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Neuroscience > Sensorimotor control > Flashcards

Sensorimotor control Flashcards

1
Q

What is a reflex?

A

Rapid, involuntary, stereotyped and coordinated response in response to a sensory stimulus

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2
Q

What are learned reflexes called?

A

Pavlovian reflexes

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3
Q

What are spinal reflexes?

A

Reflexes involving the somatic nervous system

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4
Q

What are somatic reflexes?

A

Same as spinal reflexes

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5
Q

What is the dorsal root ganglion (DRG)?

A

Collection of cell bodies of afferent sensory neurons

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6
Q

What is an example of a monosynaptic reflex?

A

Patellar reflex

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7
Q

How does the patellar reflex work?

A
  • Sensory stimulus causes a signal to be sent down the primary afferent sensory neuron, travels through the DRG to the spinal chord
  • Sensory neuron synapses directly onto a motor neuron
  • Motor neuron stimulates the extensor muscle to contract, causing the knee to jerk
  • Inhibitory interneurons inhibit innervation to the flexor muscle to make it relax (reciprocal inhibition)
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8
Q

What is the patellar reflex?

A

Knee jerk reflex

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9
Q

What are extensor muscles?

A

Muscles which cause limbs to extend when they contract and increase the angle between the members of a limb e.g. contraction of the triceps causes the arm to straighten

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10
Q

What are flexor muscles?

A

Muscles which cause limbs to flex (bend)

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11
Q

What is a monosynaptic reflex?

A

A reflex where only one synapse is involved meaning there is direct communication between the sensory and motor neurons

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12
Q

What is the patellar reflex an example of?

A

Stretch (myotatic) reflex

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13
Q

What is a myotatic reflex?

A

Stretch reflex

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14
Q

Why does the patellar reflex happen?

A

Tapping on the knee stretches the thigh extensor muscle and associated tendon which is corrected by the contraction of the extensor muscle which causes a knee jerk

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15
Q

What is the proprioceptive system?

A

The system responsible for maintaining posture/balance and awareness of limb positioning

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16
Q

What is reciprocal inhibition?

A

When an inhibitory interneuron inhibits firing of motor neurons connected to the antagonising muscle involved in the reflex, which forces it to relax so it can’t oppose the movement of the agonist muscle

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17
Q

What is the muscle spindle?

A

Sensory receptor which detects muscle stretch

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18
Q

How is muscle stretch detected?

A

By the muscle spindles

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19
Q

What are proprioceptors?

A

Sense organs that monitor the position and movement of body parts

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20
Q

What kind of receptor is the muscle spindle?

A

Proprioceptor

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21
Q

Where are muscle spindles found?

A

In most striated muscle

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22
Q

Where are muscle spindles especially abundant?

A

Muscles involved in fine motor control e.g. hand

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23
Q

Which class of sensory afferent are muscle spindles innervated by?

A

Ia

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24
Q

Which class of motor neurons do Ia sensory fibres provide feedback to?

A

Alpha

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25
Q

Which class of motor neurons are muscle fibres themselves innervated by?

A

Gamma

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26
Q

How do gamma motor neurons control muscle spindles?

A

Stimulate the muscle fibres within the muscle spindle to maintain tension so the spindle never slackens

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27
Q

What are the muscles within the muscle spindles called?

A

Intrafusal

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28
Q

What is the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO)?

A

Sensory receptor which detects tension due to muscle contraction

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29
Q

What kind of receptor is the GTO?

A

Proprioceptor

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30
Q

Where is the GTO found?

A

In tendons

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31
Q

What is the difference between muscle spindles and GTOs?

A

GTOs detect tension due to contraction, not stretch which is detected by muscle spindles

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32
Q

Which class of sensory afferent are GTOs innervated by?

A

Ib

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33
Q

What does innervation of GTO sensory Ib afferents cause?

A

Activates inhibitory interneurons which inhibit alpha motor neurons which are innervating the same muscle

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34
Q

What is the purpose of the Golgi Tendon Reflex?

A

Negative feedback circuit which regulates muscle tension in order to protect the muscle/tendon from damage

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35
Q

What are tendons?

A

Fibrous connective tissue which attaches muscle to bone

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36
Q

What stimulus is the flexor (withdrawal) reflex a response to?

A

Painful/injurious stimulus

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37
Q

Which receptors are involved in the flexor reflex?

