Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the ....Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the control system for human movement, and yet is simple enough to inform the design of artificial devices to generate or assist movement. The knowledge derived should improve mechanical and neural prosthetic systems, and guide rehabilitation protocols. The work will ultimately provide a considerable benefit to the community by reducing the social cost of a range of movement disorders.Read moreRead less
An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will ....An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for movement rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Interceptive Action: Performance, Neuromotor Control and Learning. Natural, everyday environments are dynamic. People, animals and other objects move around and human behaviour must be geared to these motions: people must anticipate where things are going and when they will get there so that undesirable collisions and contacts can be avoided and desirable ones achieved. This project investigates basic modes of interacting with dynamic environments - intercepting and evading objects in motion. T ....Interceptive Action: Performance, Neuromotor Control and Learning. Natural, everyday environments are dynamic. People, animals and other objects move around and human behaviour must be geared to these motions: people must anticipate where things are going and when they will get there so that undesirable collisions and contacts can be avoided and desirable ones achieved. This project investigates basic modes of interacting with dynamic environments - intercepting and evading objects in motion. The aim is to extend our understanding of the principles, control mechanisms and brain structures involved. Such understanding has the potential to contribute to areas such as road safety, autonomous robotics, sports training and neurological rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced qual ....Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for rehabilitation of the upper limb.Read moreRead less
Facilitatory and inhibitory mechanisms during interlimb coordination in young and older adults. The project seeks to understand how people coordinate their limbs and the factors which limit and enhance this capacity. This is of critical importance because coordination is a dominant deficit in aging and in patients suffering brain insult and neurodegenerative diseases. Disruption of this capacity compromises individual work productivity, mobility and independence. Proficient motor functioning is ....Facilitatory and inhibitory mechanisms during interlimb coordination in young and older adults. The project seeks to understand how people coordinate their limbs and the factors which limit and enhance this capacity. This is of critical importance because coordination is a dominant deficit in aging and in patients suffering brain insult and neurodegenerative diseases. Disruption of this capacity compromises individual work productivity, mobility and independence. Proficient motor functioning is an important lifestyle factor as humans age and deficits in coordinated muscle activity will increase the risk of falls which are the leading cause of injury in elderly adults. Identification of changes in brain processes involved in interlimb coordination will allow for the development of strategies to improve motor functions in the aged.Read moreRead less
Interlimb coordination dynamics in stroke. Everyday we use our limbs in a coordinated manner. However, for a person who has suffered a stroke resulting in weakness on one side of the body even the simplest interlimb coordination tasks are difficult to perform. This project will examine interlimb coordination in persons who have suffered a stroke and explore whether the coupling between limbs can be exploited to promote fuctional recovery of an impaired limb. In particular, the research seeks to ....Interlimb coordination dynamics in stroke. Everyday we use our limbs in a coordinated manner. However, for a person who has suffered a stroke resulting in weakness on one side of the body even the simplest interlimb coordination tasks are difficult to perform. This project will examine interlimb coordination in persons who have suffered a stroke and explore whether the coupling between limbs can be exploited to promote fuctional recovery of an impaired limb. In particular, the research seeks to identify the critical components underlying the effectiveness of an intervention involving the pratice of actions bilaterally and simultaneously.Read moreRead less
Audio-visual Information for Speech-hand Gestures. How does audio-visual information influence human movement and communication? We will investigate whether speech and hand gestures involve shared information about the timing of rhythmic movements. Using dynamical systems theory and brain imaging techniques, we will study rhythms that emerge during simultaneous speaking and finger tapping in both stutterers and non-stutterers, and in left-handers and right-handers. The communicative interaction ....Audio-visual Information for Speech-hand Gestures. How does audio-visual information influence human movement and communication? We will investigate whether speech and hand gestures involve shared information about the timing of rhythmic movements. Using dynamical systems theory and brain imaging techniques, we will study rhythms that emerge during simultaneous speaking and finger tapping in both stutterers and non-stutterers, and in left-handers and right-handers. The communicative interaction of two persons performing speech-hand gestures will be examined. Results will clarify how brain asymmetry affects gestural coordination in stutterers, how stuttering can be treated, and the hypothesis that speech and language evolved from a communication system based on hand gestures.
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An investigation of limb dynamics as a constraint on human motor learning. Everyday we use our limbs to interact with a variety of objects. These objects have various mechanical characteristics (dynamics), which require the human motor system to provide appropriate control. This project seeks to understand how the brain, in both normal and disease states, learns new limb dynamics as we interact with a novel mechanical environmental. Repetitive brain stimulation will be used to selectively block ....An investigation of limb dynamics as a constraint on human motor learning. Everyday we use our limbs to interact with a variety of objects. These objects have various mechanical characteristics (dynamics), which require the human motor system to provide appropriate control. This project seeks to understand how the brain, in both normal and disease states, learns new limb dynamics as we interact with a novel mechanical environmental. Repetitive brain stimulation will be used to selectively block the contribution of various cortical regions during the learning of a new motor skill and later, the recall of that skill. This will allow us to determine definitively which areas are critical to motor skill acquisition.Read moreRead less
Neural correlates of performance trade-offs and interference in dual-task performance. Our daily lives are characterised by our ability to produce and sustain a wide range of different movement patterns and to deliberately change patterns as the situation demands. In this project we seek to understand the relationship between brain processes, attentional demands, and the control and learning of coordinated behaviour. A further aim will be to examine how this relationship may be altered as a re ....Neural correlates of performance trade-offs and interference in dual-task performance. Our daily lives are characterised by our ability to produce and sustain a wide range of different movement patterns and to deliberately change patterns as the situation demands. In this project we seek to understand the relationship between brain processes, attentional demands, and the control and learning of coordinated behaviour. A further aim will be to examine how this relationship may be altered as a result of aging, degenerative disease, or brain damage. This research will provide a foundation upon which rehabilitation strategies can be developed for the movement impaired.Read moreRead less
Intracortical inhibition evaluated by paired-pulse TMS during choice and simple reaction time tasks. The research will investigate the neurophysiological processes responsible for the selection and initiation of movement in response to an external stimulus. Slowness in the initiation and execution of movement is a common feature of 'neurological aging', neurodegenerative disease, and brain injury. Understanding the brain mechanisms involved in response selection and movement initiation will pro ....Intracortical inhibition evaluated by paired-pulse TMS during choice and simple reaction time tasks. The research will investigate the neurophysiological processes responsible for the selection and initiation of movement in response to an external stimulus. Slowness in the initiation and execution of movement is a common feature of 'neurological aging', neurodegenerative disease, and brain injury. Understanding the brain mechanisms involved in response selection and movement initiation will provide information for the development of specific intervention techniques to improve motor function in these groups.Read moreRead less