Skip to main content

Principles of Motor Recovery After Neurological Injury Based on a Motor Control Theory

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Progress in Motor Control

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 957))

Abstract

Problems of neurological rehabilitation are considered based on two levels of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF)—Body Structures and Function level and Activity level—and modulating factors related to the individual and the environment. Specifically, at the Body Structures and Function level, problems addressed include spasticity, muscle weakness, disordered muscle activation patterns and disruptions in coordinated movement. At the Activity level, deficits in multi-joint and multi-segment upper limb reaching movements are reviewed. We address how physiologically well established principles in the control of actions, Threshold Control and Referent Control as outlined in the Equilibrium-Point theory can help advance the understanding of underlying deficits that may limit recovery at each level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abend W, Bizzi E, Morasso P (1982) Human arm trajectory formation. Brain 105:331–348

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Adamovich SV, Archambault PS, Ghafouri M, Levin MF, Poizner H, Feldman AG (2001) Hand trajectory invariance in reaching movements involving the trunk. Exp Brain Res 138:288–303

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alberts JL, Saling M, Stelmach GE (2002) Alterations in transport path differentially affect temporal and spatial movement parameters. Exp Brain Res 143:417–425

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Archambault P, Pigeon P, Feldman AG, Levin MF (1999) Recruitment and sequencing of different degrees of freedom during pointing movements involving the trunk in healthy and hemiparetic subjects. Exp Brain Res 126:55–67

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Asatryan DG, Feldman AG (1965) Functional tuning of the nervous system with control of movements or maintenance of a steady posture: I. Mechanographic analysis for the work of the joint on execution of a postural tasks. Biophysics 10:925–935

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballard C, Stephens S, Kenny R, Kalaria R, Tovee M, O’Brien J (2003) Profile of neuropsychological deficits in older stroke survivors without dementia. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 16:52–56

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchette AK, Mullick AA, Moïn-Darbari K, Levin MF (2016) Tonic stretch reflex threshold as a measure of ankle plantar-flexor spasticity after stroke. Phys Ther 96(5):687–695

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1986) Social foundations of thoughts and actions: a social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1997) Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. Freeman, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Baniña MC, Mullick AA, McFadyen BJ, Levin MF (2016) Upper limb obstacle avoidance behaviour in individuals with chronic stroke. Neurorehabil Neural Repair, pii: 1545968316662527. [Epub ahead of print], PMID: 27542986

    Google Scholar 

  • Beer RF, Dewald JP, Rymer WZ (2000) Deficits in the coordination of multijoint arm movements in patients with hemiparesis: evidence for disturbed control of limb dynamics. Exp Brain Res 131:305–319

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein NA (1967) The coordination and regulation of movements. Pergamon Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Biegstraaten M, Smeets JB, Brenner E (2003) The influence of obstacles on the speed of grasping. Exp Brain Res 149:530–534

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd LA, Quaney BM, Pohl PS, Winstein CJ (2007) Learning implicitly: effects of task and severity after stroke. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 21:444–454

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Broeks JG, Lankhorst GJ, Rumping K, Prevo AJH (1999) The long-term outcome of arm function after stroke: results of a follow-up study. Disabil Rehab 21:357–364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brunnstrom S (1966) Motor testing procedures in hemiplegia: based on sequential recovery stages. Phys Ther 46:357–375

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calota A, Feldman AG, Levin MF (2008) Spasticity measurement based on tonic stretch reflex threshold in stroke using a portable device. Clin Neurophysiol 119:2329–2337

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman CS, Goodale MA (2008) Missing in action: the effect of obstacle position and size on avoidance while reacing. Exp Brain Res 191:83–97

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cirstea MC, Mitnitski AB, Feldman AG, Levin MF (2003a) Interjoint coordination dynamics during reaching in stroke. Exp Brain Res 151(3):289–300

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cirstea MC, Ptito A, Levin MF (2003b) Arm reaching improvements with short-term practice depend on the severity of the motor deficit in stroke. Exp Brain Res 152:476–488

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cirstea CM, Ptito A, Levin MF (2006) Feedback and cognition in arm motor skill reacquisition after stroke. Stroke 37:1237–1242

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cisek P (2007) Cortical mechanisms of action selection: the affordance competition hypothesis. Phil Trans Roy Soc B 362:1585–1599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke P, Marshall V, Black SE, Colantonio A (2002) Well-being after stroke in Canadian seniors: findings from the Canadian study of health and aging. Stroke 33:1016–1021

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cos I, Medley F, Cisek P (2012) The modulatory influence of endpoint controllability on decisions between actions. J Neurophysiol 108:1764–1780

