Week 8

Question 1

What’s motor control

Answer 1

The ability of biological and artificial systems to organize, initiate, monitor, and correct movement to obtain physically-realizable goals

Question 2

How do we select the best action to perform (motor planning)

Answer 2

1. Synergy theories-we choose the movement that best takes advantage of known links in our anatomy and in the CNS
2. Use available forces theory-We choose movements that take advantage of available forces
3. Efficiency theories- a movement that minimizes cost (error, mental effort, energy expenditure, awkwardness and jerkiness, stiffness)

Question 3

What’s posture-based planning model

Answer 3

We select an plan movements by selecting the final posture we want to adopt, final posture is selected based on a balance of comfort and movement accuracy

Question 4

Flexible priorities are…

Answer 4

When either accuracy or comfort is prioritized in a movement

Question 5

Sensorimotor control theory (control theory)

Answer 5

How sensory info is used to learn, generate, predict, and adjust voluntary movement both before and during performance

Question 6

Goal

Answer 6

Hit the target-determined before movement plan

Question 7

Movement plan

Answer 7

Plans trajectory by selecting the best move amongst many possible

Question 8

Control theory goal

Answer 8

Create a motor command, the neural signal(s) to contract agonist and antagonist muscles at all relevant joints that will bring hand to target (cause trajectory plan to happen)

Question 9

Motor command

Answer 9

The descending neural signal to contract agonist and antagonist muscles in a way that fulfils goal

Question 10

Controller

Answer 10

A process that produces a “best guess” at the motor command that will produce the planned movement, generates a signal to send to muscles
-once target is known, motor command signal can be generated even if no sensory info about the arm (proprioception) or target (vision) is available
-used past experience

Question 11

Sensory predictor

Answer 11

The process that predicts the sensory outcome of the motor command (produces the corollary discharge)

Question 12

Corollary discharge

Answer 12

The prediction of the sensory feedback that should be generated if that command is performed (product of the sensory predictor)

Question 13

Sensory feedback or reafference

Answer 13

Sensory info that arises as a movement is performed

Question 14

Sensory comparator

Answer 14

A hypothetical process that compares the prediction to the actual feedback

Question 15

Error signal

Answer 15

The difference between the prediction and the feedback