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Reflex Activity
Part D: Motor Control & Reflexes
Prepared by Janice Meeking & W. Rose.
Figures from Marieb & Hoehn 8th , 9th eds.
Precommand Level
(highest)
Cerebellum and basal
nuclei
Programs and instructions
(modified by feedback)
Internal
feedback
Feedback
Projection Level (middle)
Motor cortex (pyramidal
system) and brain stem
nuclei (vestibular, red,
reticular formation, etc.)
Convey instructions to
spinal cord motor neurons
and send a copy of that
information to higher levels
Segmental Level (lowest)
Spinal cord
Contains central pattern
generators (CPGs)
Sensory
input
Reflex activity
Motor
output
Figure 13.13a
Precommand level
Cerebellum
Basal nuclei
Projection level
Primary motor cortex
Brain stem nuclei
Segmental level
Spinal cord
(b) Structures involved
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Figure 13.13b
Reflexes
Inborn (intrinsic) reflex: rapid,
involuntary, predictable motor
response to a stimulus
Learned (acquired) reflex: requires
practice and/or repetition
Driving
Sports
Stimulus
Skin
1 Receptor
Components of a
reflex arc (neural
path)
Interneuron
2 Sensory neuron
3 Integration center
4 Motor neuron
5 Effector
Spinal cord
(in cross section)
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Figure 13.14
Spinal Reflexes
Mediated by spinal cord
Regulated by the brain
Work (but abnormally) even in spinal
cord injury patients
Effectors are skeletal muscle
Examples: Stretch, Golgi tendon, flexor,
crossed extensor, cutaneous
Stretch Reflex
Maintains muscle tone in large postural
muscles
Muscle lengthening causes contraction of
stretched muscle, relaxation of antagonist
Stretch activates muscle spindle
IIa sensory neurons make excitatory synapses onto
motor neurons in spinal cord
motor neurons cause stretched muscle to
contract
Secondary sensory
endings (type II fiber)
Primary sensory
endings (type Ia
fiber)
Muscle spindle
Connective
tissue capsule
Efferent (motor)
fiber to muscle spindle
Efferent (motor)
fiber to extrafusal
muscle fibers
Extrafusal muscle
fiber
Intrafusal muscle
fibers
Sensory fiber
Golgi tendon
organ
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Tendon
Figure 13.15
Muscle
spindle
Intrafusal
muscle fiber
Primary
sensory (la)
nerve fiber
Extrafusal
muscle fiber
Time
Time
Time
(a) Unstretched
muscle. Action
potentials (APs)
are generated at
a constant rate in
the associated
sensory (la) fiber.
(b) Stretched
muscle. Stretching
activates the muscle
spindle, increasing
the rate of APs.
neurons activated.
Both extrafusal and
Only the extrafusal
intrafusal muscle
muscle fibers contract.
fibers contract.
The muscle spindle
Muscle spindle
becomes slack and no
tension is mainAPs are fired. It is
tained and it can
unable to signal further
still signal changes
length changes.
in length.
Time
Figure 13.16a, b
Quadriceps
(extensors)
1
3a
3b
3b
Patella
Muscle
spindle
Spinal cord
(L2L4)
Hamstrings
(flexors)
Patellar
ligament
Excitatory synapse
Inhibitory synapse
Figure 13.17 (2 of 2)
1 Quadriceps strongly
Interneurons
Quadriceps
(extensors)
Golgi
tendon
organ
Spinal cord
Hamstrings
(flexors)
3a Efferent impulses
+ Excitatory synapse
Inhibitory synapse
to muscle with
stretched tendon are
damped. Muscle
relaxes, reducing
tension.
3b Efferent
impulses to
antagonist
muscle cause
it to contract.
Figure 13.18
+ Excitatory synapse
Inhibitory synapse
Interneurons
Efferent
fibers
Afferent
fiber
Efferent
fibers
Extensor
inhibited
Flexor
stimulated
Arm
movements
Flexor
inhibited
Extensor
stimulated
Site of reciprocal
activation: At the
same time, the
extensor muscles
on the opposite
side are activated.
Figure 13.19
Plantar reflex
Stimulus: stroke lateral aspect of sole of
foot
Normal response: downward flexion of toes
Tests for function of corticospinal tracts
Babinskis sign: abnormal response
Hallux dorsiflexes, smaller toes fan laterally
Normally in infants <1 y.o. due to incomplete
myelination
In adults, indicates corticospinal or motor cortex
damage
Reflex Testing
Normal Babinski:
http://library.med.utah.edu/neurologicexam/html/motor_normal.html#10
http://video.google.com/videoplay?
docid=-3102473882446365023&pr=goog-sl
Abdominal reflexes
Cause contraction of abdominal muscles
and movement of the umbilicus in response
to stroking of the skin
Vary in intensity from one person to another
Absent when corticospinal tract lesions are
present