Dynamic Pattern Theory—Some Implications for Therapeutics

This article introduces the Dynamic Pattern Theory of movement coordination and discusses possible implications of the theory for therapy. Basic constructs such as order parameters and control parameters, fluctuations, time-scale relations, and self-organization are discussed. Emphasis is given to their potential use to assess the coordination of functional motor acts. The theory's predictions about how motor acts are organized and the implications of its tenets for motor learning and the recovery of motor function are described briefly. A number of implications derived from the theory may support treatment strategies already in place and provide new insights for the future development of such strategies.