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dancause N, Ptito A, Levin MF (2002) Error correction strategies for motor behavior after unilateral brain damage: short-term motor learning processes. Neuropsychologia 40:1313–1323

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Ryck A, Fransen E, Brouns R, Geurden M, Peij D, Marien P, De Deyn PP, Engelborghs S (2014) Psychosocial problems associated with depression at 18 months poststroke. Int J Ger Psych 29:144–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dean J, Brüwer M (1994) Control of human arm movements in two dimensions: paths and joint control in avoiding simple linear obstacles. Exp Brain Res 97:497–514

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dewald JPA, Pope PS, Given JD, Buchanan TS, Rymer WZ (1995) Abnormal muscle coactivation patterns during isometric torque generation at the elbow and shoulder in hemiparetic subjects. Brain 118:495–510

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Doyon J, Benali H (2005) Reorganization and plasticity in the adult brain during learning of motor skills. Curr Opin Neurobiol 15:161–167

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman AG (1966) Functional tuning of the nervous system with control of movement and maintenance of a steady posture: II. Controllable parameters of the muscle. Biophysics 11:565–578

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldman AG (2011) Space and time in the context of the equilibrium-point theory. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci 2:287–304

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman AG (2015) Referent control of action and perception. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman AG, Goussev V, Sangole A, Levin MF (2007) Threshold position control and the principle of minimal interaction in motor actions. In: Cisek P, Drew T, Kalaska JF (ed) Progress in brain research, vol 165, pp 267–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Fugl-Meyer AR, Jääskö L, Leyman I, Olsson S, Steglind S (1975) The post-stroke hemiplegic patient. I. A method for evaluation of physical performance. Scand J Rehab Med 7:13–31

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gage M, Valiant Cook J, Fryday-Field K (1997) Understanding the transition to community living after discharge from an acute care hospital: an exploratory study. Am J Occ Ther 51(2):96–103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghafouri M, Feldman AG (2001) The timing of control signals underlying fast point-to-point arm movements. Exp Brain Res 137:411–423

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gowland C, Stratford P, Ward M et al (1993) Measuring physical impairment and disability with the Chedoke-McMaster stroke assessment. Stroke 24:58–63

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hacke W (2003) European stroke initiative recommendations for stroke management—update 2003. Cerebrovasc Dis 16:311–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hallett M, Pascual-Leone A, Topka H (1996) Adaptation and skill learning: evidence for different neural substrates. In: Bloedel JR, Ebner TJ, Wise S (ed) The acquisition of motor behavior in vertebrates, MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 289–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellstrom K, Lindmark B, Wahlberg B, Fugl-Meyer AR (2003) Self-efficacy in relation to impairments and activities of daily living disability in elderly patients with stroke: a prospective investigation. J Rehabil Med 35:202–207

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hermsdorfer J, Laimgruber K, Kerkhoff G, Mai N, Goldenberg G (1999) Effects of unilateral brain damage on coordination, and kinematics of ipsilesional prehension. Exp Brain Res 128:41–51

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heruti RJ, Lusky A, Dankner R et al (2002) Rehabilitation outcome of elderly patients after a first stroke: effect of cognitive status at admission on the functional outcome. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 83:742–749

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hochstenbach J, Mulder T, van Limbeek J, Donders R, Schoonwaldt H (1998) Cognitive decline following stroke: a comprehensive study of cognitive decline following stroke. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 20:503–517

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Houwink A, Steenbergen B, Prange GB, Buurke JH, Geurts ACH (2013) Upper-limb motor control in patients after stroke: attentional demands and the potential beneficial effects of arm support. Hum Movement Sci 32:377–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang JH, Mercer VS (2001) Dual-task methodology: applications in studies of cognitive and motor performance in adults and children. Pediatric Phys Ther 13:133–140

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hultborn H (2006) Spinal reflexes, mechanisms and concepts: from Eccles to Lundberg and beyond. Prog Neurobiol 78:215–232

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jaillard A, Naegele B, Trabucco-Miguel S, LeBas J, Hommel M (2009) Hidden dysfunctioning in subacute stroke. Stroke 40:2473–2479

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jobin A, Levin MF (2000) Regulation of stretch reflex threshold in elbow flexors in children with cerebral palsy: a new measure of spasticity. Dev Med Child Neurol 42:531–540

