Neural Control of Movement

Question 1

What 4 areas underlie lower motor neurone weakess?

Answer 1

Within muscle spindle, at motor end plate, at spinal nerve and at axon projection from the ventral root

Question 2

What are the basal ganglia?

Answer 2

Group of structures linked to the thalamus in the base of the brain that are involved in coordination of movement

Question 3

What are the symptoms of cerebellum damage?

Answer 3

Ataxia and hypotonia

Question 4

Define ataxia

Answer 4

The loss of full control of bodily movements

Question 5

What are the symptoms of damage to the basal ganglia?

Answer 5

Slowing or unwanted movements (hyper/hypokinesia)

Question 6

What are the symptoms of damage to the association motor cortex?

Answer 6

Apraxia (unable to execute familiar learned movement in the absence of sensorimotor function)

Question 7

What are the symptoms of damage to the descending motor pathways?

Answer 7

Spasticity and hypertonia

Question 8

Define spasticity

Answer 8

Increase in muscle tone due to loss of inhibition of gamma motor neurones

Question 9

Define clonus

Answer 9

Muscular spasm involving repeated, often rhythmic, contractions

Question 10

What is a neuromuscular disorder?

Answer 10

This is a condition affecting one or more of the following: muscles, nerves, NMJ, motor/sensory cell-body

Question 11

What is muscle rigidity?

Answer 11

An increase in muscle tone due to the loss of inhibition of alpha motor neurones

Question 12

What is flaccidity (hypotonia)?

Answer 12

Occurs when the nerve or the LMNs are damaged

Question 13

What is the role of lower motor neurones?

Answer 13

Produce muscle contractions via motor units (strength is related to motor units)

Question 14

What is the role of upper motor neurones?

Answer 14

Produce voluntary movements

Question 15

What is the role of the cerebellum?

Answer 15

Coordinates muscle movement and selects correct sequences

Question 16

What is the role of basal ganglia?

Answer 16

Involved in the initiation and maintenance of movements and contains motor programmes

Question 17

What is the role of the association motor cortex and basal ganglia in the control of voluntary movement?

Answer 17

Strategy: planning and selecting programmes to produce desired movement

Question 18

What is the role of the primary motor cortex and cerebellum in the control of voluntary movement?

Answer 18

Tactics: sequences of muscle contractions over time to produce smooth, accurate movements

Question 19

What is the role of the brainstem and spinal cord in the control of voluntary movement?

Answer 19

Execution: of voluntary movement and any needed postural adjustment

Question 20

What is the function of the cerebrospinal tract?

Answer 20

Involved in precise movements

Question 21

What is the function of the rubrospinal tract?

Answer 21

Involved in gross movements and facilitates flexor movement

Question 22

What is the function of the vestibulospinal and reticulospinal tracts?

Answer 22

Involved in posture and balance

Question 23

What is an ‘efference copy’ produced by upper motor neurones?

Answer 23

A copy of the movement-producing signal being produced and collated with the sensory input which results from the patient’s movement, enabling a comparison of actual movement with desired movement

Question 24

What is the general function of the cerebellum?

Answer 24

The cerebellum coordinates complicated multi-joint movements and acts as a comparator or predictor of movements as it receives direct input from muscles and compares it with the intended signal for movement from the motor cortex

Question 25

What are three main parts of the cerebellum?

Answer 25

Vestibulocerebellum, spinocerebellum and cerebrocerebellum

Question 26

What is the role of the vestibulocerebellum

Answer 26

Involved in balance and posture (eye movements, VOR)

Question 27

What is the role of the spinocerebellum?

Answer 27

Involved in locomotion (voluntary movements of arms and legs)

Question 28

What is the role of the cerebrocerebellum?

Answer 28

Involved in skilled motor tasks (speech, hand-eye coordination and cognitive eye movements)

Question 29

What are the five nuclei in the basal ganglia?

Answer 29

Caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, substantia nigra and subthalamic nuclei

Question 30

What is the role of the posterior parietal cortex in movement?

Answer 30

Involved in the decision to move and the functional consequence of action

Question 31

What is the role of the association motor cortex in movement?

Answer 31

Stores plans to move until they are required; premotor holds external cues and supplementary motor holds internal cues

Question 32

What is the role of the primary motor cortex in movement?

Answer 32

Involved in the instruction to move via activation of the descending pathways