Motor Control

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to motor control and its underlying mechanisms.

Cortical motor control centers

Regions in the brain that coordinate and execute motor movements.

Basal ganglia

A group of structures that coordinate movement and motor control, involving both direct and indirect pathways.

Ataxia

A lack of coordinated muscle movements, often resulting in clumsy, unsteady motion.

Dysarthria

A speech disorder resulting from uncoordinated muscle movement, commonly associated with cerebellar damage.

Direct pathway

The pathway in the basal ganglia that facilitates movement.

Indirect pathway

The pathway in the basal ganglia that inhibits competing movements.

Hyperkinesias

Involuntary, undesired movements often associated with basal ganglia disorders.

Chorea

Uncontrollable, jerky movements, like twitching and abrupt jerking of the body.

Athetosis

Involuntary writhing contractions and twisting of the body into abnormal postures.

Parkinson's disease

A neurodegenerative disorder characterized by slowness of movement, tremors, and rigidity.

L-Dopa

A medication used to treat Parkinson's disease by replenishing dopamine levels.

Huntington's disease

An inherited disorder leading to uncontrolled movements and cognitive decline, caused by a single gene defect.

Cerebellum

A brain structure responsible for motor coordination, fine-tuning of movements, and motor learning.

Motor learning

The process of improving the smoothness and accuracy of movements through practice.