Motor Control I Flashcards

1
Q

a

A

central sulcus

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2
Q

b

A

primary somatosensory cortex

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3
Q

c

A

posterior parietal cortex

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4
Q

d

A

primary motor cortex

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5
Q

e

A

supplementary motor cortex

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6
Q

f

A

premotor cortex

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7
Q

g

A

prefrontal cortex

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8
Q

Motor Control is a functional hierarchy with how many levels?

A

3 levels

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9
Q

What are the 3 levels of motor control, their function and the strucutres involved?

A

High - Strategy - Association neocortex, basal ganglion

Middle - Tactics - Motor cortex, cerebellum

Low - Execution - Brain stem, spinal cord

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10
Q

How is the brain connected to the spinal cord?

A

lateral pathways

ventromedial pathways

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11
Q

What is the function of the lateral pathwyas and what controls it?

A

control voluntary movements of distal muscles

under direct cortical control

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12
Q

What is the function of the ventromedial pathway and what controls it?

A

control posture and locomotion

under brain stem control

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13
Q

What 2 tracts make up the lateral pathways?

A

Cortocospinal tract (CST)

rubrospinal tract (RST)

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14
Q

Where does the CST originate?

A

2/3 of CST originates in areas 4 and 6 of the frontal motor cortex – the rest is somatosensory

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15
Q

What happens at the medulla/spinal cord junction in the CST?

A

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

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16
Q

Where do CST axons synapse?

A

CST axons synapse on ventral horn motor neurones and interneurones to control muscles voluntarily

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17
Q

Where does the RST start and where does it recieve its inputs from?

A

starts in the red nucleus of midbrain and receives inputs from same cortical areas as the CST

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18
Q

What are the effects of lesions on CST and RST?

A

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

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19
Q

What are the two lateral pathways that control voluntary movements?

A

CST and RST

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20
Q

How do corticospinal tract axons control pools of spinal motor neurons?

A

They monosynaptically excite pools of agonist motoneurones

The same pyramidal neurones branch and via interneurons inhibit pools of antagonist motoneurones

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21
Q

Large pyramidal neurones in _________ project via CST

A

motor cortex

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22
Q

What are the two ventromedial pathways control posture and locomotion?

A

Vestibulospinal and Tectospinal tracts

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23
Q

WHat is the function of the vestibulospinal tracts (VST)?

A

VST stabilizes head and neck

left pathway

24
Q

What is the function of the tectospinal tracts?

A

TST ensures eyes remain stable as body moves

right pathway

25
Q

Where do the vetromedial pathways originate?

A

in the brain stem

26
Q

What information does the vetromedial pathways use?

A

Use sensory information about balance, body position and vision

27
Q

How are voluntary movements carried out?

A

voluntary movements such as throwing require inputs from motor cortex via lateral pathways

28
Q

Can the motor cortex activate spinal motorneurons directly?

A

yes

29
Q

Can the motor cortex stop reflexes?

A

motor cortex can also free spinal neurones from reflex control - by interactions with the nuclei of the ventromedial pathways

30
Q

What pathway reflexly maintains balance and body position?

A

ventromedial pathways

31
Q

What is used to plan and control precise voluntary movements?

A

Primary motor cortex and pre-motor areas

32
Q

What are the targets of upper motor neurons?

A

Upper motor neurons in cortex and brainstem target lower motor neurons in the spinal cord. Some form circuits that control reflexes such as the stretch reflex and withdrawal reflex

33
Q

Lower motor neurone distribution is somatotopic - what does this mean?

A

Somatotopy is the point-for-point correspondence of an area of the body to a specific point on the central nervous system. Typically, the area of the body corresponds to a point on the primary somatosensory cortex

34
Q

What is the difference between medial and laterla LMN in what they control?

A

Medial ones control axial and proximal limb muscles, lateral ones innervate distal limb muscles

35
Q

What do medial tracts form the brainstem control and what do the lateral tracts from the cortex control?

A

medial tracts from brainstem control posture balance and orienting mechanisms

lateral tracts from cortex control precise skilled voluntary movements

36
Q

Study this picture showing the origins, destinations and functions of upper and lower motor neurones

A
37
Q

Where are the human primary motor cortex and premotor areas?

A

The primary motor cortex (area 4 or M1) is in the precentral gyrus

premotor and supplementary motor areas (PMA, SMA - area 6)

38
Q

Planning oof movement is done by the cerebral cortex, what do we need to know in order to make movement?

A
  1. where the body is in space
  2. where it wants to go
  3. and select a plan to get there
39
Q

This image shows the somatotopic organisation in primary motor cortex (M1 : area 4)

A
40
Q

Are the homunculus similar in motor and sensory cortex?

A

yes

41
Q

What would weak stimulation of specific areas of area 4 cause?

A

twitch of specific contralateral muscles

42
Q

Does the precentral gyrus also have somatotopic organisation?

A

primary motor cortex revealed somatotopic organisation of precentral gyrus like that in somatosensory areas of post central gyrus

43
Q

What does area 6 of the cortex do and how is it organised?

A

Area 6 neurones drive complex movements on either side of the body

They are also somatotopically organised

44
Q

How many motor maps does area 6 have?

A

2

one is in the premotor area - PMA and one is in the supplementary motor area - SMA

45
Q

What is the function ofthe SMA and PMA?

A

SMA innervates distal motor units directly

PMA connects with reticulospinal neurones innervating proximal motor units

46
Q

An image showing the areas of cortex involved in planning and instructing voluntary movement

A
47
Q

Is the somatotopic motor map is precise?

A

No

it does not represent upper motor neurones causing individual muscle movements

48
Q

What do functional maps in the cortex map?

A

functional maps in cortex appear to map movements - perhaps (in area 6) even the intention of a complete movement

49
Q

Purposeful movements of contralateral arm and hand during microstimulation - example

A

Microstimulation in specific area of primary motor cortex (area 4) elicits:

(A) coordinated movements of hand and mouth or

(B) movements that bring hands into central space to inspect/manipulate objects

(Blue crosses show start, lines are the movement, red dots the end point)

50
Q

What is used to create a mental image of the bosy in space?

A

mental image of body in space is generated by somatosensory, proprioceptive and visual inputs to posterior parietal cortex (areas 5 and 7).

51
Q

Where are decisions taken?

A

prefrontal and parietal cortex is where decisions are taken - which actions/movements to take and their likely outcome

52
Q

What does area 6 do?

A

signals encoding desired actions are converted into how to carry this out

53
Q

What areas of your brain do you use when thinking about a movement, not carrying it out?

A

if you only think about movements: area 6 is active, area 4 is not

area 4 is for “doing it”- by activating neurones of the CST and RST

54
Q

What does the PMA do before an action is carried out

A

Thinks about how it is done

Neurones in the premotor area (PMA) fire action potentials one second before a movement occurs

They are decision making neurones in command centres

55
Q

What are PMA mirrior neurones?

A

PMA “mirror neurones” fire when self or others perform specific actions

specific neurones in area 6 fire when movement is made and when movement is imagined – rehearsed mentally

they also fire when others make the same specific movement: this allows understanding of the actions or intentions of others

perhaps the same motor circuits plan our movements and allow us to understand the actions/goals of others