Chapter 8

Why can the eye muscles move with greater precision than the biceps muscles?

Which transmitter causes a skeletal muscle to contract?

Duck breast muscles are red ("dark meat"), whereas chicken breast muscles are white. Which species probably can fly for a longer time before fatiguing?

Why is an ultramarathoner like Bertil Järlaker probably not impressive at short-distance races?

What is the function of Golgi tendon organs?

How does the posterior parietal cortex contribute to movement? The premotor cortex? The supplementary motor cortex? The prefrontal cortex?

When expert pianists listen to familiar, well-practiced music, they imagine the finger movements, and the finger area of their motor cortex becomes active, even if they are not moving their fingers (Haueisen \& Knösche, 2001). If we regard those neurons as another kind of mirror neu- ron, what do these results tell us about the origin of mirror neurons?

What kind of perceptual task would be most impaired by damage to the cerebellum?

If a larger number of parallel fibers are active, what is the effect on the collective output of the Purkinje cells?

Why does damage to the basal ganglia lead to involuntary movements?

What kind of learning depends most heavily on the basal ganglia?

How does L-dopa relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

What are some possible treatments for Parkinson's disease other than L-dopa?

What procedure enables physicians to predict who will or will not get Huntington's disease and to estimate the age of onset?