Motor Control 1

Question 1

Key Brain area for execution

Answer 1

Primary motor cortex

Question 2

Key Brain area for Preparation of Action

Answer 2

Premotor cortex

Question 3

Key Brain area for Higher Level Planning

Answer 3

Prefrontal cortex

Question 4

Key Brain area for Sensory-motor links

Answer 4

Parietal cortex

Question 5

Hemiplegia

Answer 5

Paralysis of one side

Question 6

Hemiparesis

Answer 6

Weakness of one side

Question 7

M1 coding of movement - Single Neurone

Answer 7

Tuned to respond best to movement of a specific direction

Question 8

M1 coding of movement - Neurone Population

Answer 8

Population vector coding: the combined activity of many M1 neurones (population) determines the actual direction of movement.

Question 9

Gordon et al. (2023)

Answer 9

Challenges the traditional idea of the famous ‘homunculus’, to include more complex movements.

Question 10

2 parallel systems in M1 form a integrate-isolate pattern (Gordon et al., 2023)

Answer 10

a) Isolate system: Body-part-specific

body-part specific for fine motor control of the foot, hand and mouth. These regions are more isolated and function largely independently, optimised for precision and speed.

b) integrate system: Somato-Cognitive Action Network (SCAN)

integrates motor plans with higher cognitive functions (intention, goal-setting and whole-body coordination.

Question 11

The premotor cortex is typically divided into….

Answer 11

• Lateral premotor cortex: involved in externally generated actions.
• Supplementary motor area: involved in internally generated actions.

Question 12

The premotor cortex is particularly involved in….

Answer 12

coordinating bimanual movements, actions which require both hands or arms.

Question 13

Damage and Leisions to the Prefrontal Cortex can cause….

Answer 13

• Preservation
• Utilisation behaviour
• Disinhibition
• Frontal Apraxia

Question 14

Preservation

Answer 14

Repeating the same action, when it is no longer relevant.

Question 15

Utilisation Behaviour

Answer 15

Acting on irrelevant or inappropriate object in the environment.

Question 16

Disinhibition

Answer 16

Failure to inhibit action.

Question 17

Frontal Apraxia

Answer 17

Someone is unable to follow the routine steps of a task.

Question 18

Antisaccades task

Answer 18

Measure disinhibition, requires people to inhibit the tendency to look at a target.

Question 19

The Norman and Shallice model

Answer 19

This model proposes two complementary systems for controlling behavior:

• Contention Schedulling
• Supervisory Attentional System (SAS)

Question 20

Contention Scheduling

Answer 20

handles routine, automatic actions which are based on well learned action schemas. It selects one schema at a time based on environmental cues and priorities.

Question 21

Supervisory Attentional System (SAS)

Answer 21

kicks in when you need to override a habit, you are in a novel situation, there is conflict between actions or task requires planning, attention or decision making. Located in prefrontal cortex regions.

Question 22

How does the N and S model explain errors experienced by patients with Prefrontal cortex damage?

Answer 22

• Preserveration: unable to change schemas when it is no longer needed.
• Utilisation behaviour: schemas activated by the environment without SAS supressing them.

Question 23

Define and Cause Ideomotor apraxia

Answer 23

• Damage to the Parietal Cortex
• Idea and execution are disconnected, you can retain knowledge of an action (recognise the action being performed by another) but fail in pantomiming the action. Patients can perform a sequence but not the individual components.