Motor Control And Motor Learning Flashcards
When are motor abilities and skills acquired?
during motor
development
Do individuals perform movement the same each time?
Individuals rarely perform movement exactly the
same way each time
What must movement systems be able to do?
Movement systems must be able to adapt to
changing demands of the individual and the
environment
What is motor development affected by?
time (age),
maturation (genes), adaptation (physical constraints),
and learning
What contributes to an ongoing process of change throughout life?
Motor development, motor control, and motor
learning all contribute to an ongoing process of
change throughout life
What is motor control?
The ability to maintain and change posture and
movement
What is motor control a result of?
Result of complex neurologic and mechanical processes
including motor, cognitive, and perceptual development
What does motor control allow?
Allows the nervous system to direct what muscles should
be used, in what order, and how quickly, to solve a
movement problem
What is the first movement problem?
overcoming the effects of
gravity
What is the second movement problem?
how to move a larger head
compared to the smaller body (head control)
What are later movement problems?
controlling the
interaction between stability and mobility of the head,
trunk, and limbs
What dictates the type of movement solution needed?
Task to be carried out within
the environment dictates the
type of movement solution
needed
Motor abilities change over time, so _____ may also change.
Motor abilities change over
time so motor solutions to
motor problems may also
change
Motor control emerges from an interaction between _____.
between the
task, the individual, and the
environment
When does motor control occur?
occurs in fractions of seconds at the
cellular, tissue, and organ levels
How does physiologic process need to occur?
quickly to
produce timely and efficient movements
What produces a reflexive motor response?
Sensory or perceptual
information/stimulus
produces a reflexive
motor response
What is feedback?
Feedback is sensory or perceptual information
received as a result of movement
What do feedback and error signals provide?
means to
understand the process of self control and to learn
new motor skills
What does sensory or perceptual input provide?
feedback for
accuracy of movements and posture when
interacting with objects and maneuvering within an
environment
What is there a common element in?
motor control and motorlearning
theories
What is the hierarchic theory?
Top down perspective (most traditional theory) (everything controlled from brain)
What does the hierarchic theory include?
cortex, neural structures, reflexes, postural control
What is the cortex?
- Highest level of control
- All subcortical structures take orders from it
- Directs movement
- Controls voluntary movement
What are other neural structures that can initiate or control movement?
- Basal ganglia
- Cerebellum
- Spinal cord
What are reflexes?
- Gauges nervous system maturation
- Basic unit of movement in motor control
- A pairing of sensory stimulus with a motor response
- Can be simple or complex
What are primitive reflexes?
(simplest)
‒ Occur at spinal cord level
‒ Onset: 28 - 35 weeks gestation
‒ Example: Flexor Withdrawal
What are tonic reflexes?
‒ Occur at brainstem level
‒ Produce changes in muscle tone and posture
‒ Onset: Birth – 6 months
‒ Example: ATNR
What is postural control?
includes balance reactions, righting reactions, and equilibrium reactions
What are balance reactions?
with development, structures above
the spinal cord begin to control posture and movement
(righting, protective, and equilibrium)
What are righting and equilibrium reactions?
(postural responses)
Occur at midbrain and cortex levels
• Onset: Birth and persist throughout life
• Example: Landau Righting
What do these reactions involve?
• Involves head and trunk movements providing body with
an automatic way to respond to movement of COG
within and outside the body’s BOS
• Involves extremity movements to movement of COG
outside the body’s BOS (protective responses – serve as
back up system)
What do tonic reflexes inhibit?
spinal cord reflexes, and
righting reactions inhibit tonic reflexes
What does inhibition allow?
previously demonstrated
stimulus response patterns of movement to be
integrated or modified into more voluntary
movements
What is the development of motor control?
Relationship of mobility/stability of body postures
and the acquisition of automatic postural responses
What is the progression of movement?
Initial random movements (mobility), followed by
maintenance of posture (stability), then movement
within a posture (controlled mobility), and finally,
movement from one posture to another (skill)
What happens with each new posture?
With acquisition of each new posture comes
development of control within that posture
What is stage 1?
(mobility) – Initiation of movement – First 3 months of development – Movements are erratic and often lack purpose – Reflex based
What is stage 2?
(stability) Ability to maintain a steady position in weight bearing,
anti-gravity position
How is stage 2 divided?
