The Motor Systems of the Brain L4 Flashcards
What is a homunculus?
representation of the body on cortices
Cant be either a Motor Homonculus or Sensory Homunculus
What is the Motor homunculus?
Motor map of the body
Representation is proportional to the Complexity of control over those muscles, Dexterity of those muscles, or Degree of Activity.
Somatotopical map in the Motor Cortex
Different muscles are represented unequally in the 1 Primary Motor area
Large representation= thumb, fingers, lips and tongue
Small representation = toes, trunk/abdomen
More cortical area is devoted muscles involved in Movement which is Skilled, Complex and or Delicate
What areas of the body have a large representation on the Motor homunculus?
Thumb Fingers Face tongue Lips
What ares of the body have a small representation on the Motor Homunculus?
Toes
Trunk
Abdomen
What is the reason behind more cortical motor area devoted to particular parts of the body over others?
More cortical area is devoted to muscles involved in Movement which is Skilled, Complex and Delicate
What is the representation on the motor homunculus proportional to?
Complexity of control
Dexterity of the muscles
Degree of activity
What is the sensory homunculus?
Sensory map of the body
Representation is proportional to the number of specialised sensory receptors within the corresponding body part
A larger representation means the body part has a more highly specialised sensory function (has more cortical area devoted to it)
Large representation= Lips(bigger than motor) and Fingertips
Smaller representation = trunk and abdomen
More sensitive, able to Localise specifically (discriminative)
Large number of receptors = larger representation on homunculus =/= does not equal larger size of the body part (lips and finger tips are small yet they are largely represented on the primary somatosensory cortex)
What areas of the body have a large representation on the Sensory homunculus?
Lips (bigger than on motor homunculus)
Finger tips
What areas of the body have a small representation on the Sensory homunculus?
Trunk
Abdomen
What is the reason behind more cortical sensory area devoted to particular parts of the body over others?
Representation is proportional to the number of specialised sensory receptors within the corresponding body part
Large number of receptors = larger representation on homunculus =/= does not equal larger size of the body part (lips and finger tips are small yet they are largely represented on the primary somatosensory cortex)
What is the reason behind more cortical sensory area devoted to particular parts of the body over others?
A larger representation on the sensory cortex means the body part has a More Highly Specialised Sensory Function (more cortical area devoted to it)
-More Sensitive
-More able to localise sensation specifically (Discriminative)
-Greater discrimination and precision
-More receptors
Large number of receptors = larger representation on homunculus =/= does not equal larger size of the body part (lips and finger tips are small yet they are largely represented on the primary somatosensory cortex)
How many neurons do the Sensory neuron pathways consist of?
3
1st order neuron
2nd order neuron
3rd order neuron
How many neurons do the Motor neuron pathways consist of?
2 mainly - UMN + LMN
3 sometimes - UMN + interneuron + LMN
What does the Primary Motor Cortex do?
Primary motor cortex controls the movement of muscles CONTRALATERALLY (on the opposite side of the body to the brain) Highly Organised and Intricate system Organised via homunculus Controls VOLUNTARY movements Contains Upper Motor Neurons (UMNs)
What does the Cerebellum do?
Cerebellum controls the Co-ordination of movements, as you do them, at every point in time, IPSILATERALLY (on the same side of the body to the brain(cerebellum))
What does Contralaterally mean?
Control on the OPPOSITE side of the body to certain area
-Majority of brain control is contralateral
Esp:
- 1 motor cortex
- 1 somatosensory cortex
NOT cerebellum
What does Ipsilaterally mean?
Control on the SAME side of the body to the certain area
- ONLY ONE region in the brain has Ipsilateral control (all the rest contralateral control)
- is the CEREBELLUM
What are Upper Motor Neurons (UMNs)?
UMN’s cell Bodies are located in the 1 Primary motor area and Premotor area
Axons extend down through brain (pyramidal/corticospinal tract) and spinal cord(lateral or ventral corticospinal tract)
UMNs extending down through Lateral Corticospinal Tract =70-90%
UMNs extending down through Ventral Corticospinal Tract =10-30%
Extend to the specific area of the body which is required to move
Terminate in Ventral gray horn, either directly onto LMN or onto Inter Neuron
Are LARGE PYRAMIDAL cells
LArge cell bodies
Long and Myelinated axons
Oligodendrocytes - as in CNS Central NS - increased Insulation and Conduction
50ms-1 –> 100ms-1
Organised in the Primary Motor Cortex via the Motor Homunculus
Controls voluntary Movements
Tells LMN when to Fire, to give Smooth movements
CNS –> effector muscles
Pathway: 1 Primary Motor cortex –> Internal capsule (big fat fibre tract) –> Crus Cerebri of Midbrain (big fat fibre tract still) –>(Pyramidal/Corticospinal Tract)–> Pons (in separate fasicles) –> Pyramid of Medulla (in ventral bulges called pyramids) –> Spinal Cord –> a. pyramidal decussation and then Lateral Corticospinal Tract (70-90%) b. no decussation and instead down Ventral Corticospinal tract (10-30%)
What does the internal capsule directly translate to?
