[Comp-neuro] PhD in motor learning & robotic assisted practise

There is a PhD Studentship available to work on the effect of individualised motor practice on performance in older adults, funded by the MRC-ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research.

Where: University of Birmingham, School of Psychology
Supervisors: Prof R.C. Miall &  Prof A Wing
Application Deadline: 08 March 2013
Funding Notes: The studentship provides a stipend at normal UK Research Council rates of £13,726 per annum and tuition fees for 4 years. Please note - due to the MRC-ARUK funding, this studentship is available ONLY to UK citizens.

The elderly population show impairments in motor function due to muscle weakness, joint stiffness, and sensory loss. Exercise can postpone all these problems, but the nature of the best exercise regime and its optimal scheduling are unknown. Novel strength paradigms are of particular importance to the elderly. By analogy, robot-assisted rehabilitation is effective in stroke, but so far there have been only limited attempts to individualise the rehabilitation regimes.

The supervisory team have developed an algorithm to schedule practise to regions of each stroke patient’s performance “landscape”, in which participants make reaching actions with an assistive robotic device. Performance is mapped across the workspace and practise is given at regions where we expect maximal benefit. This project will extend this work to healthy older adults, with upper arm reaching movements made against a resistive load adapted to the individual requirements of the participant. The student will determine (i) the individual degree of sensory and motor loss prior to practice, by using the robotic arm to test both motor performance and perception of limb position and motion, (ii) how individualized practise is beneficial to everyday activity and to monitor difference between young healthy and older populations, (iii) how these practise-induced changes are reflected in functional activation of sensory-motor brain regions (using advanced imaging techniques), and in improved resistance to fatigue (iv) the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to enhance motor learning and performance.

Applicants must have a background in neuroscience, motor control, robotics or related topics, and interest in working on quantification and assessment of human movement. Experience in testing human performance would be an advantage.

For informal enquiries please contact Prof Chris Miall (R.C.Miall@bham.ac.uk)
To apply please submit your CV together with a covering letter/e-mail.

The MRC-ARUK Centre: Musculoskeletal ageing is a complex process with loss of function resulting from tissue atrophy and remodelling within muscle, bone, tendon and cartilage compartments combined with reduced neuromuscular integrity. Held jointly by the University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, the Centre’s mission is to bring together first rate scientists, clinicians and industrial partners to improve understanding of age-related musculoskeletal deterioration, building a world-leading research platform capable of generating novel and clinically testable approaches to healthier musculoskeletal ageing. The Centre has the expertise, resource and facilities not only in terms of basic science research and a translational clinical pipeline to develop and deliver tailored approaches to combat age-related musculoskeletal decline, but also links to organisations influencing national policy helping to ensure adoption of its recommendations.

--   ----------------------------------------------------------   Professor R.C. Miall  Behavioural Brain Sciences            Tel +44 121 414 2867  School of Psychology,                 Fax +44 121 414 4897  University of Birmingham,             Mobile: 07709 586997  Edgbaston,                     Email: r.c.miall@bham.ac.uk  Birmingham B15 2TT UK         Web: http://prism.bham.ac.uk  ----------------------------------------------------------