Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Human Movement & Nutrition Sci
Lectures and laboratory classes providing a conceptual and practical introduction to the neural mechanisms and performance characteristics of human movement production and motor learning.
This course had the previous code of HMST2530 which can be viewed in the archived area within the Course and Program site http://www.uq.edu.au/study/archive/index.html
NEUR2530 provides an introduction to how motor behaviours are controlled (motor control) and acquired (motor learning). Emphasis is placed on the relationship between motor behaviour and the way in which the nervous system is organized. A solid understanding of the neural mechanisms by which humans plan and execute movement is critical for effective professional practice in sport and exercise science or health and physical education. The first parts of the course consider how the nervous, sensory and muscular systems work together to produce movements. How motor behaviour changes with experience and how new behavioural capabilities are acquired is then tackled from a neurophysiological perspective. The final part of the course addresses practical issues in skill acquisition, such as the way practice works to improve performance, how best to provide performanceﾠinformation during practice, and how to schedule practice to maximise learning.
Course requirements
Assumed background
A basic understanding regarding human functional anatomy and biology is required for entry into NEUR2530, which is provided by successful completion of pre-requisites BIOL1900 and BIOM1050.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
[BIOM1050 or BIOL1015 or BIOL1040] + [HMST1900 or BIOL1900]
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
HM253 or 254 or 255; HMST2530
Course contact
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
- Attendance requirements:ﾠ2hr Lectures every week (except Week 4 - EKKA) and 2hr Laboratories/Workshops in weeks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11.
- Lectures = 24 hours, Laboratories/Workshops = 14 hours,ﾠTotal = 38 hours.
- Attendance is MANDATORY for the laboratories and workshops. All of these have related assessment pieces. NO ATTENDANCE = NO MARKS.
Aims and outcomes
ﾠ
1.ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ To facilitate a basic understanding of how movement of the body is controlled, and how this changes with experience. ﾠ 2.ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ To illustrate how theﾠexecution and learning of motor behavior can be understood in terms of physiological mechanisms. ﾠ 3.ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ To encourage an appreciation of how a scientific understanding of movement control principles can enhance professional outcomes in clinical, educational, or sporting contexts.Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the neural, physiological and cognitive bases for controlling movement.
LO2.
Describe the basic functional properties of the major somatosensory receptors and associated afferent and efferent pathways that contribute to control of position and movement.
LO3.
Describe the broad functional role of the major nervous system components involved in the control of movement including the spinal cord, vestibular apparatus, somatosensory and motor cortices, cerebellum, basal ganglia and brain stem.
LO4.
Understand the neural, physiological and cognitive changes that underpin the acquisition of motor skills including changes throughout the different stages of learning and how learning / performance is measured.
LO5.
Describe how conditions of practice such as scheduling, instructions and feedback influence the acquisition of skill, and make evidence-based decisions about these factors when guiding skill acquisition in a range of contexts.
LO6.
Demonstrate an ability to conduct scientific experiments and interpret data relating to movement control including reaction time, balance and muscle function.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration |
Laboratory Discussion Questions
|
20% (4 Labs x 5%) |
5/08/2024 - 7/08/2024 12/08/2024 - 14/08/2024 26/08/2024 - 28/08/2024 9/09/2024 - 11/09/2024
Within one week of the relevant laboratory class. Submission is due by 2pm on the day prior to the lab in the following week (e.g. if your lab was at 9am on Tuesday of week 2, your report is due by 2pm of the following Monday of week 3). |
| Quiz |
Lecture Quizzes
|
10% (10 Quizzes x 1%) |
Week 1 Quiz 30/07/2024 2:00 pm Week 2 Quiz 6/08/2024 2:00 pm Week 3 Quiz 13/08/2024 2:00 pm Week 5 Quiz 27/08/2024 2:00 pm Week 6 Quiz 3/09/2024 2:00 pm Week 7 Quiz 10/09/2024 2:00 pm Week 8 Quiz 17/09/2024 2:00 pm Week 9 Quiz 1/10/2024 2:00 pm Week 10 Quiz 8/10/2024 2:00 pm Week 12 Quiz 22/10/2024 2:00 pm
Due within one week of each lecture. |
| Project |
Skill Acquisition Project Report
|
25% |
24/10/2024 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final Examination
|
45% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
Assessment details
Laboratory Discussion Questions
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 20% (4 Labs x 5%)
- Due date
5/08/2024 - 7/08/2024
12/08/2024 - 14/08/2024
26/08/2024 - 28/08/2024
9/09/2024 - 11/09/2024
Within one week of the relevant laboratory class. Submission is due by 2pm on the day prior to the lab in the following week (e.g. if your lab was at 9am on Tuesday of week 2, your report is due by 2pm of the following Monday of week 3).
