Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

3.4K
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...
3.4K
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

3.1K
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...
3.1K
Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

6.0K
The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
6.0K
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

4.6K
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...
4.6K
Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy of Motor Control

5.5K
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.
5.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Response: "Letter to the Editor: Lessons to Be Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Some Further Ideas".

International journal of public health·2026
Same author

Clinical Gait Evaluation with Neuromuscular Impairments (Clinical GENI) for spastic cerebral palsy.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2025
Same author

Quantification of residual plasmid DNA and SV40 promoter-enhancer sequences in Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna modRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Ontario, Canada.

Autoimmunity·2025
Same author

What Lessons can Be Learned From the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

International journal of public health·2025
Same author

Development and pilot of Trainers in Oncofertility Reproductive Communication and Health (TORCH) program.

Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice·2025
Same author

Mobilizing Health Promotion Through Canada's Student Mental Health Network: Concurrent, Mixed Methods Process Evaluation.

JMIR formative research·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control
08:12

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

Published on: September 11, 2019

9.0K

Motor systems and postural instability.

Rachel L Vassar1, Jessica Rose2

  • 1Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.

Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|October 14, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Alcohol intoxication impairs posture and motor control by delaying nerve signals and sensory integration. Chronic alcoholism leads to persistent tremors and sway, with brain changes potentially allowing partial recovery.

Keywords:
alcoholbalancecerebellumcorpus callosummagnetic resonance imagingmotor cortexposturesensorimotor integration

More Related Videos

Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
07:52

Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability

Published on: September 18, 2020

8.0K
An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
12:18

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses

Published on: April 6, 2019

10.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control
08:12

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control

Published on: September 11, 2019

9.0K
Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability
07:52

Evaluating Postural Control and Lower-extremity Muscle Activation in Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability

Published on: September 18, 2020

8.0K
An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
12:18

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses

Published on: April 6, 2019

10.6K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Alcohol consumption significantly impacts the central nervous system.
  • Both acute intoxication and chronic alcohol dependence affect motor function and postural control.
  • Ethanol interferes with nerve signal conduction and sensory input integration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of alcohol on neurologic control of posture and motor function.
  • To identify specific motor and neurologic deficits associated with acute and chronic alcohol use.
  • To explore potential for recovery from alcohol-induced motor impairments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on alcohol's effects on motor control and posture.
  • Analysis of common clinical signs of alcohol intoxication and dependence related to motor function.
  • Examination of neuroimaging findings associated with chronic alcoholism and postural instability.

Main Results:

  • Acute alcohol intoxication causes ataxia, oculomotor changes, and increased reliance on visual cues.
  • Chronic alcoholism leads to persistent postural tremors and sway, even after sobriety.
  • Neurologic changes include cerebellar vermis volume reduction, corpus callosum thinning, and cortical atrophy.

Conclusions:

  • Alcohol-induced motor and neurologic deficits are complex and multifactorial.
  • Structural brain changes in chronic alcoholism correlate with postural instability.
  • Evidence suggests potential for partial recovery, informing future treatment and prevention strategies.