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Medical Science Monitor : International... Jun 2024BACKGROUND This study embarked on an innovative exploration to elucidate the effects of integrating electroacupuncture (EA) with motor training (MT) on enhancing...
BACKGROUND This study embarked on an innovative exploration to elucidate the effects of integrating electroacupuncture (EA) with motor training (MT) on enhancing corticospinal excitability and motor learning. Central to this investigation is the interplay between homeostatic and non-homeostatic metaplasticity processes, providing insights into how these combined interventions may influence neural plasticity and motor skill acquisition. MATERIAL AND METHODS The investigation enrolled 20 healthy volunteers, subjecting them to 4 distinct interventions to parse out the individual and combined effects of EA and MT. These interventions were EA alone, MT alone, EA-priming followed by MT, and MT-priming followed by EA. The assessment of changes in primary motor cortex (M1) excitability was conducted through motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), while the grooved pegboard test (GPT) was used to evaluate alterations in motor performance. RESULTS The findings revealed that EA and MT independently contributed to enhanced M1 excitability and motor performance. However, the additional priming with EA or MT did not yield further modulation in MEPs amplitudes. Notably, EA-priming was associated with improved GPT completion times, underscoring its potential in facilitating motor learning. CONCLUSIONS The study underscores that while EA and MT individually augment motor cortex excitability and performance, their synergistic application does not further enhance or inhibit cortical excitability. This points to the involvement of non-homeostatic metaplasticity mechanisms. Nonetheless, EA emerges as a critical tool in preventing M1 overstimulation, thereby continuously fostering motor learning. The findings call for further research into the strategic application of EA, whether in isolation or with MT, within clinical settings to optimize rehabilitation outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Electroacupuncture; Male; Motor Cortex; Learning; Female; Evoked Potentials, Motor; Adult; Healthy Volunteers; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Neuronal Plasticity; Young Adult; Motor Skills; Pyramidal Tracts
PubMed: 38853414
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.943748 -
Improvisation and live accompaniment increase motor response and reward during a music playing task.Scientific Reports Jun 2024Music provides a reward that can enhance learning and motivation in humans. While music is often combined with exercise to improve performance and upregulate mood, the...
Music provides a reward that can enhance learning and motivation in humans. While music is often combined with exercise to improve performance and upregulate mood, the relationship between music-induced reward and motor output is poorly understood. Here, we study music reward and motor output at the same time by capitalizing on music playing. Specifically, we investigate the effects of music improvisation and live accompaniment on motor, autonomic, and affective responses. Thirty adults performed a drumming task while (i) improvising or maintaining the beat and (ii) with live or recorded accompaniment. Motor response was characterized by acceleration of hand movements (accelerometry), wrist flexor and extensor muscle activation (electromyography), and the drum strike count (i.e., the number of drum strikes played). Autonomic arousal was measured by tonic response of electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate (HR). Affective responses were measured by a 12-item Likert scale. The combination of improvisation and live accompaniment, as compared to all other conditions, significantly increased acceleration of hand movements and muscle activation, as well as participant reports of reward during music playing. Improvisation, regardless of type of accompaniment, increased the drum strike count and autonomic arousal (including tonic EDA responses and several measures of HR), as well as participant reports of challenge. Importantly, increased motor response was associated with increased reward ratings during music improvisation, but not while participants were maintaining the beat. The increased motor responses achieved with improvisation and live accompaniment have important implications for enhancing dose of movement during exercise and physical rehabilitation.
Topics: Humans; Music; Male; Female; Reward; Adult; Young Adult; Electromyography; Heart Rate; Movement; Hand; Psychomotor Performance; Motivation
PubMed: 38849348
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62794-6 -
Journal of Vision Jun 2024The interception (or avoidance) of moving objects is a common component of various daily living tasks; however, it remains unclear whether precise alignment of foveal...
