Full Description
Basal Ganglia Dynamics: From Motor Units to Networked Chaotic Oscillators addresses the critical need for new theoretical frameworks in understanding the basal ganglia-thalamic-cortical system, particularly in the context of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Despite significant therapeutic advances, current dopamine replacement and Deep Brain Stimulation therapies remain limited due to incomplete and oversimplified prevailing theories. This reference provides a comprehensive alternative approach grounded in complexity science, nonlinear dynamics, and chaotic systems theory.
The book's contents span foundational concepts, including motor unit orchestration, networked nonlinear oscillators, information theory, and methodological considerations. Detailed chapters cover the shortcomings of current models, the application of chaotic system mathematics to basal ganglia physiology, and the implications for pathophysiology and treatment. The book also includes extensive simulations, operational hypotheses, and a rigorous critique of existing paradigms that is supported by principles such as Causational and Informational Synonymy.
Contents
1. How the Basal Ganglia Work during Malfunction
2. Motor Unit Orchestration
3. Network of Weakly Coupled Nonlinear Re-entrant Polysynaptic Oscillators
4. Information and Dynamics
5. Nonlinear Dynamics—Chaotic Systems
6. Methodological and Epistemological Concerns
7. Not Just an Academic Exercise
