Motor Tracts Flashcards
What is the difference between direct and indirect motor pathways?
Direct - cortex to spinal cord
Indirect - synapses in brainstem, basal ganglia, thalmus, reticular formation, and cerebellum
What type of pathway is the corticospinal tract?
Direct motor
What are the two divisions of the corticospinal tract and what do they do?
Medial (not clinically significant) - postural muscles. Stays ipsilateral.
Lateral - contralateral limb muscles and fractionation
What is the CST pathway?
UMNs arise in cortex (primary motor cortex). Descend through posterior limb of internal capsule, go through cerebral peduncles (middle 1/3), anterior pons, pyramids, and cross in the pyramidal decussation (lower medulla). Descends in lateral column of SC as lateral CST. Synapses with LMNs in anterior horn of SC.
What is the blood supply for the CST?
Midbrain - P1 of PCA
Pons - Paramedian branches of basilar a
Medulla - Sulcal branches of ASA
What is the somatotopic arrangement of fibers in the CST?
Legs lateral, trunk, and arms medial
What is the blood supply to the posterior limb of the internal capsule?
Lenticulostriate a
What type of pathway is the corticobulbar tract?
Direct motor
What does the corticobulbar tract do?
Influences muscles innervated by cranial nerves except for eyes
Which cranial nerves are involved in the CBT?
V, VII, IX, X, XI, XII
5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
What is the pathway of the CBT?
UMNs arise from ventral part of primary motor cortex and travel down through the GENU of the internal capsule.They pass through the cerebral peduncles, anterior pons, and pyramids. They then stop at the specific motor nucleus for the CN
Where are the CN nuclei located for the CBT?
V and VII - pons
IX, X, XII - rostral medulla
XI - SC
Where do CBT fibers go for CN V nucleus?
Bilaterally to CN V motor nucleus
Where do CBT fibers go for CN VII nucleus?
Bilateral input for forehead, contralateral input for lower face
Where do CBT fibers go for CN XII nucleus?
Contralateral nucleus