Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
10 results found in Motor Control.
- Anticipatory Grasp (Pregrasp Planning, Pre-grasp, Pre-shaping, Anticipatory Grasp Planning)
- Anticipatory grasp refers to the pre-shaping of the hand before contact with an object, based on expectations about the object's size, shape, and orientation. In sighted people this planning is driven…
- Co-contraction (Unintended Co-contraction, Muscle Co-activation)
- The simultaneous activation of antagonistic muscles — for example, the biceps and triceps firing at the same time. Some co-contraction is normal and useful for joint stability, but involuntary or exce…
- Fractionation (Finger Fractionation, Finger Independence)
- The ability to move individual fingers independently of one another, a key measure of fine motor control assessed in stroke rehabilitation. After a stroke, patients often lose fractionation, meaning t…
- Grasp Aperture (Hand Aperture, Finger Aperture)
- Grasp aperture is the distance between the thumb and opposing finger(s) as the hand opens to receive an object during a reach. It scales with perceived object size, peaks before contact at a value typ…
- Kinesthetics (Kinaesthetics, Kinesthesia, Kinesthetic sense)
- The sense of body position, movement, and muscular effort derived from receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints. Kinesthetics is closely related to — and often used interchangeably with — propriocept…
- Mirror Neuron System (Mirror Neurons)
- The mirror neuron system is a network of brain regions that activate both when a person performs an action and when they observe another person performing the same action. It is implicated in motor si…
- Motor Function Time (Motor Response Time, Motor Cycle Time)
- The time required to execute a physical action such as pressing or releasing a key, clicking a mouse button, or moving a pointing device. In the Model Human Processor, motor function time for able-bod…
- Sensorimotor (Sensorimotor System, Sensorimotor Control)
- Relating to the integration of sensory input (proprioception, vision, touch) with motor output (muscle activation and coordinated movement). Sensorimotor processes let people plan, execute, and correc…
- Spasm (Muscle Spasm, Spasticity)
- A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles that can cause uncontrolled movement or a temporary inability to move. Spasms are common in conditions such as cerebral palsy, spinal …
- Submovement (Movement Component, Movement Segment)
- A discrete component of a larger aimed movement, separated from other submovements by pauses or changes in velocity. According to the Optimized Submovement Model from motor performance theory, a rapid…