Theoretical Models of motor control

and learning
Lesson 2&3

E. Nyanumba
B.Sc. PT, HND Medical Education, HND Neuro-rehabilitation
Objectives
• Relate motor control system to ICF model
• Discuss the relevance of motor control/learning theory in relation to
physical therapist practice
• Discuss the motor control and motor learning theories/mechanisms
• Explore clinical implications of theoretical framework
• Discuss stages of motor learning
• Discuss the interaction of the person, task, and environment within
the scope of motor control and learning.
Movement system
• The organization and production of movement is complex as it involves
anatomical structures and physiologic functions that interact to move the body or
its components part.
ICF Model
Relationship between motor control,
movement system and ICF model
Body
structure/function
Person
Nervous,
endocrine ,musculo-
skeletal, cardiovascular,
intergumentary

Activity
Task
Participation
Walking, running,
standing, kicking, Environment/society
throwing, rolling, sit to Childcare, civic
stand, reaching, life/roles, relationships,
grasping ADLs, recreation,
selfcare, school, work
Clinical Significance of motor control and
learning
• Motor control and learning help therapists to understand the
process behind movements, motor tasks and skills.
• Therapists should acknowledge the theories of motor learning
and control and integrating them into day- to-day practice in
order to;
• identify issues in motor performance,
• developing treatment strategies to help patients remediate
performance problems,
Cont’d
• planning programmes that include a new movement, or
the reacquisition and/or modification of movement to
be taught in such a way that it is, consistent  and
transferrable (ability to perform movement under
different environments and conditions).
• evaluating the effectiveness of intervention strategies
employed
Motor control
• Motor control is the ability to regulate
mechanisms essential to movement (Shumway-
Cook & woolacott, 2016).
• The ability to initiate, direct, and grade
purposeful voluntary movement.
Motor control cont’d
• The study of motor control is approached from a wide range
of disciplines, including psychology, cognitive science,
biomechanics and neuroscience.
• Motor control involves production of reflexive, automatic,
adaptive, and voluntary movements and the performance of
efficient, coordinated, goal-directed movement patterns
which involve multiple body systems (input, output, and
central processing) and multiple levels within the nervous
system
How does the motor control works?
• 1. Identify task to be completed
• 2. Plan how to execute the task
• 3. Execute the task
N/B Modify the plan during execution, acknowledge
the goal of the task to be achieved, and store the
information for future performance of the same task-
goal combination (Umphred, Darcy, 2013)
Systems involved in motor control
Sensory/perceptual system Action systems

Somatosensory Motor cortex, basal ganglia

Visual Cerebellum

Vestibular Central pattern generators- the ear

Motor control theories
• Reflex Theory (Sherrington, 1906)
• Movement is controlled by stimulus-response. 
• Reflexes are the basis for movement - Reflexes are combined into
actions that create behavior.
• Clinical application
• Use sensory input to control motor output 
• Stimulate good reflexes 
• Inhibit undesirable (primitive) reflexes 
• Rely heavily on Feedback
Dynamical Systems Theory ( Bernstein, Turvey, Kelso, Thelen)

• Movement emerges to control degrees of freedom. 

• Patterns of movements self-organize within the characteristics of
environmental conditions and the existing body systems of the
individual. 
• Functional synergies are developed naturally through practice and
experience and help solve the problem of coordinating multiple
muscles and joint movements at once. 
• Commands from CNS in controlling movement and emphasize
physical explanations for movement.
Clinical application
• Movement is an emergent property from the
interaction of multiple elements. 
• Understand the physical & dynamic properties of the
body - i.e.
• Velocity- important for dynamics of movement. May
be good to encourage faster movement in patients to
produce momentum and therefore help weak patients
move with greater ease. 
Hierarchical Theories (Adams 1971)
• Cortical centers control movement in a top-down
manner throughout the nervous system. 
• Closed-loop Mode: Sensory feedback is needed
and used to control the movement. 
• Voluntary movements initiated by “Will” (higher
levels). Reflexive movements dominate only
after CNS damage.
Clinical application
• Identify & prevent primitive reflexes 
• Reduce hyperactive stretch 
• Normalize tone 
• Facilitate “normal” movement patterns 
• Developmental Sequence 
Motor Program Theory- Schmidt 1976
• Adaptive, flexible motor programs (MPs) and
generalized motor programs (GMPs) exist to
control actions that have common
characteristics. 
• Higher-level Motor Programs - Store rules for
generating movements.
Clinical application
•  Help patients relearn the correct rules for action 
• Retrain movements important to functional task 
• Do not just re-educate muscles in isolation
Ecological Theories (Gibson & Pick, 2000)
• The person, the task, and the environment
interact to facilitate motor behavior and learning.
The interaction of the person with any given
environment provides perceptual information
used to control movement. 
• The motivation to solve problems to accomplish
a desired movement task goal facilitates learning.
Clinical application
• Help patient explore multiple ways in achieving
functional task → Discovering best solution for
patient, given the set of limitations
Systems Model (Shumway Cook, 2007)
• 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
Clinical Applicatiions
• Identify functional tasks 
• Practice under a variety of conditions 
• Modify environmental contexts
Motor learning
• The process of acquiring or reacquiring a skill by which the
learner refines and makes automatic desired movement
through practice and assimilation.
• An internal neurologic process that results in the ability to
produce a new motor task. 
• A set of internal processes associated with practice or
experience leading to relatively permanent changes in the
capability for skilled behaviour (Krakauer JW, 2006)
Motor learning cont’d
• Motor learning is a complex process occurring in
the brain in response to practice or experience of
a certain skill resulting in changes in the central
nervous system.
• It allows for the production of a new motor skill
• Motor learning requires practice, feedback and
knowledge of results (Bate P, 2008)
Motor learning and neuroplasticity
• The lifelong capability of the brain to change its neurological
architecture, organization, and physiology in response to
environmental stimuli and experience (Kolb and Whishaw 1998)
• It can both be short term and long term
• History of understanding brain function/dysfunction:
• Neurons can change/grow (new cells develop)
• changes in the brain occurs to improve function
Neuroplasticity cont’d
• Recent evidence
• Brain can change
• interventions that we offer can impact brain plasticity
• Drive changes - WE DRIVE the Train vs. ride along in
the Train
• Multiple strategies impact this plasticity
• Practice, Intensity, Feedback – OPTIMIZE MOTOR
LEARNING
Principles of neuroplasticity
Motor learning theories
• Adams Closed Loop Theory (Adams 1971)
• Closed Loop - Sensory feedback is used for the ongoing production of skilled
movement 
• Slow movements Relies on sensory feedback (Sherrington) 
• Blocked Practice –one skill first before the next 
• Errors = Bad! Needs to be accurate! 
• Memory Trace - Initiation of movement 
• Perceptual Trace - Built up over a period of practice & is the reference of
correctness.  
• Improvements = Increased capability of performer to use the reference in closed
loop
Clinical applications
• Perform same exact movement repeatedly to one
accurate end point 
• Increase Practice → Increase Learning 
• Errors produced during learning → Increase
strength of incorrect perceptual trace
Schmidt's Schema Theory (Schmidt 1975)
• Open Loop 
• Schema - Abstract memory representation for events → RULE 
• Generalized Motor Program - Rules that allow for the
generation of novel movements 
• Rapid, ballistic movements = recall memory with motor
programs and parameters to carry out movement without
peripheral feedback 
• Variability of Practice → Improve Motor Learning
Clinical application
• Optimal Learning → Task practiced under many
different conditions 
• Positive benefits for error production (learn from
own mistakes) 
• Schema has rules for all stored elements, not just
correct elements
Ecological Theory (Newell 1910
• Based on Systems & Ecological Motor Control Theories 
• Motor Learning = Increases coordination between perception
and action through task & environmental constraints. 
• Perceptual-motor workspace - Identifies movements and
perceptual cues most relevant to performance of task 
• Optimal task-relevant mapping of perception & action → NO
Rules!
Cont’d
• Patient learns to distinguish relevant perceptual
cues important to action.
Stages of motor learning
• Stages of motor learning are discussed according
to;
• Fitts and Posner Model
• Bernstein model
• Gentile's Model:#
Factors affecting Motor Learning
• Verbal instructions
• Practice
• Active participation and motivation
• Possibility of errors
• Postural control
• Memory
• Feedback
Principles/Elements of motor learning
The person
 END

• For optimal and effective results, use appropriate

motor learning strategy and motor control theory
• Do a thorough assessment and choose the
appropriate theory dependent on the patients
needs.
• Always consider the 3 elements of movement