Pathologies
Poliomyelitis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis arise out of complications in the lateral corticospinal tract. Both of these diseases result in muscle atrophy. In poliomyelitis, the poliovirus destroys motor neurons found in the brainstem and anterior horn of the spinal cord. This inhibits the lower motor neurons of the lateral corticospinal tract from travelling to the target muscle or organ and delivering the signal from the brain. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the lateral side of the spinal cord undergoes scarring. The astrocytes found in the spinal cord, which are vital to the healthy functioning of the central nervous system, fail to reabsorb a specific neurotransmitter. This causes the neurotransmitter to reach toxic levels and leads to scarring in the lateral regions of the spinal cord. This also disrupts neural signal transmission
Read more about this topic: Lateral Corticospinal Tract