Capsule = Fibre bundle
is a Big Fat fibre bundle Tract
What does Capsule mean?
Fibres bundle
What is another name for pyramidal cells?
Upper Motor Neurons (UMNs)
What is another name for the Pyramidal Tract?
Corticospinal Tract
What is another name for the Corticospinal Tract
Pyramidal Tract
What is the Pyramidal/Corticospinal Tract?
1000 or so fibres
Highly organised
Compact motorway
AXONS of UPPER MOTOR neurons (UMNs) come together to form a Nerve Bundle
In the Brain and brainstem (following is ventral and lateral corticospinal tract in spinal cord)
What is the Upper Motor UMN Axon pathway like in the Crus if Cerebri of Midbrain?
Within the Internal Capsule
So Big and Fat Thick pathway
In the Crus of Cerebri of the Midbrain
What is the Upper Motor UMN Axon pathway like in the Pons?
broken up into fasicles
What is the Upper Motor UMN Axon pathway like in the Medulla?
Recollected after Pons
Begins its pyramidal shape formation
Form VENTRAL BULDGES called Pyramids
Pyramid of Medulla Oblongata
What is the uppermost decussation of UMN’s called?
Pyramidal decussation
What do neurons C5-C7 control?
arms
forearms
fingers
What is the Lateral Corticospinal Tract?
70-90% of all UMNs undergo pyramidal decussation and go down the Lateral Corticospinal tract
Decussation at the Medulla, to the Opposite side of the body
- at the pyramids
-Massive decussation, involved Millions of fibres
Towards Spinal cord
Pathway is the biggest at the top, as neurons peel to terminate off to their respective effector muscle under dermatomes as the spinal cord goes down
Precise, Agile and highly skilled movements - (hands and finger tip’s movements)
Towards muscle in the Distal parts of limbs
Where is the Lateral Corticospinal Tract the thickest?
Pathway is the biggest/(containing the most UMN axons) at the top, as neurons peel to terminate off to their respective effector muscle under dermatomes as the spinal cord goes down
What is the trend of termination for UMNs?
Terminate in Ventral gray horn
Either directly onto LMN or onto Inter Neuron
The majority of UMNs terminate directly on LMNs, but also a significant number terminate onto interneurons
UMNs extending down through Lateral Corticospinal Tract =70-90%
UMNs extending down through Ventral Corticospinal Tract =10-30%
Where does every UMN terminate?
Ventral gray horn of the spinal cord
What is the pathway of muscle innervation beginning at cortex?
1 Primary Motor Cortex –> UMN –> (interneuron) –> LMN –> Synaptic Junction –> Motor End Plate –> Effector Muscle/Organ/Cell
What is a Lower Motor Neuron LMN?
PNS
Large
Cell bodies in Ventral Gray horn
Myelinated -conduction and insulation
Schwann Cells
50ms-1
Grouped according to the muscles groups they supply
undergo a Synapse with UMN at the Ventral gray horn
Lower Motor LMNs are critical for PROVIDING the OUTput from the CNS –> skeletal muscle fibres
What nervous system is the UMN part of?
Central CNS
-therefore myelinated by Oligodendrocytes
What nervous system is the LMN part of?
Peripheral PNS
-therefore myelinated by Scwhann cells
Are Lower Motor Neurons LMNs grouped?
Yes
Lower Motor Neurons LMNs are grouped according to the muscle groups that they supply
What are Upper Motor Neurons critical for?
Highly specialised movments
Where to UMNs axons extend to?
specific area of the body which is required to move
via Co-ordinated Specific muscle contractions
What must Upper Motor Neurons UMNs receive in order to produce smooth, co-ordinated muscle movements?
From the THALAMUS, must receive very Refined, Complex information about When, How Many, How Often to send impulses out, in order to produce, Smooth, Co-ordinated muscle movements
What forms the Pyramidal/corticospinal tract?
UMNS
they for the corticospinal/pyramidal tracts via the Pyramidal pathway, via the Internal Capsule (DEEP) of the cerebrum
Where is the Internal capsule located?
cerebrum
What is the pathway of Upper Motor N?
1 Primary motor cortex –> Internal capsule (big fat fibre tract) –> Crus cerebri of Midbrain (big fat fibre tract still) –>(Pyramidal/Corticospinal Tract)–> Pons (in separate fasicles)–> Pyramid of Medulla (in ventral bulges called pyramids) –> Spinal Cord –> a. pyramidal decussation and Lateral Corticospinal tract.(70-90%) b. no decussation and then down Ventral corticospinal tract (10-30%)