Divided into tonic holding and co-contraction
What is tonic holding?
– Occurs at end of shortened ROM and usually involves an
isometric contraction of antigravity postural extensors
– Most evident with prone extension
– Prone: head is held asymmetrically, then held in midline, and
progresses to holding up past 90° from support surface
– Supine: head is turned to one side, then in midline, and
progresses to midline with chin tuck as infant is pulled up
What is co-contraction?
– Simultaneous static contraction of antagonistic muscles
around a joint to provide stability in midline or weight
bearing
– As task is learned co-contraction is decreased to allow the
joint to move more freely (degrees of freedom)
– Allows for holding postures of prone extension, prone on
elbows, all fours, and semi-squat
What is stage 3?
(controlled mobility)
– “Dynamic postural control”
– Once relationship between mobility and stability is
established in prone, all fours, and standing, then
controlled mobility can be superimposed on this
established stability
– If stability of proximal joints is not present then distal
performance may be impaired
When does stage 3 occur?
Occurs when extremities are weight bearing and body
moves (all fours or standing)
What is stage 4?
(skill)
– Mastered after controlled mobility within a posture
– Skilled movements involve manipulation and
exploration of the environment
When does stage 4 occur?
Occurs when mobility is superimposed on stability in
non-weight bearing, the proximal segments stabilize
while the distal segments are free to move, or the
trunk is upright or parallel to the force of gravity
What are examples of stage 4?
creeping and walking
How does postural control develop?
Develops in a cephalocaudal (top to bottom)
direction
What is needed for development of functional movement?
Variability in postural control is needed for
development of functional movement
How is postural control demonstrated?
Demonstrated by ability to maintain alignment of
body parts relative to each other and the
environment
What are functions that maintain alignment?
equilibrium or balance
What is the sequence of development of postural reactions?
righting reactions (head righting, trunk righting), followed by protective reactions (extremities), and finally, equilibrium reactions (starting in prone)
What are righting reactions?
• Responsible for orienting head in space and keeping
the eyes/mouth horizontal
• Involve head and trunk movements to maintain or
regain orientation or alignment
When do righting reactions begin?
Some righting reactions begin at birth but most are
evident at 4-6 months
What is cueing provided by?
gravity, change of head/body
position, vision, and abdominal touch
What does head control develop from?
head righting reactions
neck, optical, and labyrinthine
What does head turning produce?
neck-on-body righting (body
follows head movement)
What does upper or lower trunk turning produce?
body-on-body
righting (body follows upper or lower trunk
movement)
What can either righting produce?
log or segmental rolling
When does head and trunk righting occur?
when weight is
shifted within a BOS (amount of displacement
determines degree of response)
What are slower displacements more likely to elicit?
head
and trunk righting
Where can righting reactions occur?
Can occur in any posture and in response to anterior,
posterior, or lateral weight shifts
When do righting reactions have max influence on posture and movement?
Have maximum influence on posture and movement
between 10-12 months of age (can be present
through age 5)
When are righting reactions no longer present?
if child can come to standing
from supine position without using trunk rotation
(trunk rotation indicates righting around a long axis)
What are protective reactions?
Extremity movements that occur in response to rapid
displacement of the body by diagonal or horizontal
forces
How is the developmental sequence?
very predictable
What is the extension of extremities for?
to prepare for,
or to catch a fall
When is protective staggering of LEs evident?
by 15-17 months
What must an infant be able to do to exhibit protective extension?
to bear weight on extended arms
to exhibit protective extension
What is a useful treatment intervention?
Propping or pushing up can be a useful treatment
intervention
What are equilibrium reactions?
Most advanced postural reactions and last to
develop
What do equilibrium reactions allow the body to do?
Allows body to adapt to slow changes in relationship
to COG with the BOS
What do equilibrium reactions add?
Adds extremity responses to flexion, extension, or
lateral head and trunk movements to regain
equilibrium
When can equilibrium reactions occur?
if the body moves
relative to a support surface, or if the support moves
relative to the body (tilt reactions)
What are the three expected responses to lateral displacement of COG toward the periphery of BOS in standing?
– Lateral head and trunk righting away from weight shift
– Arm and leg opposite direction of weight shift abduct
– Trunk rotation away from weight shift