Motor Control Theories ( Reflex Theory )

1. Motor Control Theories
Ahmed Shawky Ali

2. Motor Control Theories
Reflex theory

3. Reflex Theory
Basic structure of a reflex :
A-receptor
B- conductor
C-effector

5. Reflex Theory
Stimulus applied to muscle results in stereotypical
responses referred to as a reflex (peripherally
based)
-afferent sensory inputs are necessary pre-
requisite for efferent motor output .

6. Reflex Theory
Sherrington, Reflexes are the building blocks of complex
motor behaviors or movements.
Sherrington belived that, complex behaviors could be
occur through combined action of individual reflexes
that were chained together.

7. Reflex Theory
Sir Charles Sherrington, the
integrative action of the nervous
system (1906)
 Reflex chaining: complex movements
are a sequence of reflexes elicited
together

8. Limitations of Reflex Theory
Unable to explain:
1-Spontaneous and voluntary
movements:
Reflex can not be considered basic unit
of behavior as reflex must be
activated by an outside agent .

9. Limitations of Reflex Theory
Unable to explain:
2-Movement can occur without a sensory
stimulus:
Recent resarch shown that , animals
can move in a relative coordinated
fashion in absence of sensory input.

10. Limitations of Reflex Theory
Unable to explain:
3-Fast sequential movements, e.g. typing
As sequence of movement too rapidly to allow for
sensory feedback from the preceding movement
to trigger the next

11. Limitations of Reflex Theory
•Unable to explain:
4- A single stimulus can trigger various
responses (reflexes can be modulated)
Which depend on context and descending
commands ..for example we can override
reflexes to achieve a goal .
e.g withdrawl of the hand in fire and when
your child in fire you may override reflexive
withdrawl to pull the child.

12. Limitations of Reflex Theory
Unable to explain:
5-Novel movements can be carried out:
As novel movement put together combination of
stimuli and responses .
e.g a violenist learned rules for playing the piece
and applied them to new situation .

13. Clinical implications
1- Clinical straegies which designed to test reflexes
should allow therapist to predict the function .
2- Patient movement behavior would be interpreted in
term of prescence or absence of controlling reflexes.
3- Reteaining of motor control for functional skills
would focus on enhancing or reducing the effect of
various reflexes during motor tasks ( e.g facilitating or
inhibiting reflexes & on reducing hypertonicity )

14. Reflex- and Hierarchical Based
Neurofacilitation Approaches
Brunnstrom, Rood, Proprioceptive
neuromuscular facilitation (PNF),
Bobath’s neurodevelopmental
treatment (NDT)
 Retraining motor control through
“techniques” to facilitate and/or inhibit
different movement patterns

15. Assumptions of
Neurofacilitation Approaches
 Abnormal movement is a direct result of
the neurologic lesion
 Inhibit abnormal movement patterns to
facilitate the normal movement patterns
will lead to the return of functional skills
 Repetition of normal movement patterns
will automatically transfer to functional
tasks