Closed-loop motor programs are characterized by which feature?

Closed-loop motor programs are characterized by which feature?

• A. They cannot be altered by feedback.
• B. They always produce perfect performance.
• C. They are altered by feedback during execution to correct errors.
• D. They use feedback only at the end.

Answer: (C)

Closed-loop motor programs rely on feedback to guide movement as it happens. The nervous system continuously compares where the limb actually is with where it’s intended to be, and when an error is detected, it issues corrections during the movement. This ongoing adjustment keeps the action on target even if conditions change or small disturbances occur. That makes the defining feature the ability to alter the movement during execution based on feedback. Think of reaching for a cup that’s slightly off-center or a surgical tool being guided to a precise point—the path is adjusted in real time as sensory information (like vision or proprioception) indicates the limb is off course. This is different from an open-loop approach where the movement is preplanned and executed without using feedback to modify it, or from an endpoint-only check which would imply corrections aren’t made until after the movement finishes.

Closed-loop motor programs rely on feedback to guide movement as it happens. The nervous system continuously compares where the limb actually is with where it’s intended to be, and when an error is detected, it issues corrections during the movement. This ongoing adjustment keeps the action on target even if conditions change or small disturbances occur. That makes the defining feature the ability to alter the movement during execution based on feedback.

Think of reaching for a cup that’s slightly off-center or a surgical tool being guided to a precise point—the path is adjusted in real time as sensory information (like vision or proprioception) indicates the limb is off course. This is different from an open-loop approach where the movement is preplanned and executed without using feedback to modify it, or from an endpoint-only check which would imply corrections aren’t made until after the movement finishes.