The big picture of motor control

Students will create a large diagram, fully mapping the architecture of human motor control ‐ including sensory receptors, nerve roots and tracts, the spinal cord and brain. The big picture of motor control is worth 15% of your final class grade.

Assignment Details                                         Due – 4/14/15

Students must assimilate class information as well as use background reading to put together a single diagram mapping the way that a specific motor skill is controlled. Students will first select a discrete skill. This must be approved before continuing. The diagram can be hand drawn or created in a computer program (e.g., PowerPoint). You will need to make several rough drafts to plan this out correctly.

The diagram must contain the following elements (you may include other elements but it is not required):

1.       All involved proprioceptors

2.       Dermatomes and afferent pathways and tracts in the spinal cord

3.       Myotomes and efferent pathways and tracts in the spinal cord

4.       The somatosensory cortex

5.       The prefrontal cortex

6.       The motor cortex and premotor cortex

7.       The basal ganglia

8.       The cerebellum

The diagram must show all relevant connections between working parts (including an indication of direction of flow of neural information). You should annotate the diagram to indicate the purpose of the key components in the system.

Rubric