Brain Function under Sensorimotor Control of the Arm and Hand

Abstract:

The brain is a set of neurons, which are interconnected in specific patterns. Each neuron is a bioelectrical entity that receives input from other neurons and imposes a highly specific transformation on these inputs, which is determined by the intrinsic electrical properties of the neuron. It follows that the function of the brain can be described by the precise patterns of interneuronal connections and the bioelectrical properties of the constituent neurons.

This presentation focuses on the neuronal connections and neuronal intrinsic properties of the brain control system devoted to voluntary movements of the arm and hand. The system in question encompasses regions of the cerebellum, neocortex, spinal cord and a few brain stem nuclei. It can be considered as a large set of local neuronal circuitries, each featuring specific properties and capacities and in some cases learning or adaptation. These local circuitries are densely interconnected with each other and together form the functional properties of this brain control system. Using intracellular recordings from all constituent neuron types in vivo, these properties are being characterized for the entire system in a quest to understand its functional properties in health and disease.