Role of basal ganglia-brainstem systems in the control of postural muscle tone and locomotion.
This chapter argues that a basal ganglia-brainstem system throughout the mesopontine tegmentum contributes to an automatic control of movement that operates in conjunction with voluntary control processes. Activity of a muscle tone inhibitory system and the locomotion executing system can be steadily balanced by a net excitatory cortical input and a net inhibitory basal ganglia input to these systems. We further propose that dysfunction of the basal ganglia-brainstem system, together with that of the cortico-basal ganglia loop, underlies the pathogenesis of motor disturbances expressed in basal ganglia diseases.
Takakusaki
Kaoru
K
Department of Physiology, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan. kusaki@asahikawa-med.ac.jp
Oohinata-Sugimoto
Junko
J
Saitoh
Kazuya
K
Habaguchi
Tatsuya
T
D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000502:physiology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid