Physiology

Current theories fail to address the physiology of the fundamental and foundational unit of motor behavior. All movements involve the complex orchestration of the motor unit. The latter consists of the individual lower motor neuron in the brainstem and spinal cord and the muscle fibers innervated. Ultimately, the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders must explicate the abnormality of motor unit orchestration. The orchestration of motor unit is complex over multiple spatial domains and temporal scales. Current theories essentially are one-dimensional push–pull systems that cannot begin to explicate the foundational abnormalities of motor unit recruitment. The presumption of current theories is that the basal ganglia is not involved in the precise orchestration of motor unit activities. This had been a presumption without examination. Recent studies demonstrate the intricate connection between the basal ganglia and motor units, such as in Parkinson’s disease.