Motor control Flashcards
In terms of motor control, what is meant by hierarchical organisation?
High order areas of hierarchy are involved in more complex tasks (programme and decide movements, coordinate muscle activity), lower level areas perform lower level tasks (execution of movement)
In terms of motor control, what is meant by functional segregation?
Motor system organised in as number of different areas that control different aspects of movement
In terms of motor control, what is meant by the motor system hierarchy?
Different parts of the brain interact with each other in order to bring out voluntary or involuntary movement
What are the three broad principles of motor control?
Hierarchical organisation, functional segregation and motor system hierarchy
What are the two types of major descending tracts associated with motor control?
Pyramidal tracts and extrapyramidal tracts
What are the two major descending pyramidal tracts?
The corticospinal (movement from the neck down) and corticobulbar tracts (movement of the head and neck)
Why are pyramidal tracts called pyramidal tracts?
Pass through the pyramids of the medulla, whereas the extrapyramidal tracts do not
Outline the path of the major descending pyramidal tracts
Motor cortex to spinal cord or cranial nerve nuclei in brainstem
What is the function of the major descending pyramidal tracts?
Voluntary movements of the body and face
What are the 4 major descending extrapyramidal tracts?
Vestibulospinal, tectospinal, reticulospinal, rubrospinal
Outline the path of the major descending extrapyramidal tracts
Brainstem nuclei to spinal cord
what is the function of the major descending extrapyramidal tracts?
Involuntary movements for balance, posture and locomotion
What is the function of the premotor area?
Involved in the planning of movements, regulates externally cued movements
The premotor area is located where?
Anterior to primary motor cortex
What is the function of the supplementary motor area?
Planning complex movements, becomes active prior to voluntary movement
Where is the supplementary motor area located?
Anterior and medial to the primary motor cortex
Outline the pathway of the corticobulbar tract
Upper motor neurones in the primary motor cortex synapse with brainstem nuclei to provide voluntary movement of the face and neck
Outline the pathway of the corticospinal tract
Upper motor neurones in the primary motor cortex descend and converge to form the corona radiata. The fibres then pass through the midbrain, the pons, into the medulla. The majority of fibres dessucate in the medulla forming the lateral tract, both tracts run along the spinal cord synapsing with lower motor neurones.
What is the function of the Vestibulospinal tract?
Stabilise head during body movements, coordinate head movements with eye movements. Mediate postural adjustments.
What is the function of the reticulospinal tract?
Changes in muscle tones associated with voluntary movement. Postural stability
What is the function of the tectospinal tract?
Orientation of the head and neck during eye movements
What is the function of the rubrospinal tract?
Mainly taken over by corticospinal tract, innervates lower motor neurones of flexors of the upper limb
What path does the reticulospinal tract take?
From medulla to pons
Where does the tectospinal tract originate?
From superior colloculus of midbrain
Where does the rubrospinal tract originate?
From red nucleus of midbrain
Outline the negative signs associated with a upper motor neurone lesion
Loss of voluntary motor function. Paresis (graded weakness of movements). Plegia of voluntary muscle activity
Outline the positive signs associated with an upper motor neurone lesion
Increased abnormal motor function due to loss of inhibitory descending inputs. Spasticity. Hyper-reflexia. Clonus. Babinskis sign.
What is spasticity?
Where a muscle is over-active
What is hyper-reflexia?
Exaggerated reflexes
What is clonus?
Abnormal oscillatory muscle contraction
What is babinskis sign?
Abnormal Dorsi flexion of toes with plantar stimulation
What is apraxia?
Disorder of skilled movement. Patients are not paretic but have lost information about how to perform skilled movements
Why does a lower motor neurone lesion result in hypotonia and not spasticity?
No signal from brain for contraction
What are the causes of apraxia?
Lesion of inferior parietal lobe, the frontal lobe. Stroke and dementia are the most common causes
What are the signs of a lower motor neurone lesion?
Weakness, hypotonia, hyporeflexia, muscle atrophy, fasciculations, fibrillations
What is hypotonia?
Reduced muscle tone
What is hyporeflexia?
Reduced reflexes
What are fasciculations?
Damaged motor units produces spontaneous action potentials resulting in a visible twitch
What are fibrillations?
Spontaneous twitching of individual muscle fibres, recorded during needle electromyography examination