The corticospinal tract from the viewpoint of brain rehabilitation

Abstract

The corticospinal tract, a major neural tract in the human brain for motor function, is concerned mainly with movement of the distal extremities. Preservation or recovery of the corticospinal tract is essential for good recovery of impaired motor function in patients with brain injury. Therefore, thorough and precise knowledge of the corticospinal tract is necessary for successful brain rehabilitation. Many studies have reviewed the corticospinal tract; however, review articles from the rehabilitative viewpoint are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to review the corticospinal tract from the rehabilitative viewpoint with regard to classification, cerebral origin, collaterals and development. © 2014 The Authors.