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An Introduction to Motor Control

Overview

Motor control involves integration and processing of sensory information by our nervous system, followed by a response through our skeletal system to perform a voluntary or involuntary action. It is vital to understand how our neuroskeletal system controls motor behavior in order to evaluate injuries pertaining to general movement, reflexes, and coordination. An improved understanding of motor control will help behavioral neuroscientists in developing useful tools to treat motor disorders, such as Parkinson's or Huntington's disease.

This video briefly reviews the neuroanatomical structures and connections that play a major role in controlling motion. Fundamental questions currently being asked in the field of motor control are introduced, followed by some of the methods being employed to answer those questions. Lastly, the application sections reviews a few specific experiments conducted in neuroscience labs interested in studying this phenomenon.

Procedure

The control of motor behavior, or how the thoughts in our brains are translated into actions of our bodies, is one of the most important questions that can be asked by behavioral scientists. It is of fundamental scientific interest to understand how our nervous system can perceive and integrate sensory information and elicit a response through our musculoskeletal system. At the same time, an improved understanding of motor control will help us build better tools to help patients with motor disorders.

In this vid

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Tags
Motor ControlBehavioral ScientistsNervous SystemSensory InformationMusculoskeletal SystemMotor DisordersNeurobiological BasisExperimental TechniquesMotor BehaviorMotor CortexPremotor AreaPrimary Motor AreaUpper Motor NeuronsSpinal CordMotor MapCortical Homunculus

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0:00

Overview

0:59

Neural Correlates of Motor Control

3:46

Key Questions

5:09

Prominent Methods

6:36

Applications

8:15

Summary

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