Motor Control: Issues and Theories Flashcards
What can be defined as the ability to regulate or direct the mechanisms essential to movement?
Motor Control
What is motor control a study of?
the nature of movement and how movement is controlled
What are the 3 factors affect the control of movement?
Movement emerges from the interactions between what 3 things?
- Individual
- Task
- Environment
What are the 3 elements of the individual that influences the organization of movement?
- action
- perception
- cognition
The individual factor of action is often associated with what?
specific actions or activities
For example: holding a cup, cooking, writing, and walking
What is perception?
the integration of sensory input into meaningful information
Perception includes the interpretation of what 3 things?
- Proprioception
- Mass of the object
- Vision
Why is cognition an essential process of motor control?
Because movement is not performed in the absence of intent
What are 5 cognitive processes?
- Attention
- Emotional aspects
- Motivation
- Planning
- Problem solving
Is the ability to discriminate right from left a function of cognition or perception?
Perception
Is the ability to recall dates and times of events a function of cognition or perception?
Cognition
Is the ability to focus on an activity without being distracted a function of cognition or perception?
cognition
Is the ability to identify body parts of self and others a function of cognition or perception?
Perception
What are the 3 elements of the task that influences the organization of movement?
- mobility
- stability
- manipulation
______ tasks are are performed with a nonmoving BOS, wheres ______ tasks are performed with a moving BOS.
Stability
Mobility
The presence of a manipulation in a task increases the demand for what?
stability
What is the difference between open and closed movement tasks?
- Open movement tasks require individuals to adapt their performance within a constantly changing and unpredictable environment.
- Closed tasks are relatively stereotyped, showing little variability, and performed in relatively fixed or predictable situation.
What are the 2 elements of the environment that influences the organization of movement?
- regulatory
- nonregulatory
Regulatory features of the environment shape what?
The movement itself
What are examples of regulatory features?
- size, shape, and weight of an object
- surface on which we walk
Describe nonregulatory features of an environment
They affect performance, but the movement itself does not have to conform to these features
What can be defined as a group of abstract ideas about the control of movement?
A theory of motor control
True or False
Motor control theories are more than just an approach to explaining action.
Explain…
True
They stress different aspects of the organization of the underlying neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of that action
True or False
The actions of therapists are based on assumptions that are derived from theories
True
What are the 4 things that theories provide?
- a framework for interpreting behavior
- a guide for clinical application
- new ideas
- working hypotheses for examination and intervention
Who developed the reflex theory?
Sir Charles Sherrington
What does the reflex theory state?
That reflexes are the basis for all movement, which can be explained by the combined action of individual reflexes chained together
What are the 2 limitations of the reflex theory?
- volitional motion requires no stimulus
- it cannot explain novel movements
Hughlings Jackson believed the nervous system to organized as what?
a hierarchy, in that the brain has higher, middle, and lower levels of control
A hierarchy can be described as ___-____. What does this mean?
top-down
Higher centers are always in charge of lower centers
When are reflexes controlled by lower levels of the neural hierarchy present? What does this signify?
Only when cortical centers are damaged
Reflexes are part of a hierarchy of motor control, in which higher centers normally inhibit these lower reflex centers
What is one of the limitations of a reflex/hierarchical theory of motor control?
It cannot explain the dominance of reflex behavior in certain situations in normal adults
For example stepping on a pin results in an immediate withdrawal of the leg (the reflex, which is the lowest level of the hierarchy, dominates motor function)
Can each level of the nervous system act on various levels? What does it depend on?
Yes, depending on the task
What differentiates motor programming theory from reflex theory?
it can be activated either by sensory inputs or by central motor pattern
How is motor programming applied clinically?
PTs focus on retraining movements important to functional tasks not just on specific muscle groups in isolation
What is the limitation to motor programming?
It cannot be the sole determinant of action because it does not take into account that the nervous system must deal with both musculoskeletal and environmental variables in achieving movement control
What does the dynamic systems theory explain?
That the neural control of movement is a characteristic of the system in which you are moving and the external and internal forces acting on the body
What is a critical element to be adaptive to unpredictable and environmental challenges?
An optimal amount of variability in motor performance
Based on the dynamic systems theory what should intervention focus on?
“variable practice” with different conditions
What is a limitation of the dynamic systems theory?
This theory has the ability to overemphasize the body mechanics, and underestimate the role of the CNS
What does the ecological theory state?
We detect information in our environment that is relevant to our actions and how we use this information to controls our movements
How is the ecological theory applied clinically?
The individual is an active explorer of the environment which allows the individual to develop multiple ways to accomplish a task
What s a limitation of the ecological theory?
It tends to give less emphasis to the organization and function of the nervous system that led to the interaction of the organism and the environment.
Which theory of motor control is best?
One that combines elements from all of the theories
According to the task-oriented approach what is movement organized around? What is it constrained by?
a behavioral goal
the environment
How do patients learn according to the task-oriented approach?
by actively attempting to solve the problems inherent in a functional task rather than by repetitively practicing normal patterns of movement
Recovery according to the task-oriented approach can be described as what?
The desire to achieve function through original processes or using mechanisms previously used
Compensation according to the task-oriented approach can be described as what?
Having to substitute for impairments using assistive device/atypical motor patterns
