Motor Cortex Function: Implications and Key Experiments

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What technique visualizes active brain areas during action execution and observation?

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Which area directly commands muscle contractions for movement execution?

Primary motor cortex (M1)

What is the role of the premotor and supplementary motor areas in movements?

Involved in the preparation and planning of movements

What do M1 neurons encode in relation to movements?

Force and direction of movements Signup and view all the answers

Which brain regions are involved in coordinating sequences of movements and bimanual tasks?

Supplementary motor area Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the anticipation and organization of movements before they occur?

Motor planning Signup and view all the answers

What does the experiment by Lawrence & Kuypers (1968) suggest about the role of the pyramidal tract in motor movements?

The experiment suggests that the pyramidal tract plays a critical role in controlling fine motor movements, especially in the fingers. Signup and view all the answers

How did Strick and colleagues use Retrograde Viral Tracing to advance our understanding of motor control?

They used rabies virus injections in muscles to map the connections from muscles to MI, providing a detailed picture of the neural pathways involved. Signup and view all the answers

What key discovery was made through Spike-Triggered EMG Averaging in MI?

The key discovery was that an MI cell can influence force in multiple muscles, showing a one-to-many mapping. Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of motor preparation challenge earlier models of motor cortex function?

Motor preparation involves a complex, coordinated activity across multiple neurons, challenging the simplicity of earlier models of motor cortex function. Signup and view all the answers

What did the study by Evarts (1968) focusing on Reflex Arcs reveal about neural coding?

The study showed that individual neurons in the motor cortex can be involved in multiple actions, indicating a complex coding system. Signup and view all the answers

How did the experiment by Hallett & Khoshbin (1980) on Automatic Motor Responses contribute to our understanding of motor control?

The experiment demonstrated that automatic motor responses can be encoded by a group of neurons, showing a more complex process than previously assumed. Signup and view all the answers

What did microstimulation studies on the motor cortex reveal about somatotopy?

Neurons driving a specific muscle are scattered and interspersed with neurons projecting to other muscles. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of Wilder Penfield's Studies?

Developed the concept of the 'Penfield homunculus,' illustrating a somatotopic motor map. Signup and view all the answers

How did microstimulation studies contribute to understanding movement control in the motor cortex?

They challenged the traditional understanding of somatotopy, suggesting a more complex organizational structure. Signup and view all the answers

What was the procedure followed by Wilder Penfield in his studies?

Intraoperative direct electrical stimulation of the cortical surface during neurosurgery for epilepsy. Signup and view all the answers

What implications arose from the microstimulation studies on the motor cortex?

The organization of the motor cortex is more complex than previously thought. Signup and view all the answers

How did Wilder Penfield's Studies contribute to the understanding of motor control?

Illustrated a somatotopic motor map through direct electrical stimulation of the cortical surface. Signup and view all the answers