Motor Controls Subcortical Control of Movement
• MOTOR CORTICES are NOT the ONLY BRAIN AREAS INVOLVED IN MOVEMENT
• Multiple subcortical brain areas provide crucial inputs:
i. Thalamus
ii. Cerabellum
iii. Basal Ganglia
iv. Brain stem
• THALAMIC AREAS are MAPPED to CORTICAL AREAS
• MOTOR THALAMUS is MAINLY the VENTROLATERAL THALAMUS
• Two main pathways:
1. Cerebellum via posterior ventrolateral thalamus to M1 and PMA
2. Basal ganglia via anterior ventrolateral thalamus to SMA
• LESIONS to the THALAMUS have been USED to REDUCE TREMOR in patients
('thalamotomy')
• Cerebellum = large structure near the bottom of the brain (cerebellum = little brain)
• DAMAGE to the CEREBELLUM CAUSES ATAXIA
• ATAXIA = patients show inaccurate and crude movements
• EFFECT of ALCOHOL on MOVEMENT largely due to the INHIBITION of CEREBELLAR FUNCTION
FUNCTIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT PARTS:
• Medial zone = connected to the vestibular system (ear)
• LESIONS to the MEDIAL ZONE cause GAIT ATAXIA
• GAIT ATAXIA = problems with standing/walking straight and keeping balance
• Other areas support visually guided and goal directed movements, error processing
and temporal patterning of behaviour through ADDITIONAL PROCESSING OF
SENSORY INFORMATION
Integration of Physiological Systems Page 1
• MOTOR CORTICES are NOT the ONLY BRAIN AREAS INVOLVED IN MOVEMENT
• Multiple subcortical brain areas provide crucial inputs:
i. Thalamus
ii. Cerabellum
iii. Basal Ganglia
iv. Brain stem
• THALAMIC AREAS are MAPPED to CORTICAL AREAS
• MOTOR THALAMUS is MAINLY the VENTROLATERAL THALAMUS
• Two main pathways:
1. Cerebellum via posterior ventrolateral thalamus to M1 and PMA
2. Basal ganglia via anterior ventrolateral thalamus to SMA
• LESIONS to the THALAMUS have been USED to REDUCE TREMOR in patients
('thalamotomy')
• Cerebellum = large structure near the bottom of the brain (cerebellum = little brain)
• DAMAGE to the CEREBELLUM CAUSES ATAXIA
• ATAXIA = patients show inaccurate and crude movements
• EFFECT of ALCOHOL on MOVEMENT largely due to the INHIBITION of CEREBELLAR FUNCTION
FUNCTIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT PARTS:
• Medial zone = connected to the vestibular system (ear)
• LESIONS to the MEDIAL ZONE cause GAIT ATAXIA
• GAIT ATAXIA = problems with standing/walking straight and keeping balance
• Other areas support visually guided and goal directed movements, error processing
and temporal patterning of behaviour through ADDITIONAL PROCESSING OF
SENSORY INFORMATION
Integration of Physiological Systems Page 1
