The Acquisition of Motor Behavior in Vertebrates: (A Bradford Book)

Our motor skills determine how well we perform in athletics, dance, music, and in carrying out countless daily chores. While our proficiency at performing individual actions and synthesizing them into seamless sequences limits our athletic and artistic talents, we are not perpetually bound by such limitations. The nervous system can acquire new, and modify old, motor behaviors through experience and practice. That is motor learning. The Acquisition of Motor Behavior in Vertebratesprovides a broad, multidisciplinary survey of recent research on the brain systems and mechanisms underlying motor learning. Following the editors' introduction, nineteen contributions report on the neurobiology of these higher brain functions and on diverse types of motor learning such as reflex adaptation, conditioned and instrumental reflex learning, visually guided actions, and complex sequences and skills.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Reflex adaptation: learning and memory in the vestibuloocular reflex, Stephen G. Lisberger; the evolution of hindbrain visual and vestibular innovations responsible for oculomotor function, Robert Baker and Edwin Gilland; adaptation of automatic postural responses, Fay B. Horak. Part 2 Conditioned reflexes: the brain substrates of classical eyeblink conditioning in rabbits, Joseph E. Steinmetz; learning and performance - a critical review of the role of the cerebellum in instrumental and classical conditioning, John A. Harvey and John P. Welsh; hippocampal neuron changes during trace eyeblink conditioning in the rabbit, John F. Disterhoft et al; the multiple-pathway model of circuits subserving the classical conditioning of withdrawal reflexes, Vlastislav Bracha and James R. Bloedel; control of motor behaviour acquisition by cortical activity potentiated by decreases in a potassium A-current that increase neural excitability, Charles D. Woody. Part 3 Visually guided movement: a cerebellar role in acquisition of novel static and dynamic muscle activities in holding, pointing, throwing and reaching, W. Thomas Thach; the cerebellum's role in voluntary motor learning - clinical, electrophysiological and imaging studies, Timothy J. Ebner et al; evolution of neuronal activity during conditional motor learning, Steven P. Wise. Part 4 Complex movements and motor sequences: adaptation and skill learning - evidence for different neural substrates, Mark Hallett et al; learning of sequential procedures in monkeys, Okihide Hikosaka et al; the role of the cerebellum in the acquisition of complex volitional forelimb movements, James R. Bloedel et al; sequential hand and finger movements - typing and piano playing, John F. Soechting et al. Part 5 Perspectives of motor learning: substrates and mechanisms for learning in motor cortex, John P. Donoghue et al; neuronal mechanisms subserving the acquisition of new skilled movements in mammals, Hiroshi Asanuma; motor learning - toward understanding acquired representations, George E. Stelmach; learning internal models of the motor apparatus, Mitsuo Kawato.

About the Author :
Steven P. Wise is a Research Biologist in the Senior Biomedical Research Service at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Review :
"Acquisition of Motor Behavior in Vertebratesis a definitive, novel contribution to one of the most exciting and fastest evolving fields of Neuroscience. The top notch chapters, lucidly written by the leaders in the field, make the book an indispensable resource, and the topics covered, ranging from human motor behavior to neurophysiology and modeling, give the book an unusual and highly original breadth. The book is highly recommended to undergraduate and graduate students as well as to experts: Everyone will enjoy the excitement and fascination of motor learning explicated in such a comprehensive and lucid way!" --Apostolos P. Georgopoulos, Director, Brain Sciences Center, VA Medical Center; Professor of Physiology, Neurology, and Psychology, University of Minnesota Medical School "Our knowledge base is rapidly expanding, and this compendium should be invaluable to neuroscientists who are attempting to stay abreast of the diversity of developments. It should also be useful to students who are preparing themselves to work in this area. I am not aware of another volume that effectively addresses the general topic of motor learning, and to this extent, the book is unique." --James C. Houk, Nathan Smith Davis Professor and Chairman of the Physiology Department, Northwestern Medical School