Motor learning is the study of acquiring and modifying movement through practice and experience. Theories of motor learning include Adams' closed loop theory involving sensory feedback, Schmidt's schema theory of updating memory representations with practice, and Newell's ecological theory of coordinating perception and action. Stages of learning motor skills are described by Fitts and Posner's three stages of cognitive, associative, and autonomous learning and Gentile's two stages of understanding the task and refining the movement.

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JANHAVI ATRE
MPT 1 (Neurosciences)
GUIDE – DR.SUVARNA GANVIR
DEPARTMENT OF NEUROPHYSIOTHERAPY
DVVPF’S COLLEGE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
AHMEDNAGAR

2. 
 Introduction
 Definition of Motor Learning
 Basic forms of learning
Explicit (declarative)
Implicit (non declarative)
 Theories of motor learning
Adam’s closed loop theory
Schmidt’s schema theory
Ecological theory
 Theories related to stages of learning motor skills
Fitts and Posner 3 stage model
System’s 3 stage model
Gentile’s 2 stage model
 References
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CONTENTS

3. 
 Patient with stroke
 Speedy recovery within 5 weeks
 Functional ability – standing , walking and feeding
herself
 So importance of motor learning
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Introduction

4. 
 Motor learning is the study of acquisition and/or
modification of movement.
 Motor control-understanding the control of
movement already acquired.
 Motor learning- understanding modification of
movement.
 Motor recovery of function- reacquisition of
movement skills lost through injury.
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What is motor learning?

5. 
 Definition:
 A set of processes associated with practice or experience
leading to permanent changes in the capabilities to
produce a skilled action.
 4 components-
1.Aquiring capability for skilled action.
2.Learning results from experience or practice.
3.Learning cannot be measured directly, based on behavior.
4.Permanent change in behavior , so short term alterations
are not thought of as learning
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Motor learning

6. 
 Learning is a permanent change in the motor
behavior
 Performance is a temporary change seen in practice
sessions.
 Eg-patient bears weight on affected leg after therapy
but following day again walks with more weight
bearing on the non affected leg.
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Performance and Learning

7. 
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Forms of learning

8. 
 Non associative learning
 Occurs when animals are give single stimulus
repeatedly.
-Habituation
It is decrease in responsiveness that occurs as a result of
repeated exposure to non painful stimulus.
-Sensitization
It is increased responsiveness following a threatening
or noxious stimulus
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Implicit form of long term
memory/non declarative

9. 
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Associative learning
Classical conditioning

10. 
 Behaviors that are rewarded tend to be repeated at
the cost of other behaviors
Eg.
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Operant conditioning

11. 
 Develops slowly through repetition of act over many
trials and is expressed through improved
performance of the task that was practiced before.
 Does not require attention,awareness and higher
cognitive functions.
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Procedural learning

12. 
 It results in knowledge that can be consciously
recalled and thus requires processes such as
awareness , attention and reflection.
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Declarative/explicit
learning

13. 
 Group of abstract ideas about nature and control of
the acquisition or modification of movement.
 Adam’s closed loop theory
 Schmidt’s schema theory
 Ecological theory
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Theories of Motor
Learning

14. 
 Theory was given by Jack Adams in 1971
 Important aspect was concept of closed loop
processes in motor control.
 In closed loop process,sensory feedback is used for
the ongoing production of skilled movement.
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Adam’s closed loop
theory

15. 
 In closed loop theory two distinct types of memory
were important in the process.
 Memory trace-selection and initiation of movement.
 Perceptual trace- built up over a period of practice
and adjusts movement.
 He proposed that after movement is initiated by the
memory trace, the perceptual trace takes over to
carry out the movement and detect error.
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16. 
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17. 
 When a patient is learning an new movement skill
like picking up a glass ,with practice they develop
perceptual trace for the movement which serves as a
guide for later movements.
 Closed loop theory suggested that when retraining
motor skills , the patient should practice the same
movement repeatedly to accurate end point.
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Clinical implication

18. 
 It could not explain the accurate performance of
novel movements made in absence of sensory
feedback.
 It would be impossible to store a separate perceptual
trace for every movement ever performed because of
memory storage processes inside the brain.
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Limitations

19. 
 Schmidt in 1970 emphasized open loop control
processes and generalized motor program concept.
 Schema is referred to abstract representation of
things stored in memory.
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Schmidt’s schema
theory

20.  Schmidt proposed that after an individual makes a
movement , four things are available for brief storage
in short term memory
 a)initial movement conditions such as weight of the
body and position
b)parameters in generalized motor program
c)outcome of movement in terms of knowledge of
results.
d)sensory consequences of the movement i.e how it
felt,looked or sounded.
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21. 
 The recall schema is used to select a specific
response.
 The recognition schema is used to evaluate the
response.
 Thus learning consists of ongoing process of
updating the recognition and recall schemas with
each movement made.
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22. 
 Optimal learning occurs if a task is practiced in
different conditions
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Clinical implication

23. 
 It lacks specificity.
 Schema theory is not supported by research.
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Limitations

24. 
 Given by Newell in 1991.
 Motor learning increases coordination between
perception and action.
 Involves use of perceptual cues that are most relevant to
the performance of specific task
 Exploring motor workspace involves exploring range of
movements to select most appropriate movement
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Ecological theory

25. 
 Eg – cues for lifting a glass-how slippery the surface
is,what is the size of the glass, how heavy it is
 So patient has to develop strategies to identify that.
 If the glass is heavy, she’ll require more force to
apply. Or if it is large , will require firm grip
 If she is unable to judge that then the fluid within the
glass may spill or glass may slip.
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Clinical implication

26. 
 Another set of theories focuses on motor learning
from a temporal perspective and attempt to
characterize learning process.
 These theories basically describe initial stages of
acquiring skill and how learning occurs over a
period of time.
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Theories related to stages
of learning motor skills

27. 
 3 STAGES OF LEARNING
 Cognitive
 Associative
 Autonomous
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FITTS AND POSNER
THREE-STAGE MODEL

28. 
 Eg learning to reach for a glass of water,
lot of errors  spillage  refined movements -
able to reach while having conversation or being
engaged in other tasks.
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Clinical implication

29. 
 Given by Bernstein initially in 1967
 3 stages
 Novice stage - learner simplifies the movement in
order to reduce the degrees of freedom.
 Advanced stage – learner starts releasing additional
degrees of freedom by allowing movements at more
joints.
 Expert stage – learner has released all the degrees of
freedom necessary to perform a task in a coordinated
and efficient way.
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SYSTEMS THREE
STAGE MODEL

30. 
 Supporting oneself on all fours to kneeling to
independent standing can be seen as increasing
degrees of freedom.
 Egs (gradually releasing degrees of freedom)
 Coactivation of muscles in acquiring early stage of
movement
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Clinical implication

31. 
 Gentile (1972,87) proposed two stage model which
describes the goal of the learner in each stage.
 1st stage – goal is to understand the task dynamics.
And develop strategies appropriate to achieving
goal.
 2nd stage - goal of the learner is to refine the
acquired movement called as fixation/diversification
stage.
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GENTILE’S TWO
STAGE MODEL

32. 
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33. 
 Motor control translating research into clinical
practice,author-Anne Shumway Cook (pg 21-45)
 Physical rehabilitation – Susan O’Sullivan (pg
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References