A

Nociceptors

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38
Q

What is the flexor (withdrawal) reflex?

A

Quick contraction of flexor muscles to withdraw a limb from an injurious stimulus

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39
Q

What is an example of a polysynaptic reflex?

A

Flexor (withdrawal) reflex

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40
Q

What do nociceptors detect?

A

Potentially damaging stimuli

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41
Q

What is a parallel after discharge circuit?

A

Where a neuron inputs onto several different chains of neurons which all converge onto the same output neuron

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42
Q

What is the purpose of a parallel after discharge circuit?

A

The result of the initial signal is sustained over an extended period

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43
Q

Is the patellar (stretch) reflex mono or polysynaptic?

A

Monosynaptic

44
Q

Is the flexor reflex mono or polysynaptic?

A

Polysynaptic

45
Q

How does the flexor reflex work?

A
  • Flexor muscles contract to withdraw the limb
  • Activation of multiple interneurons sustains the response (parallel after discharge circuit)
  • Inhibitory interneurons inhibit innervation to the extensor muscles to make them relax (reciprocal inhibition)
  • Crossed extensor reflex maintains balance
46
Q

What is the crossed extensor reflex?

A
  • Ipsilateral flexor contracts
  • Signal sent via commissural axon to motor neurons innervating contralateral extensor, causes contraction to maintain balance
  • Motor neurons to the contralateral flexor are inhibited (reciprocal inhibition)
47
Q

What is a commissural axon?

A

Axon that crosses through the middle of the spinal chord

48
Q

What does ipsilateral mean?

A

Occurring on the same side of the body

49
Q

What does contralateral mean?

A

Occurring on opposite sides of the body

50
Q

What are central pattern generators?

A

Local circuits which can generate patterns of alternating flexion and extension for movements such as walking, even without higher input from CNS

51
Q

Which class of motor neurons are innervated to cause flexor contraction in the flexor reflex?

A

Alpha

52
Q

Which class of motor neurons are innervated to cause extensor contraction in the stretch reflex?

A

Alpha

53
Q

What are the 2 major input components of the somatic sensory system?

A
  • Mechanical stimuli

- Painful stimuli (including temperature)

54
Q

Where are Meissner corpuscles located?

A

Dermal papillae in the palms, eyelids, lips, tongue etc.

55
Q

What do Meissner corpuscles detect?

A

Light touch and texture

56
Q

What frequency are Meissner corpuscles sensitive to?

A

30 - 50 Hz

57
Q

Where are Pacinian corpuscles located? (3)

A
  • Dermis
  • Joint capsules
  • Viscera
58
Q

What do Pacinian corpuscles detect? (4)

A
  • Deep pressure
  • Stretch
  • Tickle
  • Vibration
59
Q

What frequency are Pacinian corpuscles sensitive to?

A

250 - 350 Hz

60
Q

Which sensory receptors are encapsulated nerve endings? (2)

A
  • Meissner corpuscles

- Pacinian corpuscles

61
Q

Where are Ruffini corpuscles located? (3)

A
  • Dermis
  • Subcutaneous tissue
  • Joint capsules
62
Q

What do Ruffini corpuscles detect? (4)

A
  • Heavy touch
  • Pressure
  • Skin stretch
  • Joint movements
63
Q

Where are Merkel discs located?

A

Superficial skin (epidermis)

64
Q

What do Merkel discs detect? (4)

A
  • Light touch
  • Texture
  • Edges
  • Shapes
65
Q

Which sensory receptors are rapidly adapting? (2)

A
  • Meissner corpuscles

- Pacinian corpuscles

66
Q

Which sensory receptors are slowly adapting? (2)

A
  • Ruffini corpuscles

- Merkel discs

67
Q

Where are free nerve endings located?

A

Widespread in epithelia and connective tissues

68
Q

What do free nerve endings detect? (3)

A
  • Pain
  • Heat
  • Cold
69
Q

Which sensory receptors are unencapsulated nerve endings? (2)

A
  • Merkel discs

- Free nerve endings

70
Q

What are the sensory receptors? (8)

A
  • Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO)
  • Muscle spindle
  • Pacinian corpuscle
  • Meissner corpuscle
  • Hair follicle
  • Free nerve endings
  • Ruffini corpuscle
  • Merkel disc
71
Q

What are the 2 different classes of mechanoreceptor response?

