Hand and Brain (PDF)

Used for gestures of communication, environmental exploration, and the grasping and manipulating of objects, the hand has a vital role in our lives. The hand's anatomical structure and neural control are among the most complex and detailed of human motor systems.
Hand and Brain is a comprehensive overview of the hand's sensorimotor control. It discusses mediating variables in perception and prehension, the coordination of muscles with the central nervous system, the nature of movement control and hand positioning, hand-arm coordination in reaching and grasping, and the sensory function of the hand.
In the last decade the rapid growth of neuroscience has been paralleled by a surge of interest in hand function. This reflects the fact that many of the fundamental issues facing neuroscientists today--including the problem of relating physiology to behavior--are central to the study of sensorimotor control of the hand. This book takes a broad interdisciplinary perspective on the control of hand movements that includes neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, psychology and neuropsychology, and biomechanics.
The authors, who have all made significant scientific contributions in their own right, have sought to introduce their chosen topics in a manner that the undergraduate reader will be able to follow without sacrificing detailed and up-to-date coverage ofthe major developments.

Uses an interdisciplinary approach including behavioral and neurophysiological data
Describes a variety of experimental methodologies
Treats neural computations necessary for the control of movement
Covers implications of biomechanics for control, sensory mechanisms, and perceptual processing (haptics)
Includes manipulative hand function as well as reaching
Overviews each group of chapters using link sections
Contains an integrated index and a glosssary
The five sections cover:
Mediating variables in perception and prehension
The coordination of muscles with the central nervous system
The nature of movement control and hand positioning
Hand-arm coordination in reaching and grasping
The sensory function of the hand