Motor control - Corticofugal and corticobulbospinal tracts

9 important questions on Motor control - Corticofugal and corticobulbospinal tracts

The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body. So, somehwere the axons must cross over (decussation). Which neurons cross over?

The 1st motor neurons, the 2nd motor neuron always stay at the same side

What is the difference between commissure and decussation?

Commissure is a connection between the same areas on the left and right side. Decussation is crossing over of axons

What is the cortico-bulbospinal system?


Axons that originate in the motor cortex and project to the bulbar and medulary motorneurons and interneurons


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What influences the thickness of the cortex layers?

The function. Sensory cortex receives a lot of information from the thalamus, so this layer will be thick. The motor cortex receives very few informatino from the thalamus, so this layer will be thin

From which layer do the pyramidal neurons originate?


Vth layer of the motor cortex

This neurons are called pyramidal neurons because of their shape

What is special about the Betz cells?

They have the thickest and fastest axons in the CNS and they are the only 1st motor neurons that terminate on the 2nd motor neurons (others to interneurons)

-> minority but very fast

There are also some tracts that depart from the premotor cortex, to which structures do this tracts go?


- tectum
- red nucleus
- pons
- bulbar reticular information
- vestibular nuclei
- 2nd motor neurons and interneurons

Caudal to the pons the cortico-bulbospinal tract is renamed, which name|


Pyramidal tract

Which part of the motor cortex is perfused by which artery?

Middle part (leg area) is perfused by anterior cerebral artery (a. Cerebri anterior)
Rest by the middle cerebral artery (a. Cerebri media)

--> homunculus = poppetje

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