Lecture 42 - Motor Learning and Neuroplasticity

Question 1

Motor Control

Answer 1

Ability to regulate mechanisms essentail to movement

Question 2

What are the 3 characteristics of the systems model of motor control

Answer 2

1. Individual generates movement to meet demands of specific task performed with a special environment
2. Individuals ability to meet demands of task and environment determines their functional capacity
3. Movement is a product of interaction between the individual, task and environment

Question 3

Summary of what will be learning in these flashcards in regards to motor control

Answer 3

Question 4

What are the 3 individual constrainsts influencing motor control and describe them

Answer 4

1. Action: Movement defined in terms of human actions or tasks (understanding of motor output from nervous system to muscles)
2. Perception: Transformation of afferen input to psychological meaning information
   -Peripheral/Higher-order processing provides interpretation of afferent information
   -Sensory system provides information about state of body and features within the enviornment critcial to regulation of movement
3. Cognition

Question 5

What are constraints of action

Answer 5

Muscle tone, strength, ROM, co-ordination, balance

Question 6

What are constraints of perception

Answer 6

Impact registration or integration of sensory info:
-Decreased awareness of body in space
-Visual/touch deficits

Question 7

What are constraints of cognition

Answer 7

Attention emotion and motivation issues such as:
-Fear of falling
-Ability to focus on environmental stimuli during task execution
-Ability to dual task

Question 8

T or F: Clients need to develop movement patterns that meet demands of functional tasks while managing motor, perceptual, and cognitive impairments

Answer 8

T

Question 9

What are 2 ways in which tasks can be grouped

Answer 9

1. Functional category
   -Bed mobility
   -Transfer tasks
   -ADL
2. Critical tasks attributes that regulate difficulty

Question 10

What are 4 task attributes that regulate difficulty

Answer 10

1. Discrete/Continuous Task
   -Discrete: Clear beginning and ending (moving sit to stand)
   -Continuous: End point is not inherent (eg. walking)
2. Base support is stable or mobile
   -Stable = sitting or standing
   -Mobile = walking
3. Manipulation component: Increases demands for stability (eg. walking while carrying tea)
4. Open vs closed task
   -Open = People adapt behaviour to constantly changing, unpredictable environment (playing soccer)
   -Closed = Little variation and is relatively predictable environment (eg. golf swing)

Question 11

Understanding attributes of task allows therapist to develop a taxonomy of tasks that provide a framework for

Answer 11

1. Assessment
2. Progression of training

Question 12

What are 2 environmental constraints that influence motor control

Answer 12

1. Regulatory features: Movements must conform to in environment to complete task (eg. size of cup to pick up
2. Non-regulatory features: May affect performance but the movement DO NOT conform to these features (eg. background noise or lighting)

Question 13

T or F: As therapists we need to prepare our clients to perform in a wide variety of environments. The types of environments may be unique to the client

Answer 13

T

Question 14

Motor Learning

Answer 14

Acquisition or modification of movement

Question 15

What are 4 concepts of motor learning

Answer 15

1. Process of acquiring the capability for skilled movement
2. Learning results from experience or practice
3. Learning cannot be measured directly
4. Learning produces relatively permanent changes in behavior’s (short term alterations not considered learning

Question 16

What are the 3 stages of the Fitts and Posner 3-Stage Model of Learning

Answer 16

1. Cognitive stage of learning
2. Associative stage of learning
   3.Autonomous stage of learning

Question 17

Cognitive Stage of Learning (Posner) 3 characteristics

Answer 17

Question 18

Associative Stage of Learning (Posner)

Answer 18

Question 19

Autonomous Stage of Learning (Posner) 3 characteristics

Answer 19

Question 20

Learning through the Fitts and Posner Model can be optimized by (4)

Answer 20

1. Highly motivated person
2. Able to fully attend to task
3. Relate and integrate new info to what they already know about task
4. Task is meaningful for the person

Question 21

What are the basic principles of the challenge point theory (motor learning)

Answer 21

Practice is single most important factor for improvements in motor performance (practice is structured to maximize potential for learning)

Question 22

What 2 factors do basic principle’s of the challenge point theory consider

Answer 22

1. Task difficulty
2. Skill Level of performer

Question 23

Nominal Task Difficulty

Answer 23

Consistent task difficulty regardless of individuals skill level and task conditions

Question 24

Functional task difficulty

Answer 24

How challenging task is relative to indibidual skill level and task conditions

Question 25

Assumption of challenge point theory

Answer 25

Performance is a function of difficulty of task and skill level of performer

Question 26

3 key features of challenge point theory

Answer 26

Question 27

What are 2 sources of information for learning with challenge point theory

Answer 27

1. Action Plan: Specific movement pattern for given performance 2. Feedback :Information available to performer (Intrinsic = visual and kinesthetic info; extrinsic = mirror, coaching, video replay)

