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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

Indirect Motor Pathways

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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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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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Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

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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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Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:24

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

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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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In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
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Corticostriatal pathways for bilateral sensorimotor functions.

Ruy Gómez-Ocádiz1, Gilad Silberberg1

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|September 11, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pyramidal tract (PT) and intratelencephalic (IT) corticostriatal pathways exhibit distinct target selectivity. This organization is crucial for regulating striatal neuromodulation and bilateral sensorimotor functions.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Systems Neuroscience
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Corticostriatal pathways are vital for motor, sensory, cognitive, and affective functions.
  • These pathways are primarily mediated by two classes of cortical pyramidal neurons: pyramidal tract (PT) and intratelencephalic (IT) neurons.
  • Recent research highlights the distinct structural and functional properties of PT and IT pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss recent findings on the functional organization of PT and IT corticostriatal pathways.
  • To explore the implications of this organization for bilateral sensorimotor functions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent studies on corticostriatal pathways.
  • Analysis of synaptic connectivity and target selectivity.
  • Functional characterization of PT and IT projection classes.

Main Results:

  • PT and IT pathways demonstrate high target selectivity within cortical and striatal microcircuits.
  • This selectivity allows for precise regulation of the striatal neuromodulatory landscape.
  • Distinct functional roles of PT and IT pathways in sensorimotor control are suggested.

Conclusions:

  • The functional organization of corticostriatal pathways, particularly the PT and IT tracts, is key to regulating complex brain functions.
  • Understanding this organization provides insights into bilateral sensorimotor control mechanisms.