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Institute of Neurology

University College London

This laboratory is devoted to understanding the cerebral control of hand and finger movements in humans and in non-human primate models. Our interest is prompted by the need to understand why hand and finger movements are particularly affected by damage to the cortex, and its major descending pathways, for instance as a result of stroke, spinal injury or cerebral palsy. Non-human primates provide the best available animal model for the human sensorimotor system controlling the hand.

Our work has provided important evidence that direct cortico-motoneuronal (CM) projections from primary motor cortex to spinal motoneurons are particularly important for the performance of skilled hand and finger movements, and has addressed the question of how populations of corticospinal neurons control and encode commands for such movements.

More recently we have begun to explore how visual information about the shape, size and other properties of graspable objects modulates corticospinal outputs from primary motor cortex (M1).

Another recent development is a new line of work aimed at understanding some of the brain mechanisms involved in the use of tools by primates.

All our current projects involve multidisciplinary approaches to the motor system, including:

• Performance of a wide variety of skilled hand tasks carried out by human volunteers, patients and trained experimental primates. We use robotic control systems to simulate a variety of different load conditions
• Multiple microelectrode recording from identified output neurons in cortical areas involved in hand control, using the Thomas Recording system, and guided by MRI scans
• Parallel studies using chronically implanted electrode arrays
• Electrophysiological studies of descending motor pathways in primate models
• TMS and transcranial DC stimulation to investigate human corticospinal function, and particularly paired-pulse TMS to explore activity in cortico-cortical pathways influencing outputs from primary motor cortex (M1)

Current Grant Support :
Wellcome Trust Programme Grant (with Peter Kirkwood)

International Spinal Research Trust Grant (with Peter Kirkwood and Manuel Denton)

BBSRC PhD studentship

MRC studentship

MRC Co-operative Group Grant: 'Neural Control of Movement'

MRC NC3Rs Grant: development of tissue-friendly implants.

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