Exercise 4: Motor Control

Systems
ABST-1L Group 2
Dimaculangan, Quintana, Reyes,
Santos, Villaos
 Objective:

• The exercise aimed to assess the

different motor activities of the
toad.
 Introduction
• Motor control is governed by both the brain and
the spinal cord

Spinal Cord
Parts:
• White matter – outer; contains sensory and
motor tracts for conduction of nerve impulses to
the brain, and towards the effector tissues
• Gray matter – inner; integrative area for cord
reflexes
Spinal Cord Transverse Section
 Spinal Cord
Functions:
Transmits info to and from the brain
Integrating center for spinal cord reflexes
Maintain homeostasis by two ways:
1. Tract
– where nerve signal travels
Ascending – from spinal cord to the brain
Descending – from brain towards spinal cord
 2. Reflex
• Reflex – “fast, involuntary, unplanned
sequence of actions that occurs in response to
a particular stimulus”
• Reflex Arc – pathway of the nerve impulse
which produces reflex
 Spinal Cord | Components of a Reflex Arc:
1. Sensory receptor
2. Sensory neuron
3. Integrating center
4. Motor neuron
5. Effector
 Types of Reflexes in the Toad
1. Simple coordinated movement
- involves contraction of a few muscles
2. Complex coordinated movement
- contraction of a group of muscles in
sequence to produce a purposeful motion
3. Uncoordinated or Convulsive reflexes
- muscles contract independent of each
other, which may result to opposition.
 Methodology
A. Motor Activity
Table 4.1. Toad preparations used.
Normal Spinal Double-pithed Decerebrate

intact destroyed destroyed Cerebral lobes

Brain removed

intact intact destroyed intact

Spinal
Cord
 Parameters examined
1. Posture – position of the head, eyes, forelimbs, hind limbs, belly
2. Respiration rate – number of pulsations by raising and lowering
the throat per unit time (beats/min)
3. Locomotion – let the animal escape and count the number of
jumps (leaps/min)
4. Righting Movements – manner in which it returns to its normal
position when animal is turned over
5. Swimming reflex – time and coordination of swimming movement
when gently placed in a vessel with water
6. Equilibrium – manner in which animal balanced itself when
placed on a tilted plane
7. Pain response – observe leg reflexes when the left toe is pinched
8. Scratch reaction – reaction of legs towards an area irritated with
acetic acid
 Results | Posture
Table 4.2. Posture of the different experimental animals.
Normal Spinal Double Pithed Decerebrate

• Head lifted • Head not lifted • Head not lifted • Head not lifted
• Eyes open and • Eyes not • Eyes not • Body is limp
blinking blinking blinking • Forelimbs and
• Forelimbs and • Forelimbs • Forelimbs limp hindlimbs limp
hind limbs clasped • Hind limbs limp and entire
folded; props • Hind limbs length in
the body up spread out contact with the
pan
 Discussion | Posture
• Positive Support Reaction
- pressure on the footpad causes limb to
extend against the pressure applied to foot
- limb stiffens to support body weight
- occurs even in decerebrated toad

Cerebellum and Brain Stem

- responsible for maintenance of posture
 Results | Respiration rate & Locomotion

Table 4.3. Respiration and locomotion of the different experimental animals.

Values Normal Spinal Double Pithed Decerebrate

Respiration 156/min 34/min Not evident Not evident

rate
(beats/min)

Jumping 66/min No movement No movement No movement

(leaps/min)
Discussion | Respiration & Locomotion
• The brain stem ( medulla and pons) is
responsible for respiration

• Jumping
- voluntary movement controlled by the
cerebellum
 Results and Discussion | Swimming Reflex
Neural Activity Normal Spinal Double Pithed Decerebrate
Swimming reflex 1 sec.; 1 sec.; No movement No movement
Coordinated Weak,
movement uncoordinated
movement

Swimming Reflex
• Interneuronal circuitry in the spinal cord which is shared together with spinal
interneurons for scratching.
 Results and Discussion | Righting movements

• Righting Reflex
- when animal is laid on its side/back, it
will make uncoordinated movements to raise
itself to standing position
- occurs even in spinal toad
 Results and Discussion |Changes in Equilibrium

Neural Normal Spinal Double Pithed Decerebrate

Activity
Changes in 9 sec.; Balanced itself No movement No movement
equilibrium Kicking, upon being
jumping, submerged
balanced itself
before
submerged

• Magnet Reaction
- pressure on one side causes extension in that
direction which keeps the animal from falling to that side
• Cerebellum and Brain Stem
- responsible for the maintenance of equilibrium
 Results and Discussion | Response to Pain

Neural Activity Normal Spinal Double Pithed Decerebrate

Response to Both legs Both legs No response No movement

pain flexed and moved then Theoretical: Theoretical:
extended left leg flexed, muscles muscles
right leg contract contract
extended

• Flexor or Withdrawal Reflex

- a polysynaptic reflex arc that operates in response to a
painful stimulus, thus withdrawing the body part away from the
stimulus
- also called Pain reflex
 Results and Discussion | Response to pain

