Neurobiology of Motor Programme Selection : New Approaches to the Study of Behavioural Choice

The traditional view of motor systems as a linear chain of elements switched on and off by command neurons has become increasingly difficult to maintain in the face of accumulating evidence against the existence of command elements. So far, however, the general formulation of an alternative approach has been lacking. This book, by summarising the evidence against the linear approach to motor systems, argues forcefully against it. Analyses are presented of motor systems ranging from the lobster stomatogastric system through molluscan systems, leech movement, insect singing and locomotion, fish and amphibian behaviour, to goal-directed a movements in primates and volitional movements in humans. Comparison of these motor systems reveal the existence of some general principles underlying motor control and behavioural choice such that motor systems appear generally to be parallel, distributed processing networks. By discussing the treatment of motor systems in terms of parallel distributed processing systems, this book presents in concentrated form an alternative to the earlier view of motor systems. As such, the book is a must for all neuroscientists interested in the organisation of motor systems and the neuronal substrates of behavioural choice. Content: Pergamon studies in neuroscience No 4 , Page ii Front Matter , Page iii Copyright , Page iv Contributors , Pages vii-viii Preface: Changing approaches to the neuronal analysis of behavioural choice , Pages ix-x , Jenny Kien, Cathy McCrohan, Bill Winlow 1 - Modulatory control of multiple task processing in the stomatogastric nervous system , Pages 3-19 , Eve Marder, James M. Weimann 2 - Control of egg laying behaviour patterns in Lymnaea stagnalis , Pages 20-36 , Andries Ter Maat, Graham P. Ferguson, Rene F. Jansen 3 - Motor programme selection and the control of feeding in the snail , Pages 37-51 , Catherine R. McCrohan, Michael A. Kyriakides 4 - Mechanisms of behavioural selection in Lymnaea stagnalis , Pages 52-72 , William Winlow, Leonid L. Moroz, Naweed I. Syed 5 - To flex, swim or struggle? Behavioural selection in Xenopus embryos , Pages 73-87 , Stephen R. Soffe 6 - Many neurones in the Aplysia abdominal ganglion are active during the gill-withdrawal reflex , Pages 88-101 , Chun Xiao Falk, Jian-Young Wu, Larry B. Cohen, Hans-Peter Hopp, Dejan Zecevic, Jill London, Vadim Roschin 7 - Mechanisms of motor pattern switching in crickets: stridulation and flight , Pages 105-122 , R. Matthias Hennig 8 - Neural circuits for speed change in swimming fish , Pages 123-146 , Barry L. Roberts, Willem Mos 9 - Decision-making in the insect nervous system: a model for selection and maintenance of motor programmes , Pages 147-169 , Jenny Kien, Jennifer S. Altman 10 - Making behavioural choices with interneurones in a distributed system , Pages 170-200 , William B. Kristan Jr, Shawn R. Lockery, George Wittenberg, David Brody 11 - Control of goal-directed limb movements in primates: neurobiological evidence for parallel, distributed motor processing , Pages 203-224 , Garrett E. Alexander, Michael D. Crutcher 12 - Premotor systems, attention to action and behavioural choice , Pages 225-249 , Gary Goldberg 13 - Directed movement in the frog: motor choice, spatial representation, free will? , Pages 250-279 , Paul Grobstein 14 - Epilogue Deciding what to do next , Pages 283-285 , Jenny Kien, Catherine R. McCrohan, William Winlow Index , Pages 286-290