THE CONCEPT OF LOWER AND UPPER MOTOR

NEURONS
2019 D
Kelompok 4 :

1. Bima Setya B. 195130100111067

2. Keane Hartanto R. 195130107111051
3. Rachma Adventyna 195130107111060
4. Shafa Luvena P. 195130100111055
5. Nuha Jadwa S. 195130101111055
6. Wulan Fiwanti 195130101111047
THE CONCEPT OF LOWER AND UPPER
MOTOR NEURONS

MOTOR NEURON CLASSIFICATION

UPPER MOTOR NEURON
Upper motor neurons are the neurons of the CNS that influence the
lower motor neurons.
-corticospinal (cerebral cortex to spinal cord),
-corticobulbar (cerebral cortex to brainstem)
axons down to the spinal cord or into the brainstem to control the lower
motor neurons .
-Upper motor neurons send axons down to the spinal cord or into the
brainstem to control the lower motor neurons.
-Upper motor neurons are responsible for voluntary muscle control.

They do not innervate skeletal muscle directly, but exercise their

influence on the lower motor neurons.
LOWER MOTOR NEURONS

-Lower motor neurons are located in the cranial

and spinal motor nuclei.
-Their axons, unlike upper motor neurons, leave
the central nervous system (CNS) and innervate
skeletal muscles.
-the spinal alpha, gamma, and visceral
motor neurons as well as motor neurons of the
cranial motor nuclei.
The alpha (α) motor neuron
Neuron whose cell body and dendrites are located in the
central nervous system (CNS).
Whose axon extends out through the peripheral nerves to
synapse with the extrafusal skeletal muscle fibers
The gamma (γ) motor neurons, which innervate muscle
spindles. autonomic neurons consider to be lower motor
neurons.
Signs of Upper Motor Neuron Disease

Inappropriate movement.
Spinal cord disease, affecting portions of upper motor
neurons projecting to the cord, often causes various
degrees of weakness below the lesion.
Disease of the brain that affects upper motor neurons
may cause rigidity, seizures, circling gaits, and other
inappropriate movements.
 No atrophy
Because the lower motor neuron is intact, the muscle does
not atrophy. (Modest disuse atrophy may develop much later.) •
Retained but exaggerated segmental reflexes.
Because upper motor neurons are normally capable of
exerting significant inhibitory control over spinal reflexes,
however, damage to these neurons can decrease this inhibition,
resulting in exaggeration of the reflex response (hyperreflexia).
 Normal electromyogram.
Because the muscle is not atrophied and the lower motor neurons
are intact, the electrical activity of the muscle appears normal.
Disease of Lower Motor Neurons Causes
Stereotypical Clinical Signs
• Paralysis or paresis. Disease of the α motor neurons
usually prevents the neurons’ action potentials from
reaching the neuromuscular junction. Therefore,
despite the brain’s command to the muscle to contract,
the message cannot reach the muscle, and paralysis is
the result.
• Atrophy. Atrophy is the shrinking or wasting of
skeletal muscle mass distal to the lower motor neuron
lesion .This occurs within days of the injury to a nerve.
• Loss of segmental and intersegmental reflexes.
Segmental and intersegmental reflexes require a viable α
motor neuron in the reflex arc for the reflex response to
occur
• Electromyographic changes. Within a few days of
damage to α motor neurons, abnormal electrical activity
of the muscle can be observed on an electromyogram

Damage of α motor neurons occurs often on insult to a peripheral nerve that

also contains axons of sensory neurons. Therefore, there may be an
accompanying loss of sensory modalities, although this is not a cardinal sign of
lower motor neuron damage.