Il controllo nervoso

delle unità motorie

Marsilio Saccavini
UOC Degenza di Medicina
Riabilitativa
TREVISO
The hierarchical structure of
central motor systems
Descending pathways from
motor cortex and brainstem
 Final common pathway
The α -motoneurone is the final point of
summation for all descending and reflex
input: “the final common pathway”
(Sherrington 1857-1952)
Motor cortex of right hemisphere
 The motor cortex
• Premotor cortex (PMC): in humans 6 times larger than
primary motor cortex (MI), in monkeys 1:1
Involved in preparation of movement, postural contol,
visual guidance and rapid correction of movements
following sensory input
• Supplementary motor area (SMA): medial to PMC, receives
afferent input from basal ganglia. Important for initiation of
voluntary movement.
• The PMC and SMA, plus other association areas of cortex, are
responsible for motor programming.
• Primary motor cortex (MI):synthesises input from other parts
of the CNS and generates and transmits the central command
to the brainstem and spinal cord neurons to initiate and
modulate movement
Mode of operation of the primary
motor cortex (MI)
The motor cortex is organised in such a way
to optimise the selection of muscle synergies
and not the selection of a single muscle,
i.e. the motor cortex “thinks” in terms of
movements and not of muscles.
 The cerebellum
• A neural network containg ~50% of all the
neurones in brain
• Involved in learning and execution of all motor
programmes
• Receives two excitatory inputs: the mossy fibres
and the climbing fibres.
• Both fibres have a direct excitatory input on the
deep cerebellar nuclei and an indirect inhibitory
input via stimulation of the Purkinje cells. They
are able to modulate output of the motor centre
according to sensory input
Cerebellar pathways
 Adaptive control system of
cerebellum
The cerebellar cortex is the site where the
main adaptive control of the motor system
resides. This function is achieved by
comparison of information about the intended
motor plan and the actual performance of the
movement. (through the integration of information from
the mossy fibres and the climbing fibres).
Cerebellar network
The basal ganglia
5 basal ganglia nuclei: caudatum,
putamen, globus pallidus, nucleus
subtalamicus and substantia nigra.
The caudatum and putamen receive

Cau
d.
information from almost all cortical
areas. Both nuclei are involved in a
motor loop and a cognitive loop.
The basal ganglia are involved in the
release of motor programmes for
goal-directed movements following
external and internal stimuli. They
select these stimuli and initiate the
preparation and execution
movements by sending commands to
the PMC and brainstem
 The spinal cord
• Together with the brainstem, is the site
where all motoneurones are located
• Main function: integration of descending
commands with peripheral inputs.
Processing and transmission of afferent
information to higher motor centres
• Interneurones in SC are capable of
modulating the output of motoneurones and
gain of spinal reflexes
Integration of information in SC
Reflex pathways

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Motor Units
The motor unit
Main features of a motor unit
Number of musclefibres/motor unit
Contraction time of different
motor units
Effect of frequency of firing on
muscle force
50 Hz

1 Hz
Contraction properties of the three
types of motor units (FF, FR, S)
Fibre type classification
Recruitment of motor units:
Henneman’s ‘size principle’
 MU’s recruitment in
different motor activities
High-threshold MU’s are
difficult to recruit
The evaluation of
muscle activation
 Deviations from Henneman’s
‘size principle’
• Paw shaking
• Stimulation of cutaneous nerves
• Preparatory movements
• Ballistic contractions (? c.f. Grimby & Hannerz, J Physiol
264, 1977)

• Eccentric contractions
 Paw shaking (cats)
• High-treshold M.U.s can be activated
without firing of small low-threshold units
 Cutaneous nerves stimulation
THRESHOLD OF ACTIVATION OF M.U. CHANGES
DURING CUTANEOUS STIMULATION
• Slow M.U.s are recruited at higher forces
during cutaneous nerve stimulation
• Fast M.U.s are recruited at lower forces
during cutaneous nerve stimulation (Garnett &
Stephens J Physiol 311, 1981)
 Preparatory movements
• High treshold motor units are recruited
before the expected movement (Nardone et al. J
Physiol 409, 1989)