Pathophysiology of motor control Flashcards
Where is the cortex
frontal lobe
What is meant by the primary cortex
Travels down the spinal cord and synapses with motor neurones
What is premotor cortex
Organises and sequences movements
What are the descending motor pathways
Primary motor cortex
internal capsule
cerebellar
What is a direct pathway
Corticospinal tracts
What are the indirect pathways
Rubrospinal tracts
vestibulospinal tracts
reticulospinal
Where are the cells bodies of lower motor neurones
Ant horn of spinal chord
What do alpha neurones of LMN do
Voluntary contraction
What do gamma neurones of LMN do
regulate tone and maintain propioception
What will happen with a UMN weakness
Flexors weak and extensors are poor
Features of UMN weakness
Spacisticity - stretch applied quickly and contraction is stronger Increased tone Hyperreflexia Clonus \+ve babinski response
Where will a UMN lesion be located
Cortex, brainstem, spinal cord
if an UMN is above the medulla
Contralateral hemiplegia
Flexed UL and ext LL
if an UMN is below the medulla
Cervial sc - quadriplegia - trauma + lesion above C5
thoracic or lumbar sc - paraplegia
features of paraplegia
arms are normal
lesion is below T1