Neural Activity Normal Spinal Double Pithed Decerebrate

Response to Both legs Both legs No response No movement

pain flexed and moved then Theoretical: Theoretical:
extended left leg flexed, muscles muscles
right leg contract contract
extended

• Crossed Extensor Reflex

- after the stimulus elicits response in one limb, the
opposite limb extends
- extension of the opposite limb pushes body away
from painful stimulus
 Results and Discussion | Scratch Reflex

Neural Normal Spinal Double Decerebrate

Activity Pithed
Scratch approx. 6 4 scratches/min; No No movement
reaction scratches/min; Both legs attempted response
Both legs attempted to scratch the area;
to scratch area left leg (closer to
area) scratched area

• Scratch Reflex
- initiated by itch or tickle sensation
two functions:
 Position sense – allows limb to find exact point of irritation
 To-and-fro scratching movement – involves reciprocal innervation circuits
that cause oscillation
B. MUSCLE TONUS
•“tonus” = tension

•the involuntary resistance of a muscle to stretch by

contraction when stimulated by a counteracting
pressure

•muscle opposes stretch as it puts forth a force

•muscle action in which a shortened condition is

maintained for a prolonged period of time
• In normal conditions, the continuous and passive
partial contraction of the muscles (gastrocnemius)
helps maintain posture.

• enables the body to respond to sudden pull or

stretch by automatically increasing the muscle's
tension, a reflex which helps guard against danger as
well as helping to maintain balance
 Methods:
• spinal toad (single pithing)
• observations in:
(a) with intact sciatic nerve
(b) with right spinal cord cut
(c) spinal cord destroyed
• Firmness of the gastrocnemius was noted in each
condition and the position of the both legs with
reference to the long toes were also examined while
suspended by its lower jaw.
Condition of gastrocnemius muscle at varying neural connections

1. intact sciatic nerve

gastrocnemius in both
limbs are firm
2. right sciatic nerve cut
• right gastrocnemius
flaccid

• left gastrocnemius
firm
3. spinal cord destroyed

• gatrocnemius in both
limbs are flaccid
Sciatic Nerve
• a large nerve innervating the gastrocnemius muscle

• originates from the distal spinal cord

• function: for transmission of nerve impulses to and from

the brain
• may lead to a number of symptoms or disabilities
– Some include impaired function of the motor neurons
which in turn may result to weakness in the lower leg
muscle=flaccidity
Regulation of MUSCLE TONUS by:
Golgi Tendon Organ

• found at the insertion of skeletal muscle fibers into

tendons

• collagen fibers in the tendon-wrapped around by

afferent fibers

• Contraction of the muscle fibers

- causes the pull of the tendon
- hence, causing straightening of the collagen
bundles
• golgi tendon organ sends action potential - to
CNS

• continuous information about the muscle’s

tension supplied by the afferent fibers from
Golgi organ to both areas of the brain

• cutting of sciatic nerve destroys connection

between golgi organ and CNS=results to
muscle flaccidity
C. INHIBITION OF REFLEXES
 Methods:
• spinal toad (single pithing)

• left toe dipped in an evap dish with 5% HCl

• reflex time recorded as the time it takes t lift toe from solution

• rest for 3min in tap water

• left toe dipped in an evap dish with 5% HCl

• with pinching of the right toes
• reflex time was again recorded
Reflex time in response to single or two simultaneous stimuli
REFLEX TIME
TOE STIMULATED (sec.) REMARKS

Left toe with acid only 2 immediate flexing of left leg

Left toe with acid &

Right toe pinched 0.06 faster flexing of the left leg
 REFLEX INHIBITION
• delay in the transmission of effector organs

• whenever simultaneous stimuli are applied:

• the brain chooses one with more physiological
importance
• application of a combination of stimulus
produced a resultant action intermediate
between the effects of the stimuli on their own
• between the effects of the stimuli on their
own; neither stimulus entirely eliminates
the influence or effect of the other stimulus

• negative feedback mechanism

Theoretically,
• The reflex time should be longer when the toad
was subjected to two stimuli

• with two or more stimulations

• weaker stimulation is inhibited due to the greater strength
of action potential from the stronger stimulus as well as the
inhibitory signals that are being sent to the effector neurons
and eventually to the effector organ.

• Moreover, this exhibits the capacity of the brain

to rule over which stimuli is more physiologically
significant.
• reflex resulting from simultaneous stimulation of the
excitatory and inhibitory afferent nerves
– the summation of the effects obtained from the two
nerves

• Inhibition
– occurs by antagonizing the excitatory process by
decreasing or suppressing its actual occurrence but it does
not necessarily prevent the excitatory process to proceed
or get access to its final destination
 References
Guyton, A.C. and Hall, E.C. (2006). Textbook of
Human Physiology. 12th ed. Pennsylvania:
Elsevier Saunders. pp. 655-664.
Tortora, G. and Derrickson, B. (2012). Principles
of Anatomy and Physiology. 13th ed. USA:
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 512-520.