MOVESCI 320 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Abducens Nerve, Purkinje Cell, Medial Rectus Muscle
Document Summary
Has to be mediated at the level of the spinal cord, no information to or coming from the cortex, because the connection is cut. Some input coming in, synapse onto excitatory interneuron (in this case) sends excitatory signal to flexion motor neuron sends signal to muscle motor response. Don"t want flexors and extensors co-contracting during gait, they"ll be cancelled out if excited at the same time. Need a mechanism to inhibit flexor when extending and vice versa. You don"t move your head as much you get a bigger response from the eyes. Always some inhibition on cerebellum from purkinje cell, can scale it to have a bigger response or you can suppress it to reduce the amount of excitatory. Reduce to abducens, less contraction of medial rectus. Cerebellum acts as a way to scale eye movement in response to stimulus. Initially make errors with glasses, slowly make adjustments and are eventually achieving what they want.
