Motor Cortical Control Flashcards
What is the organisation like in motor control?
- Hierarchal organisation
- Functional segregation
What does the hierarchal organisation mean?
- high order areas of hierarchy are involved in more complex tasks (programme and decide on movements, coordinate muscle activity)
- lower level areas of hierarchy perform lower level tasks (execution of movement)
What is the functional segregation?
Motor system organised in a number of different areas that control different aspects of movement
Where does the motor cortex receive information from? What happens to them?
- from cortical areas
- to thalamus and brainstem
What does the cerebellum and basal ganglia do?
adjust commands received from other parts of motor control system
What does the brainstem pass?
commands from cortex to spinal cord
What are the two pyramidal tracts?
- Corticospinal
2. Corticobulbar
What are pyramidal tracts?
major descending tracts
What do the pyramidal tracts pass through?
pyramidsof the medulla
What is the path of the pyramidal tracts?
motor cortex, spinal cord/cranial nerve nuclei in brainstem
What type of movements are carried out by the pyramidal tract?
voluntary movements of body and face
What are the 4 extrapyramidal tracts?
- Vestibulospinal
- Tectospinal
- Reticulospinal
- Rubrospinal
Where do the extrapyramidal tracts pass?
not pass through thepyramidsof the medulla
What is the journey of the extrapyramidal tracts?
Brainstem nuclei to spinal cord
What sort of movements are in the extrapyramidal tracts?
involuntary (automatic) movements for balance, posture and locomotion
What type of tract is the extrapyramidal tracts?
Major Descending
Where is the primary motor cortex?
precentral gyrus - anterior to the central sulcus
What does the primary motor cortex do?
- controls fine, discrete, precise voluntary movements.
2. Provides descending signals to execute movements.
Where is the premotor area located?
anterior to primary motor cortex
What is the premotor area involved in?
planning movements
What does the premotor area regulate?
externally cued movements e.g. seeing an apple and reaching for it
Where is the supplementary area located?
anterior and medial to primary motor cortex
What is the supplementary area involved in?
planning complex movements (e.g. internally cued, speech)
When does the supplementary are become active?
prior to voluntary movement
What makes up the lateral cortical spinal tract?
85-90% crossed fibres
What is the lateral corticospinal tract responsible for?
Limb muscle control
What makes up the anterior cortical spinal tract?
10-15% uncrossed fibres
What is the anterior corticospinal tract responsible for?
trunk muscles
What is the corticobulbar tract responsible for?
voluntary movements of the face and neck
What is in the primary motor cortex?
upper motor neurons
What is the oculomotor nucleus, trochlear nucleus and abducens nucleus involved in? (corticobulbar tract)
eye movements
What is the trigeminal motor nucleus responsible for? (corticobulbar tract)
muscles of the jaw
What is the facial nucleus responsible for? (corticobulbar tract)
muscles of the face