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
Task description
TASK: After attending and participating in Workshop 1 and Labs 1-4 (Wks 2, 3, 5, & 7) students will be required to submit answers to a small number of questions related to the activities they performed (or some videos associated with the introductory skill acquisition workshop from Week 1). These questions will be a mix of content related questions as well as analysis of data that is collected during the lab. Students should answer the questions using Microsoft Word to be uploaded via the Turnitin tool on Blackboard. While there is no word count for each task, answers should be concise and to the point.
LAB ATTENDANCE: You must attend the laboratory to receive a mark for the relevant lab assessment piece. No marks will be granted in situations in which the lab report was completed, but attendance was missed (i.e. without a valid reason). Please see additional assessment information on what to do if you have missed a laboratory/workshop.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
submission is via turnitin through Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Lecture Quizzes
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10% (10 Quizzes x 1%)
- Due date
Week 1 Quiz 30/07/2024 2:00 pm
Week 2 Quiz 6/08/2024 2:00 pm
Week 3 Quiz 13/08/2024 2:00 pm
Week 5 Quiz 27/08/2024 2:00 pm
Week 6 Quiz 3/09/2024 2:00 pm
Week 7 Quiz 10/09/2024 2:00 pm
Week 8 Quiz 17/09/2024 2:00 pm
Week 9 Quiz 1/10/2024 2:00 pm
Week 10 Quiz 8/10/2024 2:00 pm
Week 12 Quiz 22/10/2024 2:00 pm
Due within one week of each lecture.
Task description
Each week of lectures will have an online quiz associated with it to be completed via Blackboard. There will be 10 questions to answer in each quiz, which must be completed before 2pm on Tuesday of the week following each lecture (so the quiz for week 1 must be completed prior to 2pm of the Tuesday of week 2). After this, the answers will be released and any student who has not completed the quiz will recieve 0 for that quiz. Marks will be awarded based on the following thresholds:
- For 6/10 or better, 1% of course credit.
- For worse than 6/10, 0.5% of course credit.
- Quiz not attempted, 0% of course credit.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Completed via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Where an online quiz that is available to students for a period of more than 24 hours, and you are unable to complete the quiz during the period the quiz is available, you may apply for an extension of the online quiz. All supporting documentation or information for an extension to the online quiz should cover the entire period the quiz is open.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Skill Acquisition Project Report
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
24/10/2024 2:00 pm
Task description
Task Description: This assignment is designed to encourage you to apply knowledge about how movement is controlled and how motor skills are acquired to a practical motor learning task of your choice. The learning task can be from any school, sporting, or clinical setting you like - you might like to choose something that you might one day be required to “teach” in a professional setting, or just a movement that interests you. Specific examples will be considered and discussed in the workshops designed to help you to prepare for this report. You will need to identify the key control characteristics of a motor skill task that you will need to teach, provide the context of the learning setting and the experience level and movement background of your “client”, and then outline an instruction, practice, feedback and assessment plan for the client. You will be judged on the quality of your skill analysis and skill acquisition plan, and especially on your demonstration and application of motor control and motor learning principles.
In groups of 3 or 4 people, you will be required to:
- Agree on a motor skill and learning context with your group, and sign a group contract that describes group member contributions.
- Identify and describe the key control features (e.g. importance of feedback, feedforward control – speed-accuracy requirements, perception vs decision vs control importance – etc) and neural structures that are relevant to a motor skill that you aim to help your hypothetical client to acquire.
