MOTOR
SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
• Locomotion/movement is crucial for survival.
• Motor physiology involves initiation, execution and
control of movements.
• With the help of stable postural background and with
appropriate postural adjustments, coordinated
movement becomes possible.
• Motor physiology deals with control of movement and
posture
Somatic motor activity
1. Voluntary movements, like typing, playing musical instruments,
writing, drawing, painting, purposeful and initiated at will.
motor system ‘Learns by doing’ and
performance improves with repetition
2. Reflex responses are rapid, stereotyped (fixed) & involuntary activities. They
are purposeful but not under voluntary control.
3. Rhythmic motor activities like walking, running and chewing combine
features of the voluntary as well as reflex responses
4. Control of posture and equilibrium
Control of motor
activity
1. Highest level of motor control involves
cerebral cortex. mainly concerned with
generation of the idea of voluntary
movements (motor plan) and issuing the
motor commands for their execution.
2. Middle level of motor control involves activities of various sub cortical centers
such as basal ganglia, some brain stem nuclei and cerebellum
• activities of motor neurons and interneurons in the spinal cord are largely
influenced by the descending inputs arising from the brainstem motor nuclei
• Basal ganglia are involved in initiation, smoothening, and coordination of the
movement
3. Lowest level control exerted by cranial nerve
nuclei in brain stem and spinal cord
• Sensory signals arising from the muscle enter the
spinal cord, directly or indirectly influence the motor
neurons that in turn innervate the same muscle
(rapid reflexive movements)
Spinal cord interacts with supraspinal influences for the
integration and refining of the final output signal (precision and
stability of movements are achieved by various feedback control
mechanisms)
Motor Cortex
Functional Organization of Primary Motor Cortex
-----HOMUNCULUS
This map only shows that a specific
body part is assigned to a specific
area
• Face and mouth: laterally near sylvian fissure
• Arm and hand: mid portion
• Trunk: apex medially
• Leg and foot: dips in longitudinal fissure
Muscles of hand & speech: half of area of primary motor cortex
Primary motor cortex (Brodmann’s area 4)
• For execution of fine motor movement
Premotor cortex (Brodmann’s area 6)
1. Area 6, proximal and axial muscles
2. Area 8, also called frontal eye field area
3. Complex pattern of movements
4. Selection of appropriate motor plans based on visual stimulus and abstract
association (execution by primary motor cortex) eg: catching a ball
5. Areas 44 and 45 also called Broca’s motor speech areas
Supplementary motor cortex
1. Complex pattern of movements
2. Selection of complex motor plans based on
remembered sequence of movements and
attainment of motor skills(execution by primary
motor cortex)
3. Co-ordinates bilateral contraction
(eg. rope climbing)
Broca’s area
• Motor speech area
• Located in premotor area (anter to and above
sylvian fissure)
• Damage leads to Broca’s aphasia i.e.
vocalisation unaffected, uncoordinated
utterance and use of some common words
repeatedly)
Transmission of Cortical Motor
Signals
CLASSIFICATION
CLINICAL CLASSIFICATION:
• pyramidal and extrapyramidal tracts (reticulospinal, vestibulospinal,
rubrospinal, and tectospinal tracts)
PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION:
• lateral system and medial system pathways
Lateral System Pathways
• descend down in the lateral column of the spinal cord.
• lateral corticospinal tract and rubrospinal tract.
• terminate on the lateral group of motor neurons
• regulation of skilled voluntary movements as lateral group of motor
neurons innervate the distal limb muscles.
Medial System Pathways
• descend down in the medial and anterior columns of the spinal cord.
• Reticulospinal tract, Vestibulospinal tract, Tectospinal tract, Anterior corticospinal
tract.
• terminate on the medial group of motor neurons
• regulation of posture
• motor neurons of medial group innervate the proximal limb muscles and the
muscles of the axial skeleton of the body.
