Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 51 views

    Nesc 2471-Dec 1

    Uploaded by

    kamallery
    The document discusses several topics related to motor control in the central nervous system: 1. The myotatic reflex and gamma motor neurons work together to control muscle spindles and regulate muscle tone and length. The stretch reflex causes muscle contraction when a muscle is stretched. 2. Other reflexes like the Golgi tendon organ reflex protect muscles from overtension and regulate fine motor acts. Spinal circuits use reciprocal inhibition to coordinate antagonistic muscles. 3. Central pattern generators in the spinal cord produce rhythmic motor activity through glutamate-mediated neuronal firing patterns. 4. Movement is hierarchically controlled by the motor cortex, cerebellum and brainstem, which send signals through descending spinal

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Nesc 2471-Dec 1

    Uploaded by

    kamallery
    51 views7 pages
    The document discusses several topics related to motor control in the central nervous system: 1. The myotatic reflex and gamma motor neurons work together to control muscle spindles and regulate muscle tone and length. The stretch reflex causes muscle contraction when a muscle is stretched. 2. Other reflexes like the Golgi tendon organ reflex protect muscles from overtension and regulate fine motor acts. Spinal circuits use reciprocal inhibition to coordinate antagonistic muscles. 3. Central pattern generators in the spinal cord produce rhythmic motor activity through glutamate-mediated neuronal firing patterns. 4. Movement is hierarchically controlled by the motor cortex, cerebellum and brainstem, which send signals through descending spinal

    Original Title

    Nesc 2471-dec 1

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses several topics related to motor control in the central nervous system: 1. The myotatic reflex and gamma motor neurons work together to control muscle spindles and regulate muscle tone and length. The stretch reflex causes muscle contraction when a muscle is stretched. 2. Other reflexes like the Golgi tendon organ reflex protect muscles from overtension and regulate fine motor acts. Spinal circuits use reciprocal inhibition to coordinate antagonistic muscles. 3. Central pattern generators in the spinal cord produce rhythmic motor activity through glutamate-mediated neuronal firing patterns. 4. Movement is hierarchically controlled by the motor cortex, cerebellum and brainstem, which send signals through descending spinal

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    51 views7 pages

    Nesc 2471-Dec 1

    Uploaded by

    kamallery
    The document discusses several topics related to motor control in the central nervous system: 1. The myotatic reflex and gamma motor neurons work together to control muscle spindles and regulate muscle tone and length. The stretch reflex causes muscle contraction when a muscle is stretched. 2. Other reflexes like the Golgi tendon organ reflex protect muscles from overtension and regulate fine motor acts. Spinal circuits use reciprocal inhibition to coordinate antagonistic muscles. 3. Central pattern generators in the spinal cord produce rhythmic motor activity through glutamate-mediated neuronal firing patterns. 4. Movement is hierarchically controlled by the motor cortex, cerebellum and brainstem, which send signals through descending spinal

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 7

    Nesc 2470-December 1 12/01/2009

    Excitation-Contracting Coupling
     The Myotatic Reflex
     The muscle spindles make sure that your muscles stay the same
    length so that you don’t drop an object
     Stretch reflex: muscle stretcheddischarge rate of spindle
    increases, as muscles shortened (muscles go slack) discharge rate
    goes down.
     It is very fast because it is a monosynaptic connection to motor
    neuron- goes into the dorsal horn, synapses on motor neuron which
    depolarizes it and then signal goes out ventral horn causing muscle
    contraction
     Example: knee-jerk reflex
     This all happens within the level of the spinal cord
     Gamma Motor Neurons
     Muscle spindles
    o
    Intrafusal fibers (muscle fibers inside spindle) : gamma – they stop muscle
    fibers to be the same level of taughtness
    Extrafusal fibers: alpha- innervate the bulk of the muscle
    They control the intrafusal muscle fibers so that your muscle spindle is
    sensitive to change in stretch (has to be taught enough for this to occur)
     Gamma Loop
     Reflex that makes sure muscle spindles are still working
     Changes set point of the myotatic feedback loop (keep stretch
    receptors in working range)
     Circuit (Gamma loop)
    o Gamma motor neuron intrafusal muscle fiber contracts A
    alpha sensory neuron notices change in muscle length which
    causes activity in a alpha sensory neuron a alpha motor
    neuron fires to keep muscle the same lengthgamma motor
    neuron senses change in alpha motor neuron
    Also receives descending control

