A network of nerve pathways that links nerve nuclei in the surface of the cerebrum, the basal ganglia, and parts of the brainstem. The system influences and modifies electrical impulses sent from the brain to initiate movement in skeletal muscles. Damage or degeneration of components in the extrapyramidal system can disrupt the execution of voluntary movements and can produce involuntary tremors or jerks. Such disturbances are seen in Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, some types of cerebral palsy, and can also occur as a sideeffect of phenothiazine drugs.
Extrapyramidal system |
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