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman D (1973) Attention and effort. Prentice-Hall International, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Kizony R, Katz N, Weiss PL (2004) Virtual reality based intervention in rehabilitation: relationship between motor and cognitive abilities and performance within virtual environments for patients with stroke. In: Proceedings of the 5th international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technology. Oxford, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwakkel G, Kollen BJ, van der Grond J, Prevo AJ (2003) Probability of regaining dexterity in the flaccid upper limb: impact of severity of paresis and time since onset in acute stroke. Stroke 34:2181–2186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lai SM, Studenski S, Richards L, Perera S, Reker D, Rigler S, Duncan PW (2006) Therapeutic exercise and depressive symptoms after stroke. J Am Geriatr Soc 54:240–247

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lamontagne A, Malouin F, Richards CL (2001) Locomotor-specific measure of spasticity of plantarflexor muscles after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 82:1696–1704

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lance JW (1980) Pathophysiology of spasticity and clinical experience with baclofen. In: Feldman RG, Young RR, Koella WP (eds) Spasticity: disordered motor. Year Book Medical Publisher Control, Chicago, pp 185–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Lashley KS (1951) The problem of serial order in behavior. In: Cerebral Mechanisms in Behavior. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Latash ML (2012) The bliss (not the problem) of motor abundance (not redundancy). Exp Brain Res 217(1):1–5

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Levin MF (1996) Interjoint coordination during pointing movements is disrupted in spastic hemiparesis. Brain 119:281–294

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levin MF, Feldman AG (1994) The role of stretch reflex threshold regulation in normal and impaired motor control. Brain Res 657:23–30

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levin MF, Selles RW, Verheul MH, Meijer OG (2000) Deficits in the coordination of agonist and antagonist muscles in stroke patients: implications for normal motor control. Brain Res 853:352–369

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levin MF, Michaelsen S, Cirstea C, Roby-Brami A (2002) Use of the trunk for reaching targets placed within and beyond the reach in adult hemiparesis. Exp Brain Res 143:171–180

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mayo NE, Mayo NE, Fellows LK, Scott SC et al (2009) A longitudinal view of apathy and its impact after stroke. Stroke 40:3299–3307

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh RD, Dijkerman HC, Mon-Williams M, Milner AD (2004) Grasping what is graspable: evidence from visual form agnosia. Cortex 40:695–702

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michaelsen SM, Luta A, Roby-Brami A, Levin MF (2001) Effect of trunk restraint on the recovery of reaching movements in hemiparetic patients. Stroke 32:1875–1883

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michaelsen SM, Jacobs S, Roby-Brami A, Levin MF (2004) Compensation for distal impairments of grasping in adults with hemiparesis. Exp Brain Res 157:162–173

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michaelsen SM, Dannenbaum R, Levin MF (2006) Task-specific training with trunk restraint on arm recovery in stroke: randomized control trial. Stroke 37:186–192

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mon-Williams M, McIntosh RD (2000) A test between two hypotheses and a possible third way for the control of prehension. Exp Brain Res 134:268–273

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mon-Williams M, Tresilian JR, Coppard VL, Carson RG (2001) The effect of obstacle position on reach-to-grasp movements. Exp Brain Res 137:497–501

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mullick AA, Musampa NK, Feldman AG, Levin MF (2013) Stretch reflex threshold measure discriminates between spasticity and rigidity. Clin Neurophysiol 124(4):740–751

    Google Scholar 

  • Musampa NK, Mathieu PA, Levin MF (2007) Relationship between stretch reflex thresholds and voluntary arm muscle activation in patients with spasticity. Exp Brain Res 181:579–593

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Platz T, Denzler P (2002) Do psychological variables modify motor recovery among patients with mild arm paresis after stroke or traumatic brain injury who receive the Arm Ability Training? Restor Neurol Neurosci 20:37–49

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rand D, Eng JJ (2012) Disparity between functional recovery and daily use of the upper and lower extremities during subacute stroke rehabilitation. Neurorehabil Neural Rep 26:76–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rand D, Eng JJ (2015) Predicting daily use of the affected upper extremity 1 year after stroke. Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 24:274–283. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2014.07.039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reisman DS, Scholz JP (2003) Aspects of joint coordination are preserved during pointing in persons with post-stroke hemiparesis. Brain 126:2510–2527

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rice NJ, McIntosh RD, Schindler I, Mon-Williams M, Demonet JF, Milner AD (2006) Intact automatic avoidance of obstacles in patients with visual form agnosia. Exp Brain Res 174:176–188

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson-Smith G (2002) Self-efficacy and quality of life after stroke. J Neurosci Nursing 34:91–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson-Smith G, Johnston MV, Allen J (2000) Self-care, self-efficacy, quality of life, and depression after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 81:460–464

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roby-Brami A, Feydy A, Combeaud M, Biryukova EV, Bussel B, Levin M (2003) Motor compensation and recovery of reaching in stroke patients. Acta Neurol Scand 107:369–381