    Golgi Tendon Organ


     Innervated by AB sensory fibers
     Sensitive to muscle tension- force on tendon causes sensory neuron to
    fire active potentials
     AB fibers enter dorsal horn, synapse on interneurons in ventral horn,
    inhibit alpha motor neurons when they fire. These alpha motor neurons
    innervate the muscle they are attached to. This is used so that you can
    pick up delicate objects and not crush them
     Reflex arc protects muscle, regulates muscle tension (fine motor acts)
     descending input of the brain can influence muscle

    Spinal Circuits: Inhibitory Input


     Reciprocal inhibition: Contraction of one muscle set accompanied by
    relaxation of antagonistic muscle- happens automatically
     Example: Myotatic reflex

    Central Pattern Generators


     Neural circuit that gives rise to rhythmic motor activity- groups of
    neurons
     Rhythmic activity in single neuron:
     Glutamate NMDA receptors (voltage and glutamate sensitive).
     When glutamate binds to receptor, Na+ and Ca+ can enter. This
    only happens if the membrane is slightly depolarized. At resting
    membrane potential, the receptor channel is blocked by Mg but as
    cell depolarizes, the channels becomes less attracted to Mg and Mg
    leaves, allowing Ca+ and K+ to enter cell.
     Stops firing because Ca+ activates K+ channels (found in spinal
    interneurons) which increase K+ outflux, and K+ hyperpolarizes
    which causes Mg to clog the channel again
     Some spinal neurons receive tonic excitatory input. So this keeps
    them slightly depolarized
     When glutamate opens NMDA receptor increase in excitability will
    allow Mg to leave and Na+ and Ca+ enter (enough increase for Mg
    to leave)
     Inhibition shifts from one neuron to the opposite sides of the
    inhibitory interneurons due to reciprocal nature of these inhibitory
    interneurons
    CHAPTER 14: BRAIN CONTROL OF MOVEMENT
    Hierarchy:
     Strategy:
     Association Areas Neocortex
     Tactics
     Motor cortex (decides what signals to send so that action can be
    carried out)
     cerebellum
     Execution:
     Brain Stem
     Spinal cord

    Descending Spinal Tracts


     Axons from brain descend along two major pathways:
     Lateral Pathways:
    o Corticalspinal Tract is main voluntary movement tract- From
    motor cortex to ventral horn. Longest, largest CNS tract also
    called pyramidal tract. Dessucates at junction between
    medulla and spinal cord
    o rubrospinal tract- parallels Corticospinal tract but slower
    o Damage to cortical spinal tract- the rubrospinal tract can take
    over some of the movement. Voluntary control lost on
    contralateral side. Postural reflexes are still in tact because
    these are damaged by four ventromedial tracts.
     Ventromedial Pathways
    o Balance and large muscle control
    o 4
    o Posture and locomotion under brain stem control which gets
    information from cerebellum
    o The vestibulospinal tract (info from vestibular system
    influences) and tectospinal tract (from superior colliculus) are
    important for the stability of the head and for balance.
    o The pontine (stay upright) and medullary recticulospinal tract
    (movement)--> both are used for postural reflexes and
    voluntary inhibition of these reflexes
    The planning of movement by Cerebral Cortex
     Motor Cortex:
     Area 4 and 6 on the frontal lobe
     Motor movement planning is done in area 6 (associatory motor
    cortex) and the motor cortex sends the information down to the
    muscle
     Basal Ganglia
     Function of the loop: Selection and initiation of willing movements.
     Projects to the ventral lateral (VLo) nucleus of the thalamus
     Provides major input to primary motor cortex
     Anatomy:
    o collection of structures
    o Caudamte nucleuse, putamen, globus pallidus (nuclei)
    o Substantia Nigra: connected to basal ganglia-recieves
    information from s.r which is nucleus of cells that contain
    dopamine.
     Cortex
    - Prefrontal lobe
    - Projects back to basal ganglia
    - Forms a loop

     Cortical activation
    - excited putamen neurons
    - Inhibits globus pallidus neurons
    - release cells in VLo from inhibition
    - Activity in VLo increases activity in SMA

    Basal Ganglia Disorders


    1. Parkinson’s Disease
     Symptoms: rigidity and tremors of hand and jabs
     Organic basis: You loose substantia Nigra cells which are dopanergic
    and send axons to neurons that shut down the inhibition so you have
    movement. Degeneration of substatia Nigra inputs from striatum
    (pootamin area)
     Dopa treatment: Facilitates production of dopamine to increase SMA
    activity. Precurser for dopamine.
    2. Huntington’s Disease
     Symptoms: Hyperkinesia, dementia, impaired cognition
     Loss of cells in caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus as well
    as cortex and elsewhere.
    12/01/2009
    12/01/2009

    You might also like