Simple reflexes with brief muscle activation
Ex: eyeblink, hiccup, finger twitch
Movements
Complex sequential movements
Ex: honking your car horn, writing your name, playing lead guitar
Acts (action patterns)
A set of muscle commands established before the action occurs
Motor plan (motor program)
Motoric
The only reason we need a brain at all is
To move
The whole point of our brain is to
Guide movement
Two control mechanisms optimize accuracy and speed
Open-loop control
Ballistic movements
Two control mechanisms optimize accuracy and speed
Closed-loop control
Ramp movements
-skeletal system and muscles
-spinal cord
-brain stem
-primary motor cortex
-nonprimary motor cortex
-cerebellum and basal ganglia
Hierarchy of motor control systems
Power movement
Skeletal system and muscles
Control skeletal muscles
Spinal cord
Integrates motor commands
Brainstem
Initiates commands for action
Primary motor cortex
Initiates cortical processing
Nonprimary motor cortex
Tweak these systems
Cerebellum and basal ganglia
-planning
-initiating
-directing voluntary movements
-descending systems (upper motor neurons)
Motor cortex
-basic movements
-posture control
-descending systems (upper motor neurons)
Brainstem centers
-reflex coordination
-spinal and brainstem circuits
Local circuit neurons
-lower motor neurons
-spinal cord and brainstem circuits
Motor neuron pools
Gating proper initiation of movement
Basal ganglia