Motor Control and Motor Learning

Question 1

What is the difference between motor learning and motor control?

Answer 1

Motor control = study of the nature of movement; the ability to regulate or direct essential movement

Motor learning = study of the acquisition or modification of movement

Question 2

What is Adam’s closed loop theory of motor learning?

Answer 2

Premise of sensory feedback as an ongoing process for the nervous system to compare current movement with stored information on memory of past movement; high emphasis on the concept of practice.

Question 3

What is Schmidt’s schema theory of motor learning?

Answer 3

Main construct relies on the open loop control process and a motor program concept; promotes clinical values of feedback and importance of variation in practice

Question 4

What are the 3 stages of motor learning?

Answer 4

Cognitive
Associative
Autonomous

Question 5

What is the cognitive stage of motor learning? (2)

Answer 5

1. Initial stage of learning where there is a high concentration or conscious processing of information
2. Learner develops an understanding of the task

Question 6

List 4 characteristics of the cognitive stage of motor learning.

Answer 6

1. Large amounts of errors
2. Inconsistent attempts and performance
3. Repetition of effort allows for improvement in strategies
4. High degree of cognitive work: listening, observing and processing feedback

Question 7

What is the associative stage of motor learning?

Answer 7

The learner has determined a strategy; practices it and makes adjustments in how the motor skill is performed

Question 8

List 5 characteristics of the associative stage of motor learning.

Answer 8

1. Decreased errors with new skill performance
2. Decreased need for concentration and cognition regarding the activity
3. Skill refinement
4. Increased coordination of movement
5. Large amount of practice yields refinement of the motor program surrounding the activity

Question 9

What is the autonomous stage of motor learning?

Answer 9

The learner has practice the motor skill to the extent that the performance becomes largely automatic

Question 10

List 6 characteristics of the autonomous stage of motor learning.

Answer 10

1. Automatic response
2. Mainly error free regardless of environment
3. Distraction does not impact the activity
4. Can perform more than one task if needed
5. Extrinsic feedback should be very limited or not provided
6. Internal feedback or self assessment should be dominant

Question 11

What is intrinsic (inherent) feedback?

Answer 11

Represents all feedback that comes to the person through sensory systems as a result of movement including visual ,vestibular, proprioceptive, and somatosensory inputs.

Question 12

What is extrinsic (augmented) feedback?

Answer 12

Represents the information that can be provided while a task or movement is in progress or subsequent to movement. Typically in the form of verbal feedback or manual contacts.

Question 13

What are 2 types of extrinsic feedback?

Answer 13

Knowledge of results

Knowledge of performance

Question 14

What is the difference between knowledge of results and knowledge of performance?

Answer 14

Knowledge of results: terminal feedback regarding the outcome of movement that has been performed in relation to the movement’s goals

Knowledge of performance: feedback that relates to the actual movement pattern that someone used to achieve their goal of movement

Question 15

What is the difference between massed and distributed practice?

Answer 15

Massed: the practice time in a trial is greater than the amount of rest between trials

Distributed: the amount of rest time between trials is equal to or greater than the amount of practice time for each trial

Question 16

What is the difference between constant and variable practice?

Answer 16

Constant: practice of a given task under a uniform condition

Variable: practice of a given task under differing conditions

Question 17

What is the difference between random and blocked practice?

Answer 17

Random: varying practice among different tasks

Blocked: consistent practice of a single task

Question 18

What is the difference between whole and part task training?

Answer 18

Whole: practice of an entire task

Part: practice of an individual component or selected component of a task.

Question 19

What is compensation?

Answer 19

Ability to utilize alternate motor and sensory strategies due to an impairment that limits the normal completion of the task

Question 20

What is habituation?

Answer 20

The decrease in response that will occur as a result of consistent exposure to non-painful stimuli

Question 21

What is the difference between associative and non-associative learning?

Answer 21

Non-associative: a single repeated stimulus (habituation, sensitization)

Associative: gaining an understanding of the relationship between two stimuli (classical conditioning/operant conditioning)

Question 22

What is the difference between procedural and declarative learning?

Answer 22

Procedural: learning tasks that can be performed without attention or concentration to the task; a task is learned by forming movement habits

Declarative: requires attention, awareness, and reflection in order to attain knowledge that can be consciously recalled (mental practice)

Question 23

What is Neuromuscular Development Treatment (NDT)?

Answer 23

1. Developed by Karl and Berta Bobath
2. Recognizes that interference of normal function leads to a slowing down or cessation of motor development an the inhibition or righting/equilibrium reactions and automatic movements.

Question 24

NDT: What is the difference between facilitation and inhibition?

Answer 24

Facilitation: a technique used to elicit voluntary muscular contraction

Inhibition: a technique used to decrease excessive tone or movement

Question 25

What did Brunnstrom encourage in stroke rehabilitation?

Answer 25

The immediate practice of synergy patterns and subsequently developing combinations of movement patterns outside of the synergy.

Question 26

What is a synergy?

Answer 26

Primitive movement patterns that occur at the spinal cord level as a result of the hierarchal organization of the CNS.

Question 27

What is an associated reaction?

Answer 27

A involuntary and automatic movement of a body part as a result of an intentional active or resistive movement in another body part.

Question 28

What is homolateral synkinesis?

Answer 28

A flexion pattern of the involved UE facilitates flexion of the involved LE.

Question 29

What is Raimiste’s phenomenon?

Answer 29

The involved LE will abduct or adduct with applied resistance to the uninvolved LE in the same direction

Question 30

What is Souques’ phenomenon?

Answer 30

Raising the involved UE above 100 degrees with elbow extension with produce extension and abduction of the fingers.

Question 31

What did Rood believe with regards to motor learning? (3)

Answer 31

1. Believed that all motor output was the result of both past and present sensory input
2. Movement is automatic and noncognitive
3. Use sensory stimulation to achieve motor output during treatment

Question 32

List 8 facilitation techniques used for sensory stimulation.

Answer 32

Approximation
Joint compression
Icing 
Light touch
Quick stretch
Resistance
Tapping
Traction

Question 33

List 4 inhibition techniques used for sensory stimulation.

Answer 33

Deep pressure
Prolonged stretch
Warmth
Prolonged cold

Question 34

List and describe the 4 levels of motor control.

Answer 34

1. Mobility: ability to initiate movement through functional ROM
2. Stability: ability to maintain position/posture through contraction and tonic holding around a joint.
3. Controlled mobility: ability to move within a WB position or rotate a long axis (i.e. weight shifting in quadruped)
4. Skill: ability to consistently perform functional tasks and manipulate the environment with normal posture reflex mechanisms and balance reactions.