Movement is the basis for many forms of behaviors, and is tightly controlled by a hierarchical system containing cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. Each level of this hierarchy contributes to motor planning, motor initiation, motor execution, and motor coordination, respectively. However, they all receive continuous sensory inputs and generate accurate sensorimotor integrations that are necessary for both predictive and reflexive/servo controls of movements. The motor system contains various types of neurons with different morphological, neurochemical and electrophysiological properties, which are significantly dependent on many intracellular signaling molecules. Interestingly, these neurons are interconnected by intricate neuronal circuits for motor control, and even interacted with other non-motor systems to orchestrate somatic-nonsomatic integration. Furthermore, synaptic and neural plasticity endows motor system with amazing abilities for not only motor learning but also compensation and recovery from motor diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, ataxias, motion sickness and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, etc. Therefore, the motor system is of great importance for understanding information processing, integrative function, and neural plasticity of the central nervous system. The aim of this Research Topic is to discuss the latest advances in our understanding of motor system, motor control, motor learning and motor diseases from molecular, cellular, synaptic, circuit, and behavioral levels, especially in an integrative perspective.

An understanding of the nervous system at virtually any level of analysis requires an understanding of its basic building block, the neuron. From Molecules to Networks provides the solid foundation of the morphologic, biochemical, and biophysical properties of nerve cells. All chapters have been thoroughly revised for this second edition to reflect the significant advances of the past 5 years. The new edition expands on the network aspects of cellular neurobiology by adding a new chapter, Information Processing in Neural Networks, and on the relation of cell biological processes to various neurological diseases. The new concluding chapter illustrates how the great strides in understanding the biochemical and biophysical properties of nerve cells have led to fundamental insights into important aspects of neurodegenerative disease. - Written and edited by leading experts in the field, the second edition completely and comprehensively updates all chapters of this unique textbook - Discusses emerging new understanding of non-classical molecules that affect neuronal signaling - Full colour, professional graphics throughout - Includes two new chapters: Information Processing in Neural Networks - describes the principles of operation of neural networks and the key circuit motifs that are common to many networks in the nervous system. Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Disease - introduces the progress made in the last 20 years in elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying brain disorders, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer's disease

The use of animal models is a key aspect of scientific research in numerous fields of medicine. Movement Disorders, Second Edition vigorously examines the important contributions and application of animal models to the understanding of human movement disorders, and serves as an essential resource for basic neuroscientists engaged in movement disorders research. Academic clinicians, translational researchers and basic scientists are brought together to connect experimental findings made in different animal models to the clinical features, pathophysiology and treatment of human movement disorders. The book is divided into sections on Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, dystonia, tremor, paroxysmal movement disorders, ataxia, myoclonus, restless legs syndrome, drug-induced movement disorders, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy/corticobasal degeneration, and spasticity. This book serves as an essential resource for both clinicians interested in the science being generated with animal models and basic scientists studying the pathogenesis of particular movement disorders. - Introduces the scientific foundations for modern movement disorders research - Contributing authors are internationally known experts - Completely revised with 20% new material - Provides a comprehensive discussion of genetics for each type of movement disorder - Covers Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, dystonia, tremors, and tics

Dopamine is a major neurotransmitter of the brain involved in the control of movement, emotion, and cognition; disturbance in dopamine function is associated with disorders like Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This volume of the Handbook of Chemical Neuroanatomy provides a series of in depth critical reviews of our present understanding of the most important aspects of dopamine's organisation and disturbed function in the animal and human brain.

In this important 1997 book on the role of neurodevelopmental factors in the pathogenesis of the major psychiatric disorders, the fields of developmental neurobiology, clinical psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience are reviewed by an international group of experts, including many of those responsible for the ideas that have come to dominate current thinking. The first section, 'The Developing Brain', reviews neurodevelopment from the molecular to the behavioural level. Section Two, 'Development and Psychopathology', covers clinical applications of the basic principles of developmental neurobiology. The third and final section, 'Integrative Models', presents approaches toward a synthesis of neurodevelopmental and clinical findings in psychiatric disorder. For students, scientists and clinicians in psychiatry, psychology, and neurodevelopment, this is an essential reference.

Neuroanatomists increasingly rely on techniques enabling them to manipulate genes in defined brain cell populations. In particular, engineered transgenes, which encode a variety of fluorescent reporter proteins can be inserted into the genome or delivered into desired brain regions using viral vectors, thereby allowing the labeling of molecularly-defined populations of neurons and/or glial cells. Transgenic technology can also be used to selectively delete genes in targeted neuronal populations or bi-directionally modulate their electrical excitability using optogenetic or chemogenetic techniques. One of the primary advantages of using transgenic reagents is to simplify the identification and tracing of targeted population of brain cells, which can be laborious using traditional techniques in neuroanatomy. In this research topic, we assembled up-to-date reviews and original articles that demonstrate the versatility and power of transgenic tools in advancing our knowledge of the nervous system, with a special emphasis on the application of transgenic technology to neuroanatomical questions.

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.

Vols. for 1963- include as pt. 2 of the Jan. issue: Medical subject headings.