The interception (or avoidance) of moving objects is a common component of various daily living tasks; however, it remains unclear whether precise alignment of foveal vision with a target is important for motor performance. Furthermore, there has also been little examination of individual differences in visual tracking strategy and the use of anticipatory gaze adjustments. We examined the importance of in-flight tracking and predictive visual behaviors using a virtual reality environment that required participants (n = 41) to intercept tennis balls projected from one of two possible locations. Here, we explored whether different tracking strategies spontaneously arose during the task, and which were most effective. Although indices of closer in-flight tracking (pursuit gain, tracking coherence, tracking lag, and saccades) were predictive of better interception performance, these relationships were rather weak. Anticipatory gaze shifts toward the correct release location of the ball provided no benefit for subsequent interception. Nonetheless, two interceptive strategies were evident: 1) early anticipation of the ball's onset location followed by attempts to closely track the ball in flight (i.e., predictive strategy); or 2) positioning gaze between possible onset locations and then using peripheral vision to locate the moving ball (i.e., a visual pivot strategy). Despite showing much poorer in-flight foveal tracking of the ball, participants adopting a visual pivot strategy performed slightly better in the task. Overall, these results indicate that precise alignment of the fovea with the target may not be critical for interception tasks, but that observers can adopt quite varied visual guidance approaches.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Young Adult; Motion Perception; Adult; Individuality; Psychomotor Performance; Fixation, Ocular; Virtual Reality; Saccades; Fovea Centralis; Eye Movements
PubMed: 38842836
DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.6.4 -
Journal of Vision Jun 2024Ensemble processing allows the visual system to condense visual information into useful summary statistics (e.g., average size), thereby overcoming capacity limitations... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Ensemble processing allows the visual system to condense visual information into useful summary statistics (e.g., average size), thereby overcoming capacity limitations to visual working memory and attention. To examine the role of attention in ensemble processing, we conducted three experiments using a novel paradigm that merged the action effect (a manipulation of attention) and ensemble processing. Participants were instructed to make a simple action if the feature of a cue word corresponded to a subsequent shape. Immediately after, they were shown an ensemble display of eight ovals of varying sizes and were asked to report either the average size of all ovals or the size of a single oval from the set. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were cued with a task-relevant feature, and in Experiment 3, participants were cued with a task-irrelevant feature. Overall, the task-relevant cues that elicited an action influenced reports of average size in the ensemble phase more than the cues that were passively viewed, whereas task-irrelevant cues did not bias the reports of average size. The results of this study suggest that attention influences ensemble processing only when it is directed toward a task-relevant feature.
Topics: Humans; Attention; Cues; Young Adult; Male; Female; Photic Stimulation; Adult; Memory, Short-Term; Reaction Time; Size Perception; Form Perception; Psychomotor Performance; Pattern Recognition, Visual
PubMed: 38842835
DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.6.5 -
Journal of Sports Science & Medicine Jun 2024Agility, defined as the ability to rapidly respond to unforeseen events, constitutes a central performance component in football. Existing agility training approaches... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Agility, defined as the ability to rapidly respond to unforeseen events, constitutes a central performance component in football. Existing agility training approaches often focus on change of direction that does not reflect the complex motor-cognitive demands on the pitch. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of a novel motor-cognitive dual-task agility training (Multiple-object tracking integrated into agility training) on agility and football-specific test performance parameters, compared to agility and a change of direction (COD) training. Adult male amateur football players (n = 42; age: 27±6; height: 181±7cm; weight: 80±12kg) were randomly allocated to one of the three intervention groups (COD, agility, agility + multiple object tracking). The Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT), a dribbling test with/without cognitive task as well as the Random Star Run (with/without ball) and the modified T-Test were assessed before and after a 6-week training period. Time effects within the T-Test (F = 83.9; p < 0.001; η = 0.68) and dribbling test without cognitive task (F = 23.9; p < 0.001; η = 0.38) with improvements of all intervention groups (p < 0.05) were found. Dribbling with cognitive task revealed a time effect (F = 7.8; p = 0.008; η = 0.17), with improvements exclusively in the agility and dual-task agility groups (p < 0.05). Random Star Run with and without ball exhibited a time (F = 38.8; p < 0.001; η = 0.5; F = 82.7; p < 0.001; η = 0.68) and interaction effect (F = 14.14; p < 0.001; η = 0.42; F = 27.8; p < 0.001; η = 0.59), with improvements for the agility and dual-task agility groups. LSPT showed no time, group or interaction effect. The effects of change of direction training are limited to change of direction and dribbling test performance within preplanned scenarios. In contrast, motor-cognitive agility interventions result in notable enhancements in football-specific and agility tests, incorporating decision-making and multitasking components. No differences were observed between agility and agility + multiple object tracking. To achieve a transfer to game-relevant performance, coaches should focus on integrating cognitive challenges into motor training.
