MOTOR CONTROL
THEORIES
Sardar Changez Khan
MOTOR CONTROL
Ability to regulate or direct the mechanisms essential to movement.
The process of initiating, directing, and grading purposeful movement.
The systematic transmission of nerve impulses from the motor cortex to motor units, resulting in co-ordinated
contractions of muscles.
MOTOR CONTROL THEORIES
REFLEX THEORY
Sir Charles Sherrington (1906)
REFLEX THEORY
Limitations??
1. Not basic unit of behavior
2. Explain and predict movement that occurs in the absence of a sensory stimulus
3. Explain fast movements
4. Explain the fact that a single stimulus can result in varying responses
Clinical Implication??
1. Reflexes are the basis for functional movement
2. Movement behaviors interpretation
3. Retraining motor control for functional skills
ECOLOGICAL THEORY
James Gibson, 1960s…and students
What was new about this approach?
Perception not sensation
ECOLOGICAL THEORY
Limitations??
1. Less emphasis to the organization and function of the nervous system that led to this interaction
Clinical Implication??
1. Individual as an active explorer of the environment
HIERARCHICAL THEORY
Nervous system is organized as a hierarchy
Rudolf Magnus (1920s) found that reflexes controlled by lower levels of the neural hierarchy are present only when cortical
centers are damaged.
In the 1940s, Arnold Gesell and Myrtle McGraw, two well-known developmental researchers, offered detailed descriptions of
the maturation of infants
Current concept related to Hierarchical Control
HIERARCHICAL THEORY
Limitations??
1. Cannot explain the dominance of reflex behavior in certain situations in normal adults.
Clinical Implication??
1. Signe Brunnstorm
2. Berta Bobath
MOTOR PROGRAMMING THEORY
Can either be activated by sensory stimuli or by central processes
The term motor program is used to
describe the higher level motor programs that represent actions in more abstract terms
identify a central pattern generator (CPG)
Open loop and closed loop theory
Schema Theory
MOTOR PROGRAMMING THEORY
Limitations??
1. Central motor program cannot be considered to be the sole determinant of action
Clinical Implication??
1. Allowed clinicians to move beyond a reflex explanation for disordered motor control
DYNAMIC SYSTEM THEORY
Nicolai Bernstein
Self-organization principle
De-emphasize commands from CNS in controlling movement and emphasize physical explanations for movement
Nonlinear behavior
Variability
DYNAMIC SYSTEM THEORY
Limitations??
1. Nervous system has a less important role in determining the animal’s behavior
Clinical Implication??
1. Stresses the importance of understanding the body as a mechanical system
2. The view that movement is an emergent property
3. Variability as a consequence of error or critical element of normal function
SYSTEM THEORY
• Multiple body systems overlap to activate synergies for the production of movements that are organized around
functional goals.
• Considers interaction of the person with the environment.
• Goal-directed Behavior - Task Orientated
SYSTEM THEORY
Limitations??
1. Very broad – many diff. systems
2. Doesn’t focus heavily on the interaction of the organism w/ the environment.
Clinical Implication??
1. Identifiable, functional tasks
2. Practice under a variety of conditions
3. Modify environmental contexts
Motor Control
Premise Clinical Implications Limitations
Theories
• Reflex can’t be basic unit of
behavior
• Use sensory input to control motor
• Doesn’t explain fast mvmts
• Movement controlled by output
• Doesn’t explain how single
Reflex Theory stimulus-response. • Stimulate good reflexes
stimulus results in varying
• Basis of Movements • Inhibit undesirable (primitive) reflexes
responses.
• Relies heavily on feedback
• Doesn’t explain voluntary
mvmts.
• Cortical centers control
movement in a top-down
manner throughout the • Identify & prevent primitive reflexes • Doesn’t explain dominance of
nervous system. • Reduce hyperactive stretch reflexive behaviors in normal
• Closed-loop Mode: Sensory • Normalize tone adults
feedback is needed and used
Hiearchichal Theory to control the movement.
• Facilitate “normal” movement patterns • Everyone’s developmental
• Developmental Sequence pattern is diff.
• Voluntary mvmnts initiated • Recapitulation • Hands-on approach pt may
by “Will” (higher
become very passive
levels). Reflexive
movements dominate only
after CNS damage.
Motor Control
Premise Clinical Implications Limitations
Theories
• The interaction of the person
with any given environment
provides perceptual • Help patient explore multiple ways in
information used to control achieving functional task →
• Gives less emphasis on
Ecological Theory movement. Discovering best solution for patient,
nervous system.
• The motivation to solve given the set of limitations
problems to accomplish a
desired movement task goal
facilitates learning.
• Abnormal Movement - Not just
• Adaptive, flexible motor • Not intended to replace
reflexive, also including abnormalities
programs (MPs) and importance of sensory input in
in central pattern generators or higher
generalized motor programs controlling mvmt
level motor programs.
(GMPs) exist to control • Central motor program can’t
Motor Programming • Help patients relearn the correct rules
actions that have common be sole determinant of action
Theory characteristics.
for action
• Doesn’t explain nervous sys.
• Retrain movements important to
• Higher-level Motor Programs dealing w/ both
functional task
- Store rules for generating musculoskeletal &
• Do not just reeducate muscles in
movements. environment variables
isolation
Motor Control
Premise Clinical Implications Limitations
Theories
• Movement emerges to
control degrees of freedom.
• Patterns of movements self-
organize within the
characteristics of
environmental conditions • Movement is an emergent property from
and the existing body the interaction of multiple elements.
systems of the individual. • Understand the physical & dynamic • Nervous sys. has unimportant
• Functional synergies are properties of the body - i.e. Velocity- role
Dynamic System developed naturally through important for dynamics of movement. • Presumption that the
Theory practice and experience and May be good to encourage faster relationship b/w the physical
help solve the problem of movement in patients to produce sys. & environment
coordinating multiple momentum and therefore help weak determines behavior.
muscles and joint movements patients move with greater ease.
at once.
• De-emphasize commands
from CNS in controlling
movement and emphasize
physical explanations for
movement.
Motor Control
Premise Clinical Implications Limitations
Theories
• Multiple body systems
overlap to activate synergies
for the production of
movements that are • Very broad – many diff.
organized around functional • Identifiable, functional tasks systems
System Theory goals. • Practice under a variety of conditions • Doesn’t focus as heavily on
• Considers interaction of the • Modify environmental contexts the interaction of the organism
person with the w/ the environment.
environment.
• Goal-directed Behavior -
Task Orientated
WHICH THEORY IS THE
BEST??
QUESTIONS??
THANK YOU…HAVE A NICE
DAY!!!
