Music, Motor Control And the Brain

This title includes the following features: The first book to explore theneural bases of musicians' motor actions, examining these functions across arange of instrumental types and performance situations; Presents state of theart research showing how long term involvement in music can affect the brain;Explores the motor problems that frequently occur in later life amongstprofessional musicians, and possible therapies

After graduating in Medicine and Music Eckart Altenmuller held a postdoctoral position in the department of Clinical Neurophysiology in Freiburg where he carried out research into brain activation during auditory processing of music and learning of fine motor skills. He received his clinical training in Neurology at the Department of Neurology at the University of Tubingen (Head of the Department Prof. Dr. J. Dichgans). Since 1994 he is a chair and director of the Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine. He continues research into movement disorders in musicians and into motor and sensory learning in musicians. In his outpatient clinic he sees 500 musicians a year, mostly suffering from movement disorders such as focal dystonia, focal tremor or from chronic pain syndromes. Currently 270 patients suffering from musicians' cramp are under his supervision. During the last ten years he received 20 grants from the German Research Society (DFG).