Spring 2001 EXCSCI 897V
Special Topics Seminar
Bernstein's Contributions to Motor Control

Instructors: R.E.A. Van Emmerik & M.T. Rosenstein

Dates: Mondays 2:15-5pm (Totman, room 131B)

Schedule of Readings

Meeting # Date Reading
1 1/30 -
2 2/5
  • I. Feigenberg and L. Latash, N.A. Bernstein: the reformer of neuroscience, 1996.
  • R. Bongaardt and O. Meijer, Bernstein's theory of movement and behavior: historical development and contemporary relevance, 2000.
  • V. Gurfinkel and P. Cordo, The scientific legacy of Nikolai Bernstein, 1998.
  • 3 2/12
  • J. Adams, A closed-loop theory of motor learning, 1971.
  • J. Flach, Control with an eye for perception: precursors to an active psychophysics, 1990.
  • - 2/19 No class (President's Day) -- Monday schedule on Tue 2/20
    4 2/20
  • J. Adams, Theoretical issues for knowledge of results, 1978.
  • R. Pew, Acquisition of hierarchical control over the temporal organization of a skill, 1966.
  • S. Keele, Movement control in skilled motor performance, 1968.
  • 5 2/26
  • R. Schmidt, A schema theory of discrete motor skill learning, 1975.
  • R. Schmidt, H. Heuer, D. Ghodsian, and D. Young, Generalized motor programs and units of action in bimanual coordination, 1998.
  • - 3/5 Class cancelled (snow storm)
    6 3/12
  • N. Bernstein, The Co-ordination and Regulation of Movements, ch II, 1967.
  • N. Bernstein, On Dexterity and Its Development, essay 2, 1996.
  • - 3/19 No class (Spring Break)
    7 3/26
  • N. Bernstein, The Co-ordination and Regulation of Movements, ch III (excerpts) & ch IV, 1967.
  • M. L. Latash, The Bernstein problem: how does the nervous system make its choices, 1996.
  • 8 4/2
  • P. Greene, Problems of organization of motor systems, 1972.
  • M. Turvey and C. Carello, Dynamics of Bernstein's level of synergies, 1996.
  • P. Greene, Why is it easy to control your arms?, 1982. (optional)
  • 9 4/9
  • G. van Ingen Schenau and A. van Soest, On the biomechanical basis of dexterity, 1996.
  • - 4/16 No class (Patriots Day) -- Monday schedule on Wed 4/18
    10 4/18
  • M. Latash, What muscle parameters are controlled by the nervous system? 1993.
  • - 4/23 Class rescheduled to Wed 5/16, 4-6pm
    11 4/30
  • E. Reed, An outline of a theory of action systems, 1982.
  • P. Kugler, R. Shaw, K. Vicente, and J. Kinsella-Shaw, Inquiry into intentional systems I: issues in ecological physics, 1990.
  • 12 5/7
  • K. Newell, P. Kugler, R. van Emmerik, and P. McDonald, Search strategies and the acquisition of coordination, 1989.
  • O. Sporns and G. Edelman, Solving Bernstein's problem: a proposal for the development of coordinated movement by selection, 1993.
  • 13 5/14
  • G. Hinton, Parallel computations for controlling an arm, 1984.
  • M. Jordan, Motor learning and the degrees of freedom problem, 1990.
  • 14 5/16
  • R. Bongaardt and O. Meijer, Bernstein's theory of movement and behavior: historical development and contemporary relevance, 2000.


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