Different theories that try to explain how the nervous system controls movement, such as the hierarchical, parallel distributed processing, and dynamic systems theories.
Neuroscience: The study of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, and their relationship to behavior and cognition.
Mechanics: The study of forces and motion, including the principles of motion and force that govern the movement of objects.
Physiology: The study of the functions and processes of living organisms, including the physiological processes involved in movement.
Biomechanics: The study of the movement of living organisms and the forces that govern their movement.
Kinematics: The study of motion without considering the forces that cause or affect it.
Dynamics: The study of motion with consideration of the forces that cause or affect it.
Control Systems: The study of systems that use feedback to maintain a desired output or behavior.
Sensorimotor Integration: The integration of sensory information with motor output for coordinated movement.
Motor Learning: The process by which an individual acquires, retains, and retrieves information and skills related to movement.
Motor Development: The process by which an individual's movement skills develop over time, including both biological maturation and learning experiences.
Perception: The process by which an individual interprets and processes sensory information.
Cognition: The mental processes involved in thinking, including attention, memory, and problem-solving.
Attention: The ability to selectively attend to certain stimuli while ignoring others.
Memory: The ability to retrieve and use information gained through previous experiences.
Motor Planning: The process by which an individual plans and organizes movements to achieve a goal.
Motor Execution: The process by which an individual performs a movement based on a motor plan.
Feedback: Information about the results of an action that can be used to modify future actions.
Feedforward: Information about the expected results of an action that can be used to adjust movement prior to its execution.
Adaptation: The ability to modify motor output based on changing environmental conditions.
Motor Control Theories: Theories that describe the underlying principles of motor control, including the motor program theory, ecological approach, and dynamical systems theory.
Reflex Theory: Suggests that movements are initiated by reflexes, and the brain only plays a passive role in triggering them.
Hierarchical Theory: Suggests that the motor system is organized hierarchically, with higher levels in the brain controlling lower levels in a feed-forward manner.
Motor Programming Theory: Suggests that movements are controlled by motor programs, which are pre-structured sequences of movements that are activated by sensory feedback.
Dynamic Systems Theory: Suggests that movements are emergent properties of the interactions between the nervous system, the body, and the environment.
Ecological Theory: Suggests that movements are controlled by perceptual information, and that the environment plays a critical role in shaping movement.
Optimal Control Theory: Suggests that movements are controlled by a mathematical optimization process, where the nervous system calculates the optimal movement path based on physiological constraints and task demands.
Bernstein's Theory: Suggests that movements are controlled by a synergistic mechanism, where multiple muscles work together to produce a coordinated movement.