Neuromechanics and Motor Control

Humans have an extraordinary flexibility in generating movements. With little attention most of us can perform complex tasks such as walking or riding a bicycle. The central nervous system integrates available sensory information and select the proper motor command for the muscles. The skeletal system enables the transfer of forces required for body movement while the muscles produce the forces to accelerate it. Stability is maintained through both passive (intrinsic muscle properties) and active (reflexes) contributions to the visco-elasticity of the joints.

In this course we investigate how humans generate movements, stabilize posture, and integrate sensory feedback into control actions, while acknowledging the kinematics and the mechanical properties of the human motor system.

This course addresses fundamental aspects and clinical applications. During the course the role of subsystems (e.g. muscles, sensory systems) and their interactions as well as uncertainty in sensory signals are discussed with a focus on reaching movements and posture maintenance.

During the course it will be shown how this knowledge can help in understanding impaired motor function after neurological disorders, like Stroke and Parkinson's disease.