Doctor Ingvars Birznieks

Doctor Ingvars Birznieks

Adjunct Associate Professor - School of Health Sciences,
Dean's Unit, School of Health Sciences

Biography

Qualifications

  • PhD Umea University

Organisational Unit (School / Division)

  • Dean's Unit, School of Health Sciences

Contact

Email: I.Birznieks@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone: (02) 4620 3292
Mobile:
Location: 21.1.72
Campbelltown

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Publications

Chapters in Books

  • Birznieks, I., Zavickis, J., Linarts, A. and Knite, M. (2012), 'Neirozinatne un materialzinatne apvieno spekus jauna tipa maksligo taktilo sensoru izveide', Musdienu Fiziologijas Problemas un Prakse : Zinatnisko Rakstu Krajums = Contemporary Problems and Practice in Physiology : Collection of Scientific Articles, Drukatava 9789934503047.
  • Birznieks, I. (2011), 'Neuroprosthesis - theory and praxis', Special Honorary Collection of Articles: For Science and youth, Riga 9789934806049.
  • Redmond, S., Birznieks, I., Lovell, N. and Goodwin, A. (2010), 'Classifying torque, normal force and direction using monkey afferent nerve spike rates.', Haptics: Generating and Perceiving Tangible Sensation (Part I), Springer 9783642140631.
  • Macefield, V. and Birznieks, I. (2008), 'Cutaneous mechanorecptors, functional behaviour', Encyclopaedia of Neuroscience, Springer 9783540296782.

