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Primary motor cortex influences on the descending and ascending systems
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. fsancala@usc.es
Progress in Neurobiology
|February 1, 1997
Summary
The motor cortex coordinates movement by integrating descending and ascending pathways. Motor cortex axons primarily influence eye, neck, and forelimb synergies, suggesting a role in selective motor command and sensory filtering.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- The motor cortex is essential for coordinating movement and posture.
- Pyramidal tract fibers from the motor cortex project widely throughout the central nervous system, influencing various motor and sensory pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence on the motor cortex's role in coordinating descending and ascending pathways.
- To explore how the motor cortex integrates somatosensory information for motor control.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on the anatomical access and projection patterns of motor cortex neurons.
- Analysis of pyramidal tract fiber collateralization and termination sites.
Main Results:
- Motor cortex axons extensively collateralize, reaching multiple supraspinal and spinal targets.
- A significant portion of motor cortex projections terminate supraspinally or at the cervical spinal cord level.
- These projections suggest co-activation of descending and ascending pathways at these sites.
Conclusions:
- The motor cortex likely coordinates descending motor commands with ascending sensory information.
- This integration may facilitate the selection of motor commands, particularly for eye-neck-forelimb muscle synergies.
- The motor cortex plays a key role in somatomotor integration and selective sensory filtering for motor control.