- Describe the learning context and movement background of your hypothetical client. This will be important for making decisions about what tools and strategies you should use to facilitate skill acquisition.
- Describe the methods you will use to assess your client’s level of expertise on the skill – and the schedule of when these assessments will be performed.
- Describe the approach you will take to providing information about the skill to the client, and the details of the practice you will have them undertake. Consider issues such as the type and frequency of instructions/demonstrations, feedback and task modifications. Make sure that you give a rationale based on your conceptual understanding of motor control and learning for each component of your approach.
- Rate your group members on the degree to which they fulfilled the group contract.
- Detail the prompt history of your AI generative writing (or lack there of). What limitations did you encounter writing this assignment and how were they addressed?
Format: Structure your report into sections according to the 4 main task components. Each section should address the marking criteria through a combination of paragraphs, dot points, and/or tables. The precise format is open, but you should aim to make it easy for the person marking the piece to identify how you have addressed the criteria, and for a person reading your report to follow the plan you outline. You must also append a copy of your group contract.
AI generative writing is permitted for this assignment, which allows for a complex/authentic assessment using AI to support learning. Whether AI generative writing is used or not, an AI appendix section must be included to detail a history of prompts used (see Blackboard assessment details). Outside of the AI Appendix, a maximum of 10 pages is allowed (5-6 pages should be sufficient if you are concise).
Submission guidelines
Submission is via Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
You can request an extension on behalf of your group for a group assessment item, provided that at least 50% of your group members also agree to the request for an extension.
Download and complete the form below, and attach this form to your extension request:
Extension of Group Assessment - Group Member Acknowledgement (PDF, 144.9 KB)
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final Examination
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
Task description
This examination is comprehensive (tests course material from all lectures, laboratory classes and tutorial sessions). Approximately half of the exam will consist of multiple choice questions while the other half will consist of short answer questions where answers of up to a page in length may be appropriate. These short answer questions may include drawing a relevant diagram, describing specific components / steps / concepts, or applying knowledge to a specific example.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy most or all of the basic requirements of the course |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements of the course. Clear deficiencies in performance, but evidence that some basic requirements have been met |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Fails to satisfy all basic requirement for pass but is close to satisfactory overall and has compensating strengths in some aspects |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in the course |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the course, going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and subtler aspects of the course, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new situations, and ability to invent and evaluate new ideas |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the learning objectives for the course; work is interesting, surprising, exciting, challenging or erudite |
Additional course grading information
A final percentage mark will be rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 64.50 and above will be rounded to 65 and 64.49 and below will be rounded down to 64.)
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO IF –
I have missed a Laboratory/Workshop
To be eligible to submit and be graded on the Laboratory / Workshop assessment pieces, students must attend and participate in the relevant Lab / Workshop according to the day and time of the prac group they signed-on to on Allocate.
If the student does not attend then a grade of 0 will be awarded to that assessment piece. However, if the student has a legitimate reason for not attending (e.g. illness - n.b. a medical certificate is required) with supporting evidence (e.g. declaration in NEUR2530 absentee form) then the student will be permitted to attend an alternative prac group.
If the student's legitimate absence prevents them from attending any of the alternative Labs / Workshops sessions, then an alternative assessment arrangement will be organised.
Please follow the process for missed attendance (below) as soon as you possibly know that you will be absent from a Lab / Workshop. The earlier we are made aware, the easier it is to make alternative arrangements.
Missed Attendance Process
Students are permitted to miss zero Laboratory/Workshop for NEUR2530 without receiving approval.
If you are unable to attend for [Medical or Extenuating Circumstances Page], you are required to email a completed [Absentee Form]ﾠto the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences Student Admin team (hmns@enquire.uq.edu.au) within five calendar days. You must submit supporting documentation along with your request. Please review the information listed on the [Medical or Extenuating Circumstances Page] for information about acceptable supporting documentation.
What is TurnitIn?
Turnitin is an electronic assignment submission tool. The tool provides your Course Coordinator with:
- a record of the exact submission time of an assignment
- an originality report indicating the percentage of your work that is an exact match of existing materials within the Turnitin database.
