Motor Control

Question 1

What is Motor Control

Answer 1

How the CNS is organized so individual muscles and joints become coordinated.

How sensory info from environment and/or the body is used to control movement and plan an action.

Question 2

Movement emerges from: *

Answer 2

TIE:
Task
Individual
Environment

The individual generates movements to do a task in a specific environment.

Question 3

Open Movement tasks: Meaning, in stablity/non-moving BOS, in mobility/ moving BOS

Answer 3

Task is ever changing and unpredictable with constant monitoring of sensory system and altering motor plan. ex: soccer

Stability: sitting/standing on a rocker board/foam.
Mobility: walking on uneven or moving surface

Question 4

Closed Movement tasks: Meaning, in stablity/non-moving BOS, in mobility/ moving BOS

Answer 4

Tasks fixed in predicatable environment. Requires less constant sensory monitoring.

Stability: sitting/standing on nonmoving surface.
Mobility: walking on nonmoving surface.

Question 5

Environment attributes divided into (2)

Answer 5

Regulatory features and non-regulatory features

Question 6

Regulatory features affects and examples

Answer 6

Affects the performance

Ex: size, shape, weight of a cup to be picked up and type of surface which we walk

Question 7

Non-regulatory features affects and examples

Answer 7

Affects performance on a small margin.

Ex: background noise

Question 8

Movement emerges from The Individual: 3 systems…

Answer 8

Motor/action systems
Cognitive systems
Sensory/perceptual systems

Question 9

Motor/Action systems: What systems (2), includes, “Degrees of freedom problem”

Answer 9

Neuromuscular and biomechanical system used for functional movement control.

Strength, balance, coordination, range of motion.

“Degrees of freedom problem”: # joints and muscles that muscles be controlled

Question 10

Cognitive system: Includes… Relates to…

Answer 10

Includes attention, planning, problem solving, motivation.
Must relate to patient’s goals.
Relate to perception and action

Question 11

Sensory/ perceptual systems: Essential for…

Answer 11

Perception integrates sensory impressions into psychologically meaningful information.
Essential to control of functional movement.
Ex: perception of balance which covers the relationship of the ability to use your muscles for balance

Question 12

“What and where” pathways for vision

Answer 12

Striate cortex

Question 13

Carbon Monoxide poisoned patients: with affected “what” pathway so they cant recognize size/shape of object. Able to guide hand at the objects. What does that mean?

Answer 13

All sensory systems have a distinct “what” and “where” pathways. Our perception of info is different than using that info for action.

Question 14

Motor Programming Theories on Motor Control:
CNS is a reacting system?
What are CPGs?
What are stored as motor programs?

Answer 14

CNS ISNT a system that reacts, but sensory input modulates activity.

Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) - specific neural circuit that are hardwired for stereotypical movement like walking.

Concepts can be stored as a motor program.

Question 15

Motor programming theories on Motor Control: Limitations and Clinical Implications

Answer 15

Limitation: Does not account for muscles and environmental changes. ex: Motor program is sent to do elbow flexion, with or without weight. But there must be a modification.

Implication: Cannot reeducate specific muscles for a task but must do the task in order to engage motor programming.

Question 16

Systems theories on Motor Control: What systems and forces looked at? Levels are controlled? How does it act as a unit?

Answer 16

Looks at both neural AND mechanical components of control (both internal and external forces).

The higher level controls the lower levels, the lower levels control synergies.

Synergies acts as a unit instead of individual muscles.

Question 17

Systems Theory on Motor Control: LE flexion and extension synergies muscles… , what must happen to have one synergy program move to another? , patterns are learned by releasing…

Answer 17

LE flexion synergies- df, knee flexion, hip flexion
LE extension synergies- pf , knee extension, hip extension

“Control parameter” ex: velocity changes makes a walk into a run

Degrees of freedom

Question 18

Variability in systems theory: VS motor programming theory, when is it needed (3)

Answer 18

It is normal unlike motor programming

Needed for the system to be more flexible, reduce repetitive strain injuries, and to transition to learn a new movement pattern

Question 19

System theories of Motor Control: Limitation and Clinical Implications

Answer 19

Limitation: Nervous system has a less important role.

Implications: Must look at the mechanical and neural component of movement, interactions with environment (pt. walk slower for safety but increase velocity helps body move with greater ease), variability in motion may be encouraged.

Question 20

Ecological Theory on Motor Control: Meaning and what is important

Answer 20

Motor system allows us to interact to interact with our environment, so how a person detects factors in their environment is key.
Different environment changes the way a person moves. Like training a pt to do tasks outdoors is different than indoors.
Perception is most important , it guides our movements like catching a ball.

Question 21

Ecological Theory on Motor Control: Limitations and Clinical Implications

Answer 21

Limitation: Less emphasis on the nervous system

Implications:

• Must look at environment with goal in mind.
• Then look at multiple ways to achieve a task with different movement strategies
• PTs must constantly change the environment so pt’s motor system learns different ways to achieve task and pick up all common features.