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Related Concept Videos

Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

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.
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

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...
Nervous System01:21

Nervous System

The nervous system coordinates body functions through its complex network of nerve cells, enabling sensation and movement. It is divided into two primary parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain acts as the body's control center, processing sensory information and coordinating responses. The spinal cord functions as a major signaling pathway for the brain and the rest of the body.
Extending...
Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
Motor Units00:46

Motor Units

A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
07:52

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior

Published on: November 22, 2021

Simple cellular and network control principles govern complex patterns of motor behavior.

Alexander Kozlov1, Mikael Huss, Anders Lansner

  • 1School of Computer Science and Communication, Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|November 11, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals how spinal central pattern generator networks (CPGs) control locomotion. Flexible control of forward/backward movement and steering is achieved through local synaptic effects and neuronal variability.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Biology
  • Systems Neuroscience

Background:

  • The vertebrate central nervous system utilizes modular networks for complex tasks.
  • Spinal central pattern generator networks (CPGs) autonomously generate locomotion.
  • Locomotion is modulated by brainstem command centers and basal ganglia control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate general control principles for adaptable network function.
  • To model the lamprey CPG and its brainstem/forebrain control system.
  • To understand how locomotion parameters are flexibly regulated.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a biophysically detailed, full-scale computational model of the lamprey CPG (10,000 neurons).
  • Simulation of brainstem and forebrain control mechanisms.
  • Analysis of synaptic effects and neuronal response variability.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration of adaptable control principles for network demands.
  • Flexible control of forward/backward locomotion and steering via rostral synaptic effects.
  • Neuronal response variability ensures constant phase delay across different speeds.

Conclusions:

  • Local synaptic effects in the rostral network are key for flexible locomotion control.
  • Neuronal variability is crucial for maintaining coordinated movement across speeds.
  • The model provides insights into general principles of CPG control in vertebrates.