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Basal Ganglia Dynamics. From Motor Units to Networked Chaotic Oscillators

  • Book

  • July 2026
  • Elsevier Science and Technology
  • ID: 6251662
Basal Ganglia Dynamics: From Motor Units to Networked Chaotic Oscillators addresses the critical need for new theoretical frameworks in understanding the basal ganglia-thalamic-cortical system, particularly in the context of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Despite significant therapeutic advances, current dopamine replacement and Deep Brain Stimulation therapies remain limited due to incomplete and oversimplified prevailing theories. This reference provides a comprehensive alternative approach grounded in complexity science, nonlinear dynamics, and chaotic systems theory.

The book's contents span foundational concepts, including motor unit orchestration, networked nonlinear oscillators, information theory, and methodological considerations. Detailed chapters cover the shortcomings of current models, the application of chaotic system mathematics to basal ganglia physiology, and the implications for pathophysiology and treatment. The book also includes extensive simulations, operational hypotheses, and a rigorous critique of existing paradigms that is supported by principles such as Causational and Informational Synonymy.

Table of Contents

1. How the Basal Ganglia Work during Malfunction
2. Motor Unit Orchestration
3. Network of Weakly Coupled Nonlinear Re-entrant Polysynaptic Oscillators
4. Information and Dynamics
5. Nonlinear Dynamics-Chaotic Systems
6. Methodological and Epistemological Concerns
7. Not Just an Academic Exercise

Authors

Erwin B. Montgomery Jr. Emeritus Professor, Department of Medicine (Neurology), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. Dr. Montgomery has been an academic neurologist for over 40 years pursuing teaching, clinical and basic research at major academic medical centers. He has authored over 120 peer reviewed journal articles (available on PubMed) and 8 books on medicine (4 on the subject of Deep Brain Stimulation). The last two have been "Reproducibility in Biomedical Research� (Academic Press, 2024) and "The Ethics of Everyday Medicine� (Academic Press, 2023).