EXSS3062 Week 2 Flashcards

Motor Control

The ability to regulate and direct movement, critically dependent on sensory afferent information.

Afferent Information

Sensory information transmitted to the central nervous system, crucial for movement control.

Efferent Neural Activity

Neural signals sent from the central nervous system to effectors like muscles, crucial for executing movement.

Proprioception

The sense that allows the body to perceive its own position in space, relayed primarily by muscle spindles.

Cutaneous Receptors

Sensory receptors in the skin that detect touch, pressure, and pain, informing motor control.

Muscle Spindles

Sensory receptors located in muscles that detect changes in muscle length and the rate of that change.

Golgi Tendon Organs (GTOs)

Sensory receptors located in tendons that sense muscle tension.

Sensory Input

Information obtained from sensory receptors that is used for motor control.

Two-Point Discrimination Test

A test that measures the ability to discern two nearby objects touching the skin.

Sensory Polyneuropathy

A condition where sensory pathways are damaged, leading to a loss of proprioceptive and tactile inputs.

Defafferented Patients

Individuals who have lost their sensory afferent input, resulting in movement control difficulties.

Efference Copy

A copy of motor commands sent to muscles that helps the brain understand movements and their outcomes.

Psychophysics

The study of the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations they produce.

Transduction

The process of converting a physical stimulus into neural signals.

Neural Signalling

The method by which information is transmitted across neurons.

Sensory Receptor Organ

Structures in the body that detect specific types of stimuli and transduce them into neural signals.

Sensitivity

The capability of a sensory receptor to detect stimulus intensity.

Fast Adapting Receptors

Receptors that respond quickly to stimuli but do not continue to fire with sustained pressure.

Slow Adapting Receptors

Receptors that continue to respond to a stimulus for as long as it is present.

Modalities of Sensation

Different types of sensory input, such as vision, touch, and proprioception.

Muscular Movement

The result of efferent neural commands acting on muscles to produce motion.

Biomechanical Constraints

Physical limitations imposed on movements by the mechanical properties of the body.

Cutaneous Sensation

The sense of touch, pressure, and texture detected through cutaneous receptors.

Joint Receptors

Sensory receptors in joints that provide information about joint position and movement.

Vestibular Apparatus

Inner ear structures that help maintain balance and spatial orientation.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The part of the nervous system that processes sensory information and coordinates motor output.

Neural Commands

Instructions sent from the central nervous system to muscles to produce movement.

Sensory Afferent Systems

Systems that collect sensory data and transmit it to the central nervous system.

Cutaneous Receptor Types

Meissner's corpuscles, Merkel's disks, Ruffini endings, and Pacinian corpuscles are types of cutaneous receptors.

Neural Firing Patterns

The sequence and frequency at which neurons fire to convey information.

Movement Planning

The cognitive process involved in preparing and organizing movements before they occur.

Internal Representations

Mental models that the brain creates to understand the position and state of the body.

Threshold Levels

The minimum stimulus intensity required for a sensory receptor to generate a response.

Dynamic Activation of Muscle Spindles

Adjustments made by muscle spindles in response to imposed or ongoing movement.

Static Sensitivity of Muscle Spindles

Refers to muscle spindle sensitivity to constant muscle length or position.