Sample Answer

Overview Statement

• The CNS undergoes progressive changes as learners advance from cognitive to automatic stages of skill acquisition.
• These neural transformations work together to alter conscious, effortful movements into smooth, automatic performance.

Component Relationship 1: Conscious Control to Automation

• The prefrontal cortex initially dominates processing as beginners think through each movement component.
• High conscious demands result in learners mentally processing grip width, foot position and lifting sequence separately.
• As practice continues, the basal ganglia develops automated motor programs that enable movement execution without conscious thought.
• Elite lifters focus on explosive power because technique runs automatically.
• This shift reveals how thinking parts of the brain gradually hand over control to automatic movement centres.

Component Relationship 2: Neural Efficiency and Structural Changes

• Neural pathways strengthen through repeated practice, with myelination increasing signal speed between connections.
• The snatch movement becomes smoother as pathways between motor regions strengthen.
• Meanwhile, the cerebellum refines movement timing by comparing intended movements with actual performance.
• Bar path becomes consistent through cerebellar error correction.
• Additionally, overall neural activation decreases for the same movement, demonstrating increased efficiency.
• Brain scans show less activation in skilled lifters compared to beginners.

Implications and Synthesis

• These adaptations work together to create skilled performance.
• Structural changes combine with functional shifts to produce neural efficiency.
• Therefore, complex skill learning depends on multiple CNS adaptations occurring simultaneously, transforming high-effort conscious control into efficient automatic execution.

Sample Answer

• The frontal lobe engages in planning and decision-making during initial learning. This helps break down the routine into manageable components and maintain technique focus.
• Motor cortex regions generate specific neural commands for each movement. This causes dedicated areas to control different body parts needed for the routine. These signals enable precise voluntary control.
• Proprioceptive information about body position is processed by the parietal lobe. This results in maintained balance on the narrow beam surface. This occurs because spatial awareness is crucial for stability.
• Timing and precision of movements are coordinated by the cerebellum, which compares intended actions with actual performance. This leads to micro-adjustments during execution for improved accuracy.
• Auditory cues and coaching instructions are processed by the temporal lobe, contributing to memory formation of the routine sequence. Meanwhile, the basal ganglia facilitate transition from conscious execution to automatic performance as practice continues, thus allocating attention resources more efficiently.

Sample Answer

Sensory Processing:

• Visual cortex processes the ball’s changed trajectory after net deflection.
• Parietal lobe interprets spatial relationships between player and ball.
• Cerebellum receives proprioceptive feedback about current body position.

Decision Making:

• Frontal lobe rapidly evaluates options for adjusted positioning.
• Motor cortex plans modified movement pattern for the new ball path.
• Integration occurs between visual and spatial information.

Response Execution:

• Motor cortex sends adjusted signals through spinal cord to muscles.
• Cerebellum coordinates balance during rapid repositioning.
• Continuous sensory feedback allows real-time movement refinements.
• Entire process occurs within milliseconds for successful reception.

\(C\)

Sample Answer

Judgement Statement:

• The central nervous system proves highly important for marathon performance.
• It strongly meets criteria for voluntary movement control and adequately fulfils involuntary regulation requirements.

Voluntary Movement Control:

• The motor cortex strongly meets voluntary control requirements through continuous pacing decisions throughout the race.
• Frontal lobe planning enables runners to adjust pace based on energy levels and race conditions.
• Conscious changes to stride length and running rhythm help maintain efficiency over long distances.
• The brain processes environmental factors like hills, wind and temperature to adapt technique accordingly.
• Voluntary CNS control proves essential for maintaining good running form over 42.2 kilometres.
• Mental strategies and motivation also depend on higher brain centres.

Involuntary Regulation:

• The brain stem adequately fulfils automatic breathing and heart rate control without conscious effort.
• Temperature regulation through the hypothalamus prevents overheating by triggering sweating and blood vessel changes.
• Involuntary postural adjustments maintain balance and stability despite increasing fatigue.
• However, CNS involuntary control shows limitations when energy stores run low in later stages.
• Automatic functions can struggle during extreme exhaustion, requiring conscious effort to override natural stopping signals.
• The “wall” at 30-35km partly results from CNS protective mechanisms.

Final Evaluation:

• The CNS demonstrates high importance for marathon success, with voluntary control being more critical than involuntary regulation.
• While involuntary functions adequately maintain basic body needs, voluntary decision-making and movement control determine race outcomes.
• The CNS’s dual role proves essential for marathon completion, managing both conscious strategies and automatic responses.
• Voluntary control matters more because runners who pace poorly or lose form will struggle regardless of how well their automatic functions work.

Sample Answer

• Cerebellum damage directly impairs coordination and balance control.
• This causes athletes to struggle with fine movements and postural adjustments during sport.
• Basketball players cannot shoot accurately because the cerebellum normally refines these precise movements.
• As a result, they lose the smooth, coordinated actions essential for performance.
    
• Motor cortex damage leads to weakness or paralysis in specific body regions.
• This occurs because the motor cortex has a mapped organisation controlling different body parts.
• Damage to leg regions prevents running while arm regions result in lost throwing abilities.
• Therefore, the location of motor cortex damage determines which movements are affected.
    
• Parietal lobe damage affects spatial awareness and body positioning.
• This impairs the brain’s ability to integrate sensory information with movement planning.
• Athletes cannot judge distances accurately which means they struggle to navigate playing fields effectively.
• Consequently, sports requiring spatial judgment become extremely difficult.
    
• Brain regions normally work together through neural networks.
• When damage occurs to one area, it disrupts communication with other regions.
• Combined deficits appear worse than individual impairments because the integrated brain function is compromised.
• Thus, athletic performance depends on all movement-related brain regions working together.

• The cerebellum coordinates balance and precise timing throughout the routine.
• It processes proprioceptive feedback and adjusts body position to maintain stability.
• During spins or jumps, the cerebellum makes micro-adjustments to prevent falling, which enables continuous balance control.
    
• The motor cortex plans and executes voluntary movements for each skill.
• This causes specific signals to travel to muscles for planned elements like leaps and turns.
• Different cortex regions control arms for balance while legs perform movements, demonstrating how motor cortex coordinates complex voluntary actions.
    
• The parietal lobe processes spatial awareness and body position.
• This creates a mental map of body location relative to the beam.
• Gymnasts know their position without looking down during blind landings because spatial processing guides movement accuracy.
    
• All brain areas work simultaneously through neural connections.
• Information flows constantly between regions to coordinate the routine.
• Visual, spatial and motor information combine resulting in seamless performance.
• Brain integration thus produces coordinated movement.

Sample Answer

• Visual cortex processes the defender’s movement and sends signals to the frontal lobe.
• Motor cortex plans the new kick direction and adjusts the movement pattern.
• The cerebellum coordinates balance and timing for the modified kick.
• Signals travel through the spinal cord to leg muscles to execute the adjusted movement.

\(D\)

\(C\)

\(B\)