Loading…
The main pathway carrying commands for voluntary movement from the brain's motor cortex to the muscles.
The corticospinal (pyramidal) tract carries voluntary movement from the motor cortex through the internal capsule and brainstem, crossing in the medulla (pyramidal decussation), so one side controls the opposite body; an upper motor neuron lesion gives spastic weakness, brisk reflexes and an upgoing toe.
Action Potential
A rapid, self-propagating reversal of membrane potential that carries nerve and muscle signals.
Reflex Arc
The neural pathway that produces an automatic, rapid response to a stimulus.
Cerebellar Function and Lesion Signs
The cerebellum does not start movement; it compares the movement you intended with the movement you are making and corrects the difference.
The Hypothalamus
A small region at the base of the brain that links the nervous and endocrine systems and keeps the body's internal conditions stable.
Referred Pain
Pain felt at a site away from its true source, explained by how visceral and skin nerves share pathways in the spinal cord.
Spinal Cord: Ascending and Descending Tracts
The bundles of nerve fibres running up and down the spinal cord that carry sensation to the brain and movement commands from it.