PRELIMS:Neuroscience in Physical Therapy Motor Learning: Theories and Practical Applications

Question 1

What is Motor Learning?

Answer 1

Motor learning is the understanding of acquisition and/or modification of movement. In patients, it involves the reacquisition of previously learned movement skills lost due to pathology or impairments, often referred to as recovery of function.

Question 2

How does Learning differ from Motor Learning?

Answer 2

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior due to practice, whereas motor learning is a set of processes associated with practice leading to a relatively permanent change in the capacity for skilled actions.

Question 2

Describe Adam’s Theory of Motor Learning.

Answer 2

Adam’s Theory posits that motor learning involves comparing sensory feedback from ongoing movements with a stored memory of the intended movement. Repeated practice strengthens the perceptual trace, which guides movement accuracy.

Question 2

What is Schmidt’s Schema Theory?

Answer 2

Schmidt’s Schema Theory emphasizes open-loop control processes and generalized motor programs. Learning involves developing schemas—rules for producing movements—that can be adapted to various contexts.

Question 2

Explain the Cognitive Stage in Fitts and Posner’s Three-Stage Model.

Answer 2

In the Cognitive Stage, learners focus on understanding what to do, requiring high attention. Performance is variable, with fast improvements as they develop a motor program.

Question 3

What happens during the Associative Stage of motor learning?

Answer 3

During the Associative Stage, the learner refines skills, performance becomes more consistent, and cognitive monitoring decreases. The focus is on improving the organization of the motor program.

Question 3

What are the benefits of Faded Feedback?

Answer 3

Faded feedback is tailored to individual differences, reduces dependency on feedback, and helps develop movement consistency by gradually decreasing feedback frequency.

Question 3

What is the difference between Near Transfer and Far Transfer?

Answer 3

Near Transfer involves transferring skills between tasks that are similar, while Far Transfer involves applying learned skills to different tasks, developing general capabilities.

Question 3

Why is precise feedback more effective than general feedback?

Answer 3

Precise feedback provides specific correction statements, such as “snap your wrist more on the follow-through,” which generates better results than general feedback like “there was no follow-through.”

Question 3

The stage of motor learning where the learner is focused on understanding the task and making rapid improvements in performance, often requiring a high degree of attention.

Answer 3

Cognitive Stage (Fitts and Posner Three-Stage Model)

Question 3

The stage of motor learning where the learner refines their movement strategies, resulting in more consistent and controlled performance with less cognitive effort.

Answer 3

Associative Stage (Fitts and Posner Three-Stage Model)

Question 3

The stage of motor learning where movements become automatic, requiring minimal attention, and allowing the learner to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

Answer 3

Autonomous Stage (Fitts and Posner Three-Stage Model)

Question 3

Feedback method where the frequency of feedback is gradually reduced over time to prevent dependency and encourage independent learning.

Answer 3

Faded Feedback

Question 3

Feedback that is provided only when the learner’s performance falls outside a predefined range, helping to develop movement consistency.

Answer 3

Bandwidth Feedback

Question 3

A motor learning theory that emphasizes the role of exploration in the perceptual and motor workspace to identify relevant cues and optimal movement strategies.

Answer 3

Ecological Theory

Question 3

The reduction in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure, often used in physical therapy to treat conditions like dizziness.

Answer 3

Habituation

Question 3

The increase in response to a stimulus, often used in training to enhance awareness of certain conditions, like loss of balance.

Answer 3

Sensitization

Question 3

The process in declarative learning where information is transformed from short-term memory to long-term memory, making it accessible for future recall.

Answer 3

Consolidation

Question 3

The act of recalling and using stored information from memory, often seen in patients who have undergone extensive practice in motor tasks.

Answer 3

Retrieval

Question 3

A method of practicing a skill in different contexts to enhance the learner’s ability to generalize and apply the skill in various situations.

Answer 3

Variable Practice

Question 3

Learning that is specific to the practice environment, with skills developed in one context not transferring well to a different context.

Answer 3

Contextual Specificity

Question 3

A motor learning theory suggesting that accuracy of movement is proportional to the strength of the perceptual trace developed through practice.

Answer 3

Adam’s Closed-Loop Theory

Question 3

The concept that a learner’s performance will improve if practice includes variations in the task, leading to better generalization of motor programs.

Answer 3

Schmidt’s Variability of Practice Hypothesis

Question 3

The phenomenon where feedback is so frequent that it creates a reliance on it, hindering the learner’s ability to perform independently.

Answer 3

Feedback Dependency

Question 4

Practicing independent components of a motor skill, effective for tasks that are serial in nature and of relatively long duration.

Answer 4

Part Practice

Question 4

Practicing a skill as a whole, typically used for discrete tasks of short duration where components interact intensely.

Answer 4

Whole Practice

Question 4

The process of mentally rehearsing the performance of a skill in the absence of physical movement, beneficial as a supplement to physical practice

Answer 4

Mental Rehearsal

Question 4

A practice schedule where the order of tasks is randomized, mixing different tasks throughout the practice period, effective for more developed skills.

Answer 4

Random Practice

Question 4

A practice schedule with short rest periods relative to the length of the practice trial, potentially leading to physical and mental fatigue.

Answer 4

Massed Practice

Question 4

A practice schedule that allows for longer rest periods relative to the trial length, giving the body and CNS time to recover.

Answer 4

Distributed Practice

Question 4

Learning approach where learners discover solutions on their own or with minimal guidance, fostering problem-solving skills and implicit learning.

Answer 4

Discovery Learning

Question 4

Manipulating task and environmental demands to vary the practice environment, which benefits the learning of current and future skills.

Answer 4

Varying the Practice Environment

Question 4

Feedback provided based on the level of performance within a certain range; lack of feedback within this range is considered positive reinforcement.

Answer 4

Bandwidth Feedback

Question 4

Practice schedule where the learner performs a skill or variation only once before moving on to a different skill, making the practice environment more cognitively challenging.

Answer 4

Random Practice Schedule

Question 4

The process of practicing different variations of a single skill according to a blocked followed by random practice, suitable for increasing cognitive effort.

Answer 4

Suitable Progression