Motor Control Part 3: Control of Normal Mobility

Question 1

What are the 3 essential requirements for successful locomotion?

Answer 1

Progression
Postural control (stability)
Adaptation

Question 2

Progression is:

Answer 2

Successfully moving the body in the desired direction.

Requires the ability to initiate and terminate locomotion

Question 3

What are two major phases of the gait cycle?

Answer 3

Swing and Stance phases.

Question 4

What is mobility?

Answer 4

The ability to independently and safely move oneself from one place to another.

Question 5

What is adaptation?

Answer 5

The ability to change gait.

Question 6

What percentage of the human gait cycle are the stance and swing phases respectively?

Answer 6

Stance: 60%
Swing: 40%

(10% is in double support –> at very end and very beginning of stance)

Question 7

What is the swing phase?

Answer 7

When the foot leaves the ground until initial contact with the floor.

Question 8

What is the stance phase?

Answer 8

Stance starts when the foot strikes the ground and lasts until the foot is entirely off the ground. (Stance is the heal strike until the toes come up.)

Question 9

What are the 3 goals of stance phase?

Answer 9

1. Stabilizing limb for wt acceptance
2. Shock absorption (knee flx)
3. Propelling oneself for continued motion

Question 10

What are the 3 sub phases of the swing phase?

Answer 10

Initial Swing
Midswing
Terminal Swing

Question 11

What are the 5 sub phases of the stance phase?

Answer 11

Initial Contact
Loading Response
Midstance
Terminal Stance
Preswing

Question 12

What is step length?

Answer 12

The distance from one foot strike to the foot strike of the OTHER foot. Is not an entire cycle.

Question 13

What is stride length?

Answer 13

The distance covered from heel strike to heel strike of the SAME foot.

Question 14

What region of the brainstem is important for locomotion?

Answer 14

Mesencephalic locomotor region.

Question 15

Do you need an external stimulus to elicit locomotion at the decerebrate or decorticate level?

Answer 15

Decerebrate. (The spinal cord, brainstem, and cerebellum are in tact).

Question 16

Equilibrium is controlled during locomotion in what two ways?

Answer 16

1. Reactively

2. Proactively

Question 17

True or False: During complex movements, postural control is not organized from the support surface upward

Answer 17

True. It is organized in a top down fashion.

Question 18

What are proactive strategies for modifying gait?

Answer 18

Adaptive: Walking faster/slower. Shifting weight.
Avoidance: Stepping around an object. Changing direction or stopping.

Question 19

All mobility tasks share 3 essential requirements:

Answer 19

1. Motion in a desired direction
2. Postural control
3. Ability to adapt to changes in the task & environment

Question 20

Is a spin turn a turn towards the front or the back foot?

Answer 20

The front foot. A step turn is a turn towards the back foot.

Question 21

Which is more common, a step turn or a spin turn?

Answer 21

Step turns are more common, but either are acceptable.

Question 22

What is the swing phase of stair ascent?

Answer 22

The “swing phase” of stair climbing is foot clearance and foot placement.

Question 23

How many phases are there in a sit to stand motion, and which phase is the least stable?

Answer 23

There are 4 phases, and phase 2 is the least stable.

Question 24

True or False: There are clear movement patterns used by people to rise from bed.

Answer 24

False.

Question 25

Falls and accompanying injuries are the ____th leading cause of death in people over the age of _______.

Answer 25

7th; 75.

Question 26

Older adults tend to minimize the _______ body displacement during sitting down, perhaps to decrease risk of _____ disequilibrium.

Answer 26

Forward; anterior.

Question 27

At ages 67, 74, and 80, what happens to certain aspects of the gait cycle?

Answer 27

At age 67, patients exhibit a longer stance time. At age 74, patients exhibit a wider stride during gait. At age 80, patients exhibit a toe out during gait.