science
secret nerves
researching communication between body & brain
For more than 30 years, Ian researched the ways in which nerves communicate between the body and the brain. He has published over 100 scientific papers on these topics. His used sophisticated microscopy techniques, including electron microscopy and confocal laser microscopy, to see directly how different types of nerves connect up with each other, the spinal cord, and the various organs of the body. He also used microelectrodes to record the electrical behaviour of single nerve cells as they send messages via these connections.
See most of Ian’s scientific publications on PubMed here.
Autonomic Motor Pathways
nerves that control the activity of our internal organs
Autonomic motor pathways are the nerves that carry communications from brain and spinal cord to nearly all the internal organs, such as the heart, gastro-intestinal tract and urino-genital tract. Autonomic pathways include sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric nerves. The research that Ian and his colleagues around the world have done shows that old ideas of how these nerves are organised and work are far too simplistic. For example, the so-called ‘flight-or-fight’ response is only a small component of the behaviour of sympathetic nerves. In contrast, various … Click here for more.