Control of Head Movement

In the past, most considerations of head movement have been incidental to research on oculomotor control, vestibular function or posture and gait, so that information has been scattered throughout the scientific literature. This book draws together contributors from various scientific disciplines to give a unified view of head movement as a unique and complex motor system. The peripheral organization of this system is considered first, the nature of different neural pathways and control mechanisms later. The book's emphasis is primarily on the physiological mechanisms responsible for head movement. However, the breadth of the field is also reflected in chapters on biomechanical modelling, psychophysiology, and pathophysiology. The book had its origins in a satellite symposium of the XXX Congress of the International Union of Physiological Sciences. It is not, however, a collection of symposium proceedings, but rather a thoroughly edited, well-integrated account of the neurophysiological control of head movement. Each chapter surveys the research carried out on the topic under consideration.