MOTOR LEARNING

• Motor learning has been defined as “a set of internal processes

associated with practice or experience leading to relatively
permanent changes in the capability for motor skill.”
Measure of Motor learning
Performance ➔Determine overall quality of performance , level
of automaticity , level of efforts , speed of decision making
• Improvements in performance result from an understanding of
the task and practice
• For example, with practice an individual should be able to
develop appropriate sequencing of movement components with
improved timing and reduced effort and concentration.
 Measure of Motor learning

**Performance, however, is not always an accurate reflection of

learning, why ?
 Measure of Motor Learning

Retention ➔The ability of the learner to demonstrate the skill

over time and after a period of no practice (retention interval).
Retention provides a better measure of learning.
• Performance after a retention interval may decrease slightly, but
should return to original performance levels within relatively
few practice trials. This is referred to as a warm-up decrement
in performance.
 Measure of Motor Learning
• Adaptability ( Generality )➔The ability to adapt and refine a
learned skill to changing task and environmental demands is termed
adaptability.
Eg-Transfer from wheelchair to platform mat can apply that learning
to other types of transfers (e.g., wheelchair to car, wheelchair to tub).
• Resistance to contextual change ➔ This is the adaptability required
to perform a motor task in altered environmental situations. Thus, an
individual who has learned a skill (e.g., walking with a cane on
indoor level surfaces) should be able to apply that learning to new
and variable situations (e.g., walking outdoors, walking in a busy
mall).
• Think about more physical therapy examples
 Feedback in Motor learning
• Intrinsic Feedback ➔Sensory information acquired during the
performance of the task . Eg- Proprioceptive, visual, vestibular, and
cutaneous signals .
• Augmented Feedback ➔Externally presented feedback that is
added to that normally acquired during the task performance eg.
Verbal Cueing, visual, auditory, and tactile cues are forms of
extrinsic feedback (e.g., verbal cues, manual cues, biofeedback
devices such as the electromyogram [EMG], pressure-sensing
devices [force plates, foot pad]).
**Which feedback given first, intrinsic or extrinsic?
• Concurrent feedback is given during task performance, while
Terminal feedback is given at the end of task performance.
 Feedback in Motor learning
• Knowledge of Result (KR)➔ Augmented feedback about the
nature of the end result produced in relation to the goal
• Knowledge of Performance ➔ Augmented feed back about the
nature and quality of the movement produced.
• Which is given first KP or KR?
• Which has less influence on accuracy of movement KP or KR ?
• KP or KR provides the key information about how to shape the
overall movements for the next attempt ?
 Feedback in Motor learning
• Feedback Schedules➔ Feedback given after every trial
• Feedback summed ➔ Feedback after set number of trials e.g.,
after every 2nd trial or every 5th or every 20th trial
• Fading feedback ➔ Decreasing feedback . Feedback given
first after every trial, then less frequently on subsequent blocks
of trials; Eg. After every 1st trial progressing to every 3rd trial,
then to every 5th trial
• Bandwidth Feedback ➔ Feedback given only when
performance deviates outside the boundaries of correct
performance; error range is predetermined
 Practice in Motor Learning
Practice has great influence on motor learning .
General principles of practice
1. Increased practice results in increased learning.
2. Large and rapid improvements in performance are typically
observed initially with smaller improvements noted over time.
 Mass V/S Distributed
• Massed practice refers to “a sequence of practice and rest times in
which the rest time is much less than the practice time.” Fatigue,
decreased performance, and risk of injury are factors that must be
considered when using massed practice.
• Massed practice can be considered when motivation and skill levels are
high and when the patient has adequate endurance, attention, and
concentration. Eg rehab of SCI pt in last stage of rehab
• Distributed practice refers to “a sequence of practice and rest periods in
which the practice time is often equal to or less than the time at rest.”
• Distributed practice is of benefit if motivation is low or if the learner
has a short attention span, poor concentration, or motor planning
deficits (e.g., dyspraxia), fatigue like in case of MS. Think of other
physical therapy conditions where distributes practice should be given .
 Blocked v/s Random Practice
• Blocked practice ➔A practice sequence in which all of the
trials on one task are done together, uninterrupted by practice on
any of the other tasks.”
• Random practice ➔ A practice sequence in which the tasks
being practiced are ordered randomly across trials.”
• Think of examples of block and random practice as discussed in
class.
• Where do we use block practice and what is advantage of it ?
• Where do we use random practice & its advantage ?
 Practice order
• Practice order refers to the sequence in which tasks are
practiced.
• Blocked order ➔The repeated practice of a task or group of
tasks in order (three trials of task 1, three trials of task 2, three
trials of task 3: 111222333).
• Serial order ➔ A predictable and repeating order (practice of
multiple tasks in the following order: 123123123).
• Random order ➔ nonrepeating and nonpredictable order
(123321312). Although skill acquisition can be achieved with
all three, Blocked order produces improved early acquisition of
skills (performance) whereas serial and random order produce
better retention and generalizability of skills.
• Mental Practice or visualization ➔ A practice method
in which performance on the task is imagined or
visualized without overt physical practice.
Benefit of mental practice ?
• Transfer of learning ➔ It refers to the gain (or loss) in
the capability of task performance as a result of
practice or experience on some other task. Learning
can be promoted through practice using contralateral
extremities, termed bilateral transfer.
 Stages of Motor Learning
1. Cognitive,
2. Associated
3. Autonomous.
 Stages of Motor Learning
Cognitive Stage
• To develop an overall understanding of the skill,
termed the cognitive map.
• The learner relies heavily on vision to guide early
learning and movement.
• A stable environment free from distractors optimizes
learning during this initial stage.
 Stages of Motor Learning
Associated stage
• Refinement of the motor pattern is achieved through
continued practice.
• Spatial and temporal aspects become organized as the
movement develops into a coordinated pattern.
• As performance improves, there is greater consistency
and fewer errors .
 Stages of Motor Learning
Autonomous Stage
The motor performance that after considerable practice is
largely automatic. There is only a minimal level of attention,
with motor programs so refined they can almost “run
themselves.”
• Thus the learner can perform equally well in a stable,
predictable environment (termed closed skills) or in a
changing, unpredictable environment (termed open skills).
Stages of Motor Learning & Training strategies
Stages of Motor Learning & Training strategies
Stages of Motor Learning & Training strategies
Stages of Motor Learning & Training strategies
Stages of Motor Learning & Training strategies