1. Lecture 1: Overview of Motor Control

2. What is Motor Control?

3. The big picture...

4. Motor Behavior n An area of study stressing primarily the principles of human skilled movement generated at a behavioral level of analysis.

5. Motor Behavior: n Action n Perception n Cognition n Interaction of individual, task and environment.

6. Motor Control n An area of study dealing with the understanding of the neural, physiological and behavioral aspects of movements.

7. Two main aspects of motor control: n Stabilizing the body in space, postural and balance control. n Moving the body in space, movement.

8. Motor Learning n A set of internal processes associated with practice or experience leading to relatively permanent changes in the capability of motor skill.

9. Motor Development n A field of study concerning the changes in motor bahavior occuring as a result of growth, maturation and experience.

10. Individual Task Environment Motor control

11. Why should we study motor control? n Improving movement capability following injury to guide clinical intervention. n Improving motor performance. n Generating and building theory.

12. Theory vs. Model in Motor Control n A theory of motor control is a group of abstract ideas about the nature and cause of movement. n A model is a represetation of something, usually a simplified version of the real thing.

13. Theories of Motor Control

14. Reflex theory n The building blocks of complex behavior. n Sir Charles Sherrington, neurophisiologist (The Integrative Action of the Nervous System), 1906. n Classified the major responses to stimuli, and believed that most of the voluntary movements resulted from these fundamental reflexes.

15. Stimulus Response Response Sensory receptor Effector(muscle)

16. Information processing model Input(Signals)Processing (The human) Output (Motor response) Input(Signals)Processing (The human) Output (Motor response)

17. Information processing model Stimulus Stimulus Response Response Movement (Input) iden. selection progra. output REACTION TIME THE HUMAN

18. Hierarchical Theory n Top - down structure n Reflexes are part of this hierarchy, normally higher centers inhibit them (Chart to be scanned) n Motor control emerges from reflexes, later on integrated with higher control levels. n Limitations

19. Motor programming theories n Sensory input not essential to drive movement but important function in modulating it. ** Try for yourself (signature) demo. n Limitations

20. Dynamical Systems theory n Bernstein-characteristics of acting systems, external and internal forces. n Distributed model of motor control-no need for higher center of control. n Interaction of elements, physical and neural components. n Limitations

22. Parallel distributed processing theory. n NS processes information in serial and parallel. n Limitations

23. Task oriented theories n Control of movement is organized around goal-directed functional behaviors such as walking or talking. n Limitations

24. Ecological theory. n How do we detect information in our environment that is important to our actions? n Limitations