Neuroscience: Corticospinal Tract and Learning

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of the medial corticospinal tract?

Controlling the muscles of the hands and fingers

Initiating bilateral movements such as walking and turning (correct)

Facilitating synaptic plasticity in the spinal cord

Regulating sensory information from the environment

What is a characteristic of Parkinson's disease?

Enhanced sensory perception

Muscle tremors and rigidity (correct)

Rapid and uncontrolled movements

Increased synaptic plasticity in the spinal cord

What is the role of synaptic plasticity in learning?

Controlling the medial corticospinal tract

Facilitating sensory transmission

Regulating learning and memory (correct)

Enhancing muscle contraction force

What type of neurons release normal amounts of neurotransmitter in response to a single stimulus?

Sensory neurons Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which motor neurons release neurotransmitter in response to the integration of multiple stimuli?

Neurotransmission Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the medial corticospinal tract?

Involved in sensory transmission Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of sensory neurons?

Transmitting sensory information from the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the impairment in initiating spontaneous physical activity in Parkinson's disease?

Akinesia Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the Globus Pallidus?

Initiation of spontaneous behaviors Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic feature of the Huntingtin protein?

Trinucleotide repeat of adenine, guanine, cytosine Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of repeated stimulation on the presynaptic sensory neuron?

Decrease in the amount of available neurotransmitter Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a consequence of diminished activity between motor neurons and muscles?

Decreased movement in peripheral areas Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the Lateral Corticospinal Tract?

Control of voluntary movements in peripheral areas Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of sensitization on a stimulus?

The stimulus gains the ability to influence more than one neural pathway Signup and view all the answers

Which brain area is involved in the control of movement in peripheral areas?

Red nucleus Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of a mutation in a single gene - huntingtin?

Dominant mutation leading to neurodegeneration Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of corticospinal tracts in the nervous system?

To control muscle movement by conveying messages from the brain to the spinal cord Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity?

The modification of synaptic strength based on experience and neural activity Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the involuntary, spasmodic movements characteristic of certain movement disorders?

Chorea Signup and view all the answers

Which structure is responsible for transmitting messages from the brain to the medulla and spinal cord to control muscle movement?

Cortical spinal tracts Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the ability of an organism to focus on a specific stimulus while ignoring others?

Attention Signup and view all the answers

Which type of neuron is responsible for transmitting information from the environment to the brain?

Sensory neuron Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the reduction in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure?

Habituation Signup and view all the answers

Which nucleus is affected in Huntington's disease, leading to movement abnormalities?

Caudate nucleus Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Corticospinal Tracts

Medial Corticospinal Tract: a set of axons from various parts of the cortex that control muscles of the neck, shoulders, and trunk, responsible for bilateral movements like walking, turning, and standing up.
Axons of the medial tract go to both sides of the spinal cord.

Movement Disorders

Parkinson's Disorder: a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by muscle tremors, rigidity, slow movements, and difficulty initiating physical and mental activity.
Associated with neurodegeneration, or the deterioration and death of neurons.

Basal Ganglia

A group of large subcortical structures in the forebrain that receive input from the cerebral cortex and send output to the globus pallidus.
Structures involved: caudate nucleus and putamen.
Responsible for spontaneous, self-initiated behaviors, attention, and the ability to shift attention and attend to visual stimuli.

Huntington's Disease

A genetic disorder caused by an autosomal dominant mutation of a single gene, resulting in a trinucleotide repeat (cytosine, adenine, guanine).
Symptoms emerge during middle age, including chorea (involuntary, spasmodic movement), impaired coordination and balance, muscle rigidity, difficulty speaking and/or swallowing, cognitive symptoms (dementia), and psychiatric symptoms (depression).

Synaptic Plasticity

A mechanism that allows the strength of connections between neurons to increase or decrease as a function of experience.
Types of synaptic plasticity:
- Sensitization: repeated stimulation of a single stimulus gains the ability to influence more than one neural pathway.
- Habituation: repeated stimulation reduces the size of excitatory postsynaptic potential.

Mechanism of Synaptic Plasticity

Repeated stimulation depletes the amount of available neurotransmitter in the presynaptic sensory neuron, leading to a decrease in the strength of synaptic transmission.

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Description

This quiz covers the medial corticospinal tract, sensory neurons, interneurons, and synaptic plasticity in learning. It's perfect for students of neuroscience and psychology.