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Indirect Motor Pathways

Indirect Motor Pathways

The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...

Brainstem

Brainstem

The brainstem, located inferior to the brain and superior to the spinal cord, serves as a bridge between the cerebrum and the spinal cord. It plays a vital role in relaying information and controlling critical life functions. It comprises three primary regions: the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.
The Midbrain
The midbrain is located beneath the diencephalon and connects the cerebrum with the lower parts of the brain. The cerebral peduncles are prominent midbrain structures that house the...

Hierarchy of Motor Control

Hierarchy of Motor Control

The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.

Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy

Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy

The cross-sectional anatomy of the spinal cord offers a detailed view of its complex structure and function within the central nervous system. At the core of the spinal cord lies the gray matter, characterized by its butterfly or "H"-shaped appearance in cross-section. This central region is enveloped by white matter, with the overall structure divided into symmetrical halves by the dorsal median sulcus and the ventral median fissure.
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Direct Motor Pathways

Direct Motor Pathways

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.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

Published on: September 11, 2019

Spinal and supraspinal postural networks.

T G Deliagina¹, I N Beloozerova, P V Zelenin

¹Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, SE-17177, Stockholm, Sweden. Tatiana.Deliagina@ki.se

Brain Research Reviews

|September 8, 2007

Summary

Postural control systems stabilize body orientation across species using spinal and supraspinal networks. Vestibular input drives lamprey reticulospinal neurons for correction, while mammals use somatosensory input for trunk stabilization.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Comparative Physiology
Motor Control

Background:

Species maintain specific body orientations through complex postural control systems.
Spinal and supraspinal networks are integral to maintaining body posture and orientation in space.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the operational mechanisms of spinal and supraspinal postural control networks.
To compare postural control strategies in a lower vertebrate (lamprey) and mammals (rabbit, cat).

Main Methods:

Studied reticulospinal (RS) neuron activity in lamprey in response to vestibular input.
Analyzed corticospinal neuron activity in mammals.
Assessed spinal network function in mammals with spinal cord lesions.
Examined somatosensory input from limb mechanoreceptors in mammals.

Main Results:

In lamprey, vestibular input activates RS neurons, which send corrective commands to the spinal cord for body orientation stabilization.
Lamprey postural control involves antagonistic vestibular reflexes compensated by RS neuron activity.
Mammalian trunk stabilization utilizes independent anterior and posterior sub-systems driven by somatosensory input.
Both spinal and spino-supraspinal closed-loop mechanisms contribute to mammalian postural control.

Conclusions:

Supraspinal networks are crucial for stabilizing body orientation in lamprey, with spinal networks transforming commands into motor patterns.
Mammalian trunk orientation relies on a combination of spinal and supraspinal mechanisms.
Comparative analysis reveals conserved and divergent strategies in vertebrate postural control.