Motor control Flashcards
final common pathway
skeletal muscles can only be reached through the spinal or brainstem motloneuron
somatotopy
topography in the somatosensory and motor system
intrafusal fiber
modified muscle fiber in the muscle spindle
extrafusal fiber
muscle fiber outside the muscle spindle
annulospiral ending
terminal of the la fiber on the intrafusual fiber
miotatic reflex (stretch reflex)
monosynaptic reflex starting from the muscle spindle and causing contraction of the muscle on stretching
inverse miotatic reflex (tendon reflex)
bisynaptic reflex starting from the tendon organ: it protects the muscle and tendon by relaxing the muscle, when extreme tension develops
motor unit
collection of muscle fibers innervated by the same motoneuron
motoneuron pool
collection of motoneurons innervating muscle units in the same muscle
red muscle fibre
muscle fiber characterizied by good blood supply, many mitrochondria, high myoglobin content and slow fatigue
white muscle fiber
muscle fiber characterizied by few mitrochondria, low myoglobin content, quick fatigue but very fast contraction
renshaw neuron
inhibitory neuron in the spinal cord exited by collateral the alpha motoneuron and providing negative feedback to the motorneuron
decerebrate rigidity
increase of the muscle tone caused by the transection of the brain stem above the Deiter´s nucleus
muscle tone
continous, slight contraction of the skeletal muscles, important for maintaining the posture
purkinje neuron
GABAergic inhibitory neutron providing the main output of the cerebellum