Motor function Flashcards
What are motor neurons involved in?
Pathways which carry efferent impulses from the CNS to the periphery of the head and body which ultimately activate effectors
What are motor neurons needed for?
- voluntary muscle contraction (somatic nervous system)
- involuntary muscle contraction (autonomic nervous system)
What else inputs to motor neurons as they pass through the CNS?
- eyes
- vestibular apparatus
- cerebellum
- basal ganglion loop system
What order is the hierarchy of motor pathways?
- primary motor cortex
- upper motor neurons
- lower motor neurons
Where is the primary motor cortex?
in the brain
What are upper motor neurons?
Axons from the primary motor cortex descending directly into the brainstem or spinal cord
What do the lower motor neurons do?
Receive an impulse from an upper motor neuron and then exit the CNS to cause the contraction of a muscle at the periphery
What lower motor neurons exit at the brainstem?
the cranial nerves, which innervate the muscles of the head and neck
Which motor neurons exit from the spinal cord?
Spinal nerves which innervate the muscles of the lower body
Which lower motor neurons synapse in the spinal cord?
Those which exit the spinal cord from the anterior horn of the grey matter
Each branch of the motor neuron will synapse with what?
A motor end plate - the region of the muscle that the neuron communicates with across the synapse
How is voluntary muscle contraction stimulated?
Motor neuron releases acetylcholine
Which areas of the frontal lobe are involved in motor movement?
- primary motor cortex (M1)
- premotor cortex (PM)
- supplemental motor area (SMA)
What does the premotor cortex do?
receives sensory input from parietal lobe and basal ganglia to help plan and prepare movement
What does the supplemental motor area do?
Coordinates complex fine movements and posture
Where is the primary motor cortex?
in the precentral gyrus of each hemisphere
How is the primary motor cortex arranged?
somatopically - body represented in the correct sequence but upside down
What are the main motor pathways divided into?
- the lateral pathways
- the medial pathways
What are the lateral motor pathways?
- corticospinal tract (from cerebral cortex)
- rubrospinal tract
What are the medial motor pathways?
- reticulospinal tracts
- tectospinal tracts
- vestibulospinal tract
- ventral corticospinal tract (from cerebral hemisphere)
Which are the pyramidal pathways?
- corticospinal tract
- ventral corticospinal tract
Which are the extrapyramidal pathways?
- rubrospinal tract
- reticulospinal tract
- tectospinal tract
- vestibulospinal tract
What is the function of the medial pathways?
To coordinate:
1. balance and posture
2. proximal limb muscles
3. guiding of limbs into positions for planned movement
Where does the vestibulospinal tract start?
in the vestibular spinal tract - spans pons and medulla
What do the vestibular nuclei do?
- receive info about balance from the semi circular canals in middle ear
- send info back from vesticulocerebrum to modulate and refine motor output
What doe the vestibulospinal tracts do?
Convey balance info to spinal cord where it remains ipsilateral, and controls balance and posture by:
1. innervating ‘anti-gravity’ muscle sin trunk and spine to maintain upright position
2. respond to changes in head position and movement - essential for reflexive adjustment to maintain balance and prevent falls
Where do the reticulospinal tracts arise from?
the reticular formation of the pons or medulla
What does the reticular system do?
receives sensory input from the spinoreticular tracts, red nuclei, and motor cortex
What do the reticulospinal tracts do?
Influence voluntary movement by controlling muscle tone and are involved in the synchronisation of complex movements