Rapid corrective actions, termed automatic postural responses, are essential to counter the destabilizing effect of mechanical perturbations during natural behaviors. Previous research has demonstrated that automatic postural responses of the limbs and body share a number of capabilities in adapting to the prevailing circumstances and these abilities reflect contributions from multiple supraspinal pathways, including brainstem nuclei, basal ganglia, and primary motor cortex. However, we do not know the context-dependent contribution from specific generators, whether different neural pathways have a common role across different effectors, and how sensory and central deficits in one pathway are accommodated by those remaining. Bridging these gaps is essential to integrate the diverse set of studies, develop general theories of motor control, and explicate how the nervous system addresses the partially distinct behavioral demands of co-evolved effector system. The considerable flexibility and multiple interacting pathways of automatic postural responses also make it ideal for understanding how powerful formal theories, like optimal feedback control, are achieved by a distributed hierarchical neural network.

This 5000-page masterwork is literally the last word on the topic and will be an essential resource for many. Unique in its breadth and detail, this encyclopedia offers a comprehensive and highly readable guide to a complex and fast-expanding field. The five-volume reference work gathers more than 10,000 entries, including in-depth essays by internationally known experts, and short keynotes explaining essential terms and phrases. In addition, expert editors contribute detailed introductory chapters to each of 43 topic fields ranging from the fundamentals of neuroscience to fascinating developments in the new, inter-disciplinary fields of Computational Neuroscience and Neurophilosophy. Some 1,000 multi-color illustrations enhance and expand the writings.

Neuromechanics of Human Movement, Fifth Edition, draws on the disciplines of neurophysiology and physics to explore how the nervous system controls the actions of muscles to produce human motion. This contemporary approach is much different from the traditional approach, which focuses solely on mechanics and does not consider the role of the sensorimotor system in the control of human movement. Authored by Roger Enoka, a widely recognized and esteemed scholar in neuromechanics, this influential text is an essential resource in biomechanics, motor learning, and applied physiology, making complex information accessible to students. With material based on updated research in the field, this fifth edition provides a scientific foundation to the study of human movement, and as such it uses precise terms and definitions when discussing ideas. An appendix showcases both the base and derived units of the metric system as well as other learning tools, including a glossary of terms and a comprehensive list of the equations presented throughout the text. The text includes 70 practical learning examples, giving students the opportunity to work through a variety of problems and explore current research and applications. Content is visually reinforced with 341 figures, including specific illustrations of the neuromechanics involved in sport and rehabilitation movements. References have been streamlined and moved to the end of each chapter to improve readability. And instructors will benefit from an image bank that includes most of the figures and tables from the text to use in course materials. Significant content updates in the fifth edition present information relevant for both research and clinical environments, including more contemporary examples throughout the text and a new chapter on movement analysis. The following are additional key changes: • New figures that highlight and clarify key points • New information on energy costs • Debunking the concept of motor unit types • Detailed information on the center of mass trajectory • Explanation of neuromodulation • Additional content on PET imaging to help examine activity intensity To encourage a comprehensive learning experience, this updated edition follows a logical progression where each part builds on the material from the previous section. It begins with an introduction to the biomechanical terms and concepts commonly used to describe movement, focusing on the relation between force and motion. Part II deals with the motor system and introduces essential concepts from neurophysiology required for understanding how movement is produced by the nervous system. Part III focuses on adaptability of the motor system, including the acute and chronic changes that can occur in response to deviations in an individual’s level of physical activity. The fifth edition of Neuromechanics of Human Movement provides a scientific basis for the study of human movement while continuing to expand current knowledge in the fields of biomechanics and neurophysiology. By integrating these fields in a unique framework, this text offers professionals and students both valuable clinical information and inspiration to deepen their study of human movement.

Surveys the control of human spinal cord circuits, in normal movement and in disease states.

Recent advances in motor behavior research rely on detailed knowledge of the characteristics of the neurons and networks that generate motor behavior. At the cellular level, Neurons, Networks, and Motor Behavior describes the computational characteristics of individual neurons and how these characteristics are modified by neuromodulators. At the network and behavioral levels, the volume discusses how network structure is dynamically modulated to produce adaptive behavior. Comparisons of model systems throughout the animal kingdom provide insights into general principles of motor control. Contributors describe how networks generate such motor behaviors as walking, swimming, flying, scratching, reaching, breathing, feeding, and chewing. An emerging principle of organization is that nervous systems are remarkably efficient in constructing neural networks that control multiple tasks and dynamically adapt to change.The volume contains six sections: selection and initiation of motor patterns; generation and formation of motor patterns: cellular and systems properties; generation and formation of motor patterns: computational approaches; modulation and reconfiguration; short-term modulation of pattern generating circuits; and sensory modification of motor output to control whole body orientation.

Studies of human movement have proliferated in recent years. This greatly expanded and thoroughly updated reference surveys the literature on the corticospinal control of spinal cord circuits in human subjects, showing how different circuits can be studied, their role in normal movement and how they malfunction in disease states. Chapters are highly illustrated and consistently organised, reviewing, for each pathway, the experimental background, methodology, organisation and control, role during motor tasks and changes in patients with CNS lesions. Each chapter concludes with a helpful résumé that can be used independently of the main text to provide practical guidance for clinical studies. The final four chapters bring together the changes in transmission in spinal and corticospinal pathways during movement and how they contribute to the desired movement. This book is essential reading for research workers and clinicians involved in the study, treatment and rehabilitation of movement disorders.