The power of implicit motor learning 2.0

“De kracht van het onbewuste leren 2.0” – “The Power of Implicit Motor Learning 2.0” is a RAAK PRO project funded by SIA (Netherlands). Its objective is to improve gait and walking abilities in people with cognitive impairments after stroke by using implicit motor learning strategies and innovative technologies.

Therapists, like physiotherapists and occupational therapists, are experts on motor learning. They provide treatment for patients that aims at improvement of movement skills and keeping patients at a certain activity level. An important target group are people with acquired neurological pathologies of the central neural system, e.g. dementia, stroke or Parkinson’s disease. These people often have problems with processing and understanding information, like instructions given by therapists. International literature and projects show that it seems better to facilitate motor learning implicitly in patients who don’t understand all information (implicit learning) instead of trying to explain everything with words (explicit learning).

In September 2015, the research project “The power of implicit motor learning” has officially started. The project is structured over four sub-projects (work packages), ZUYD leading the activity as project coordinator. Within this study the effects of implicit motor learning strategies on gait of people after stroke will be researched. The study is part of a large (inter)national consortium including health practitioners, researchers and engineers (technology developers). FBK E3DA research unit is involved as technology provider. Also four client representatives are involved in the project to ensure that the focus of research maintains directed at the population. The official kick off of the project took place at Zuyd University in Heerlen, the Netherlands on the 5th of October 2015.