motor pathways

Question 1

What does damage to the descending motor tracts do?

Answer 1

ipsilateral hemiparesis

Question 2

What are the two major tracts to transfer motor signals?

Answer 2

• pyramidal tracts

- Extrapyramidal tracts

Question 3

what are the subdivision of pyramidal tracts? and where do they each supply?

Answer 3

• Corticospinal tracts: supply musculature of body

- Corticobulbar tracts: musculature of head and neck

Question 4

where do symptoms appear if there was a unilateral lesion of the left or right corticospinal tract? What are the cardinal signs of an upper motor neurone lesion:

Answer 4

symptoms appear on the contralateral side of the body.

Signs include:

• Hypertonia: increased muscle tone
• Hyperreflexia: increased muscle reflexes
• Clonus: involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction
• Babinski sign
• Muscle weakness

Question 5

what happens if there was unilateral lesion on corticibulbar tract?

Answer 5

has a bilateral nature so only mild muscle weakness