January 26, 2016

Motor Control - Muscular (motor) + Nervous (control) = movement

Motor Learning permanent improvement of Motor Control over time
Motor Performance measure of motor control at particular time

Motor Control vs. Biomechanics

MC asks how movement is controlled

BioM tools to measure motor performance to study MC

January 28, 2016

2 Systems For Movement:
1. Nervous System
a. Dictates muscle activity (controller)
2. Muscular System
a. Creates movement via contraction/relaxation (Motor)

Cells in Nervous System

Neurons
o Aka Nerve Cells
o Receive, process, and output info
o Types:
Sensory deliver info about environment to CNS (Vision, touch, taste,
etc)
AFFERENT info goes TOWARDS CNS
Motor causes muscle contractions
EFFERENT info goes AWAY from CNS
Interneuron majority of neurons, processing functions (memory,
planning, emotion)

o Nucleus Genetic center of cell

o Dendrites receive info from other neurons

o
o
o
Glia
o
o
o
o

Cell body sums info from dendrites

Axon transmits info from cell body
PS terminal attaches to other neurons to relay info
Support Cells through insulation and nourishment
Outnumber the neurons and keep them alive (10:1)
Nurture and repair neurons
Myelin
Speeds up transmission of neural impulses

Brain - 3 lbs
Spinal Cord 20 in., .08 lbs
Central Nervous System Brain + Spinal Cord
Peripheral Nervous System all neurons and glia NOT in brain

Autonomic Nervous System controls smooth muscle of internal organs and glands
Somatic Nervous System Sensory info to the CNS, motor info for muscles

Muscular System

>600 skeletal muscles in humans