Motor Cortical Control Flashcards

1
Q

what kind of organisation exists in the motor system?

A

functional segregation
Motor system organized in a number of different areas that control different aspects of movement
hierarchical organisation depending on complexity of tasks (higher order control programme and decide movement and lower excecute tasks)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

where does information from the primary motor cortex pass to?

A

basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, spinal cord and brainstem

  • brainstem → muscles of head, neck, facespinal cord → rest of muscles
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what muscles do motor information in the brainstem get passed to? what about the spinal cord?

A

brainstem → muscles of head, neck, face

spinal cord → rest of muscles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what do the basal ganglia and cerebellum do?

A

adjust the commands received from other parts of the motor control system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what are the pyramidal tracts?

A

corticospinal and corticobulbar

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

extrapyramidal tracts?

A

vestibulospinal, tectospinal, reticulospinal, rubrospinal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Are extrapyramidal tracts ascending or descending

A

Descending

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what makes something pyramidal/extrapyramidal?

A

either pass through pyramids of medulla or don’t

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

functional differences - what do pyramidal do?

A

voluntary movements of body and face (motor cortex → cranial nerve nuclei or spinal cord)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

functional differences - what do extrapyramidal do?

A

involuntary movements for posture, balance and locomotion
Brainstem nuclei to spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Corticospinal tract

A

Passes down lateral corticospinal tract or anterior corticospinal tract
Decussation occurs where most go to lateral
Lateral control limb muscles anterior control trunk

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

corticobulbar function?

A

movements of face and neck → cranial nerve nuclei

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

vestibulospinal function?

A

stabilise head during body movement , coordinate head movement with eye movement, postural adjustments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

reticulospinal function?

A

Muscle tone changes with voluntary movement
postural stability
Primitive descending tact
From medulla and pons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

tectospinal function?

A

orientation of head and neck during eye movements
From superior colliculus of midbrain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Rubrospinal

A

Innervate lower motor neurons of flexors of the Upper limb
From red nucleus of the
Mainly taken over by corticospinal tract

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

negative signs of upper motor neuron lesion?

A

loss of voluntary motor function
paresis (graded weakness of movements)
paralysis-complete loss of movement

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Positive signs of upper motor lesions

A
  • spasticityincreased muscle tone
  • hyperreflexiaexaggerated reflexes
  • clonusabnormal oscillatory muscle contraction
  • babinski’s signabnormal upward curling of big toe (normal in infants but not adults) on stimulation

increased abnormal motor function due to loss of inhibitory descending inputs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Apraxia

A

Loss of skilled movement (loss of info is not paretic)
Have lost info about how to perform skilled movement

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Common cause of apraxia

A

Stroke and dementia
Lesions of inferior parietal lobe ,frontal lobe (premotor cortex,supplementary motor area)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

signs of lower motor tract lesion

A

hypotonia, hyporeflexia, muscle atrophy,weakness

  • fasciculationsdamaged motor units → spontaneous action potentials → visible twitch
  • fibrillationstwitching of individual muscle fibres recorded during needle electromyography
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what are dysarthria and dysphagia?

A

Difficulty speaking or swallowing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what is motor neuron disease?

A

progressive neurodegenerative disorder of motor system → spectrum
Also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
UMN-spasticity,brisk limb and jaw reflex,babinski sign,loss of dexterity,dysarthria,dysphagia
LMN-weakness,muscle wasting,tongue fasicukation,nasal speech,dysphagia

24
Q

basal ganglia main structural elements?

A

caudate nucleus
lentiform nucleus
substantia nigra (midbrain)
nucleus accumbens
subthalmic nuclei

25
Q

basal ganglia main function?

A

decision to move

performing associated movements e.g. changing facial expression in reaction, swinging arms while walking

suppressing unwanted movements

performing movements in order

26
Q

what is the striatum?

A

Caudate nucleus and putamen

27
Q

what is parkinson’s disease?

A

degeneration of dopaminergic neurons from substantia nigra to striatum

Symptoms include bradykinesia, expressionless face → hypomimic, akinesia (difficulty in initiation of movements), rigidity, tremor at rest

28
Q

Huntingtons disease

A

degeneration of GABAergic neurons in striatum caudate and then putamen

Symptoms involve jerky involuntary movement,difficulty swallowing,gait disorder and cognitive decline/dementia

Choreic movement

29
Q

What is ballism

A

Contralateral flinging of extremities
Caused by stroke affecting the subthalamic nucleus
Symptoms occur contralaterally

30
Q

What separates the cerebrum and cerebellum

A

Tentorium cerebelli

31
Q

broad function of cerebellum?

