What is the upper motor neuron?

The upper motor neuron is a neuron or a nerve cell that exists in the brain and sends motor information to a higher level to Medully, located in the brain, or to the right level of the spinal cord outside the brain. From medully or spinal cord they carry lower motor neurons motor information into muscle fibers, which makes them much directly responsible for movement than upper motor neurons. One can find the upper motor neuron in several different parts of the brain. Upper motor neurons are generally concentrated in the engine area of ​​the brain stem or cortex; From there they send motor information down. For example, the rubrospinal tract is strongly involuntary movements to improve and maintain the body's balance. Most movements concerning this tract occur in the arms. The tectospinal tract of a continuous muscle movements in the throat and reticulospinal tract plays an important role in controlling autonomous effects in the body. Corticospinal tract, or pyramid tract, is largely under the control of conscious movementsand muscle action.

In general, the upper motor neuron in the pyramid tract will have a role in controlling conscious movement, while the upper motor neuron in the extrapyramidal tract or any path outside the pyramid tract will probably be connected to the subconscious motor process such as balance or posture. The pyramid tract begins in the cortex, specifically in the part of the frontal lobe, which is known as the motor belt. In general, nerve pulses travel from this motor strip to the spinal cord.

Lower motor neurons receive information from the upper motor neurons and transmit it to real muscle fibers in both consciousness autonomous movements. As such, both upper and lower neural tracts must work properly to facilitate the proper transmission of nerve pulses from the brain to the muscles. The failure in each part can cause motor problems with different severity.