Instructions on how to submit an assignment using Turnitin are located on the UQ Library websiteﾠSubmit your Turnitin assignment - Library Guide
Note:
When submitting, to check that you have chosen the correct file on theﾠPreview Submissionﾠpage and click on theﾠSubmit to Turnitinﾠbutton. ﾠ
Remember to download yourﾠdigital receiptﾠin yourﾠAssignment inboxﾠto confirm successful submission.
If a submission cannot be successfully completed, email a copy of the assessment task to the Course Administrator. For contact details refer to section 3 of the course profile.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
The following texts are each relevant to some of the material presented in class: ﾠ 1. Shumway-Cook & Woollacott (2012).ﾠ Motor control : translating research into clinical practice. (4th Ed.).ﾠﾠLippincott Williams & Wilkins. (RM701 .S55 2012)ﾠ& earlier editions. 2. Kandel, E. R., Schwarz, J. & T. Jessel (2000) Principles of Neural Science. (4th ed) New York : McGraw-Hill Health Professions Division. (QP355.2 .P76 2005), & earlier editions. 3. Magill R.A. (2007). Motor learning and control : concepts and applications (8th ed). Boston : McGraw-Hill (BF295 .M36 2007), & earlier editions 4. Silverthorn, DU. (2007). Human Physiology: An integrated approach. (4th ed). Prentice Hall. (QP34.5 .S55) & earlier editions. 5. Bear, Connors & Paradiso (2007). Neuroscience: exploring the brain. (3rd ed). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. (QP355.2.B42 2007) & earlier editions. 6. Schmidt RA and Lee TD (2005). Motor Control and Learning: A behavioural emphasis. (4th Edition). Champaign IL: Human Kinetics. (BF295.S248) Statstics: 7.ﾠBulmer, M. (2006). A portable introduction to data analysis (4th ed). St Lucia, Qld (QA141 .B85 2006) ﾠ Lectures – This approach is used to present relatively large amounts of information at a time on specific topics throughout the course. PDF copies of the lecture notes will be available on Blackboard prior to each lecture, so you should be able to think about and develop an understanding of the lecture concepts as they are presented, rather than writing voluminous notes. However, there will be information and explanations presented in lectures in addition to those covered in the notes that you should take down if they help you to understand the material. The lecturer will also try to allow some time for interaction and activities in each lecture to provide you with an opportunity to clarify or reinforce the ideas that have been presented. You should take these opportunities to think about the information that has been presented and ask questions to enhance your understanding. Note that each lecture has an associated online quiz - you should try to make sure that you can answer the quiz questions before the end of each lecture. ﾠ Laboratoriesﾠ– The purpose of the practical components of the course are twofold. The first purpose is to help you to develop technical skills that will be relevant in your professional career. It is essential that you become competent at conducting tests of human motor function for a career an exercise science or physical education. The second purpose is to use experiments to demonstrate and reinforce key theoretical concepts that have been covered in lectures. The questions contained in the practical outlines will guide your learning in this respect. ﾠ Workshops– Theseﾠmore informal, small-group learning sessions are designed to help you prepare for the Final Exam and the Skill Acquisition Project. The Oral Quiz session will encourage you to prepare answers to a list of questions that you will be required to present, in a small group, to the rest of the tutorial class.ﾠThis small assessment task will help motivate you to review the lectures and notes regarding the list of questions and to help stimulate an ongoing revision of the course content - and provide practice in answering short answer questions in the same format as the final exam. The workshops based on the Skill Acquisition Project will encourage you to practice analysing motor skills and designing skill acquisition strategies for a range of tasks - to help you to complete the Skill Acquisition Project. ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ Dicussion Board – The discussion board feature in blackboard is enabled to encourage you to share questions, ideas and understandings of the course with your fellow students. You can post to check course administration details, ask questions if you are unsure of some material, and check whether your understanding corresponds with that of your peers. Please postﾠquestions about the course here rather than emailing the lecturer or tutors directly (unless it is a personal issue). This will help everybody toﾠbenefit from your questions (if you are unclear on something, it is pretty likely that other people in the class will be too).