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Related Concept Videos

Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

4.7K
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...
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Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

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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.
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Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay01:27

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The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is  a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological...
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Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

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Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
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Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

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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...
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Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy of Motor Control

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 30, 2026

In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
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Working together: basal ganglia pathways in action selection.

Danielle M Friend1, Alexxai V Kravitz2

  • 1National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.

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|May 13, 2014
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Summary

Researchers used optogenetics and electrophysiology to study the basal ganglia

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • The basal ganglia are crucial for motor control.
  • Understanding their function in rapid sequences is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate neuronal firing patterns in basal ganglia nuclei during complex motor tasks.
  • To elucidate the role of direct and indirect pathways in motor programming.

Main Methods:

  • Combined in vivo electrophysiology with optogenetic identification.
  • Recorded neuronal activity in multiple basal ganglia nuclei during motor sequences.

Main Results:

  • Identified specific firing patterns associated with rapid motor sequences.
  • Demonstrated co-activation of direct and indirect pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Co-activation of basal ganglia pathways facilitates intended motor programs.
  • This mechanism inhibits competing motor programs, enabling precise movements.