Neuro Exam - Motor Control and Neuroplasticity

What is motor control?

The ability of the nervous system to regulate and direct mechanisms essential for movement.

What three elements interact to produce movement?

The individual, the task, and the environment.

What are the levels of motor control?

Segmental (spinal), Projection (motor cortex + brainstem), and Pre-command (basal ganglia + cerebellum).

Role of the cerebellum in movement?

Coordinates movement, corrects errors, and assists in postural control and motor learning.

Role of the basal ganglia in motor control?

Initiation, planning, force regulation, and habit formation.

What is the role of the motor cortex?

Plans and executes voluntary movement

Explain the Reflex theory of motor control.

Movement occurs through stimulus-response loops; fails to explain voluntary or novel actions.

Explain the Hierarchical theory of motor control.

Top-down control from cortex → spinal cord; used to understand primitive reflexes.

Explain the Motor Program theory.

Central pattern generators produce stereotyped movement; rehab focuses on relearning action patterns.

Explain the Systems (Dynamic) theory.

Movement is interaction between neural, mechanical, and environmental systems; variability and adaptability are normal.

Explain the Ecological theory.

Movement guided by perception of environment

Stages of motor learning.

Cognitive → Associative → Autonomous.

Describe blocked vs random practice.

Blocked = same task repeatedly (better short-term); Random = varied tasks (better retention).

Describe Knowledge of Results vs Knowledge of Performance.

KR = feedback on outcome; KP = feedback on movement quality.

Define neuroplasticity.

The ability of the nervous system to modify structure and function in response to experience, learning, or injury.

Name the three levels of neuroplasticity.

Cellular (synaptic), Axonal (sprouting), Systems (cortical remapping).

Explain long-term potentiation (LTP).

“Neurons that fire together wire together” — repeated activation strengthens synapses.

Explain long-term depression (LTD).

Reduced activity weakens or eliminates synaptic connections.

List the first five principles of neuroplasticity.

1 Use it or lose it 2 Use it and improve it 3 Specificity 4 Repetition matters 5 Intensity matters.

List the remaining five principles of neuroplasticity.

6 Time matters 7 Salience matters 8 Age matters 9 Transference 10 Interference.

What is meant by “salience matters”?

Learning is stronger when tasks are meaningful and personally relevant.

Example of positive vs maladaptive plasticity.

Positive = cortical reorganisation after stroke; Maladaptive = learned non-use or poor compensations.

Clinical application of neuroplasticity principles.

Task-specific, repetitive, high-intensity, and salient practice drives cortical change and functional recovery.