Pyramidal Tract (Noun)
Meaning
Any of the important motor nerves on each side of the central nervous system that run from the sensorimotor areas of the cortex through the brainstem to motor neurons of the cranial nerve nuclei and the ventral root of the spinal cord.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The pyramidal tract is a collection of nerve fibers that carries motor signals from the brain to the spinal cord.
- Damage to the pyramidal tract can result in weakness, paralysis, or loss of motor function in specific parts of the body.
- The pyramidal tract plays a crucial role in the transmission of signals from the cerebral cortex to the muscles, allowing for voluntary movement.
- The corticospinal tract is the part of the pyramidal tract that runs from the brain to the spinal cord, while the corticobulbar tract connects to the cranial nerve nuclei.
- A tumor growing in the brainstem can compress or damage the pyramidal tract, leading to a range of motor impairments.