Journal Articles

  • Loutit, A., Wheat, H., Khamis, H., Vickery, R., Macefield, V. and Birznieks, I. (2023), 'How tactile afferents in the human fingerpad encode tangential torques associated with manipulation : are monkeys better than us?', Journal of Neuroscience, vol 43, no 22 , pp 4033 - 4046.
  • Sharma, D., Ng, K., Birznieks, I. and Vickery, R. (2022), 'Perceived tactile intensity at a fixed primary afferent spike rate varies with the temporal pattern of spikes', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 128, no 5 , pp 1074 - 1084.
  • Afzal, N., Stubbs, E., Khamis, H., Loutit, A., Redmond, S., Vickery, R., Wiertlewski, M. and Birznieks, I. (2022), 'Submillimeter lateral displacement enables friction sensing and awareness of surface slipperiness', IEEE Transactions on Haptics, vol 15, no 1 , pp 20 - 25.
  • Khamis, H., Afzal, H., Sanchez, J., Vickery, R., Wiertlewski, M., Redmond, S. and Birznieks, I. (2021), 'Friction sensing mechanisms for perception and motor control : passive touch without sliding may not provide perceivable frictional information', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 125, no 3 , pp 809 - 823.
  • Ng, K., Snow, I., Birznieks, I. and Vickery, R. (2021), 'Burst gap code predictions for tactile frequency are valid across the range of perceived frequencies attributed to two distinct tactile channels', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 125, no 2 , pp 687 - 692.
  • Jack, B., Chilver, M., Vickery, R., Birznieks, I., Krstanoska-Blazeska, K., Whitford, T. and Griffiths, O. (2021), 'Movement planning determines sensory suppression : an event-related potential study', Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, vol 33, no 12 , pp 2427 - 2439.
  • Chen, F., Zhou, Y., Zhu, Y., Zhu, R., Guan, P., Fan, J., Zhou, L., Valanoor, N., Von Wegner, F., Saribatir, E., Birznieks, I., Wan, T. and Chu, D. (2021), 'Recent progress in artificial synaptic devices : materials, processing and applications', Journal of Materials Chemistry C, vol 9, no 27 , pp 8372 - 8394.
  • Willemet, L., Kanzari, K., Monnoyer, J., Birznieks, I. and Wiertlewski, M. (2021), 'Initial contact shapes the perception of friction', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol 118, no 49 .
  • Ng, K., Olausson, C., Vickery, R. and Birznieks, I. (2020), 'Temporal patterns in electrical nerve stimulation : burst gap code shapes tactile frequency perception', PLoS One, vol 15, no 8 .
  • Smith, L., Macefield, V., Birznieks, I. and Burton, A. (2019), 'Effects of tonic muscle pain on fusimotor control of human muscle spindles during isometric ankle dorsiflexion', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 121, no 4 , pp 1143 - 1149.
  • Birznieks, I., McIntyre, S., Nilsson, H., Nagi, S., Macefield, V., Mahns, D. and Vickery, R. (2019), 'Tactile sensory channels over-ruled by frequency decoding system that utilizes spike pattern regardless of receptor type', eLife, vol 8 .
  • Steel, K., Mudie, K., Sandoval, R., Anderson, D., Dogramaci, S., Rehmanjan, M. and Birznieks, I. (2018), 'Can video self-modeling improve affected limb reach and grasp ability in stroke patients?', Journal of Motor Behavior, vol 50, no 2 , pp 117 - 126.
  • Chen, W., Khamis, H., Birznieks, I., Lepora, N. and Redmond, S. (2018), 'Tactile sensors for friction estimation and incipient slip detection-toward dexterous robotic manipulation : a review', IEEE Sensors Journal, vol 18, no 22 , pp 9049 - 9064.
  • Day, J., Bent, L., Birznieks, I., Macefield, V. and Cresswell, A. (2017), 'Muscle spindles in human tibialis anterior encode muscle fascicle length changes', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 117, no 4 , pp 1489 - 1498.
  • Birznieks, I. and Vickery, R. (2017), 'Spike timing matters in novel neuronal code involved in vibrotactile frequency perception', Current Biology, vol 27, no 10 , pp 1485 - 1490.
  • Birznieks, I., Logina, I. and Wasner, G. (2016), 'Somatotopic mismatch of hand representation following stroke : is recovery possible?', Neurocase, vol 22, no 1 , pp 95 - 102.
  • McIntyre, S., Birznieks, I., Vickery, R., Holcombe, A. and Seizova-Cajic, T. (2016), 'The tactile motion aftereffect suggests an intensive code for speed in neurons sensitive to both speed and direction of motion', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 115, no 3 , pp 1703 - 1712.
  • Kasi, P., Wright, J., Khamis, H., Birznieks, I. and van Schaik, A. (2016), 'The Bayesian decoding of force stimuli from slowly adapting type I fibers in humans', PLoS One, vol 11, no 4 .
  • Khamis, H., Redmond, S., Tripodi, R., Linarts, A., Zavickis, J., Knite, M. and Birznieks, I. (2016), 'Design principles for building a soft, compliant, high spatial resolution tactile sensor array', Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 9775 , pp 25 - 34.
  • Khamis, H., Birznieks, I. and Redmond, S. (2015), 'Decoding tactile afferent activity to obtain an estimate of instantaneous force and torque applied to the fingerpad', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 114, no 1 , pp 474 - 484.
  • Hudson, K., Condon, M., Ackerley, R., McGlone, F., Olausson, H., Macefield, V. and Birznieks, I. (2015), 'Effects of changing skin mechanics on the differential sensitivity to surface compliance by tactile afferents in the human finger pad', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 114, no 4 , pp 2249 - 2257.
  • Fazalbhoy, A., Birznieks, I. and Macefield, V. (2014), 'Consistent interindividual increases or decreases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity during experimental muscle pain', Experimental Brain Research, vol 232, no 4 , pp 1309 - 1315.
  • Condon, M., Birznieks, I., Hudson, K., Chelvanayagam, D., Mahns, D., Olausson, H. and Macefield, V. (2014), 'Differential sensitivity to surface compliance by tactile afferents in the human finger pad', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 111, no 6 , pp 1308 - 1317.
  • Arabzadeh, E., Clifford, C., Harris, J., Mahns, D., Macefield, V. and Birznieks, I. (2014), 'Single tactile afferents outperform human subjects in a vibrotactile intensity discrimination task', Journal of Neurophysiology, vol 112, no 10 , pp 2382 - 2387.
  • Fazalbhoy, A., Macefield, V. and Birznieks, I. (2013), 'Tonic muscle pain does not increase fusimotor drive to human leg muscles : implications for chronic muscle pain', Experimental Physiology, vol 98, no 6 , pp 1125 - 1132.
  • Chan, G., Fazalbhoy, A., Birznieks, I., Macefield, V., Middleton, P. and Lovell, N. (2012), 'Spontaneous fluctuations in the peripheral photoplethysmographic waveform : roles of arterial pressure and muscle sympathetic nerve activity', American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol 302, no 3 , pp 826 - 836.
  • Hall, S., Fazalbhoy, A., Birznieks, I. and Macefield, V. (2012), 'Biphasic effects of tonic stimulation of muscle nociceptors on skin sympathetic nerve activity in human subjects', Experimental Brain Research, vol 221, no 1 , pp 107 - 114.
  • McIntyre, S., Holcombe, A., Birznieks, I. and Seizova-Cajic, T. (2012), 'Tactile motion adaptation reduces perceived speed but shows no evidence of direction sensitivity', PLoS One, vol 7, no 9 , pp 1 - 12.
  • Birznieks, I., Boonstra, T. and Macefield, V. (2012), 'Modulation of human muscle spindle discharge by arterial pulsations : functional effects and consequences', PLoS One, vol 7, no 4 .
  • Fazalbhoy, A., Birznieks, I. and Macefield, V. (2012), 'Individual differences in the cardiovascular responses to tonic muscle pain : parallel increases or decreases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure and heart rate', Experimental Physiology, vol 97, no 10 , pp 1084 - 1092.
  • Birznieks, I., Logina, I. and Wasner, G. (2012), 'Somatotopic mismatch following stroke : a pathophysiological condition escaping detection', BMJ Case Reports, .
  • Birznieks, I., Wheat, H., Redmond, S., Salo, L., Lovell, N. and Goodwin, A. (2010), 'Encoding of tangential torque in responses of tactile afferent fibres innervating the monkey's fingerpad', Journal of Physiology, vol 588, no 7 , pp 1057 - 1072.
  • Burton, A., Birznieks, I., Bolton, P., Henderson, L. and Macefield, V. (2009), 'Effects of deep and superficial experimentally induced acute pain on muscle sympathetic nerve activity in human subjects', Journal of Physiology, vol 587, no 1 , pp 183 - 193.
  • Birznieks, I., Macefield, V., Westling, G. and Johansson, R. (2009), 'Slowly adapting mechanoreceptors in the borders of the human fingernail encode fingertip forces', Journal of Neuroscience, vol 29, no 29 , pp 9370 - 9379.
  • Burton, A., Birznieks, I., Spaak, J., Henderson, L. and Macefield, V. (2009), 'Effects of deep and superficial experimentally induced acute pain on skin sympathetic nerve activity in human subjects', Experimental Brain Research, vol 195, no 2 , pp 317 - 324.
  • Birznieks, I., Burton, A. and Macefield, V. (2008), 'The effects of experimental muscle and skin pain on the static stretch sensitivity of human muscle spindles in relaxed leg muscles', The Journal of Physiology, vol 586, no 11 , pp 2713 - 2723.
  • Johansson, R. and Birznieks, I. (2004), 'First spikes in ensembles of human tactile afferents code complex spatial fingertip events', Nature Neuroscience, vol 7, no 2 , pp 170 - 177.

