Researchers led by UC Riverside studied how the brain controls hand and arm movements. Their study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They found that signals for voluntary hand movement travel directly from the cortex but also pass through relay centers in the brainstem and the top spinal segments.
The team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure activity during controlled hand tasks in mice and in human volunteers. The same medulla regions were active in both species. By mapping this pathway, the researchers say the work could help develop new therapies after stroke or other brain injury.
Difficult words
- researcher — person who studies science and collects dataResearchers
- cortex — outer part of the brain that controls actions
- brainstem — lower brain area connecting brain and spinal cord
- medulla — part of the brainstem with basic body functions
- pathway — route that signals travel inside the body
- therapy — medical treatment to help recovery after illnesstherapies
- stroke — sudden illness when blood flow to brain stops
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Discussion questions
- Why might mapping this pathway help develop new therapies after stroke or brain injury?
- Do you think studying both mice and human volunteers is important? Why or why not?
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