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Direct Motor Pathways

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The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
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Indirect Motor Pathways

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

DTI of the Visual Pathway - White Matter Tracts and Cerebral Lesions

DTI of the Visual Pathway - White Matter Tracts and Cerebral Lesions

Published on: August 26, 2014

The pyramidal tract has a predictable course through the centrum semiovale: a diffusion-tensor based tractography

Kei Yamada¹, Osamu Kizu, Takao Kubota

¹Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. kyamada@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging : JMRI

|August 31, 2007

Summary

Predicting the pyramidal tract (PT) course in the brain is possible using anatomical landmarks. This method aids surgical planning in cases without significant mass effect.

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

DTI of the Visual Pathway - White Matter Tracts and Cerebral Lesions

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Published on: August 26, 2014

Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

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Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography

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Published on: August 11, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Neuroanatomy
Neurosurgery

Background:

The pyramidal tract (PT) is crucial for motor function.
Precise localization of the PT is vital for neurosurgical planning.
Predicting the PT's trajectory through the centrum semiovale aids in minimizing iatrogenic injury.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify reproducible anatomical landmarks for predicting the pyramidal tract's course.
To establish an anatomy-based method for localizing the PT within the centrum semiovale.

Main Methods:

Utilized 1.5-Tesla MRI in 20 healthy volunteers to assess PT trajectory.
Two independent observers analyzed neuroanatomical characteristics of the PT.
Tractography data from 10 brain tumor patients validated the prediction method.

Main Results:

The PT exhibited a predominantly straight course (95%) in the supratentorial brain.
The PT's bending point was consistently near the anterior commissure-posterior commissure (AC-PC) plane (≤3 mm in 98%).
Anatomy-based predictions showed good accuracy on the unaffected hemisphere but varied on the lesional side in tumor patients.

Conclusions:

Easily identifiable anatomical landmarks can reliably predict the supratentorial PT course.
This anatomy-based prediction is clinically applicable for surgical planning when mass effect is minimal.
The findings offer a valuable tool for neurosurgeons to navigate critical white matter tracts.