Current status of the motor program: Revisited

The motor program is a concept that has had a major influence on theorizing in the field of motor control. However, there has been a lack of consensus as to what exactly is a motor program and its role in movement organization and execution. In 1994 Morris, Summers, Matyas, and Iansek concluded from a review of the application of the motor program concept in the field of physical therapy that continued use of the term may impede progress in the field. In this paper we examine what has happened to the motor program concept in the thirteen years since the previous evaluation. The review indicates that although the term is still being used in different ways, the theoretical existence of a motor program appears to be generally accepted by researchers in experimental psychology, movement science, and neurophysiology. The recent development of powerful brain imaging techniques may allow determination of whether the motor program should be regarded as a metaphorical or literal concept.