Motor System

The motor system can be divided into two groups of circuits:

• extrapyramidal system: composed of all other projection pathways that influence motor control:

  • basal ganglia
  • cerebellum
  • groups of neurons within the brainstem that send projections into the spinal cord

• neurons within the basal ganglia and cerebellum are interconnected with the cerebral cortex through a series of feedback loops--one way in which the basal ganglia and cerebellum can influence motor responses

• in addition, components of the basal ganglia have been linked to cognitive processes (memory)

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