Motor Control I Flashcards
a
central sulcus
b
primary somatosensory cortex
c
posterior parietal cortex
d
primary motor cortex
e
supplementary motor cortex
f
premotor cortex
g
prefrontal cortex
Motor Control is a functional hierarchy with how many levels?
3 levels
What are the 3 levels of motor control, their function and the strucutres involved?
High - Strategy - Association neocortex, basal ganglion
Middle - Tactics - Motor cortex, cerebellum
Low - Execution - Brain stem, spinal cord
How is the brain connected to the spinal cord?
lateral pathways
ventromedial pathways
What is the function of the lateral pathwyas and what controls it?
control voluntary movements of distal muscles
under direct cortical control
What is the function of the ventromedial pathway and what controls it?
control posture and locomotion
under brain stem control
What 2 tracts make up the lateral pathways?
Cortocospinal tract (CST)
rubrospinal tract (RST)
Where does the CST originate?
2/3 of CST originates in areas 4 and 6 of the frontal motor cortex – the rest is somatosensory
What happens at the medulla/spinal cord junction in the CST?
at medulla/spinal cord junction, the CST crosses over (decussates)
the right motor cortex controls the left side and the left motor cortex controls the right side
Where do CST axons synapse?
CST axons synapse on ventral horn motor neurones and interneurones to control muscles voluntarily
Where does the RST start and where does it recieve its inputs from?
starts in the red nucleus of midbrain and receives inputs from same cortical areas as the CST
What are the effects of lesions on CST and RST?
Lesion to CST and RST - fine movements of arms and hands are lost. Can’t move shoulders, elbows, wrist and fingers independently
Lesion to CST alone – same deficits seen, but after a few months functions reappear as functions been taken over by RST - but if you then get a lesion on RST – lose restored functions
What are the two lateral pathways that control voluntary movements?
CST and RST
How do corticospinal tract axons control pools of spinal motor neurons?
They monosynaptically excite pools of agonist motoneurones
The same pyramidal neurones branch and via interneurons inhibit pools of antagonist motoneurones
Large pyramidal neurones in _________ project via CST
motor cortex
What are the two ventromedial pathways control posture and locomotion?
Vestibulospinal and Tectospinal tracts