In this second edition, the authors present a thorough, advanced review of the interactions between motoneurones and muscles in vertebrates. The book discusses the significance of nerve-muscle interactions for the normal development and maintenance of the vertebrate neuromuscular system and reviews the consequences of their disruption. The plasticity of nerve-muscle interactions and the potential for repair is analyzed, as is the importance of neuromuscular activity in development. The subject is approached from a broad viewpoint and the authors integrate results from many disciplines to illustrate the significance of neuromuscular interaction for normal locomotor activity. This approach makes the book useful for clinical researchers of neuromuscular disease. This book should be of interest to postgraduate students and researchers in neuroscience, physiology, academic physiotherapists, and neurologists.
Preface to the second edition. Preface to first edition. Acknowledgements. 1. Early development of muscle. 2. Development of motoneurones. 3. Encounter of motor nerves with muscle fibres. 4. Tonic and phasic mucle fibres of lower vertebrates and birds. 5. Mammalian muscles and motor units. 6. Emergence of the mammalian motor unit. 7. Plasticity of muscles and their motor units. 8. Axotomy: effects on motoneurones, nerves and muscles. 9. Nerve regeneration and muscle reinnervation. 10. Disturbances of nerve-muscle interactions and their consequences. Index.
'A small book, but full with many precise details of the higher interest for the specialists in myology and neurology.' Cellular and Molecular Biology 'This is an excellent reference source and would be a valuable purchase for libraries and those involved in neuromuscular research.' Physiotherapy Journal