Safe(r) landing by older people: A matter of complexity

Maintaining balance is a complex motor problem that requires coordinated contributions from multiple biological systems. Aging inevitably lessens the fidelity of biological systems, which can result in an increased risk of falling, and associated injuries. It is advantageous to land safely, but falls manifest in diverse ways, so different motor solutions are required to land safely. However, without considerable practice, it is difficult to recall the appropriate motor solution for a fall and then apply it effectively in the brief duration before hitting the ground. A complex systems perspective provides a lens through which to view the problem of safe-landing. It may be possible to use motor analogies to promote degeneracy within the perceptual-motor system so that, regardless of the direction in which an older person falls, their body self-organizes to land with less likelihood of injury

Application of analogy learning in softball batting: Comparing novice and intermediate players.

Thisfield-based study developed and implemented analogy instructions for softballbatting, and examined batting performance outcomes. A focus-group discussioninvolving a coach and a number of team captains of a collegiate-level softball teamidentified the typical instructions used for batting (i.e., explicit) and developed ananalogy instruction that combined these rules in 1 biomechanical metaphor (i.e.,swing your bat like you are breaking a tree in front of you with an axe). A total of40 collegiate-level club players (20 novices and 20 intermediates) were assigned toeither an analogy learning or an explicit learning group and took part in 6 trainingsessions. Batting performance was assessed using a standardized criteria-basedrating scale in single-task pretest and posttest, and a dual-task test after training.The findings show that the novice, but not the intermediate players, displayedsignificant improvements in batting performance after training. Novices who re-ceived the analogy instruction displayed stable batting performance in the dual-tasktest, but novices who received explicit instructions, and intermediate players whoreceived the analogy instruction, displayed batting performance decrements. Thefindings suggest that the benefits of analogy instructions are evident only innovices; learners’ previous experiences must, therefore, be carefully consideredwhen developing coaching programs

The effects of unilateral hand contractions on conscious control in early motor learning

Hemisphere asymmetry can be influenced by hand contractions. Brain imaging studies have indicated that pre-performance left-hand contractions may reduce verbal-analytical engagement in motor planning, whereas pre-performance right-hand contractions may increase verbal-analytical engagement in motor planning. This study examined whether a pre-performance left-hand contraction protocol reduced verbal-analytical engagement during practice of a golf putting task, thereby causing implicit motor learning. Forty-eight golf-novices were randomly allocated to left-hand contractions, right-hand contractions or no hand-contractions (control) groups. A line bisection task was conducted as a manipulation check of whether hemisphere asymmetry occurred. All participants practiced a golf putting task, with their allotted hand contraction protocol performed for 30 sec before every ten putts. Thereafter, participants completed two retention tests (blocks of single-task putting) before and after one transfer test (a block of dual-task putting). Different objective and subjective measures of verbal-analytical engagement were collected. Golf putting accuracy and kinematicswere assessed. Additionally, mood-state as a function of hemisphere asymmetry was measured. The line bisection task did not reveal a hemisphere asymmetry effect of the different hand contraction protocols. All groups equally improved during practice; however, the no hand-contraction (control) group showed better performance during both retention tests compared to left-hand and right-hand contraction groups. All groups performed worse in the dual-task transfer test. The objective and subjective measures of verbal-analytical engagement revealed no effect of hand contractions. General mood-state decreased for all groups from pre-to post-practice. Unilateral hand contractions prior to practicing the golf-putting task did not affect performance differently fromthe no hand-contraction (control) group. However, hand contractions resulted in worse performance compared to the no hand-contraction group during the retention tests, and dual-task transfer performance disrupted performance in all groups. No differences in verbal-analytical engagement were evident. Consequently, left-hand contractions did not promote implicit motor learning. Possible explanations and recommendations for future studies are discussed

Getting to the Root of Fine Motor Skill Performance in Dentistry: Brain Activity During Dental Tasks in a Virtual Reality Haptic Simulation.

BACKGROUND: There is little evidence considering the relationship between movement-specific reinvestment (a dimension of personality which refers to the propensity for individuals to consciously monitor and control their movements) and working memory during motor skill performance. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measuring oxyhemoglobin demands in the frontal cortex during performance of virtual reality (VR) psychomotor tasks can be used to examine this research gap. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the potential relationship between the propensity to reinvest and blood flow to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices of the brain. A secondary aim was to determine the propensity to reinvest and performance during 2 dental tasks carried out using haptic VR simulators. METHODS: We used fNIRS to assess oxygen demands in 24 undergraduate dental students during 2 dental tasks (clinical, nonclinical) on a VR haptic simulator. We used the Movement-Specific Reinvestment Scale questionnaire to assess the students' propensity to reinvest. RESULTS: Students with a high propensity for movement-specific reinvestment displayed significantly greater oxyhemoglobin demands in an area associated with working memory during the nonclinical task (Spearman correlation, rs=.49, P=.03). CONCLUSIONS: This small-scale study suggests that neurophysiological differences are evident between high and low reinvesters during a dental VR task in terms of oxyhemoglobin demands in an area associated with working memory

