Principles of neurological therapy

Question 1

neuroplasticity

Answer 1

adaption of nervous system, occurs throughout life, activity promotes it, underpins learning, rewriting of brain, unmasking of dormant pathways, unmasking of dormant pathway, use it or lose it, form-function, new synapses develop

Question 2

what is neuroplasticity

Answer 2

adaptive capacity of CNS and its ability to modify its own structural organisation and functioning

Question 3

neuroplasticity post- damage

Answer 3

PNS- wallerian degeneration, CNS- neurogenesis only possible in hippocampus and olfactory bulb, CNS cannot regenerate

Question 4

factors influencing motor learning principles from neuroplasticity- practice/ repetition

Answer 4

increased practice= increased skill, distribution of practice= allow learning to take place (either intense practice or being spread out), mental practice, variability of practice= opportunity to explore movement/ learning from errors/ developing own perception of movement

Question 5

factors influencing motor learning principles from neuroplasticity- feedback/instructions

Answer 5

augmented= external information (knowledge of results/performance), inherent= own perception (knowledge of results/performance), amount of feedback depends on= skill of learner (more skilled= minimal promoting, novice= specific information- no overload)

Question 6

factors influencing motor learning principles from neuroplasticity- attention/active participation

Answer 6

focalization/concentration, conscious/unconscious, limited capacity- diverting attentions, importance of active participation

Question 7

strategies to improve attention

Answer 7

break tasks into smaller components, provide break during tasks, provide explicit step by step instructions, use simple language, allow longer timeframes, chunk tasks into smaller

Question 8

factors influencing motor learning principles from neuroplasticity- motivation/ meaningful activity

Answer 8

motivation is an internal impulse that brings us to complete an action, innate motives (food and warmth), secondary motives, intrinsic, extrinsic (punishment or reward)

Question 9

promoting motivation

Answer 9

enthusiasm, connect with patient, empathy and understanding, encourage and reward, get involved- personal goal- setting, be creative, explanations, talk about strengths, reduce anxiety

Question 10

factors influencing motor learning principles from neuroplasticity- perception of ability/ self confidence

Answer 10

self confidence is the belief one can succeed, links with intrinsic motivation and feedback, related to self esteem/ locus of control and personality

Question 11

factors influencing motor learning principles from neuroplasticity- sleep and memory

Answer 11

sleep generally is classified into 2 stages: non-rapid eye movement (REM) and REM, memory of people and events occurs in the medial temporal lobe and hippocampus, memory of movement occurs in the sensorimotor cortex, cerebellum and basal ganglia

Question 12

stages of learning of a motor skill- cognitive phase

Answer 12

decision framework is set up- we work out what has to be learned, subjects may verbalise each part of the task, words appears to help recall

Question 13

stages of learning of a motor skill- associative phase

Answer 13

component part of skill tried out, elementary units of action assembled, associations made between components of skill, new patterns of action emerge

Question 14

stages of learning of a motor skill- autonomous phase

Answer 14

degree of cognitive control is minimised, loss of ability to give verbal description of task, verbalisation may interfere with performance, reduce attention demand

Question 15

theories of neurological physio- Bobath

Answer 15

encouraging normal movement, hands on, quality less quantity of movement, prepare first, less task specific, more impairment focussed, discourage compensation, repetition

Question 16

theories of neurological physio- motor relearning

Answer 16

biomechanical analysis, hands off, quantity less quality of movement, less preparation, task specific, more activity focused, discourage compensation, repetition