Motor Cortex Flashcards
What are some characteristics of stellate cell?
Receive cortico information
Granular cortex is a bunch of these
A lot around sensory tissue
Look like sand in stain
What is motor cortex?
Anatomically: 6 layers, 4 cells, two types, stellate cells in the 4th layer, pyramidal cells everywhere else. Small layer 4 big layer 5
Physiologically:
Where are pyramidal cells projecting in layers 5 and 6?
Subcortically
What are Betz cells?
Large pyramidal cells
In the 5th layer
Only in layer 5
What is area 4?
Motor cortex
What is area 6?
Premotor cortex and supplementary motor cortex
Where is the frontal eye fields?
In front of area 8
What does the frontal eye fields do?
Gaze:
VOR
Fixation
Optokinetic response
Saccades
Smooth pursuit
Vengeance
Cancellation of VOR
Where is the horizontal gaze center?
Paramedian pontine reticular formation
PPRF
Where is the vertical gaze center?
Rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus
What does the PPRF project to?
Ipsilateral abducens
Contralateral CN III (via MLF)
What do the frontal eye fields do?
Select visual targets
Initiate Saccades and smooth pursuit
Where does the frontal eye field project?
The PPRF directly
And through the superior colliculus
Where is the PPRF?
The pons
What is the path of selecting eye targets?
Frontal eye field –> superior colliculus –> contralateral PPRF –>
What controls the rightward movement?
The left frontal eye field and the right PPRF
What happens when you get injury to the FEF?
Loss of voluntary Saccades to the contralateral side
Loss ability to move gaze away from a stimulus. Stuck involuntarily
Deviation of eyes to the side of the lesion
What are the three cortical motor areas?
SMA
Primary motor cortex
Premotor cortex
What does stimulus of an area of the motor cortex do?
Stimulates movement of a body part not a muscle
What does the M1 region do?
Direction, force among others
What are the inputs to M1?
- Proprioception info: mostly contralateral via dorsal column and VP nucleus of the thalamus.
- Tactile information from the hands
- other cortical area: S1, premotor, cingulate, parietal lobe
- cerebellum and basal ganglion
How is the premotor cortex functionally organized?
Dorsal - reaching
Ventral - grasping, cognitive control
Where does the premotor cortex receive input?
SMA Cingulate motor area Prefrontal cortex (planning and learning) Posterior parietal Cerebellum and basal ganglion
What does the premotor cortex do?
Gives complex multi joint movement
Eating
Sensorimotor transformation: transforming sensory cues into motor actions - externally driven
Way before the action, mirror neurons