Course info

Welcome to Neuromechanics of Human Movement

Description:

Human movements can be assessed on three levels: 1) functional outcomes, such as the running time or jump height or scoring for the quality of movement execution, as it typically happens during training and competition. 2) biomechanical tests allow for a specification of which joint actions contribute to the movement and how performance is mechanically determined. 3) assessments of neuronal processes reveal which parts of the nervous system is active and how they are coordinated. There are several tools dedicated to track human movement, but understanding the processes that generate and refine such movements is highly important. Biomechanical approaches may be used, where movement kinematics are quantified, forces are measured and models can be used to estimate the mechanical principles of generating, and potentially improving, movement execution or general performance. In this course, we will offer the possibility to integrate the understanding of movement execution to its neuronal foundation, to determine the timing and weighting of activities in the central and peripheral nervous system, and to evaluate how these get changed during training and learning. In addition, this approach also applies to the investigation of injuries and rehabilitation in cases where the body system is compromised by an insult.

 

The course will cover three modules distributed over two full days of lectures and one day for assignment presentations and discussions by the students. Components of this course are:

 

1.     Background on movement assessment and measurement technology

2.     Biomechanical performance measurements, mechanical principles and modeling

3.     Neurophysiological measures in relation to performance and learning.

 

Literature

To be announced. Readings will be provided via the course webpage

 

Prerequisites

This course is addressed at students early in their PhD. Ideally you should be about 3 months into your project development. However, students who decide to use the respective technologies later within their studies are naturally welcome.

 

Evaluation

Assignment: during a demo session data will be collected from different systems in parallel/organization to be decided. Student (groups/pairs/individuals) decide which data set they use. Have to provide an analysis and present these results at a session about 4 weeks after the first 2 days of the course.

Organizer: Associate Professor Anderson Oliveira: e-mail: oliveira@mp.aau.dk and Professor Uwe Kersting: e-mail: uwek@hst.aau.dk

Lecturers: Professor Pascal Madeleine, Associate Professor Ernst A. Hansen, Associate Professor Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting, Professor Michael Voigt, Associate Professor Anderson Oliveira, Professor Uwe Kersting, Professor John Rasmussen, and invited speakers

ECTS: 2.5

Time: 11,12 October and 26 November 2018 (8.15-15.00)

Place: Aalborg University, Aalborg

11 October and 26 November: Fredrik Bajers Vej 7E, room E2-209

12 October: Fredrik Bajers Vej 7E, room E1-214

City: Aalborg

Number of seats: 40

Deadline: 19 September 2018

Important information concerning PhD courses We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 5,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately three months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.