ﾠThe lecturer and tutors will keep an eye on the posts to make sure that the discussion stays on the right track (and that the content is appropriate). ﾠ Independent study – There is insufficient time in the lectures, tutorials and practicals for you to develop a deep understanding of the concepts covered in this course. In order for you to achieve the learning outcomes that will be assessed, you will need to revise the material presented in the course regularly. You will probably also need to do additional reading beyond the lecture materials in order to learn effectively. Relevant additional resources will be cited in each lecture. ﾠ Assessments – These tasks have been chosen as tools to enhance and guide your learning as well as a way of measuring performance, and are therefore central teaching strategy in this course. The skills you need during an exam or oral quiz are similar to those you might require during a job interview, or when dealing face to face with a client, patient or student. That is, you need to draw on your knowldege to respond to questions immediately without reference to resources. The skills you need to complete lab assignments and the skill acquisitin project are similar to those required to write professional reports and proposals. That is, you need to identify and locate the appropriate resources to prepare a document, interpret, integrate and organiseﾠinformation to arrive at the best solution, and then present your thesis to a specific audience in a way that is clear, concise and compelling.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Introduction to the field Lecture on the scope of Motor Control and the way our body characteristics constrain the way we can control movements. Introduction to the major components of the central and peripheral nervous systems. |
Lecture |
Neuromuscular Physiology Review Lecture to refresh understanding of the basic characteristics of the nervous and muscular systems, including the membrane potential, properties of neurons, synapses, graded versus action potentials, excitation contraction coupling, force-length and force-velocity properties, and motor unit recruitment. |
|
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Practical |
Lab 1 - Introduction to Skill Acquisition This session will introduce the practical Skill Acquisition components of the course. |
Lecture |
Muscle afferent contributions to motor control An overview of the role of sensory (afferent) information in our ability to control movement, including open and closed-loop control, and the structure and function of somatosensory receptors in muscles and their associated afferent pathways. Group 1a, Ib and Group II afferents. Gamma motor innervation. |
|
Lecture |
Skin & Vestibular Contributions to Motor Control Lecture that describe the important features and functions of sensory receptors in the skin for movement and position. Structure, function and type of information provided by the vestibular apparatus in relation to orientation and balance. |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Practical |
Lab 2 - Characteristics of Visual Reaction Time Students will participate in a computer experiment where they will examine the relationship between the number of choices and the influence on visual reaction time. Please download the Lab Handout from Blackboard prior to attending. |
Lecture |
Spinal Reflexes A lecture that describes how circuits in the spinal cord can use sensory information to contribute to movement in a variety of contexts. Stretch reflex pathway. |
|
Lecture |
Visual Contributions to Motor Control Lecture that describe the basic features of the visual system, and illustrates some of the critical implications for movement control. Information processing at different stages along the visual pathway. Role of visual information in decision making. Differences in perception and decision-making in skilled versus novice athletes / performers. Includes information about the effect of stroke or acquired brain injuries to visual areas of the brain. Eye movements and the control of gaze combined with the vestibular system. |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Balance and Falls Consideration of factors that influence risk of falling and associated functional tests. Assessment of posture and its neural control mechanisms. |
Lecture |
Control of Posture Introduction to the principles of posture and balance control. |
|
Practical |
Lab 3 - Balance Assessment Students will perform a number of tests commonly used in exercise science to assess balance control. These tests include examining sway and challenging the subject by using foam or no vision. Please download the Lab Handout from Blackboard prior to attending. |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Control of Rhythmic Movement - 1 & 2 A series of two lectures that describe the important features of how the nervous system controls rhythmic movements like swimming, cycling and walking. Consideration of Central Pattern Generator (CPG), brainstem areas, reflex and voluntary contributions to the control of rhythmic movements. Effects of damage to the brain / spinal cord on walking. |
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Sensory Integration in the Brain A lecture that describes the important features of how information from our sensory systems are integrated to inform movement planning in the brain. Different functional areas of the cerebral cortex including somatosensory and motor cortices. Sources of inputs to alpha motorneurones (afferent and efferent pathways). Cutaneous pain receptors. Flexion-withdrawal reflex structure and function in the spinal cord. Excitatory and inhibitory neural connections. Reciprocal inhibition. |