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rochat L, Van der Linden M, Renaud O, Epiney JB, Michel P, Sztajzel R, Spierer L, Annoni JM (2013) Poor reward sensitivity and apathy after stroke: implication of basal ganglia. Neurology 81:1674–1680

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues MRM, Slimovitch M, Blanchette AK, Levin MF (2015) Temporal and spatial upper-limb interjoint coordination in chronic stroke subjects versus healthy individuals when reaching. Society for neuroscience abstracts, Chicago, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossi E, Mitnitski A, Feldman AG (2002) Sequential control signals determine arm and trunk contributions to hand transport during reaching. J Physiol 538:659–671

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sabes PN, Jordan MI, Wolpert DM (1998) The role of inertial sensitivity in motor planning. J Neurosci 18:5948–5957

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salbach NM, Mayo NE, Robichaud-Ekstrand S, Hanley JA, Richards CL, Wood-Dauphinee S (2005) The effect of task-oriented walking intervention on improving balance self-efficacy poststroke: a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Geriatr Soc 53:576–582

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saling M, Alberts J, Stelmach GE, Bloedel JR (1998) Reach-to-grasp movements during obstacle avoidance. Exp Brain Res 118:251–258

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sangole A, Levin MF (2007) A new perspective in the understanding of hand dysfunction following neurological injury. Top Stroke Rehab 14:80–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler I, Rice NJ, McIntosh RD, Rossetti Y, Vighetto A, Milner AD (2004) Automatic avoidance of obstacles is a dorsal stream function: evidence from optic ataxia. Nat Neurosci 7:779–784

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shaikh T, Goussev V, Feldman AG, Levin MF (2014) Arm-trunk coordination for beyond the reach movements in adults with hemiparesis. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 28:355–366

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skidmore ER, Whyte EM, Holm MB, Becker JT, Butters MA, Dew MA, Munin MC (2010) Cognitive and affective predictors of rehabilitation participation after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 91:203–207

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Subramanian SK, Levin MF (2013) Influence of cognitive deficits on the ability to use feedback for arm motor recovery in chronic stroke. Stroke 44(12):E200

    Google Scholar 

  • Teasell R, Bayona N, Salter K, Hellings C, Bitensky J (2006) Progress in clinical neurosciences: stroke recovery and rehabilitation. Cdn J Neurol Sci 33:357–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toglia J, Fitzgerald KA, O’Dell MW, Mastrogiovanni AR, Lin CD (2011) The mini-mental state examination and montreal cognitive assessment in persons with mild sub-acute stroke: relationship to functional outcome. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 92:792–798

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tresilian JR (1998) Attention in action or obstruction of movement? A kinematic analysis of avoidance behavior in prehension. Exp Brain Res 120:352–368

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tresilian JR, Mon-Williams M, Coppard VL, Carson RG (2005) Developmental changes in the response to obstacles during prehension. J Mot Behav 37:103–110

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Urbin MA, Waddell KJ, Lang CE (2015) Acceleration metrics are responsive to change in upper extremity function of stroke survivors. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 96(5):854–861

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ustinova KI, Feldman AG, Levin MF (2006) Central resetting of neuromuscular steady states may underlie rhythmical arm movements. J Neurophysiol 96:1124–1134

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Von Holst H (1954) Relations between the central nervous system and the peripheral organs. Br J Anim Behav 2:89–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagle J, Farner L, Flekkoy K, Wyller T, Sandvik L et al (2011) Early post-stroke cognition in stroke rehabilitation patients predicts functional outcome at 13 months. Dementia Ger Cog Dis 31:379–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wenzelburger R, Kopper F, Frenzel A, Stolze H, Klebe S, Brossmann A, Kuhtz-Buschbeck J, Golge M, Illert M, Deuschl G (2005) Hand coordination following capsular stroke. Brain 128:64–74

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wissel J, Manack A, Brainin M (2013) Toward an epidemiology of poststroke spasticity. Neurology 80:S13–S19

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Won J, Hogan N (1995) Stability properties of human reaching movements. Exp Brain Res 107:125–136

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2001) International classification of functioning, disability and health. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang F, Feldman AG (2010) Reach-to-grasp movement as a minimization process. Exp Brain Res 201(1):75–92. doi:10.1007/s00221-009-2012-1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zorowitz RD, Gillard PJ, Brainin M (2013) Poststroke spasticity: sequelae and burden on stroke survivors and caregivers. Neurology 80:S45–S52

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mindy F. Levin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Levin, M.F. (2016). Principles of Motor Recovery After Neurological Injury Based on a Motor Control Theory. In: Laczko, J., Latash, M. (eds) Progress in Motor Control. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 957. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47313-0_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics