Motor Cortical Control Flashcards
What are the two principles of motor control?
Hierarchical organisation
Functional segregation
What is Hierarchical organisation?
high order areas of hierarchy are involved in more complex tasks
What are considered to be more complex tasks (hint: secondary cortices function)?
programme and decide on movements, coordinate muscle activity
What is considered to be a lower level task?
execution of movement
What is functional segregation?
Motor system organised in a number of different areas that control different aspects of movement
What are the major tracts downwards?
Pyramidal tracts
Extrapyramidal tracts
What is the the pathway of the pyramidal tracts?
Pass through the pyramids in the medulla
Output neurones in the motor cortex
Project down to the spina cord or cranial nerve nuclei
What are the two pyramidal tracts?
Corticospinal
Corticobulbar
What are the 4 extrapyramidal tracts?
Vestibulospinal
Tectospinal
Reticulospinal
Rubrospinal
What is the pathway for the extrapyramidal tracts?
Do not pass down through the pyramids of the medulal
Upper MN in the cortex
Lower MN in the brain stem nuclei
What is the function of the pyramidal tracts?
Voluntary movements of body and face
What is the function of the extrapyramidal tracts?
involuntary (automatic) movements for balance, posture and locomotion
Where is the primary motor cortex located?
Located in precentral gyrus, anterior to the central sulcus
What is the function of the primary motor cortex?
controls fine, discrete, precise voluntary movements.
Provides descending signals to execute movements.
last common pathway from the brain to the lower motor neurons in the brainstem or spinal cord
Where is the premotor cortex located?
Located anterior to primary motor cortex
What is the function of the premotor area?
involved in planning movements
Regulates externally cued movements
e.g. seeing an apple and reaching out for it
Where is the supplementary motor area located?
Located anterior and medial to primary motor cortex
What is the function of the supplementary motor area?
Involved in planning complex movements (e.g. internally cued, speech)
Becomes active prior to voluntary movement
Where is the cerebral peduncle located?
Midbrain
Where does the corticospinal tract decussate?
Medulla
What is the name given to the tract that decussates?
Lateral corticospinal tract
85-90%
What is the name given to the tract that stays on the same side?
Anterior corticospinal tract
10-15%
Whats the function of the lateral corticospinal tract?
Responsible for limb muscle control
Whats the function of the anterior corticospinal tract?
Responsible for innervation of the axial musculature
What is the motor homunculus?
The little man that shows the distribution of innervation
What is the somatotropic representation?
Maps regions of the brain and where they control
What is the function of the corticobulbar tract?
Responsible for voluntary movements of the face
Motor cortex contains the UMN synapse with brainstem cranial nerve nuclei to go to muscles that control movements of the face
What are the nuclei that provide facial movements?
Oculomotor nucleus (Eye) Trochlear nucleus Trigeminal motor nucleus (Jaw muscles) Abducens nucleus (Eye) Facial nucleus (Muscles of the face) Hypoglossal nucleus (tongue)
What is the function of the vestibulospinal tract?
Stabilise head during body movements, or as head moves
Coordinate head movements with eye movements
Mediate postural adjustments
What is the function of the reticulospinal tract?
Most primitive descending tract - from medulla and pons
Changes in muscles tone associated with voluntary movement
Postural stability