Typical Motor Development Flashcards
Why is motor behavior so important from a developmental perspective?
• Origins of complex thought and behavior lie in action)
–In order for a baby to learn they have to explore their world (motor drives so many other things)
–Active participation engages multiple sensory processes, more feedback provided
- Increased cognitive, social, communication opportunities
- Dynamic skilled movement required for primitive reflex integration
- Provides spatial and body awareness
- Self efficacy/peer relationships
- Later academic achievement
Reflexes and what is the controversy
- Evolutionarily adaptive (motor programs you get for free)
- Automatic motor response to a stimulus - not so high to the cortal level
• Controversy:
Are these inhibited and integrated/disappear or are they early form of later PRESERVED movement patterns
• Stepping Reflex!
Do all reflexes leave us as we get older?
No, there are some reflexes that remain. the withdrawal reflex we use as adults
Also when someone is older you might see primitive reflexes coming back. They did not just reappear, there was damage to where new skilled were learned and built. So, primitive reflexes might present again.
Righting Reactions
–Ventral suspension
–Lateral suspension
tells you about vestibular system and muscle strength
• Protective Reactions
–Parachute testing - baby puts arms down in front
What are spontaneous movements?
- They are movements that happen in utero.
- CPG (central pattern generator) - movements that are stored and produce rhythmic patterns w/o cortical input
Why are spontaneous movements important? What modulates them?
- Burst movements from motor neurons facilitate axonal migration
- Spontaneous movements facilitate neural organization!
• Modulated by spinal and supra-spinal neural circuits (CPGs)
Brain shaped by movement
Name 3 important ages for spontaneous movements
- Head and trunk observed 7 weeks PCA (post conceptual age)
- General movements as early as 9 weeks PMA (postmenstrual age)
- Full fetal repertoire available by 16 weeks PMA
What are GMs?
Generalized movements that you see in the first few months of life
2 types: Writhing and Fidgety
• Initially little variability, but after few days variability increases with spatial, temporal, body parts
–Coincides with synapse formation at cortical plate (early around 2 months)!
(head and trunk to all limbs)
-fidgety happens around 4-5 months
- GMs replaced by volitional movement
- Variation seen with co-occurrence of different developmental phases, ‘regression’
- By 18 months, all basic motor functions are in secondary variability phase –will be refining
Fidgety movements are related to activity in what part of the brain?
• Fidgety movements related to activity in BG, cerebellum, parietal, temporal and occipital cortices
- happens around 4-5 months
Why is rotation important?
You want to get transverse plane movement in very soon
*Writhing characteristics
large amplitude
slow velocity
high complexity rotational
-passes through the body
with rotation through the trunk
has an eb and flow
(then transitions to next GM)
*Fidgety characteristics
No eb and flow - constant
small amplitude
high velocity (fast)
Distal rotation
-feet on feet, hands on hands
hips and shoulders popping off
If a baby is not fidgety what could this mean?
This is abnormal - this is important for screening. But if you are going to use it you have to be trained in it
Baby could have CP
People trained in GMs are highly able to predict if a baby might have CP and then services can be accessed early so you change the trajectory of babies outcome
Why is generalized movement so important and what do GMs tell you?
Good for screening (highly predictive)
movement drives a lot of other systems
GMs drive axonal reorganization
Transition and different types of movements coincide with development of other parts of the brain (cortical vs brainstem development)
Directly relates to what is going on with brain development. Gives information about if baby is developing from a neurological standpoint in an appropriate manner
