NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF MOTOR CONTROL

All skilled movements are derived from our ability to receive appropriate stimuli from the environment, relevant to type of response that we choose to execute. For example in badminton, when an opponent sent a half-court return, we received various stimuli such as the speed and height of the shuttle, our position, and the opponent’s position court. Based on these stimuli, we may then choose to either smash, drop or lob the shuttle, depending on our own skill level. The quality of our response output is very much dependent on a sequence of events. The stimuli we received from the environment shapes our intention on how to respond. Our nervous system then conducts series of neural processes to translate this intention into a form of a motor response. The neurophysiological basis of motor control focuses on understanding the functions of various components that activate the neuromuscular system. These components include the sensory and motor receptors, the nerve pathways and the central nervous system.

ROLE OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS)

In motor control context, the CNS may be regarded as the ‘executive’ of the human processing system. This is due to it’s role in ‘commanding’ almost every process related to sensory-motor integration required for movement output. The CNS grossly consists of the spinal cord and the brain. The brain structure can be further specified into the cerebrum, cerebellum, and basal ganglia. The focus of cerebrum function is solely on the role of the cerebral cortex in transmitting sensory and motor impulses within the CNS.

The basis of neural processing for every type of movement is as follows:

(i) reception of relevant stimuli from the environment by the sensory receptors;

(ii) the transformation of these stimuli into sensory (nerve) impulses;

(iii) transmission of the sensory impulses to the CNS;

(iv) sensory-motor integration within the CNS;

(v) transition of sensory impulses into motor impulses;

(vi) transmission of motor impulses to the effectors, which finally allows muscular

contraction for movement.