Dorsal Columns: area of the spinal cord which carries proprioceptive input to the brain.
Proprioception: sensation of knowing a body part’s position in space. For example, if one’s eyes
are closed, and the shoulder is abducted to 90 degrees, proprioception will allow the person to
know that the shoulder is abducted without seeing it. This system does not rely on visual cues to
determine the body’s position. It is solely based on the feedback of the mechanoreceptors.
Mechanoreceptors: sensory cells that respond to pressure and distortion, and send positional
feedback to the brain along the dorsal columns.
Muscle spindles: proprioceptive receptors that provide feedback on muscles when they are
stretched or relaxed. This information is used in interpreting position and movement of a joint
based on the amount of stretch in the muscle. They measure muscle length and the speed of
any changes.
Golgi Tendon Organs: receptors that provide feedback on the amount of tension being exerted
on a tendon. It will cause the muscle to contract to avoid being over stretched.
Afferent pathway: ascending pathway along which all sensory information is carried to the spinal
cord and brain.
Corticospinal tract: this is the major pathway of nerves linking the muscles to the brain. Along
this pathway, signals are transmitted from the brain to the muscles in order to create movement.
Efferent pathway: descending pathway along which motor information is carried from the brain
and spinal cord to the target tissues.
Cognitive (understanding): “thinking processes of the brain, utilizing both the sensory input
to the brain as well as information already stored in memory”1. The sensory input and stored
memories are linked in the association areas of the cerebral cortex. Here they are integrated with
motor information in order to develop necessary patterns.
- Perception
- Throughput (taking something in putting out)
- Info processing
- Memory
- Knowledge of performance/ knowledge of results
Phases of learning
- Cognitive/ conscious awareness (learning what to do): this is the discovery stage,
where one learns how to actually produce motion in a particular region of the body
correctly. It requires conscious effort and concentration.
There will be errors in this stage as the motion pattern has not yet been engrained.
This stage is dependent on feedback, movement sequence, performance, and
instruction during repetition and practice.