MOTOR ACTIVITY

Motor nerve

α-Motor neuron, γ-motor neuron & the interneuron

• Somatic Motor Activity • Influence exerted on
is determined by – α-Motor neuron
– Discharge of motor – Via interneurones
neuron in spinal nerves – Through ϒ-efferents
– Motor neurons in the
nuclei of cranial nerves
• Results in 3 functions
• The neurons forming the
– Voluntary activity
final common pathway
– Adjusting body posture
receive input from all
for stable background
over movement
– Supra segmental input – Coordination of various
– Brain stem input muscles to make smooth
– Cortical input muscle precise movement
– Sensory impulses
 Motor Cortex
• The regions of the cortex are
functionally differentiated. For
example, in the lobes along the
frontal part of the central sulcus is
located the primary motor cortex,
important in voluntary movement.
• Adjacent to it are higher order motor
areas (supplementary and premotor)
involved in planning a movement. In
the parietal lobe along the central
sulcus is the primary somatic sensory
cortex.
• Sensory signals from the body surface
are mapped to it.
• The systematic relationship between
position within the primary
somatosensory cortex and the surface
of the body is called somatotopy
 Cortical Representation • extensive sensory input
from the peripheral area
• Feet at the top of gyrus
in which they produce
• Facial representation is movement
bilateral
• The rest of the body is
unilateral representing
the contralateral side of
the body.
• Cells in the motor area
are arranged in columns
with each colum
receiving fairly
 Areas inv. motor control • Connections to pre-motor
• Primary Motor Cortex cortex basal ganglia and
• Supplementary motor areas thalamus
– Projects onto motor cortex
– Involved in planning motor
sequence
• Pre-motor cortex (fn not clear)
– Projects to brain stem areas
concerned with postural
control
– Provides parts of cortico Posterior Parietal (Somato
spinal and cortico bulbar sensory) Cortex:
output •Provides cortico bulbar and spinal
fibres
– Maybe connected with
•Projects to pre-motor area
setting body posture
•May help in the execution of
learned sequence of movement
 Specialized motor areas
• Broca’s Area: Speech
– Damage to it makes it impossible to speak oher than
simple ones. Has an associate area that coordinates
respiratory activity with speech

• Voluntary eye movement area

• Head rotation area

• Closely associated with eye movement area

• Hand skills area

– Damage causes non purposeful hand movement or
Apraxia
 Motor signal transmission
Plan pattern in Motor Cortex Corticospinal
Tract

Corticobulbar

Medial/Intermediate
Cerebellum Basal and Lateral Cerebellum
Smoothen and coordinate the Part of the feedback circuit to
movement motor and pre-motor areas for
planning and organizing
movement
 Corticospinal Tract
•The cerebral cortex projects to
the spinal cord in the
corticospinal tract.

• This tract originates in the

precentral gyrus, the premotor
and supplementary motor
areas (anterior to the
precentral gyrus), and the
postcentral gyrus of each
cerebral hemisphere.
 Corticospinal Tracts
• From the ventral surface of
the midbrain within the
cerebral peduncles, the tract
continues through the pons
to the ventral surface of the
medulla, where it is visible as
a pyramidal shaped bundle
of fibers on each side known
as the pyramids.
• The right and left
corticospinal tracts decussate
at the level of the caudal
medulla forming the
decussation of the pyramids
 The Corticospinal (Pyramidal Tracts)
• The fibers that cross over to the • A contingent of fibers does not
other side will course down decussate at the caudal
forming the lateral medulla but continues in a
corticospinal tract, which is ventral ipsilateral position to
involved in control of limb form the medial corticospinal
muscles. tract.
• The lateral corticospinal tract
thus carries fibers from the • This carries fibers from the
contralateral cerebral cortex. ipsilateral cerebral cortex
• The fibers of the tract involved in control of axial and
terminate mostly upon the trunk muscles, predominantly
neurons to directly influence by way of interneurons.
motor neurons although some • Both medial and lateral cortico-
also terminate directly on inter spinal tracts control girdle
neurons muscles
Control of Motor activity
Control of Motor activity 2
 CNS lesions • CORD LESIONS
• Complete transection
• Damage Motor Cortex – Spinal Shock
or corticospinal – Paralysis
Pathway = Stroke – Depression of all spinal reflexes
below the transection
• Motor cortex damage – Followed 2 weeks later buy
– Loss of volu control of spacsticity
discrete muscle of the • Partial transection
distal segments of limbs – Brown Sequard Syndrome
(hands fingers) – Ipsilateral loss of JPS
– Ipsilateral los of Vibration
• Area adjacent motor
– Ipsilateral fine touch
cortex: – Ipsilateral loss of motor fn
– Hypotonia – Contralateral loss of pain and
– Followed by spasticity temperature
– Contralateral loss of crude
– Due to disinhibition
touch
 Myotomes
• Each muscle in the body is supplied • C7 is for straightening the elbow.
by a particular level or segment of • C8 bends the fingers.
the spinal cord and by its • T1 spreads the fingers.
corresponding spinal nerve.
• T1 –T12 supplies the chest wall &
• The muscle, and its nerve make up
abdominal muscles.
a myotome. This is approximately
• L2 bends the hip.
the same for every person and are
as follows: • L3 straightens the knee.
• C3,4 and 5 supply the diaphragm • L4 pulls the foot up.
(the large muscle between the • L5 wiggles the toes.
chest and the belly that we use to • S1 pulls the foot down.
breath). • S3,4 and 5 supply the bladder.
• C5 also supplies the shoulder bowel and sex organs and the
muscles and the muscle that we anal and other pelvic muscles.
use to bend our elbow .
• C6 is for bending the wrist back.
 Brain Stem & • Whole body movement
Motor Function and equilibrium
• Brain Stem extension of – Reticular nuc
Final Cord – Vestibular nuc
• Have motor and Sensory
fn • Reticular Nucleus: 2 parts
• Other control fns – Medulla-inhibit antigravity
– muscles
Respiration
– Pontine Excite antigravity
– CVS
muscle
– GIS
– Reticulo spinal tracts
– Stereotyped movement
– Eye movement
– Both areas controlled by
– Equilibrium cerebral cortex.
• Vestibular Nucleus • When the neural axis is
– Vestibulo spinal tracts transected by, the
– Control excitatory activities integrated
below the cut section are
signals to antigravity
“released’ from the
muscles to maintain
control
equilibrium
• MOTOR SYS & BALANCE
• Cord Section
• Posture importance for
balance • Spinal shock
• Control of motor activity • Depresion of all reflexes
attained by higher brain below section for 2
centres weeks
• Return of all the reflexes
which leads to spasticity
 Complication
• Spinal shock cause
• catabolism of body
uncertain but
protein
• Cessation of tonic
• Decubittus ulcers or bed
influences on spinal
sores (pressure sores)
neurons
poor healing.
• Recovery and hyper
• Hyper calcemia/curia-
reflexia may be due to
bone breakdown
denervation
hypersensitivity • Reappearance of spinal
• Possible sprouting of reflexes which are hyper
collaterals from existing • Hyperactive stretch
neurons with formation reflexes
of excitatory input • Hyperactive ANS reflexes
– Bp swings
 Motor Neuron lesions

• LMN: Neurons that • UMN: Neurons in the

directly innervate brain and spinal cord
muscle be it spinal or that activate the α
cranial (α motor motor neuron
neuron) • Spastic Paralysis
• Flaccid Paralysis • Absence of muscle
• Muscle atorphy atrphy
•  Reflexes •  Reflexes
• Fibrillation (irregular
fibre contractions