| Explain 'feed-forward control' and describe its mechanism | Feed-forward control – used during rapid movements and anticipatory postural adjustments e.g. volleyball. Utilises anticipatory postural adjustments - performing a rapid movement like raising one arm which requires CNS activity to compensate for the off-balance activity that movement would produce. |
| Explain 'feed backward control' and describe it's mechanism | Feedback control – involves the sensory receptors providing information on the changes that occur, which modifies the command signals to accommodate the change in the Controlled System, e.g. when a ball strikes the hand. |
| What role do visual receptors (eyes) play in improving motor performance? | Visual receptors provide information that enables execution of motor performance through knowledge of environmental cues, aiding in direction. Kinesthetic sense - when movements can be performed without relying on vision |
| What role do cutanous receptors (touch) play in improving motor performance? | Skin and subcutaneous receptors measure pressure on the skin. |
| What role do muscle spindle receptors (muscle length) play in improving motor performance? | The muscle spindle detects, responds to, and modulates changes in the length of skeletal (extrafusal) muscle fibres to provide an important regulatory function for movement and maintenance of posture. |
| What role do Golgi tendon organ receptors (muscle force) play in improving motor performance? | Golgi tendon organs connect to extrafusal fibres near the tendon’s junction to muscle. They detect tension generated by active muscle to protect the muscle and surrounding connective tissue from sudden or excessive load. When stimulated, Golgi receptors transmit signals to the spinal cord (via 1b afferents) to elicit reflex inhibition of the muscles they supply. |
| What role do articular receptors (joint angle) play in improving motor performance? | Articular (joint) receptors are sensitive to both joint angle (anatomical limits) and joint capsule tension. |