Topics: Humans; Male; Athletic Performance; Soccer; Adult; Cognition; Motor Skills; Young Adult; Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise Test; Running
PubMed: 38841643
DOI: 10.52082/jssm.2024.276 -
Journal of Neuroengineering and... Jun 2024This scoping review aims to explore published literature testing Virtual Reality (VR) interventions for improving upper limb motor performance in children and... (Review)
Review
Evaluating the impact of virtual reality game training on upper limb motor performance in children and adolescents with developmental coordination disorder: a scoping review using the ICF framework.
OBJECTIVE
This scoping review aims to explore published literature testing Virtual Reality (VR) interventions for improving upper limb motor performance in children and adolescents with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Our primary focus was on the types of VR systems used and the measurement tools employed within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Children and Youth Version (ICF-CY) domains in these studies.
METHODS
A comprehensive search of six electronic databases up to 11th January 2024 was conducted using predefined terms. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to determine study eligibility, with two authors independently assessing titles, abstracts, and full-text articles.
RESULTS
Out of 788 potential studies, 14 met the eligibility criteria. Studies predominantly utilized non-immersive VR (nVR) systems, for example, commercial platforms such as Nintendo Wii. Most interventions targeted general motor coordination or balance, with only four studies specifically focusing on upper limb motor performance. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 was the predominant assessment tool. However, the use of game scores and trial durations raised concerns about the accuracy of assessments. The majority of studies reported no significant improvement in upper limb motor performance following VR interventions, though some noted improvements in specific tasks or overall outcomes.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that, while nVR interventions are being explored for paediatric motor rehabilitation, their impact on enhancing upper limb motor performance in children with DCD is unclear. The variability in intervention designs, outcome measures, and the predominant focus on general motor skills rather than specific upper limb improvements highlight the need for more targeted research in this area.
IMPACT
This review underscores the importance of developing precise and clinically relevant measurement tools in a broader range of VR technologies to optimize the use of VR in therapy for children with DCD. Future research should aim for more rigorous study designs and emerging immersive technologies to maximize therapeutic benefits.
Topics: Humans; Motor Skills Disorders; Child; Adolescent; Upper Extremity; Virtual Reality; Video Games; International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; Motor Skills; Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
PubMed: 38840217
DOI: 10.1186/s12984-024-01393-y -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024The growth of certain human brain structures peaks at early ages, and complex motor interventions could positively facilitate this process. This study aims to offer an... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Motor development-focused exercise training enhances gross motor skills more effectively than ordinary physical activity in healthy preschool children: an updated meta-analysis.
PURPOSE
The growth of certain human brain structures peaks at early ages, and complex motor interventions could positively facilitate this process. This study aims to offer an updated meta-analysis regarding the effectiveness of motor development-focused exercise training on gross motor skills in preschool children.
METHODS
We searched English- and Chinese-language electronic databases as of March 2024. The main eligibility criteria were as follows: participants were healthy children aged 3 to 6 years old, and the experimental design was a randomized controlled trial, with the control arm participating in either free play or ordinary physical education curriculum. We conducted a Hartung-Knapp random-effects meta-analysis of the standardized mean difference for locomotor, object control, or gross motor quotient.
RESULTS
The search identified 23 eligible studies, of which approximately 75% were considered to have a low risk of bias. Compared with active control, exercise training showed a large to very large effect size. Cohen's d values were 1.13, 1.55, and 1.53 for locomotor, object control, and gross motor quotient, respectively. From a probabilistic viewpoint, these effect sizes correspond to events that are "very likely to occur" and "almost sure to occur." Due to variations in intervention programs, all outcome measures showed high heterogeneity.
CONCLUSION
This updated meta-analysis offers a realistic synthesis of the current evidence, leading to the conclusion that targeted motor skill exercise training can almost certainly enhance preschool children's gross motor skills. Practical implications are discussed regarding the refinement of the instructional framework and the dissemination of these findings in preschool settings.