A
  • Rapidly adapting (phasic)
71
Q

What are the 2 different classes of mechanoreceptor response?

A
  • Rapidly adapting (phasic)

- Slowly adapting (tonic)

72
Q

What kind of information do phasic receptors give?

A

Changes in the stimulus i.e. they respond at the start of a stimulus and don’t respond again until the stimulus changes

73
Q

Are Pacinian corpuscles phasic or tonic receptors?

A

Phasic

74
Q

Are Meissner corpuscles phasic or tonic receptors?

A

Phasic

75
Q

Are Ruffini corpuscles phasic or tonic receptors?

A

Tonic

76
Q

Are Merkel discs phasic or tonic receptors?

A

Tonic

77
Q

What kind of information do tonic receptors give?

A

Persistence of a stimulus i.e. continue to respond for as long as the stimulus is present

78
Q

Which diameter of axon conducts signals more rapidly?

A

Larger the diameter, the faster the signal

79
Q

Which class of axon subtype are mechanoreceptors of the skin?

A

A beta

80
Q

What is the system of classifying axons coming from the skin?

A
  • A, B, C etc. with A being the fastest and largest and C being the slowest and smallest
  • A is further broken down into alpha, beta, delta, fastest to slowest again
81
Q

What is the system of classifying axons coming from the muscles?

A
  • Roman numerals I, II, III, IV going from largest to smallest
  • I group further broken down into Ia, Ib etc. with a being the fastest
82
Q

Which class of axon subtype are GTOs and muscle spindles in?

A

Group I

83
Q

What is the dorsal horn?

A

The dorsal section of the spinal chord where afferent neurons enter with sensory information to be processed

84
Q

What is the ventral horn

A

The ventral section of the spinal chord where efferent neurons leave and take signals to skeletal muscle

85
Q

What are the 2 main routes via which sensory information is relayed to the brain?

A
  • Medial Lemniscal tracts

- Spinothalamic tract

86
Q

Which sensory inputs are carried to the brain via the Medial Lemniscal tracts? (2)

A

Mechanoreceptive and proprioceptive signals

87
Q

Which sensory inputs are carried to the brain via the Spinothalamic tract? (2)

A

Pain and temperature signals

88
Q

Where do the Medial Lemniscal tracts carry signals to?

A

Thalamus

89
Q

Where does the Spinothalamic tract carry signals to?

A

Thalamus

90
Q

What are the 3 neurons which a sensory signal travels through to reach higher centres?

A
  • First order DRG neurons detect the stimulus and relay it to the dorsal horn
  • Second order neurons relay the signal to the thalamus
  • Third order neurons carry the signal from the thalamus to the cortex
91
Q

Which order neuron is commissural in the route of sensory signals travelling to the brain?

A

Second order neuron (in both pathways)

92
Q

What is topological organisation?

A

The spatial arrangement of objects relative to one another

93
Q

What are the dorsal column nuclei? (2)

A
  • Cuneate nucleus

- Gracile nucleus

94
Q

Which nucleus contains the second order neurons which first order neurons synapse onto from the upper body in the Medial Lemniscal system?

A

Cuneate nucleus

95
Q

Which nucleus contains the second order neurons which first order neurons synapse onto from the lower body in the Medial Lemniscal system?

A

Gracile nucleus

96
Q

Is lower body sensory information sent to a medial or lateral location in the cortex?

A

Medial

97
Q

Is upper body sensory information sent to a medial or lateral location in the cortex?

A

Lateral

98
Q

What are dermatomes?

A
  • Body segments which are each innervated by a separate DRG

- Arise from somites

99
Q

What determines the size of the area of the sensory cortex dedicated to sensory input of each body part?

A

Areas of the body where there are more receptive fields i.e. more neurons, have larger areas in the cortex as there is more sensory information being transmitted e.g. hands and face

100
Q

What are Brodmann areas?

A

The sensory map of the cortex

101
Q

How is the cortical map plastic?

A
  • If one body part is lost, its area in the cortex will gradually disappear and the neighbouring segments will increase in size
  • If one body part is trained, its area in the cortex will increase at the expense of other, less stimulated areas
102
Q

Where are first order neurons located?

A

DRG

103
Q

Where are second order neurons located?

A

Dorsal column nuclei

104
Q

Where are third order neurons located?

A

Thalamus

Neuroscience (18 decks)

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