The Descending Pathways
Corticospinal tract
Originates in primary motor cortex (30%), supplementary & premotor areas
(30%), and somatic sensory areas (40%)
Majority of fibers cross to opposite side in medulla and descend in lateral
corticospinal tracts
Corticospinal fibers synapse with interneurons, anterior motor neurons and
a few sensory relay neurons in cord gray matter
Betz cell fibers, make up only about 3% of the total number of fibers. 97 %
of the 1 million fibers are small diameter fibers
Corticospinal Tract
Origin – Sensory cortex, primary Motor Cortex, premotor & supplementary
cortex
(40%) (30%) (30%)
Internal Capsule
Cerebral Peduncle (midbrain)
Pons
Medullary Pyramid
Pyramidal Decussation
Lat.Cross & Vent. Uncross White matter in spinal cord
Ant. Horn of spinal cord through a interconnection
α motor neuron of opposite side
Termination
1. Fibers of lateral corticospinal tract terminate on lateral group
of motor neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord
(innervate distal limb muscles)
2. ventral corticospinal tract end on the interneurons on same
side of the spinal cord which cross over to the opposite side
and terminate on the medial group of motor neurons
(proximal limb muscles & axial muscles of body)
FUNCTIONS
• motor cortex mainly involved in initiation, planning, and control of movement
• Corticospinal tracts transmit central command signal from the motor cortex to
the spinal cord interneurons and motor neurons.
1. Lateral corticospinal tract controls the skilled voluntary movements of the
body. eg. Painting writing, picking up of a small object etc.
2. Anterior corticospinal tract controls posture.
3. Fibres coming from somatosensory cortex: sensory motor coordination
(Eg: Catching a Ball)
Effect of lesions
Lateral corticospinal tract: impairment of skilled voluntary activities like
writing, painting, etc.
But, as the rubrospinal tract is intact, the subject recovers after few days
or weeks (isolated lesion of lateral corticospinal tract is very uncommon in
humans)
Anterior corticospinal tract lesion: inability to maintain posture while walking,
climbing, etc.
• But in human beings, postural deficit following lesion of anterior
corticospinal tract is not prominent because Other major posture regulating
pathways, especially the reticulospinal tract and vestibulospinal tract, are still
intact
capsular lesion: most common pyramidal tract lesion
Clinical Importance
fiber systems from basal ganglia and cerebellum pass close to the internal capsule.
• Extrapyramidal systems also affected in addition to corticospinal fibers.
• Hence, pyramidal tract disease due to capsular lesion is often termed as complete
upper motor neuron paralysis.
usual cause of capsular lesion is the rupture of Charcot’s artery (branch of the middle
cerebral artery)
The primary motor cortex is located in the:
A. Precentral gyrus
B. Postcentral gyrus
C. Superior temporal gyrus
D. Occipital lobe
Ans: a
Which structure serves as the final common pathway for motor
output?
A. Primary motor cortex
B. Alpha motor neuron
C. Cerebellum
D. Thalamus
Ans: b
The motor cortex is located in which lobe of the brain?
A. Parietal
B. Temporal
C. Occipital
D. Frontal
Ans: d
Which motor area is involved in planning of movements?
A. Primary motor cortex
B. Premotor cortex
C. Supplementary motor area
D. Both B and C
Ans: d
The motor homunculus represents:
A. Proportional distribution of sensory input
B. Equal motor output to all muscles
C. Proportional motor control to body parts
D. Organization of visual field
Ans: c
Pyramidal tracts originate in all of the following except—
a) Premotor cortex
b) Somatosensory cortex
c) Red nucleus
d) Motor cortex
Ans: c
Most common site of lesion to pyramidal tract—
a) Mid brain
b) Internal capsule
c) Pons
d) medulla
Ans: b
Maximum area in homunculus signifies?
A. Low control and skilled movements
B. More muscle fibers are present
C. Increased preciseness of movements
D. None of the above
Ans: c