Conference Papers

  • Ng, K., Birznieks, I., Tse, I., Andersen, J., Nilsson, S. and Vickery, R. (2018), 'Perceived frequency of aperiodic vibrotactile stimuli depends on temporal encoding', EuroHaptics Conference, Pisa, Italy.
  • McIntyre, S., Birznieks, I., Andersson, R., Dicander, G., Breen, P. and Vickery, R. (2016), 'Temporal integration of tactile inputs from multiple sites', EuroHaptics Conference , London, UK.
  • Kasi, P., Birznieks, I. and van Schaik, A. (2015), 'A point process approach to encode tactile afferents', IEEE/EMBS International Conference on Neural Engineering, Montpellier, France.
  • Khamis, H., Redmond, S., Macefield, V. and Birznieks, I. (2014), 'Classification of texture and frictional condition at initial contact by tactile afferent responses', EuroHaptics Conference, Versailles, France.
  • Seizova-Cajic, T., Karlsson, K., Bergstrom, S., McIntyre, S. and Birznieks, I. (2014), 'Lateral skin stretch influences direction judgments of motion across the skin', EuroHaptics Conference, Versailles, France.
  • McIntyre, S., Seizova-Cajic, T., Birznieks, I., Holcombe, A. and Vickery, R. (2014), 'Adaptation to motion presented with a tactile array', EuroHaptics Conference, Versailles, France.
  • Khamis, H., Redmond, S., Macefield, V. and Birznieks, I. (2014), 'Tactile afferents encode grip safety before slip for different frictions', IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference, Chicago, Ill..
  • Rager, D., Alvares, D., Birznieks, I., Redmond, S., Morley, J., Lovell, N. and Vickery, R. (2013), 'Generating tactile afferent stimulation patterns for slip and touch feedback in neural prosthetics', Annual International Conference of the IEEE EMBS, Osaka, Japan.
  • Fu, J., Birznieks, I., Goodwin, A., Khamis, H. and Redmond, S. (2012), 'Decoding tactile sensation : multiple regression analysis of monkey fingertip afferent mechanoreceptor population responses', IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Conference, San Diego, California.
  • Redmond, S., Lovell, N., Goodwin, A. and Birznieks, I. (2010), 'A comparison of monkey afferent nerve spike rates and spike latencies for classifying torque, normal force and direction.', Proceedings of the Second APSIPA Annual Summit and Conference, Biopolis, Singapore, Singapore.
  • Birznieks, I. and Macefield, V. (2007), 'Investigations of sensory signals in human peripheral nerves - underpinning prospects of feedback loop implementation in BCI and FES devices.', Proceedings of 9th Vienna International Workshop on Functional Electrical Stimulation, Austria.

Previous Projects

Title: Information encoding by temporal structure of afferent spike trains evoked by complex vibrotactile stimuli [via UNSW]
Funder:
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (ACRG)
Western Researchers: Ingvars Birznieks and Vaughan Macefield
Years: 2012-01-01 - 2014-12-31
ID: P00020705
Title: The effects of tonic muscle pain on the sympathetic and somatic motor systems in human subjects
Funder:
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (ACRG)
Western Researchers: Vaughan Macefield and Ingvars Birznieks
Years: 2012-01-01 - 2016-12-31
ID: P00020213
Title: The encoding of friction by tactile mechanoreceptors - the key to fingertip force control during dexterous object manipulation by humans
Funder:
  • Australian Research Council (ACRG)
Western Researchers: Ingvars Birznieks and Vaughan Macefield
Years: 2012-01-01 - 2015-12-31
ID: P00020721

Western Sydney University

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