Lecture |
Introduction to Voluntary Movement Control In this lecture series we consider the role of each of the major brain areas that contribute to the control of voluntary movements. Neuroanatomy of the cerebral cortex and brain stem. Role of ascending (afferent) and descending (efferent) pathways between the spinal cord and brain. |
|
Practical |
Lab 4 - Fitt's Law for aimed movement Students will perform a computer experiment examining Fitts Law. Will examine how spatial and temporal errors are measured. Please download the Lab Handout from Blackboard prior to attending. Lab will be held in room 243, building 26A. |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Primary motor cortex Lecture on the role of the primary motor cortex in the control of movement, including force, direction and muscle activity coding. Processes and information that is coded for in the primary motor cortex to control visually-guided reaching movements. |
Lecture |
Secondary Cortical Areas Lecture on the role of the supplementary motor area and pre-motor cortex in movement control. Processes and information that is coded for in supplementary motor areas to control visually-guided reaching movements. |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Cerebellar contributions to MC & Summary I) Lecture on the major structural characteristics and functional role of the cerebellum in movement control. How the cerebellum is used to control visually-guided reaching movements. Including side-effects of developmental / acquired brain damage to the cerebellum such as hypotonia, dysmetria, ataxia, terminal tremor, hyperreflexia, hypermetria. II) Lecture summarising how the different areas of the brain are used together for control of voluntary movements, especially visually-guided reaching movements. Also covers information about the functional role of the brain stem. |
Lecture |
Basal Ganglia Functions Lecture on the major structural characteristics and functional role of basal ganglia in movement control. How the basal ganglia is used to control visually-guided reaching movements. Including mechanisms and current treatments for Parkinson's disease and Huntington s disease. |
|
Practical |
Workshop 1 - Skill Acquisition Project Preparation You will work in your groups to practice designing assessment tasks for motor skills in a range of contexts. |
|
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Cellular Basis of Motor Learning Consideration of how nerve cells and simple networks alter their connectivity - with implications for motor learning. Major processes in the stages of learning - short term and long term. Cellular mechanisms and processes of learning. |
Lecture |
Introduction to Motor Learning In this lecture series, we consider the mechanisms of motor learning from a neurophysiological perspective. There is a progression from cellular and conceptual issues, to practical issues related to optimising motor skill acquisition. Different types of learning - explicit and implicit memories. Procedural and declarative learning. Performance curves and measuring learning using spatial and temporal errors. Intra-individual variability of performance. |
|
Practical |
Workshop 2 - Skill Acquisition Project Preparation You will work in your groups to practice designing assessment tasks for motor skills in a range of contexts. |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Structure of Practice Consideration of how to optimise practice to enhance motor skills. Including massed vs. distributed, blocked vs. random, constant vs. variable practice. Kinematic changes that occur with skill acquisition. |
Lecture |
Practical Considerations in Skill Aquisition Consideration of practical issues such as instructions and demonstration when assisting development of new motor skills. Characteristics of skilled performers. Learning new tasks - trial and error or reasoning (problem solving). Charactertistics of the three major stages of learning. Differences in perception and decision-making in skilled versus novice athletes / performers. Performance variability between novice and experts. Changes in attentional processes as movement skills are learnt. Kinematic changes that occur with skill acquisition. |
|
Practical |
Workshop 4 - Skill Acquisition Project Preparation You will work in your groups to practice designing acquisition programs for motor skills in a range of contexts. |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Transfer of Motor Learning Consideration of how learning a motor skill generalises and transfers from one context to another. Specificity of generalisation. Electromyographic and kinematic changes that occur with transfer / learning. Different experimental transfer designs. |
Lecture |
Augmented Feedback in Motor Learning Describe different types of feedback and their impact on movement learning. Including comparing extrinsic (augmented) feedback and intrinsic feedback. |
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Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
Course Summary and Exam Preparation A chance to revise issues in the course and attempt practice exam questions posed by course members. |
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