Question 28

T or F: The challenge point theory states that increases in task difficult are accompanied by increases in potential information, but there is a limit to how much information is interpretable, resulting in overloading

Answer 28

T

Question 29

What are additional motor learning princeples that can be used in clinical practice

Answer 29

1. Organization of practice session 2. Feedback 3. Part task training

Question 30

Practice sessions can be organized into

Answer 30

1. Blocked: All trials of one task are completed before switching to other task (cognitive stage of learning -> acquisition phase = best to learn) 2. Random: No task is repeated on 2 consecutive trials (associate and autonomous stage of learning -> retention and mastery phase)

Question 31

Knowledge of results: Information about outcome

Answer 31

info about the outcome

Question 32

Knowledge of performance

Answer 32

Info about how result was achieved

Question 33

3 types of feedback

Answer 33

Question 34

Part Task Training

Answer 34

Whole task is subdivided into parts and practiced for performance of the whole task (Task analysis -> Identify components of a skill and order into sequence)

Question 35

Describe the break down of long term memory

Answer 35

Question 36

Characteristics of learning using explicit memory

Answer 36

1. Conscious - requires attention and awareness 2. Can be expressed in declarative sentences 3. Cant be used with patients with cognitive or language deficits that impair ability to recall and express knowledge 4. Advantage is it can be practiced in many ways (eg. mental rehearsal) 4. Requires intact sensory association areas (somatosensory, visual, auditory), medial temporal lobe and hippocampus Ex. Teaching sit to stand: First I move to edge of chair, then i learn forward and then I stand up

Question 37

Differences between classical and operant conditioning

Answer 37

1. Classical Conditioning: Conditioned with stimulus 2. Operant Conditioning: Trial and error learning

Question 38

Characteristics of learning using implicit memory for procedural learning

Answer 38

1. Learning tasks performed automatically without attention or thought (develops slowly through repetition and expressed improved task performance) 2. Repeated practice under varied conditions typically leads to procedural learning (automatically learn movement itself)

Question 39

Neuroplasticity 2 characteristics with motor learning

Answer 39

1. Brain reorganizes throughout life and is capable of forming new connections even after damage and into older age (neuroplasticity) 2. Neuroplasticity is experience dependent (can cause persistent-long last changes in synaptic strength)

Question 40

What are 5 levels where plasticity occurs in the nervous system

Answer 40

Question 41

What are 4 nervous system features that promote plasticity

Answer 41

1. Redundancy: More than 1 brain area supports functional behavior's so there are back-ups in case of damage 2. Unmasking: Many synapses are unused and lie dormant and will be activated with learning, injury or disease 3. Distributed Processes: Functions are not localized to one area (eg. motor learning is served by a distributed network) 4. Dynamic Connectivity: Neurons capable of forming new connections (eg. increase or decrease dendrites, neurotransmitters, synaptic contacts)

Question 42

What are 10 important characteristics of plasticity in clinical practice

Answer 42

Question 43

Cognition

Answer 43

Mental activities involved in the acquisiton, storage, retrieval, and use of info

Question 44

What are the 4 domains of cognition for motor learning

Answer 44

Question 45

Executive Function 3 Characteristics

Answer 45

1. High order cognitive process that enables independent, purposeful and goal-directed behavior's 2. Involve din control of attention and working memory 3. Problems with executive function results in difficulty with self-correction and monitoring and difficulty applying info to unfamiliar situations

Question 46

What are 3 types of attention and list a problem with attention

Answer 46

Question 47

Memory

Answer 47

Ability to store experiences and perceptions for later recall

Question 48

What are the 3 R's of memory

Answer 48

Question 49

What are 4 types of memory

Answer 49

Question 50

Orientation

Answer 50

Knowledge related to person, place, or time

Question 51

What occurs if there is a problem with orientation

Answer 51

Disoriented (person, place, or time)

Question 52

What are 4 characteristics of screening measures for cognitive function

Answer 52

1. Most common screening measures are the mini-mental state examination and Montreal cognitive assessment 2. Measures of global cognition are done by evaluating multiple domains of cognition and providing summary score that is compared to normative values 3. Screening measures are not diagnostic and people require further evaluation 4. Provide valuable info that can be used by physical therapists (eg. degree or domain of impairment)

Question 53

Describe 4 characteristics of the mini-mental state examination

Answer 53

Question 54

What is the scoring of the mini-mental state examination

Answer 54

Question 55

Describe Montreal Cognitive Assessment

Answer 55