One of the central questions in the field of motor control is to understand how our motor goals are translated into actions. To frame the question, we explore the following topics:
- Structure and Function of Sensory Receptors
- Muscle Structure and Reflex Arcs
- Spinal Cord
- Locomotion
- Oculomotor Control
- Cerebellar Structure and Function
- Motor Thalamus
- Basal Ganglia
- Somatosensory Cortex: Maps and Neuronal Properties
- Cortical Plasticity
- Motor Psychophysics and Computational Approaches to Motor Control
- Motor Planning
Some of the mechanisms by which activity causes changes in the developing brain are similar to those underlying plasticity in the adult brain. Plasticity, or the adaptive response of the brain to changes in inputs, is essential to brain development and function. The developing brain requires a genetic blueprint but is also acutely sensitive to the environment. The adult brain constantly adapts to changes in stimuli, and this plasticity is manifest not only as learning and memory but also as dynamic changes in information transmission and processing. Understanding of long-term plasticity and short-term dynamics in networks of the developing and adult cortex is explored in this course.
Required readings
Presentations
Class participation
Final exam
Papers
Students are required to present two papers in class, assigned from the reading list. Each presentation will be 15-20 minutes in duration and will be followed by a class discussion on the topic presented.