Definition

Related to the neural pathways that are not part of the main pyramidal tracts in the brain.

Example

The doctor explained that the patient's symptoms were due to extrapyramidal effects from the medication.

Conversation

I was reading about how the brain works, and I came across the term extrapyramidal pathways.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It refers to the neural pathways that are outside the pyramidal tracts, which are pretty important for movement.

That’s interesting! I didn’t know there were different pathways involved in how we move.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Extrapyramidal → It is formed from "extra-" (meaning outside) and "pyramidal" (from Greek "pyramis", meaning pyramid, referring to the pyramidal shape of certain neurons in the brain). The term "extrapyramidal" refers to structures or pathways in the nervous system that are outside the pyramidal tracts, which are involved in motor control.

Memory Tip

Think of 'extra' meaning outside and 'pyramidal' relating to the pyramid-shaped neurons in the brain. This helps you remember that extrapyramidal refers to pathways outside the main motor control pathways.

Visually Confused Words