Neural Signaling and Motor Pathways Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What neurotransmitter is dumped into the synapse of the neuromuscular junction by alpha motor neurons?

Acetylcholine (ACh)

What is the effect of administering Botox, a weakened version of botulism, on muscle contraction?

Causes the muscles to relax by suppressing the release of Acetylcholine (ACh)

What is the impact of black widow venom on the release of Acetylcholine (ACh)?

Causes uncontrollable spasms by increasing the release of Acetylcholine (ACh)

What is the primary cause of Myasthenia Gravis (grave muscle weakness)?

Diminished ability to use Acetylcholine (ACh) and have it bind to the receptors Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of curare in muscle paralysis?

Competes with Acetylcholine (ACh) for ACh receptors and paralyzes people Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the muscles when there are fewer Acetylcholine (ACh) receptors?

It becomes more difficult to contract muscles Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of antagonistic muscles in joint articulation?

Act against each other; One muscle contracts and the other relaxes Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the brain has a huge number of densely packed neurons?

Cerebellum Signup and view all the answers

What effect does alcohol have on cerebellum activity?

It depresses cerebellum activity Signup and view all the answers

What is the possible effect of cerebellar lesions?

Cerebellar Ataxia Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic gait of people with cerebellar ataxia?

Cerebellar gait Signup and view all the answers

What is dysmetria?

Difficulty reaching for things properly Signup and view all the answers

What is dysarthria?

Speech impediment Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the functions of the cerebellum?

Motor coordination Signup and view all the answers

How does alcohol affect GABA?

It interacts with GABA and depresses cerebellum activity Signup and view all the answers

What does the text suggest about visualizing doing something better and better?

It helps you do it better and better Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is involved in spatial perception and plays a role in spatial planning for movement?

Parietal cortex Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain contains mirror neurons that help perceive and understand the actions of others?

Premotor cortex Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is crucial for performing sequences of actions to complete tasks?

Supplementary motor area (SMA) Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is most active at the start of a sequence of actions and prepares the brain for complex tasks?

Supplementary motor area (SMA) Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is involved in learning new actions, and once learned, these actions transfer to the SMA?

Pre-Supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) Signup and view all the answers

Which brain area is responsible for regulating the concept of peripersonal space, the space around an individual for reaching and grabbing objects?

Motor cortex Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is involved in stopping movements, as observed in the reach memory-guided task experiment with monkeys?

Frontal lobe Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the corticospinal pyramidal tract?

It is crucial for voluntary movement and originates in the primary motor cortex, descending down towards the brain stem before reaching the spinal cord. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of dermatome mapping?

To identify the nerves in the spinal cord that control different areas of the body. Signup and view all the answers

What can unilateral impairment of the corticospinal tract lead to?

Conditions like hemiplegia or hemiparesis, affecting one side of the body. Signup and view all the answers

What enables the coordination of complex movements such as walking?

Hierarchical Control of Movement involving the brain controlling the central pattern generators. Signup and view all the answers

What do M1 neurons in the primary motor cortex of the frontal lobe code for?

The direction of movement, with neural activity being particularly high when the movement is towards the subject. Signup and view all the answers

What did the study of M1 neurons in monkeys reveal about their coding for movement direction?

Changing the endpoint of the movement did not affect the neural activity, indicating that M1 neurons specifically care about their intended direction. Signup and view all the answers

What do specific neurons with tuning curves exhibit?

They are most active for specific movement directions and their neural activity decreases the further away the movement is from that specific direction. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Neural Signaling, Motor Pathways, and Spinal Cord Injuries

Sensory neurons carry touch signals from the body to the spinal cord through the dorsal root, while motor neurons transmit motor signals from the spinal cord to the body through the ventral root.
The corticospinal pyramidal tract is crucial for voluntary movement and originates in the primary motor cortex, descending down towards the brain stem before reaching the spinal cord.
Other extrapyramidal tracts include the rubrospinal tract, tectospinal tract, vestibulospinal tract, and reticulospinal tract, each with specific roles in movement and balance.
Dermatome mapping is used to identify the nerves in the spinal cord that control different areas of the body, with terms like plegia and paresis used to describe paralysis or weakness resulting from spinal cord injuries.
Unilateral impairment of the corticospinal tract can lead to conditions like hemiplegia or hemiparesis, affecting one side of the body.
The topography of the motor cortex dictates that body parts with more space in the motor cortex have better motor control, explaining why face and hands take up a significant portion of the motor cortex.
Movement is still possible following resection of the spinal cord due to the presence of Central Pattern Generators (CPG) in the spinal cord that represent complex movements, allowing for the activation of alternative movement patterns needed for walking.
Hierarchical Control of Movement involves the brain controlling the central pattern generators, enabling the coordination of complex movements such as walking.
M1 neurons in the primary motor cortex of the frontal lobe code for the direction of movement, with neural activity being particularly high when the movement is towards the subject.
The study of M1 neurons in monkeys showed that these neurons code for the direction of movement, as changing the endpoint of the movement did not affect the neural activity, indicating that M1 neurons specifically care about their intended direction.
Specific neurons have tuning curves, where they are most active for specific movement directions (NEWS), and their neural activity decreases the further away the movement is from that specific direction.
The study highlights the intricate neural signaling pathways, motor control mechanisms, and implications of spinal cord injuries on movement and motor function.

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