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Related Concept Videos

Motor Units00:46

Motor Units

61.9K
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.
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Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

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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...
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Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

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When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, 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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Direct Motor Pathways01:11

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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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Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

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Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
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Extracellularly Identifying Motor Neurons for a Muscle Motor Pool in Aplysia californica
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Motor Neuroprostheses.

Arthur Prochazka1

  • 1Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), School of Molecular & Systems Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Comprehensive Physiology
|December 15, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neuroprostheses (NPs) use electrical stimulation to activate nerves for sensory input or muscle activation. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) enhances muscle function, with recent advances improving convenience and reliability for conditions like foot drop and upper limb paralysis.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Neuroscience
  • Rehabilitation Technology

Background:

  • Neuroprostheses (NPs) encompass sensory and motor devices (MNPs) for nerve activation.
  • Early motor NPs in the 1850s were discredited due to exaggerated claims.
  • Modern NPs, including neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), aim to activate paralyzed muscles.

Observation:

  • Therapeutic electrical stimulation (TES) applies NMES in preset sequences.
  • Functional electrical stimulation (FES) or functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) times NMES to enhance voluntary movement.
  • Early FES devices like foot-drop stimulators faced limited adoption but have improved.

Findings:

  • Advances in technology have made neuroprosthetic devices more convenient and reliable.
  • Upper limb function enhancement is challenging but grasp-release stimulators show promise.
  • This chapter reviews NMES technical aspects, TES/FES benefits, neuromodulation effects, and field challenges.

Implications:

  • Improved neuroprosthetic devices offer enhanced functional recovery for individuals with paralysis.
  • Continued technological development and research address barriers to widespread adoption.
  • Neuromodulation effects suggest potential for long-term functional improvements beyond direct stimulation.