PSY290H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Basal Ganglia, Vestibular Nuclei, Cranial Nerves
Document Summary
Cerebellum is smaller compared to the rest of the brain, but contains more than half of the neurons in the brain. It receives information from primary and secondary motor cortex; compares the information it gets to correct ongoing movement that deviate from the intended course. This is how it plays an important role in motor learning. Basal ganglia is a collection of interconnected nuclei. It doesn"t contribute much to descending motor pathways; but they receive input from multiple cortical areas and transmits it back to the cortex via the thalamus. Traditional view of the basal ganglia was that it plays a role in modulation of motor output, but now it"s also thought to play some role in cognitive functions as well. It participates in habit learning- a type of motor learning that is acquired gradually, trial by trial. There are 4 pathways that descend from the primary motor cortex:
