How Brain-like is the Spinal Cord?

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XVIII

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2. Correlations Between Spike Trains of Supraspinal Neurones

   • Uwe Windhorst

   Pages 1-41

3. Correlations Between Spinal Neurones

   • Uwe Windhorst

   Pages 42-104

4. Tremor States

   • Uwe Windhorst

   Pages 105-166

5. Recurrent Inhibition and Proprioceptive Feedback

   • Uwe Windhorst

   Pages 167-244

6. Problems in Motor Control

   • Uwe Windhorst

   Pages 245-282

7. Back Matter

   Pages 283-334

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"Theorizing about brain functions is often considered slightly disreputable and anyhow a waste of time -perhaps even 'philoso- ical'" 1 P. S. CHURCHLAND At present there are no unanimously accepted general con­ cepts of brain operation and function. This is especially the case with regard to so-called "higher" functions such as per­ ception, memory or the coupling between sensory input and motor output. There are a number of different reasons for this. Some may be related to experimental limitations allowing the simultaneous recording of the activities of only a restricted number of neurones. But there are also conceptual difficulties hindering the transition from "single-neurone" schemes, in which neurones are assigned relatively specific tasks (such as feature detection), to more complex schemes of nerve cell as­ semblies (for a discussion of some of the difficulties see Abeles 1982; von der Malsburg 1981; Kriiger 1983). Whilst much is known about the basic properties and functions of single neu­ rones, whose operations we hope to understand in the foresee­ able future, this does not hold true in the same way for the working of large assemblies of neurones.

• Activation
• brain
• brainstem
• cell
• muscle
• nervous system
• spinal cord
• system

• Zentrum Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Abteilung Neuro- und Sinnesphysiologie, Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

  Uwe Windhorst

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