Neurophysiological Basis of Movement

Neurophysiological Basis of Movement, Second Edition, has been thoroughly updated and expanded, making it more comprehensive and accessible to students. With eight new chapters and 130 pages of fresh material, this second edition covers a wide range of topics, including movement disorders and current theories of motor control and coordination. By emphasizing the neurophysiological mechanisms relevant to the processes of generating voluntary movements, the text targets advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students who want to better understand how the brain generates control signals and how the peripheral apparatus executes them.

The new chapters in Neurophysiological Basis of Movement, Second Edition, focus on motor control and motor synergies, prehension, changes in movement with aging, typical and atypical development, neuromuscular peripheral disorders, and disorders of the spinal cord, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and cortex. The text is designed so that instructors can cover all chapters or select the topics most relevant to their specific courses. In addition, this edition of Neurophysiological Basis of Movement offers these features:

-A new reference section with more than 700 references, providing supplemental resources that encourage students to read and understand research literature on the neurophysiology of movements

-A more reader-friendly presentation of material with an added color, improved illustrations, and introductions to the chapters that provide better transitions

-A new PowerPoint presentation package that includes 8 to 15 slides of art and text for every chapter, helping instructors prepare for lectures and allowing students to better understand the material
Author Mark Latash presents the material using six levels, or worlds, of analysis of the neurophysiology of movements. These worlds are cells, connections, structures, behaviors (control and coordination), evolving and changing behaviors, and motor disorders. The first three levels are the basis for the analysis of a variety of actions, such as standing, locomotion, eye movements, and reaching. Further, changes in movement with fatigue, development, aging, disorder, and rehabilitation are discussed.

The text also presents six labs to help students perform experiments to address typical “template” research problems, and one-minute drills and self-test questions encourage students to think independently and to test their knowledge as they read. The answers to the self-test questions require students to think critically and explain why they selected a particular answer, as the problems have several answers with varying degrees of correctness.

Neurophysiological Basis of Movement, Second Edition, promotes independent thinking and enhances knowledge of basic facts about the design of cells, muscles, neuronal structures, and the whole body for better understanding of typical and atypical movement production related to the nervous system and the functioning brain.

Mark L. Latash, PhD, is a professor in the department of kinesiology at Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. Dr. Latash has authored two other books, edited or coedited six other books, and published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles. He also initiated, and has edited for more than 10 years, the scientific journal Motor Control. Latash organized a series of conferences called Progress in Motor Control and has served as president for the International Society of Motor Control. He is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and the American Society of Biomechanics, and he is a fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education (AAKPE).

Dr. Latash was appointed a distinguished professor of kinesiology in 2005 and has received numerous other awards, including some from Penn State, the University of Otago in New Zealand, and AAKPE. In his leisure time, he enjoys hiking, mushroom hunting, reading, and playing soccer.