Publisher Description

Movement is arguably the most fundamental and important function of the nervous system, since the organism cannot exist without it. Purposive movement requires the coordination of actions within many areas of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, basal ganglia, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves and sensory receptors, which together must control a highly complex biomechanical apparatus made up of the skeleton and muscles. Beginning at the level of biomechanics and spinal reflexes and proceeding upward to brain structures in the cerebellum, brainstem, and cerebral cortex, the chapters in this volume of a special issue of Behavioral and Brain Sciences devoted to this topic highlight important issues in movement control. Commentaries provide a balanced treatment of the articles by experts in a variety of areas related to movement, including behavior, physiology, robotics, and mathematics.

Table of Contents

1. Does the nervous system use equilibrium-point control to guide single and multiple joint movements? E. Bizzi, N. Hogan, F. A. Mussa-Ivaldi and S. Giszter; 2. Does the nervous system use kinesthetic input to control natural limb movements? S. Gandevia and D. Burke; 3. Can sense be made of spinal interneuron circuits? D. A. McCrea; 4. Implications of neural networks for how we think about brain function D. A. Robinson; 5. Do cortical and basal ganglia motor areas use 'motor programs' to control movement? G. E. Alexander, M. R. DeLong and M. D. Crutcher; 6. Functional heterogeneity with structural homogeneity: how does the cerebellum operate? J. R. Bloedel; 7. Are movement parameters recognizably coded in activity of single neurons? E. E. Fetz; 8. Posterior parietal cortex and egocentric space J. F. Stein; Open peer commentary; Authors' responses.

Review

"...the choice of topics is interesting and attractive; the authors are leaders in their fields; and the commentaries provide a multifaceted perspective on the important controversies that inform the field of motor control today." Michael Arbib, Center for Neural Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Promotional

This volume addresses issues about how the central nervous system controls movement.

Review Quote

"...the choice of topics is interesting and attractive; the authors are leaders in their fields; and the commentaries provide a multifaceted perspective on the important controversies that inform the field of motor control today." Michael Arbib, Center for Neural Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Promotional "Headline"

This volume addresses issues about how the central nervous system controls movement.

Description for Bookstore

This book addresses the most fundamental and important function of the nervous system - movement control. Each chapter includes commentaries by experts in such related areas as behaviour, physiology, robotics and mathematics.

Description for Library

This book addresses the most fundamental and important function of the nervous system - movement control. Each chapter includes commentaries by experts in such related areas as behaviour, physiology, robotics and mathematics.

Details