Motor Control Flashcards
What is the key to movement?
Prediction
What type of neurons actually make movement happen?
Central and peripheral motor neurons
What part of the brain controls the movement that is ment to happen?
Motor and pre-motor cortex
What part of movement selects the right movement at the right time?
Basal ganglia
What is the basal ganglia?
Collection of heavily interconnected nuclei in the brain
What is a common cause of movement disorders?
Damage to the basal ganglia
What are hypokinetic movement disorders (generally) caused by?
Low dopamine
What are hyperkinetic movement disorders (generally) caused by?
High dopamine
What is the rate model for how basal ganglia affect movement?
Changes in firing rate determine the degree of thalamic inhibition and therefore the amount of movement possible
What is Parkinson’s disease clinically dominated by?
Lack of movement (Bradykinesia)
What happens in Bradykinesia?
Lack of dopamine causing excitatory control of the basal ganglia -> increased inhibition of the thalamus and therefore less movement
What is hemibalismus and what is it caused by?
Flinging movement of one side of the body, typically caused by a sub thalamic nucleus stroke
What is dyskinesia?
Complication of Parkinson’s causing lots of excess movement
What is deep brain stimulation?
Electrode inserted into the sub thalamic nuclei
What firing frequency is seen in Parkinson’s?
Beta frequency prominence
What is deep brain stimulation used to treat?
Dyskinesia
What two things are used for treatment of Parkinson’s?
Levodopa and deep brain stimulation
What is movement?
Change from one stable sensory state to another stable sensory state
What do you need for movement to happen?
Turn down the current sensory state
Accurate prediction of future sensory state
Rate the importance of the movement
Be able to stabilise the new state
What is abnormal in Parkinson’s?
The initiation, scaling and persistence of movements
What causes the issues with movement initiation in Parkinson’s?
High beta -> current sensory state being too stable
What is wrong in Tourette’s syndrome?
Pathologically low beta
What does the low beta frequency in Tourette’s syndrome mean?
Current sensory state is unstable, so new unwanted patterns of movement can arise and happen without will
How do you treat Tourette’s?
Dopamine receptor antagonists which increase beta activity
