Week 8 - basal ganglia Flashcards
What are the four parts contributing to motor control?
- spinal cord and brainstem circuits
- descending motor control system
- basal ganglia
- cerebellum
What is the spinal cord and brainstem circuits comprised of?
local circuit neurons and lower motor neuons
What is the descending motor control system comprised of?
- upper motor neurons:
- motor cortex and brainstem centres
What does the motor Corte do?
planning, initiating and directing voluntary movements
What do the brainstem centres do?
basic movements and postural control
What is the function of the basal ganglia?
gating propter initiation of movement
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Sensory information and coordination of ongoing movement
What are the basal ganglia?
- large and functionally diverse set of neural structures buried deep within the cerebral hemispheres
Function of the basal ganglia
- primarily regulating movement - but also have roles processing information relating to emotion, motivation and cognition
What three aspects of movement does the basal ganglia do?
- initiation and maintenance of motor actions
- inhibit antagonistic and unnecessary movement
- switch motor programs - start+ stop movement
What are the neural structures within the basal ganglia?
- caudate
- putamen
- globus pallidus
What makes the lentiform nucleus?
putamen + globus pallidus
What makes the corpus striatum?
caudate + putamen
What are the 2 areas, the basal ganglia has functional motor associations with?
- substantia nigra
- sub thalamic nucleus
What is the caudate?
- c-shaped nuclei located in forntal lobe
- head region curves and extends to form elongated body tapering at tail and ending in temporal lobe
What is the putamen?
- large, rounded nuclei located in forebrain
- connected to caudate nucleus at head region of the caudate
What is the globus pallidus?
- pale body
- internal segment sends output to the thalamus
- external segment relays info between other basal ganglia nuclei and internal globus pallidus
What is the internal capsule?
- white matter structure (myelinated axons)
- separates lentiform nucleus and caudate nucleus/ thalamus
Where do projections to the basal ganglia originate from?
- cerebral cortex (ie. frontal/ pariental)
- substantia nigra pars compacta
What regions of the cerebral cortex project directly to the caudate nucleus and putamen?
almost all
Where is the majority of projections from?
forntal and parietal cortex
As what are the protections form the cortex to the basal ganglia referred to?
corticostriatal pathway
Where is the substantia nigra pars compact located?
in the midbrain
What does the substantia nigra pars compacta provide?
dopaminergic input to caudate nucleus and putamen
As what are the projections form the substantia nigra pars compacta to the basal ganglia referred to?
nigrostriatal pathway
Where do the neuronal projections go to in the basal ganglia?
input zones
What are the input zones of the basal ganglia?
corpus striatum - made up of caudate nucleus and putamen
What kind of neurons are most common in the corpus striatum? (75%)
medium spiny neurons