NEUROSC 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Mirror Neuron, Muscle Spindle, Reticular Formation
Document Summary
Not all motor neurons are in the spinal cord. The motor cortex receives information from other cortical areas and sends commands to the brainstem. The cerebellum and basal ganglia adjust the commands received from other parts of the motor control system. The brainstem passes commands from the cortex to the spinal cord. Key modulators for initiating motion: basal ganglia, cerebellum. Requires coordination of muscles involved in activity with postural, vestibular, visual gaze guidance circuitry vestibular, visual gaze guidance circuitry. Automatic, involuntary, and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. Made possible by neural pathways called reflex arcs. Circuity responsible for reflexes are close to the motor neurons responsible for executing them. Specialized sensory receptors (muscle spindles) sense stimulus and directly or indirectly causes change in motor neurons. Central patter generators: neuronal circuits that when activated can produce rhythmic motor patterns in the absence of sensory or descending inputs that carry specific information.
