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Motor Pathways (40)

Terms in this set (48)

Rubrospinal tract START
red nucleus in midbrain
Rubrospinal tract END
contralateral alpha and gamma motor neurons in anterior horn of cervical spinal cord
Rubrospinal tract ROUTE
red nucleus in midbrain

decussation in ventral midbrain

lateral brainstem

lateral spinal cord

excitatory synapses on alpha and gamma motor neurons of flexor muscles of limbs
Does the rubrospinal tract have a greater influence on the arms or the legs?
arms
Rubrospinal tract FUNCTION
voluntary flexion of the muscles of the contralateral arm
Name 2 parts of the brain that have excitatory connections with the red nucleus cells.
ipsilateral motor cortex

contralateral cerebellar nuclei
Medullary (lateral) reticulospinal tract START
reticular nuclei in medulla
The medullary reticular nuclei receive bilateral cortical input from _____ fibers and _____ projections through the _____ tract.
corticoreticular

somatosensory

spinoreticular
Medullary (lateral) reticulospinal tract END
interneurons that excite alpha and gamma motor neurons; mainly flexors

*bilateral
Medullary (lateral) reticulospinal tract ROUTE (major)
reticular nuclei in medulla

ipsilateral medulla and spinal cord

ipsilateral interneurons that excite alpha and gamma motor neurons; mainly flexors
Medullary (lateral) reticulospinal tract ROUTE (minor)
reticular nuclei in medulla

decussate in medulla

contralateral interneurons that excite alpha and gamma motor neurons; mainly flexors
Medullary (lateral) reticulospinal tract FUNCTION
facilitates contraction of flexor muscles of the limbs
Pontine (medial) reticulospinal tract START
reticular nuclei in pons
The pontine reticular nuclei receive bilateral cortical input through _____ fibers. They also receive _____ projections through the _____ tract.
corticoreticular

somatosensory

spinoreticular
Pontine (medial) reticulospinal tract END
ipsilateral anterior horn of the spinal cord; synapses on interneurons that excite mainly gamma neurons

*biased to extensors
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