Extrapyramidal System

Extrapyramidal System

1. A number of centers and their associated tracts whose primary function is to coordinate and process motor commands performed at a subconscious level (Waldman, 2009).

   • Basal Ganglia
     • Receives input from almost all regions of the cerebral cortex and send projections to some nuclei of the thalamus (Papathanasiou & Coppens, 2017). The basal ganglia plays a significant role in transforming activity in the cerebral cortex into directed behavior, involving motor learning, habit formation and the selection of actions based on desirable outcomes, and the organization of the basal ganglia is intimately linked to that of the cerebral cortex (Dudman & Gerfen, 2015).
   • Thalamus
     • Projections sent from the basal ganglia are connected to the executive, premotor, and motor areas of the cortex (Papathanasiou & Coppens, 2017). Plays roles in sensory relay in visual, auditory, somatosensory, and gustatory systems, motor activity, emotion, memory, and arousal (Blumenfeld & Gummadavelli, 2018).
   • Cerebellum
     • Responsible body balance, coordination of movements of hands and feet, head, eyes, and mouth, and monitors speech movements (Papathanasiou & Coppens, 2017).