Unravelling the circuits of movement
The mechanisms underlying the execution of motor tasks are diverse and complex. These motor programs range from the simple, such as breathing, to the elaborate and dependent on training and experience, such as playing the piano. The brain is involved in selecting and performing motor programs—but how? What happens between an object of interest appearing in the periphery of the retina and it being secured in one’s hand, or steered away from quickly? These issues are covered in Sten Grillner’s new book The Brain in Motion: From Microcircuits to Global Brain Function.