Everyone experiences some degree of involuntary motion when trying to keep their hand still. Known as physiological tremor, the underlying mechanisms have been debated for over a century. Two explanations, neural and mechanical, are generally offered. The neural theory suggests that involuntary movements directly reflect oscillations in the control signal […]
Over 15 000 times every day we draw air into the lungs by expansion of the chest wall and abdomen; we breathe. This movement occurs by activation of inspiratory muscles from electrical signals from the brain to the respiratory motoneurones in the spinal cord. There are many inspiratory muscles that can […]
Immediately following a spinal cord injury (SCI) patients enter a state of areflexia and muscle weakness that is gradually replaced by the recovery of neuronal and network excitability leading to improvements in residual motor function over time as well as to the development of spasticity (i.e. involuntary muscle spasms). Spasticity […]
Siobhan Moylan, a science and media communicator at Neuroscience Research Australia, recently conducted this insightful interview with Professor Simon Gandevia. In the interview, Professor Gandevia talks at length about motor impairment, which is the focus of a recent NHMRC Program Grant entitled ‘Motor Impairment: basic and applied human neurophysiology’. […]
Treatments for tremor disorders have largely focused on the prescription of medications or, in more severe cases, brain surgery (for a review see Schneider & Deuschl 2015). In recent years, there have been some novel – and at times ‘sci-fi’ – approaches to reducing tremor amplitude. Such approaches include the […]
Here we highlight some 2014 messages from the Motor Impairment team. This is the final one of our summaries for 2014. We have posted earlier messages on the blog about: 2014 year in review – Diseases, Disorders and Disabilities 2014 year in review – Ageing 2014 year in review – […]
Here we highlight some 2014 messages from the Motor Impairment team. These ones focus on SCIENCE and SCIENTISTS and were reported during the year. They have some pointers and messages but they also reveal some pitfalls. In the coming days we will post additional highlights from 2014 dealing with other […]
Here we highlight some 2014 messages from the Motor Impairment team. They focus on some new physiology reported during the year and hopefully illustrate how the body functions. In the coming days we will post additional highlights from 2014 dealing with other aspects of Motor Impairment and motor performance. MUSCLE […]
Here’s why you should exercise, walk fast and plan for your retirement! Here we highlight some messages from 2014 from the Motor Impairment team. They focus on AGEING. In the coming days we will post additional highlights from 2014 dealing with other aspects of Motor Impairment and motor performance. Ageing […]
There have been many important ‘D’iscoveries in 2014 Here we highlight some messages from 2014 from the Motor Impairment team. They focus on some major diseases, disorders and disabilities. In the coming days we will post additional highlights from 2014 dealing with other aspects of Motor Impairment and motor performance. […]
