Name of Research Tutor: Dr. Kevin Power Number of Possible

Name of Research Tutor: Dr. Kevin Power Number of Possible Positions: 1 Name of Project: Does exercise warm‐up alter corticospinal excitaility? Project Description: There are well‐known benefits of the warm‐up for enhancing subsequent exercise performance. This includes enhancement of the metabolic pathways, the cardiovascular system and muscle force output. The effects of a warm‐up on the nervous system however are not known. This study will investigate whether a ‘standard’ warm‐up procedure alters corticospinal excitability. The findings of this research may have important ramifications for guiding rehabilitation strategies designed to maximize residual motor function of individuals with motor impairments following, for example, spinal cord injury and stroke. Possible Roles for Student(s): The successful student(s) will assist Dr. Power and a graduate student in recruiting volunteers, monitoring the exercise programs, as well as performing data collection and analysis. The student(s) will learn a variety of skills used in human physiology research including: 
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Collection of EMG signals used to characterize patterns of muscle activity Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord as a measure of motoneurone excitability Data analysis Statistical analysis Literature review Cortical stimulation us a transcranial magnetic stimulator Present research during the weekly journal club Manuscript writing Special Requirements: None