"Motor control is the regulation of movement in organisms that possess a nervous system."
The systems that control movement. Learn about the anatomy and function of the motor systems, including the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
Anatomy of the motor system: This topic covers the different regions of the brain and spinal cord that are involved in motor control, including the primary motor cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and spinal cord.
Motor neuron physiology: This topic describes the function and properties of motor neurons, which are specialized neurons that control muscle contraction.
Muscle physiology: This topic covers the mechanics and properties of skeletal muscle, including the role of muscle fibers, motor units, and neuromuscular junctions in motor control.
Motor unit recruitment: This topic describes how the brain recruits motor units in order to generate graded muscle force, and how this process can be affected by different types of motor tasks.
Motor learning and plasticity: This topic covers mechanisms underlying motor learning and plasticity, including synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, and the role of feedback and practice in motor skill acquisition.
Motor disorders and diseases: This topic covers different disorders and diseases that affect the motor system, including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy.
Electrophysiology of motor neurons: This topic covers the use of electrophysiological techniques to study the properties and behavior of motor neurons and their excitability.
Neural coding of motor output: This topic describes how the brain encodes and decodes motor signals, including the role of population coding, spike timing, and oscillations in motor control.
Modulation of the motor system by sensory feedback: This topic covers the role of sensory feedback in shaping motor output, including cutaneous, proprioceptive, and vestibular feedback.
Evolutionary and comparative perspectives on motor control: This topic examines motor control across different species and considers how phylogenetic history and ecology shape motor behavior.
Somatic Motor System: Responsible for controlling voluntary movement of skeletal muscles.
Autonomic Motor System: Responsible for the involuntary control of smooth muscles, cardiac muscles, and glands.
Sympathetic Motor System: A division of the autonomic motor system that prepares the body for stressful situations by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration while decreasing digestive and urinary functions.
Parasympathetic Motor System: A division of the autonomic motor system that promotes rest and digestion by decreasing heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration while increasing digestion and urinary functions.
Enteric Motor System: A network of neurons that regulates the activity of the gastrointestinal system, including smooth muscle contraction, secretion, and absorption.
Extrapyramidal Motor System: A collection of motor pathways that originate in the brain and modulate various aspects of movement, including posture, balance, and coordination.
Basal Ganglia: A collection of nuclei in the brain that play a critical role in regulating movement, particularly movements related to posture, muscle tone, and stereotyped behaviors.
Cerebellum: A structure in the brain that coordinates and fine-tunes movement by integrating sensory information and comparing intended movement with actual movement.
Pyramidal Motor System: A collection of motor pathways that originate in the cerebral cortex and regulate fine, voluntary movements, particularly those of the distal limbs and digits.
"Motor control includes reflexes as well as directed movement."
"To control movement, the nervous system must integrate multimodal sensory information and elicit the necessary signals to recruit muscles to carry out a goal."
"The nervous system integrates multimodal sensory information from the external world as well as proprioception."
"This pathway spans many disciplines, including multisensory integration, signal processing, coordination, biomechanics, and cognition."
"The computational challenges are often discussed under the term sensorimotor control."
"Successful motor control is crucial to interacting with the world to carry out goals as well as for posture, balance, and stability."
"Some researchers, such as Daniel Wolpert and Randy Flanagan, argue that motor control is the reason brains exist at all."
"To carry out a goal."
"Proprioception is integrated by the nervous system to carry out a goal."
"Multisensory integration is crucial for the nervous system to regulate movement."
"The necessary signals are elicited by the nervous system to recruit muscles and carry out a goal."
"Coordination, biomechanics, multisensory integration, and cognition play a role in motor control."
"The computational challenges are often discussed under the term sensorimotor control."
"Successful motor control is crucial for interacting with the world, achieving goals, maintaining posture, balance, and stability."
"Some researchers argue that motor control is the reason brains exist at all."
"The nervous system regulates movement by integrating sensory information and eliciting signals for muscle recruitment."
"Motor control includes both reflexes and directed movement."
"Carrying out goals refers to the ability to perform actions in order to achieve desired outcomes."
"Motor control spans disciplines such as multisensory integration, signal processing, coordination, biomechanics, and cognition."