the motor system (2) Flashcards
what are the 2 main ways in which infomation travels from the brain to the alpha motor neuron?
a. from the cerebral cortex
b. from the brainstem
what is the corticospinal tract?
the pathway from the cerebral cortex to the alpha motor neuron
where is the primary motor cortex located?
in the precentral gyrus.
what forms the corticospinal tract?
the axons form neurons in the primary motor system which terminate on alpha motor neurons.
how is the primary motor system organised?
layers and columns
more than … pyramidal cells need to be active to cause an action potential in an alpha motor neuron
100
which layer of the PMC are pyramidal cells located?
layer 5
what is convergence?
when one AMN will receive input from many pyramidal neurons
what do pyramidal neurons do in the PMC?
- control force of movement
- control direction of movement.
how is force detected?
the firing rate of a pyramidal neuron
how is direction detected?
by which neurons are active
about … of neurons in the PMC reflect direction of movement
1/2.
