Movement requires coordination between several areas of the brain.¹ When this goes wrong, it can result in the development of involuntary movement disorders, including Huntington’s disease chorea.² This video takes a 3D deep-dive into the anatomy of movement within the brain.

There are several key hubs of movement neurocircuitry within the brain.¹ The basal ganglia control muscle movements and coordination,¹ and are organized into different structures, which interact with the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and limbic system.² Signals about movement are generated by the basal ganglia and then transferred to the thalamus.² In order to modulate voluntary movement, the cerebral cortex receives signals from both the thalamus and a separate area of the brain, the cerebellum.²

The two key neurotransmitters involved in relaying messages about movement are excitatory glutamate, which is transmitted from the cerebral cortex,¹ and inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is transmitted from the basal ganglia to the thalamus.² Additionally, dopamine and acetylcholine operate in a dynamic balance to modify or focus signals to ensure normal movement.³ Dopamine imbalance in the basal ganglia can result in involuntary hyperkinetic movement disorders, such as Huntington’s disease chorea, or hypokinetic movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, making dopamine and its receptor a target for drugs that treat these disorders.² 

Cross-sectional 3D renderings of the brain and its features are shown in the video to help visualize these pathways and how they interact.  

Click here to learn more through the 3D Anatomy of Movement video 

References

1. Kandel EJ, Schwartz JH, Jessell TM. The Organization of Movement. In: Principles of Neural Science. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2000.
2. Fazl A, Fleisher J. Anatomy, Physiology, and Clinical Syndromes of the Basal Ganglia: A Brief Review. Semin Pediatr Neurol 2018;25:2–9.
3. Lester DB, Rogers TD, Blaha CD. Acetylcholine-Dopamine Interactions in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of CNS Disorders. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics 2010;16:137–62.

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