Motor Pathways

Anatomy Lectures

Department of Clinical Anatomy

•The motor pathways refer to the neurons involved in contraction of
skeletal muscles resulting in voluntary movements and adjustments of
posture, tone and reflex activity.

•Typically the pathways are described as the:

 Pyramidal pathway (involved in voluntary movements)
Extra (non) pyramidal pathway (involved in posture, tone, etc)
•The pyramidal pathway comprises essentially of the following :
An upper motor neuron/s (UMN) which has its cell body in the motor cortex,
basal ganglia and the brain stem
 the lower motor neuron (LMN) which is found in the nuclei of some motor
cranial nerves and the anterior horns of grey matter in the spinal cord
 Some definitions
• Pathway /path·way/ (path´wa)

 1. a course usually followed.

 2. the nerve structures through which an impulse passes between groups
of nerve cells or between the central nervous system and an organ or
muscle.
• efferent pathway the nerve structures through which an impulse passes
away from the brain, especially for the innervation of muscles, effector
organs, or glands.
• final common pathway a motor pathway consisting of the motor neurons
by which nerve impulses from many central sources pass to a muscle or
gland in the periphery.
More definitions
• Somatography (somatotopy) – a
representation in the CNS of body parts
thus
• Homunculus – a little man
• Internal capsule – a compact area of white
matter in the cerebrum
More definitions
Crus cerebri (basis pedunculi) – the anterior (ventral) part of the cerebral peduncles
Pyramids – raised elevations on the ventral aspect of the medulla (oblongata)
Decussation – crossing over of fibres
Tracts – groups of axons in the CNS
DESCENDING
MOTOR
TRACTS

PYRAMIDAL
TRACTS
 1⁰ Motor cortex –
Left lateral surface seen from the left and above
1⁰ Motor cortex –
coronal section
 CORTICOSPINAL TRACT
•Fibres originate in primary motor cortex (Brodman’s area ) 4, premotor cortex (6),
sensory cortex (3a,3b, 1 &2) and parietal cortex (5) – largest descending system in
humans > 1000000 fibres

•- corona radiata

• - internal capsule
anterior 2/3’s of posterior limb
• - middle 3/5’s of crus cerebri
(anterior portion of cerebral peduncle)
 CORTICOSPINAL TRACT
•- basis pontis fibre tracts broken up
into smaller bundles by pontine nuclei
•- pyramids of medulla at the lower
end of which 80 -85% cross over

•  descend as lateral corticospinal tract

•- rest proceed as anterior
corticospinal tract
 SCHEMA OF CORTICOSPINAL TRACT

Deep dissection of brain-stem. Lateral

view. ("pyramidal tract" visible in red,
and "pyramidal decussation" labeled
at lower right.)
 CORTICO-BULBAR TRACTS

•UMN’s for head (Cortico –

bulbar tracts)
•Note that except for lower half
of face there is bilateral
stimulation
•Some authors state this also
applies to the hypoglossal
nucleus
 CORTICO-BULBAR TRACTS
•Note further the position of the
tracts in the:
•Internal capsule it occupies the
genu
•Crus cerebri it is found medially &
•In the pons the tracts are in the
basilar part (& also broken up into
smaller bundles by the presence of
pontine nuclei
SCHEMA OF PREVIOUS
DIAGRAM = CORTICO-
BULBAR TRACT.
ALSO= CORTICO –
NUCLEAR TRACT
DECUSSATION OF PYRAMIDS OBLITRATES THE VENTRAL MEDIAN
FISSURE AND INDICATES THE START OF THE SPINAL CORD
 Comparison of upper motor neuron and lower motor neuron lesions
Feature UMN Lesion LMN Lesion
Atrophy Not prominent Prominent
Muscle fasciculation Absent Present
Posture / •Flexion arm / extension of leg •Flail like movements
movements •Contralateral hemiparesis •Ipsilateral paresis limited to
specific groups of muscles
Muscle tone Hypertonic Flaccid
Tendon reflexes Hyperactive Absent or hypoactive
Superficial reflexes Absent or weak Present
Pathological Present (eg. Babinski sign*) Absent
reflexes

*The normal response in an adult to stroking the sole of the foot is

flexion of the big toe, and often the other toes. Following damage
to descending upper motor neuron pathways, however, this
stimulus elicits extension of the big toe and a fanning of the other
EXTRAPYRAMIDAL PATHWAYS
LOWER MOTOR NEURON
 TRANSVERSE SECTION OF SPINAL CORD
• The spinal cord is flattened antero-posteriorly

• Grey matter – central zone

• White matter – peripheral zone

Gray
matter

White
matter
Upper and lower motor neurons
Both somatic motor and branchiomotor nerves supply voluntary muscles. Pathways
between motor cortex and muscles may be thought of as being arranged in two
neuronal groups: upper motor neurons and lower motor neurons. Axons of upper motor
neurons decussate before synapsing with lower motor neurons, so the right motor
cortex controls the left side of the body, and vice versa – contralateral control.

Upper motor neurons: cortex to nucleus

For cranial nerves, cell bodies of upper motor neurons are in the head and neck area of
the motor cortex. Axons descend, decussating just before synapsing with cell bodies of
lower motor neurons which make up the motor nucleus of that cranial nerve. The term
upper motor neurons is also used clinically to include fibres from other brain centres
(e.g. parietal lobe, basal ganglia, cerebellum, reticular formation, midbrain, etc.) that
connect with the lower motor neurons in the cranial nerve nucleus, thus influencing
their activity.
Lower motor neurons: nucleus to muscle
Cell bodies of lower motor neurons form the brain stem nucleus. Axons leave the brain
stem and pass in the cranial nerve to the destination. Thus, although most of the axon
of the lower motor neuron is part of the peripheral nervous system, the cell body and
first part of the axon is in the central nervous system.

Corticonuclear and corticobulbar

These terms describe the upper motor neuron pathways described above.
SCHEMATIC VIEW OF EXTRAPYRAMIDAL PATHWAYS
 SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PYRAMIDAL AND EXTRAPYRAMIDAL PATHWAYS

SYNAPSES MONOSYNAPTIC – LOW POLYSYNAPTIC – MULTINEURONAL PATHWAY

SPEED MERCHANT
PATHWAY DIRECT UMN TO LMN MULTIPLE RELAYS INCLUDING FEEDBACK LOOPS
+VE VS -VE USU. STIMULATORY CAN BE STIMULATORY OR INHIBITORY
SPEED FAST SLOW
MOVEMENTS SOPHISTICATED & MAINTENANCE OF MUSCLE TONE, CONTROLS
DISCRETE POSTURAL MOVEMENTS, STEREOTYPED
MOVEMENTS, SYNERGIC MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS