Motor Learning

motor learning

the study of the acquisition and/or modification of movement

- set of processes associated with practice or experience leading to relatively permanent changes in the capability for producing skilled action

*at any age

**focuses on the understanding of how new movement is acquired (process)

KEY CONCEPTS:

- it's a process

- end-product of sufficient practice/experience

- cannot be measured...only inferred

- produces relatively permanent change in motor capability

motor control

study of the nature and control of movement

*focuses on understanding the control of movement already acquired

**ability to regulate or direct the mechanisms essential to movement

- plan

- execute

- modify

motor development

study of the acquisition, improvement, and control of motor skills across the lifespan

recovery of function

reacquisition of movement lost secondary to injury

plan, execute, adapt/modify

What are the 3 primary functions of motor control?

individual, task, environment

Motor control of a specific movement is dependent on what 3 things?

HINT: venn diagram

motor control (venn diagram)

1. individual

- cognition

- perception

- action

2. task

- mobility

- stability

- skill

3. environment

- regulatory

- non-regulatory

individual (motor control)

COGNITION

- attention

- planning

- problem solving

- motivation

PERCEPTION --> the integration of sensation into meaningful information

sensation + integration

- feed-forward and feedback

ACTION--> movement itself as well as the mover's relationship with the action

task (motor control)

MOBILITY

STABILITY

SKILL

*important for progression in treatment planning

environment (motor control)

REGULATORY--> something that needs to be attended to to help shape movement

(ex. size of ball being thrown)

NONREGULATORY--> something that might affect the task performance, but movement does not need to be shaped around

(ex. color of ball being thrown)

explicit, implicit

What are the 2 forms of long term memory?

explicit memory

declarative

ability to remember factual knowledge

TYPES OF PROCESSING:

1. encoding

2. consolidation

3. storage

4. retrieval

encoding, consolidation, storage, retrieval

What are the 4 types of explicit memory processing?

encoding

EXPLICIT MEMORY PROCESSING

requires attention, motivation, and ability to associate it meaningfully

consolidation

EXPLICIT MEMORY PROCESSING

process of making information stable, results in changes in neurons

storage

EXPLICIT MEMORY PROCESSING

long term retention

retrieval

EXPLICIT MEMORY PROCESSING

recall

implicit memory

nondeclarative

SUBTYPES:

- nonassociative

- associative

- procedural

nonassociative learning

IMPLICIT MEMORY

responding after repeated exposure to a single stimulus or event

1. habituation --> decrease in responsiveness that occurs as a result of repeated exposure to a nonpainful stimulus

(ex. feeling of wearing underwear)

- vestibular rehab

- tactile defensiveness

2. sensitization--> increase in responsiveness following a threatening or noxious stimulus

associative learning

IMPLICIT MEMORY

learning that certain events occur together (relationship prediction)

1. classical conditioning

--> relationship of one stimulus to another

(ex. Pavlov's dogs) (INVOLUNTARY BEHAVIORS)

2. operant conditioning

--> relationship between one's behavior and a consequence

(ex. typical dog training) (VOLUNTARY BEHAVIORS)

ASSOCIATED WITH:

- cerebellum, deep cerebellar nuclei

(for movement conditioning)

- amygdala

(adaptation involving emotion)

- lateral dorsal premotor areas of cortex

(for associating sensory with movement)

procedural learning

IMPLICIT MEMORY

learning tasks that can be performed automatically without attention/conscious thought

*slowly through repetition

**does NOT require awareness, attention, or other cognitive processes

(focus on task actually causes breakdown of movement)

ASSOCIATED WITH:

- basal ganglia

freezing vs choking

immediately

Motor performance is improvement in motor skill _________________ following practice/experience.

permanent change

Motor learning results in relatively ________________ ______________ in motor skill.

*true learning needs to be measured during retention or transfer tests

retention test

test of a practiced skill that a learner performs following an interval of time after practice has ceased

*can person continue to perform skill at a certain level over time?

transfer test

test in which a person performs a skill that is different from the skill he or she practiced or performs the practiced skill in a context or situation different from the practice context or situation

*can things be learned in one skill be applied to another skill?

ecological theory, fitts and posner three-stage model, systems three-stage model

What are the 3 theories of motor learning?

ecological theory

THEORY OF MOTOR LEARNING

practice is about searching for the best perceptual cues (filter and focus)

- establish the goal

- provide feedback

*search for best motor strategy and refine representation of movement

action-perception loop

establishing a goal (mental representation), providing feedback (knowledge of performance and results)

What are the 2 roles of perceptual cues?

mental representation

the ability to form internal images of actions

- experience

- verbal direction

- demonstration

feedback

1. knowledge of performance

(DURING task)

2. knowledge of results

(AFTER task)

fitts and posner three-stage model

set of theories that look at learning over time and how the process changes as a learner becomes more proficient

*acknowledges that learning changes as the learner changes

1. Cognitive Stage

2. Associative Stage

3. Autonomous Stage

cognitive stage

Fitt's first stage of motor learning

getting the idea of the movement

*high cognitive load (lots of thinking about movement)

**trial and error

***performance is variable, but improvements are rapid

associative stage

Fitt's second stage of motor learning

have chosen the best strategy but need to refine it

*decrease in cognitive load

**improvement is possible but is slower (longest stage)

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

autonomous stage

Fitt's third stage of motor learning

stage of automaticity

*low degree of attention necessary

**can multitask

***asking expert to focus on movement can interfere w/ performance

Systems Three-Stage Model

based on Bernstein's systems model of motor control which emphasizes controlling DOF as "goal" of motor learning

1. Novice stage

2. Advanced stage

3. Expert stage

novice stage

Systems Three-Stage Model STAGE #1

restriction or "freezing" of DOF in attempt to simplify movement

simplification = reduced efficiency, reduced flexibility

*movement is jerky with decreased fluidity due to fixing of agonists/antagonists

advanced stage

Systems Three-Stage Model STAGE #2

DOF are "released"

co-contraction is reduced and is replaced by functional synergies

*movement is more fluid and adaptable to environmental constraints

expert stage

Systems Three-Stage Model STAGE #3

all DOF necessary for task are "free"

MOVEMENT IS:

- more adaptable and flexible to changing environmental/task demands

- improved "understanding" of movement allows mover to take advantage of reactive phenomena of forces so active movement can be reduced

practice, feedback

All theories of motor learning acknowledge the powerful roles of _______________ and ________________ in motor learning.

practice

most important factor in acquiring and retaining motor skills

power law of ____________ = rate of improvement during any part of _____________ is linearly related (on a log scale) to the amount left to improve

*early improvement is more rapid

intrinsic feedback

information received from own being during movement

*from sensory systems as a result of normal movement production

extrinsic (augmented) feedback

sensory information provided by an outside source

(ex. from teacher)

*supplements intrinsic

**handling, facilitation, biofeedback

1. concurrent (during task = knowledge of performance)

2. terminal (after task = knowledge of results)

knowledge of results

feedback given after the movement

*terminal feedback

**about outcome of movement (success vs failure)

knowledge of performance

information relating to the movement and/or movement pattern

*can be provided during the movement or after the movement (concurrent or terminal)

practice conditions

- massed vs. distributed

- constant vs. variable

- random vs. blocked

- whole vs. part

massed practice

a session in which the amount of practice is greater than the amount of rest

*includes learning in a fatigued state

distributed practice

a session in which the amount of rest between trials is equal to or greater than the amount of practice

constant practice

same task under same circumstances

*yields better performance and retention, but poor transfer abilities

variable practice

same task under different circumstances

*yields inferior performance, but better transfer

blocked practice

practicing the same task across multiple repetitions then moving to another task

*novice stage of learning

(acquisition phase)

**shows better performance during practice

random practice

practicing the tasks in random order

*associative stage of learning

**better on tests of transfer and retention

whole vs part training

tasks can be practiced in their entirety or they can be broken up into their parts, with each part practiced separately

*no evidence on which is better

transfer practice

transfer skill/environment known--> practice task demands and environment as close as possible

skill/environment NOT known--> practice should be as variable as possible

mental practice

imagining performing the skill with no action involved

*mirror neurons

**vicarious learning

mirror neurons

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so

*help us learn movement by observing others completing a task

vicarious learning

learning based on observation of others' completing a task

*want to watch a novice

guidance learning

aka therapeutic handling

useful in acquisition phase

*if used too long, it interferes with retention and transfer

**"muddles" the goal

discovery learning

decidedly useful for the developing child as it facilitates development of repertoire of movement

NO teacher involved

*may be frustrating for adults