Psychology 2220A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Corticospinal Tract, Basal Ganglia, Cranial Nerves

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2220A/B
• Professor: Jody Culham

Document Summary

Cranial nerves: corticospinal tract: crosses over at the spinal cord, modulated by a lot of other systems, extrapyramidal, cranial nerves have nuclei in the brainstem, these extend to muscles of the face, head and neck. It is more than walking and chewing gum at the same time. Increasing recognition of role in cognitive functions and memory: there are complex neurons like purkinje cells, which are in the cerebellum and have millions of dendrites branching off. Basal ganglia: part of the striatum, connections to secondary motor cortex, info goes to the basal ganglia, to the thalamus and back to m2. Disorders of basal ganglia (striatum: hypokinetic, parkinson"s disease, rigidity, difficulty initiating voluntary movements, movements are less than a normal person, too little dopaminergic stimulation of basal ganglia due to loss of neurons, hyperkinetic, huntington"s chorea. Involuntary, exaggerated writhing and twisting movements: make movements you don"t want to make, can"t be inhibited, degeneration of striatum, enlargement of ventricles.