Motor control 1 Flashcards
High level of motor control - function and structures
strategy, association neocortex and basal ganglion
Middle level of motor control - function and structures
tactics, motor cortex and cerebellum
Low level of motor control - function and structures
execution, brain stem and spinal cord
Strategy
The goal and movement strategy best to achieve goal
Tactics
spatiotemporal muscle contraction sequence
Execution
activation of motor neuron and inter neuron pools
2 lateral pathways
corticospinal and rubrospinal
What do lateral pathways control?
control voluntary movements of distal muscles
What do ventromedial pathways control?
posture and locomotion
What lateral pathway is more important and longer?
CST
What makes up the CST?
2/3 area 4 and 6 of frontal motor cortex
rest is somatosensory
Where does CST decussate and what is the relevance of this?
medulla/spinal cord so each motor cortex controls opposite side of body
Where does rubrospinal tract start?
red nucleus of midbrain
Difference between CST lesion and CST+RST lesion
Lose fine movements of hand and arms and struggle to move body parts independently
Just CST - RST compensates and regain movements
Vestibulospinal tract function
stabilise head and neck
tectospinal tract function
Ensures eyes remain stable as the body moves
2 ventromedial pathways for posture and locomotion
tectospinal and vestibulospinal
2 ventromedial pathway tracts for controlling trunk and antigravity muscles
pontine and medullary reticulospinal tracts
Where do pontine and medullary reticulospinal tracts originate?
brainstem
What muscles do medial LMN control?
axial and proximal limb muscles
What muscles do lateral LMN control?
distal limb muscles
Medial tracts from brainstem control what?
posture, balance and orienting
Lateral tracts from cortex control what?
precise skilled voluntary movement
Where on the brain Is the primary motor cortex?
precentral gyrus
Area 4
primary motor cortex
Area 6
premotor area and supplementary motor area
What do supplementary motor areas innervate?
distal motor units directly
What do premotor area connect?
Reticulospinal neurons innervation proximal motor units
Mental image of body in space by what to which part of the cortex?
proprioceptors, visual field and somatosensory
parietal cortex - 5,7
Prefrontal and parietal cortex functions
decisions taken about what action/moves to take and their likely outcome
Axons from prefrontal and parietal cortex synapse where?
Area 6
If you are just thinking of a movement will area 6 or 4 be active?
6 only as 4 is for doing
When do neurons in premotor area fire action potentials?
one second before a movement occurs
When does area 6 fire?
movement made, imagined or someone else does movement
Mirror neurons - clinical importance
May underpin emotions and empathy and dysfunctional possible in autism
