Motor Systems and Movement Control

What the resources cover

This unit sits in the Sensory and Motor Systems strand of Neuroscience. Its resources follow how the nervous system plans and carries out movement. Many focus on the basal ganglia, from the quiz Basal Ganglia, which asks you to name the striatum, globus pallidus and subthalamic nucleus, to flowcharts on the direct and indirect pathways. Others cover the cerebellum, including the mind map Cerebellar microarchitecture, which notes that cerebellar damage does not cause paralysis but makes movements inaccurate, slow and uncoordinated.

Where to start

Begin with the big picture. The quiz Motor System separates the pyramidal system, which executes movement, from the extrapyramidal system, which regulates background rate and speed. A second quiz with the same title covers voluntary movements, rhythmic movements and reflexes. Then open the mind map Motor Control or Control Of Movement to see how the parts connect.

1. Take the Motor System quizzes and note what you miss.
2. Read the mind map on upper motor neurons, which lists the four tracts and the functions of the upper motor neuron.
3. Move to the Cerebellum mind map, which includes the four deep nuclei.
4. Return to the basal ganglia with the quiz on Parkinson's disease and dopamine.

Using quizzes and maps together

Quizzes show what you do not yet know. Maps show how ideas link. After a quiz, find the map on the same topic and trace the path you got wrong. Then test yourself again. Flashcard decks such as Chapter 11 - Movement, with cards on the stretch reflex, motor neurons and the corticospinal tract, suit short sessions on terms.

Beyond the main structures

Some resources go further. The Week 8 Lamprey Lecture mind map looks at how neural circuits and movement patterns emerged in vertebrates. Others cover central pattern generators, which help explain rhythmic movement. There are also notes on neurodegenerative diseases and a deck on motor learning. Teachers can use these as ready-made starting points for a class.

Next step

Choose one structure, such as the cerebellum or the basal ganglia, and work through its quiz, map and flashcards in turn. Then make a small set of your own to fill any gaps.