A

Coordinates and predictions of movement

32
Q

Three main parts of cerebellum

A

vestibulocerebellum (central strip), spinocerebellum (medial vertical stripe), cerebrocerebellum (lateral stripe)

  • vestibulocerebellumregulate gait, posture and equilibrium, coordinate head and eye movements. Damage (tumour) causes gait ataxia and tendency to fall even when sitting with eyes open
  • spinocerebellumcoordinate speech, coordinate limb movements, adjust muscle tone. Damage (degeneration and atrophy associated with chronic alcoholism) affect leg causing abnormal gait and stance (wide)
  • cerebrocerebellumcoordinate skilled movements, cognitive function & attention, process language, emotional control. Damage affects mainly arms/skilled coordinated movements and speech
33
Q

main signs of cerebellar dysfunction?

A
  • ataxiagait disturbance
  • dysmetriainappropriate force and distance for target oriented movement
  • intention tremoroscillatory limb trajectory in target directed movement
  • dysdiadochokinesiainability to perform rapidly alternating movements
  • scanning speechstaccato bc impairment of speech muscle coordination
  • lower motor neurons of brainstem and spinal cord
34
Q

Alpha motor neurons

A

Lower motor neurons of brainstem and spinal cord
Innervate extrafusal muscle fibres if skeletal muscle

35
Q

Activation of alpha motor neurons

A

Causes muscle contraction

36
Q

what is a motor unit?

A

single motor neuron along with all the muscle fibres it innervates

37
Q

different types of motor unit?

A

slow (type I)- small dendritic trees cell bodies and axons
fast & fatigue resistant (type IIA)-large dendritic trees cell bodie and axons
fast & fatiguable (type IIB)-large dendritic trees cell bodies and axons

38
Q

difference in force produced by IIA and IIB?

A

IIA is weaker, IIB (fatiguable) is stronger

39
Q

Order of motor unit recruitment

A

Small first to allow slow twitch units (fine movement allowed)

40
Q

Rate coding

A

Way for brain to regulate force a muscle produces
The higher the firing rate the more force produced

41
Q

Summation

A

unit fires at too fast a frequency to allow muscle relaxation between contractions → recruitment of other motor units

-

42
Q

what are neurotrophic factors?

A

growth factors that prevent neuron death and promote growth after injury

43
Q

what does cross innervation of muscle fibres do?

A

some properties are switched e.g. muscle fibres can become faster or slower dependent on nerve

44
Q

What change does aging cause

A

preferential loss of type II fibres → slower contraction times

45
Q
  • what determines the magnitude and timing of reflex functions?
A

Intensity and onset stimulus

46
Q

reflexes can’t be controlled but can be influenced e.g. by Jendrassik manoeuvre → what is that?

A

pulling against locked fingers to increase magnitude of knee jerk reflex
Can also bite down teeth or clench fist

47
Q

supraspinal control of reflex arcs under normal conditions?

A

Inhibitory

48
Q

what reveals the excitatory control?

A

Decerebration

49
Q

how can brain damage affect reflexes?

A

rigidity and spasticity from brain damage can result in over-active stretch reflexes

50
Q

hyperreflexia is associated with what kind of lesion?

A

upper motor neuron lesion → loss of descending inhibition

51
Q

defining features of clonus?

A

involuntary and rhythmic muscle contractions

52
Q

hyporeflexia is associated with what kind of disorder?

A

Lower motor neurone disease

53
Q

Descending supraspimal control of reflex

A
  1. Activating alpha motor neurons
    2.activating inhibitory interneurons
    3.activating propriospinal neurons
    4.activating gamma motor neurons
    5.actuvating terminal of afferent fibres
54
Q

Primary motor cortex

A

Located in pre central gyrus anterior to central sulcus
Controls fine discrete precise voluntary movement
Provide descending signal to execute movement

55
Q

Premotor area

A

Located anterior to primary motor cortex
Involved in planning movement
Regulates externally cued movement
Eg seeing an apple and reaching out for it

56
Q

Supplementary motor area

A

Located anterior and medial to primary motor cortex
Plans complex movement eg internally cued speech
Becomes active prior to voluntary movement