#VoluntaryMovements

[drchristophedelongsblog]

Movement Coordinators: Much More than the Cerebellum and Central Nuclei!

Movement coordinators are a complex network of brain structures that work together to plan, initiate and execute movements. In addition to the cerebellum and basal ganglia, other important structures are involved:

Brain structures involved in movement coordination

- Motor cortex ⚙️: Responsible for planning and executing voluntary movements.

- Premotor cortex: Involved in the planning and preparation of movements.

- Prefrontal cortex: Responsible for decision-making and movement planning.

- Thalamus: Relays motor signals between brain and muscles.

- Brain stem: Connects the brain to the spinal cord and contains motor nuclei that control movements of the eyes, head and face.

Role of each structure in movement coordination

- Cerebellum ⚖️: Responsible for fine coordination of movement, balance and posture.

- Central gray nuclei: Play an important role in planning and initiating movements, as well as learning new motor skills.

- Motor cortex: Responsible for generating motor commands that are sent to the muscles.

- Premotor cortex: Involved in the planning and preparation of movements.

- Prefrontal cortex: Responsible for decision-making and movement planning.

- Thalamus: Relays motor signals between brain and muscles.

- Brain stem: Connects the brain to the spinal cord and contains motor nuclei that control movements of the eyes, head and face.

Conclusion

All these structures work together in a coordinated way to enable us to perform a wide variety of movements, from the simplest to the most complex.

Go further

[varipon]

Task 2.6 : Biomechanical simulation of Crawl swimming