causes the body to flex in the opposite direction of motion?
Vestibular-spinal reflex
The lateral corticospinal tract controls…
Proximal extensor muscle tone for maintenance of posture (particularly for lower limbs).
The cerebellum provides input to the medial and lateral vestibular nuclei, and plays a role in posture and balance, how?
The cerebellum distinguishes between motions detected by the otoliths and motions detected by the semicircular canals.
It also distinguishes between active and passive movements.
Vestibular information ascends ____________ from the vestibular nuclei to the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus.
Vestibular information ascends BILATERALLY from the vestibular nuclei to the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus.
Vestibular information ascends bilaterally from the vestibular nuclei to the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus, then goes to…
Multiple cortical areas (parietal cortex and insula) and generates a head-in-space picture.
Vestibular information ascends and ultimately ends in which cortical area(s)?
The parietal cortex and insula
The vestibular and visual systems are unmatched, true or false?
False, the vestibular and visual systems are matched to one another.
Physiological vertigo occurs because…
There is a conflict between the sensory systems (vestibular and visual)
Pathological vertigo is caused by…
A sudden imbalance of vestibular signals due to a lesion in the vestibular system.