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Related Concept Videos

Direct Motor Pathways01:11

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.
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.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
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Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

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The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
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Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

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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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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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Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

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The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
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Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

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From the motor cortex to the movement and back again.

Wondimu W Teka1, Khaldoun C Hamade2, William H Barnett3

  • 1Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America.

Plos One
|June 21, 2017
PubMed
Summary

This study models neural control of reaching movements. It reveals that directional modulation of neuronal activity, from muscle forces to the motor cortex, arises from muscle dynamics and joint mechanics.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Biology
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • The motor cortex generates signals for precise movements, requiring coordination between cortical activity, spinal circuits, and muscles.
  • Understanding the correlation between neural activity and movement parameters is crucial for deciphering motor control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and utilize a computational model simulating the motor pathway from the motor cortex to muscles.
  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying the correlation between motor cortex activity, spinal circuits, motoneurons, muscles, and movement parameters like direction.

Main Methods:

  • A computational model was created to simulate goal-directed reaching movements of a two-joint arm actuated by six muscles.
  • The model incorporates afferent feedback from muscles to spinal circuits and defines cortical neurons as controllers solving an inverse problem.
  • The simulation analyzes the relationship between cortical and motoneuronal activity and movement parameters.

Main Results:

  • Directional modulation of neuronal activity in the motor cortex and spinal cord correlates with direction-specific muscle length dynamics.
  • The model demonstrates that directional modulation originates at the muscle force level, is amplified at the motoneuron level, and further enhanced in the motor cortex.

Conclusions:

  • Directional modulation in motor control emerges from the interplay of muscle dynamics, spinal circuitry, and cortical processing.
  • The model provides insights into how muscle lengths and velocities, influenced by joint friction and muscle properties, contribute to neural representations of movement direction.