The possible benefits of reduced errors in the motor skills acquisition of children

An implicit approach to motor learning suggests that relatively complex movement skills may be better acquired in environments that constrain errors during the initial stages of practice. This current concept paper proposes that reducing the number of errors committed during motor learning leads to stable performance when attention demands are increased by concurrent cognitive tasks. While it appears that this approach to practice may be beneficial for motor learning, further studies are needed to both confirm this advantage and better understand the underlying mechanisms. An approach involving error minimization during early learning may have important applications in paediatric rehabilitation

Examining movement specific reinvestment and working memory capacity in adults and children

Two studies were conducted to explore the relationship between verbal and visual working memory capacity, the propensity for conscious monitoring and control of movement, and performance of a novel tennis hitting task. In children (Study 1), verbal working memory capacity was positively associated with the score on a validated psychometric measure of the propensity for conscious monitoring and control of motor performance (the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale). A similar relationship was evident in Study 2 for adults. Additionally, Study 2 showed that performance of a novel tennis hitting task improved during a pressured condition following an unpressured condition. Verbal working memory capacity predicted the amount of improvement in performance, with lower capacity performers displaying greater improvements than higher capacity participants. The findings are discussed in the context of cognitive demands of problem solving and hypothesis testing during early skill acquisition and implicit motor learning theory

Aprendizagem significativa como alicerce para metodologias ativas no ensino de ciências: uma interlocução em prol da educação de jovens e adultos

The article presents reflections on how the education of young people and adults can be reframed, in the search for an active participation of the student, in which he is the protagonist and subject of his learning. It highlights the importance of teacher training to work in this type of teaching. This is a bibliographic, descriptive research, based on the experience in the classroom and through the reading of vast bibliographic material, which motivated the deepening of the theme, prioritizing reference authors, such as: Freire, Ausubel, Moran, Chassot. In addition to presenting fundamental concepts related to meaningful learning, the importance of active methodologies is highlighted, which can become effective strategies for meaningful learning in science in youth and adult education.O artigo apresenta reflexões sobre como a educação de jovens e adultos pode ser ressignificada, na busca de uma participação ativa do aluno, na qual ele seja protagonista e sujeito de sua aprendizagem. Destaca a importância da formação docente para atuar nessa modalidade de ensino. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica, descritiva, elaborada com base na experiência em sala de aula e por meio de leitura de vasto material bibliográfico, que motivaram o aprofundamento do tema, priorizando autores de referência, como: Freire, Ausubel, Moran, Chassot. Além de apresentar conceitos fundamentais relacionados à aprendizagem significativa, é destacada a importância das metodologias ativas, que podem se tornar estratégias eficazes para a aprendizagem significativa em ciências na educação de jovens e adultos

Mild traumatic brain injury and the propensity for movement specific reinvestment

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) occurs from biomechanical forces on the brain, leading to pathophysiological changes that cause cognitive, perceptual, and/or motor impairments. Following mTBI, individuals are likely to be concerned about preventing pain or re-injury, therefore, we asked whether they had greater propensity to consciously monitor and control their movements. We also examined whether an association exists between the propensity to consciously monitor and control movements and mTBI clinical factors (time since most recent mTBI, number of mTBI, symptom severity). 157 participants with mTBI and 188 controls completed the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS) to measure the propensity for conscious monitoring and control of movements (i.e., movement specific reinvestment). Multivariate analysis of variance was used to explore scores on the MSRS as a function of mTBI/control and males/females with and without history of mTBI. Compared to controls, people with mTBI scored higher on both MSRS sub-scales (conscious motor processing, movement self-consciousness). Irrespective of mTBI history, females scored higher on the movement self-consciousness sub-scale. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between movement specific reinvestment and mTBI clinical factors. Time since most recent mTBI was negatively associated with conscious motor processing, suggesting that during early stages of recovery, people with mTBI are more likely to consciously control their movements. No association was evident between movement specific reinvestment and number of mTBI or symptom severity. Further understanding the relationship between conscious motor processes and mTBI may help tailor rehabilitation strategies to meet individual needs of those with mTBI

Conscious motor processing and the pressure-performance relationship: a systematic review

This systematic review examined evidence for the role of conscious motor processing in the pressure-performance relationship and, specifically, whether pressure-induced changes in conscious motor processing are associated with pressure-induced changes in performance. Following PRISMA guidelines, 29 studies published up to 22 August 2022 were included. Studies were required to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, include a pressure manipulation, include an outcome measure of conscious motor processing, and examine the performance of a perceptual-motor skill. Studies were excluded if conscious motor processing was experimentally manipulated, the research design involved skill acquisition strategies that influenced conscious motor processing, or the study was unpublished or not published in English. Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases. Risk of bias was assessed with the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies, and the strength of evidence was determined with the sum code classification system. Results confirmed that pressure generally increases conscious motor processing but there was insufficient evidence to conclude that conscious motor processing directly contributes to pressure-induced changes in motor skill performance. Future studies are encouraged to directly test for mediation and to contrast the effects of conscious motor processing with other cognitive processes evoked by pressure (e.g. distraction)