Motor Learning Flashcards
Motor Learning
Process of acquiring movement which involves practice or experience and leads to PERMANENT changes in capability to produce skilled action
Learning Related CNS Changes
Increased dendritic branching
Increased synaptic connections between neurons
Gentile’s 2 Stage Model of Learning, 1972: Stage 1
Discovering how mvmt is organized
Goal of Gentile’s Stage 1
getting idea of mvmt
Gentile’s 2 Stage : Regulatory Conditions
static and predictable (height of sink)
Gentile’s 2 Stage: Non-regulatory Conditions
Conditions that May change
Gentile’s 2 stage: Stage 2 & Goal
Fixation/ Diversification
Matching newly acquired mvmt pattern to the environment in which it is performed (pt. is able to hone in on the envt. & sum up what needs to be done)
Stages of Motor Learning Fitts & Posner, 1964: Cognitive Stage
Pt. is thinking about task while doing it. Mvmts are not automatic, a lot of errors occur at this stage with varbility
Fitts & Posner: Associative Stage
Less errors and more consistancy
Fits & Posner: Autonomous Stage
individual can multi task while completing movements.
No thought is involved (reach for paper while talking)
Individual has a consistant mvmt pattern
Neo-Bernsteinian Perspective, 1991: Novice Stage
Learning skill for the 1st time and exploring motor stratagies.
Neo-Bensteinian Perspective: Advanced stage
Refined a certain mvmt patters with less errors than novice stage
Neo-Benstenian Perspective: Expert Stage
Can independently use mvmt pattern succesfully across different contexts
Structure of the practice session must address
Length of sessions
Number of sessions
**Types of tasks (typically start w/ mobility & transfers)
Order in which tasks are practiced (what pt. wants)
Time allotted to each activiet
How fatigue/rest breaks will be factored
Environmental Constraints: Stable
(Therapy gym, OT clinic)
Self-paced
Fixed terrain
Objects & people are stationary
Environmental Constraints: Unstable
(Outside the clinic setting)
Objects & people are in motion
Support surfaces are moving
Repetitive vs Variable Practice
Repetitive focuses on one particular skills
Practice in a variety of different ways = skill performance with a broader range of of mvmt experiences (mvmt schemas)
Increases flexibility & adaptability of learning & allows for increased transfer of skill development to novel tasks (generalizability)
Skills better suited for repetitive practice =
skills performed in stable environments with a high level of mvmt consistency
Variable Practice is introduced after
After the client has learned the dynamics of the task through repetitive practice.
Increased variability leads to
greater generalizability
Massed vs Distributed Practice: Distributed
Amount of rest between trials equals or is > than the amount of time for a trial
(work on sh flexion for 2 min and rest for 2 min)
Better for pts. with comorbidties
Massed Practice
Amount of practice time per trial is > than the amount of rest between trials
(work on trunk flexion for 4 min and rest for 1 min)
Masses practice may lead to
Fatigue in some tasks which may mask the orginal learning effects during practice.
Continuous Tasks
Repetitive tasks with no definite beginning & end.
Continuous motor control (posture)
