INTRODUCTION TO THE NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OF MOVEMENT

This introductory textbook explores how the brain and spinal cord regulate movement. It is designed for senior undergraduate and early-stage graduate or clinical students in movement sciences, physiology, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation sciences and speech sciences.The book begins by presenting the fundamentals of cellular neurophysiology in a conceptual and accessible manner. It then explores key principles of sensory processing, using the somatosensory system as both a model system and a fundamental component of movement control.The motor system is discussed in detail, starting with the periphery (focusing on the motor unit) and progressing to motor areas in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and basal ganglia. The roles of these regions are examined within the framework of three broad categories of movement: reflexes, rhythmic behaviours and voluntary movements. The book also discusses various neurological disorders affecting movement and outlines current therapeutic approaches.Contents: Cellular Neurophysiology: Introduction to Neurophysiology Ion Channels Resting Membrane Potential Action Potential Conduction of Electrical Signals Synaptic Transmission Synaptic Transmitters, Plasticity, and Integration Somatosensory System: General Aspects of Sensory Processing Somatosensory Receptors Basic Neuroanatomy Somatosensory Pathways Somatosensory Cortex Cortical Plasticity Motor System: Motor Neurons and Motor Units Neural Bases of Strength and Fatigue, and Nonsynaptic Excitation of Motor Neurons Reflexes Rhythmical Movements Voluntary Movement and Motor Cortex Inputs to Motor Cortex Cerebellum Basal Ganglia Appendices: Review of Electricity and Electrical Circuits Nernst Equation Challenges in Interpreting Brain Lesions, Inactivation, and Damage Readership: Undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers in kinesiology, movement science, exercise science, physiology, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitations sciences, speech science.