Motor systems and tracts, pyramidal tract

The 2nd lecture today:

Structure and connections of the basal ganglia. Motor
pathways arising from the brain stem

Mark Kozsurek, M.D., Ph.D.

mark@kozsurek.hu

EM II., 09/10/2017
 Motor systems – cortical areas

► Many different cortical areas: mainly within the frontal lobe

Primary somatomotor cortex
►precentral gyrus, (Brodmann 4 area)
►somatotopic arrangement
►agranular cortex (layer 2 and 4 are thin,
giant pyramidal cells - Betz cells in layer 5)
 Motor systems – basal ganglia
► Subcortical groups of neuronal cell bodies developing from the prosencephalic wall
(dorsal striatum constituted by the caudate nucleus and putamen, the ventral
striatum formed by the nucl. accumbens and the olfactory tubercle, the globus
pallidus, the subthalamic nucleus, claustrum, amygdaloid body (red and blue)…
► It is not correct anatomically, but in clinical practice red nucleus and substantia nigra are
also considered as basal ganglia (green)
 Motor systems – thalamus

Ventral-anterior (VA) and ventrolateral (VL) nuclei of the thalamus are considered
as motor nuclei and they are connected to different motor cortical areas.
Motor systems – cerebellum

archicerebellum
reciprocal connection with the
vestibular nuclei (body balance
posture)

paleocerebellum
epicritic and proprioceptive
sensory feed-back (spinocerebellar
and cuneocerebellar tracts)

neocerebellum
descending information from the
motor cortical areas
(corticopontine-pontocerebellar
indirect pathways)
Motor systems – brainstem nuclei

substantia nigra,
red nucleus,
reticular formation,
superior collicle
 Motor systems – spinal cord

All kinds of spinal reflexes are automatic responses to a stimulus,

when the dicission is made by the spinal neuronal circuits without
major influence of higher centres of the nervous system!
 Pyramidal and extrapyramidal systems

Pyramidal and extrapyramidal systems can only be separated

anatomically but not functionally! None of the two systems can work
properly alone, they constitute one motor system together!!!

► Pyramidal system is the chief organizer and executor of voluntary

movements.

► Extrapyramidal system includes all the motor centres and pathways

that lie outside the pyramidal system and are beyond voluntary
control.
► Extrapyramidal system:
 coordinates movements of various groups of muscles both in space and
time,
 regulates job- and sport-specific automatic movements consisting of
periodic elements (e.g. walking, running, riding a bike, dancing, driving a
car, handwriting or typing, etc.),
 controls emotional movements,
 helps to control posture and balance,
 regulates muscle tone.
Just a sketch: only the principal components can be recognized.
PYRAMIDAL SYSTEM
Colours, beauty, harmony, regularity, but not more than an abstract art.
EXTRAPYRAMIDAL SYSTEM
Taken together: the real world.
 The
pyramidal
system
(a new and clear structure)
 Sceletal
muscles of
the head
and neck

Sceletal muscles
of the trunk and
limbs
CORTICONUCLEAR TRACT
CORTICOSPINAL TRACT
 Note the somatotopic
arrangement of the corticobulbar
and corticospinal tracts!

HEAD IS TOWARD THE MIDLINE!

 The pyramidal system - Summary

► Pyramidal system is the chief organizer and executor of

voluntary movements.
► Upper motoneurons are located in the cerebral cortex,
while lower motoneurons can be found in the motor nuclei
of cranial nerves or in the spinal ventral horn.
► Descending axons of upper motoneurons that terminate in
the motor nuclei of cranial nerves and in the spinal cord
constitute the corticonuclear and corticospinal tracts,
respectively.
► The corticonuclear tract reaches the lower motoneurons of
both sides (bilateral innervation), while corticospinal fibres
target the lower motoneurons of the opposite side only
(crossed pathway).
 The
extrapyramidal
system
(an ancient and complex network)
Components of the extrapyramidal system cortical areas

caudate nucl.

thalamus putamen
globus pallidus

zona incerta,
subthalamic nucl.

substantia nigra,
red nucleus,
vestibular reticular formation,
apparatus superior collicle

cerebellum,
pontine nuclei,
inferior olivary nucl.
Efferent extrapyramidal pathways

rubrospinal tr.

tectospinal tr.

reticulospinal tr.

vestibulospinal tr.

olivospinal
tr.
The extrapyramidal system - Summary

► Structures involved in motor functions that lie outside the

pyramidal system and are beyond voluntary control of
movements. Extrapyramidal system controls automatic,
repetitive, emotional movements as well as the posture
and balance.

► Extrapyramidal centres are mainly interconnected by

closed loops.

► From the loops descending efferents arise and target the

same lower motoneurons as the pyramidal tracts.
 Cortex

extrapyramidal pyramidal

basal ganglia thalamus

brainstem
CEREBELLUM

lower motoneurons
 CSl: lateral corticospinal
Csa: anterior corticospinal
RuS: rubrospinal
ReS: reticulospinal
OlS: olivospinal
VeS: vestibulospinal
CSl TeS: tectospinal
RuS
ReS

ReS
CSa
VeS TeS
OlS

alpha motoneurons → to extrafusal muscle fibres

gamma motoneurons → to intrafusal fibres of muscle spindles (gamma-loop)
Gamma-loop

gamma
motoneuron

alpha
motoneuron
 About the gamma-loop

► Skeletal muscles can be activated directly, by the

stimulation of alpha-motoneurons or indirectly, via the
gamma loop – proprioceptive reflex arc.

► Stimulation of gamma-motoneurons results in the

contraction of intrafusal fibres of muscle spindles.
Shorthening of the muscle spindle (similarly to the
stretching of the surrounding muscles) activates the
proprioceptive reflex arc. This results in the indirect
contraction of extrafusal („working”) muscle fibres.
„Common terminal pathway” - Summary

► Corticonuclear and corticospinal fibres may terminate

directly on alpha-motoneurons (innervating muscles of
eyeballs and fingers), but more frequently the connection
is indirect and is performed through an interneuron.

► Extrapyramidal pathways predominantly target gamma-

motoneurons (directly or indirectly) and initiate movements
via the gamma-loop and the proprioceptive reflex arc.
 Cortical areas

extrapyramidal pyramidal

dorsal column – medial lemnicus

basal ganglia thalamus

brainstem
CEREBELLUM

spinocerebellar tracts

lower motoneurons sensory feedback

Movement
disorders
Peripheral and central facial palsy
 Parkinson’s desease
► Cardinal symptomes: tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement
and postural instability.

► Idiopathic (If the etiology is known we talk about

parkinsonism or Parkinson’s syndrome.)

► Dopamine production of neurons within the substantia nigra

is impaired, so there is lack of dopamine in the striatum.

► Medical treatment: levodopa - precursor of dopamine,

passes the blood-brain barrier and transforms into dopamine
(and many-many other pills not mentioned now…)
 X
dopaminergic

GABAergic
People with parkinsonism who have
enhanced the public's awareness include
Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali.
Thank you for your
attention!