This review summarizes early human motor development. From early fetal age motor behavior is based on spontaneous neural activity: activity of networks in the brainstem and spinal cord that is modulated by supraspinal activity. The supraspinal activity, first primarily brought about by the cortical subplate, later by the cortical plate, induces movement variation. Initially, movement variation especially serves exploration; its associated afferent information is primarily used to sculpt the developing nervous system, and less to adapt motor behavior. In the next phase, beginning at function-specific ages, movement variation starts to serve adaptation. In sucking and swallowing, this phase emerges shortly before term age. In speech, gross and fine motor development, it emerges from 3 to 4 months post-term onwards, i.e., when developmental focus in the primary sensory and motor cortices has shifted to the permanent cortical circuitries. With increasing age and increasing trial-and-error exploration, the infant improves its ability to use adaptive and efficicient forms of upright gross motor behavior, manual activities and vocalizations belonging to the native language.

这篇综述总结了人类早期运动的发展。从胎龄开始，运动行为就基于自发的神经活动：脑干和脊髓中网络的活动受到脊髓上活动的调节。棘上活动首先由皮质亚板引起，然后由皮质板引起，引起运动变化。最初，运动变化特别适合于探索；它的相关传入信息主要用于雕刻发育中的神经系统，而很少用于适应运动行为。在下一阶段，从特定于功能的年龄开始，运动变化就开始为适应服务。在吮吸和吞咽中，这一阶段在足月龄之前不久就出现了。在言语中，总体和精细运动的发展，是在足月后的3到4个月内出现的，即 当主要感觉和运动皮层的发展重点转移到永久皮层回路上时。随着年龄的增长和反复试验的探索，婴儿提高了使用适应性和有效形式的立式粗大运动行为，体力活动和母语发音的能力。