Irina
Beloozerova Collaborations:
Dr.
Boris Prilutsky
School
of Applied Physiology, Center for Human Movement Studies,
Georgia
Institute of Technology,
Research
in the laboratory of Dr. Prilutsky focuses on the mechanisms of movement generation
and control. This includes control of force by the arm during learning new
movements, modeling of the spinal cord neural circuitry that controls
locomotion, and studying the role of the motor cortex in different locomotor behaviors.
We collaborate with the
laboratory of Dr. Prilutsky in the analysis of
biomechanics of complex locomotion behaviors and involvement of motor cortex in
the control of them. We conduct experiments together in
Brad Farrell from the Georgia Institute of
Technology has actively participated in these studies since he was an
undergraduate student. In fall of 2006 Brad started his graduate studies in the
PhD program of the
Drs.
Tatiana Deliagina and Grigory
Orlovsky,
Karolinska Institute in Stockholm ,
Sweden
The general goal of research in the
laboratory of Dr. Deliagina is to understand the
organization and operation of the neuronal networks responsible for maintenance
of the basic body posture.
We collaborate with the laboratory
of Dr. Deliagina in studies aimed at characterizing the commands, which are transmitted from the
brain motor centers to the spinal cord during different postural tasks. In
our joint experiments, we test subjects during balancing on a platform, which
periodically tilts to the right and then to the left. We encourage the subjects
to assume different postures (such as leaning to the right or to the left) or
to perform stepping movements while still keeping balance on the platform. We
record kinematics and dynamic parameters of limbs and body movements, the
activity of limb muscles, and the neuronal activity of the motor cortex, motor
thalamus, and midbrain. We then compare body mechanics, the activity of
muscles, and the activity of brain areas during balancing with different
postural configurations and reveal the parameters, which are associated
specifically with each of the configurations. This allows us to understand the contribution of supraspinal mechanisms to the control of posture.
A graduate student from Karolinska Institute Anastasia
Karayannidou defended her thesis on “Spinal
and supraspinal mechanisms of postural control” in
summer 2009 with 5 full size peer-reviewed publications, 3 of which resulted
from her work in our laboratory. Anastasia did a full academic year rotation
(2005-2006) in our laboratory during her second year in PhD program, and then
visited for more experiments.
In fall