Topics: Humans; Child, Preschool; Motor Skills; Exercise; Child; Child Development; Male; Female; Physical Education and Training; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38835603
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1414152 -
PloS One 2024With the rapid development of intelligent connected vehicles, there is an increasing demand for hardware facilities and onboard systems of driver assistance systems....
With the rapid development of intelligent connected vehicles, there is an increasing demand for hardware facilities and onboard systems of driver assistance systems. Currently, most vehicles are constrained by the hardware resources of onboard systems, which mainly process single-task and single-sensor data. This poses a significant challenge in achieving complex panoramic driving perception technology. While the panoramic driving perception algorithm YOLOP has achieved outstanding performance in multi-task processing, it suffers from poor adaptability of feature map pooling operations and loss of details during downsampling. To address these issues, this paper proposes a panoramic driving perception fusion algorithm based on multi-task learning. The model training involves the introduction of different loss functions and a series of processing steps for lidar point cloud data. Subsequently, the perception information from lidar and vision sensors is fused to achieve synchronized processing of multi-task and multi-sensor data, thereby effectively improving the performance and reliability of the panoramic driving perception system. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm in multi-task processing, the BDD100K dataset is used. The results demonstrate that, compared to the YOLOP model, the multi-task learning network performs better in lane detection, drivable area detection, and vehicle detection tasks. Specifically, the lane detection accuracy improves by 11.6%, the mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) for drivable area detection increases by 2.1%, and the mean Average Precision at 50% IoU (mAP50) for vehicle detection improves by 3.7%.
Topics: Algorithms; Humans; Automobile Driving; Task Performance and Analysis
PubMed: 38833435
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304691 -
African Journal of Primary Health Care... May 2024Childhood is an important transitional period for the development of healthy physical activity (PA) behaviours, so it is important to understand its impact on a...
BACKGROUND
Childhood is an important transitional period for the development of healthy physical activity (PA) behaviours, so it is important to understand its impact on a healthy lifestyle.
AIM
This study aimed to determine the influences of sex, socioeconomic status (SES) and body composition (BC) on the relationships between PA, motor skills, motor- and health-related physical fitness in 5-8-year-olds.
SETTING
Participants were a subsample consisting of 299 children (150 boys, 149 girls, mean age 6.83 ± 0.96 years) from the Exercise, Arterial Modulation and Nutrition in Youth South Africa study (ExAMIN Youth SA).
METHODS
Anthropometric measures, health-related physical fitness (HRPF), motor-related physical fitness (MRPF), objectively measured PA and demographic information were determined.
RESULTS
Only 66% achieved the recommended 60 min of daily moderate vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with 19% classified as having unhealthy body composition (11% overweight, 8% obese). Fat-free mass and SES revealed small-to-moderate influences on the relationship between MVPA, standing broad jump (SBJ; r = 0.32), predicted VO2max (r = 0.28) and beep levels (r = 0.22). For MRPF, the quality of running (r = 0.12) and balancing were associated with MVPA. Adjusting for sex, BC and SES in the relationship between PA with HRPF and MRPF, reductions in most correlations were observed.
CONCLUSION
Moderate vigorous physical activity levels were positively associated with HRPF, MRPF and some motor skills in 5-8-year-olds. Socioeconomic status (lower parental income, employment and education negatively influenced the association between MVPA and fitness [beeps, SBJ, O2max]).Contribution: This study provides knowledge with regard to the use of accelerometer for baseline data for PA, MRPF, HRPF as well as motor skills in South African children.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Physical Fitness; Motor Skills; Child; South Africa; Exercise; Child, Preschool; Body Composition; Social Class; Sex Factors
PubMed: 38832375
DOI: 10.4102/phcfm.v16i1.4258 -
Accident; Analysis and Prevention Sep 2024Paramedics face various unconventional and secondary task demands while driving ambulances, leading to significant cognitive load, especially during lights-and-sirens...
Paramedics face various unconventional and secondary task demands while driving ambulances, leading to significant cognitive load, especially during lights-and-sirens responses. Previous research suggests that high cognitive load negatively affects driving performance, increasing the risk of accidents, particularly for inexperienced drivers. The current study investigated the impact of anticipatory treatment planning on cognitive load during emergency driving, as assessed through the use of a driving simulator. We recruited 28 non-paramedic participants to complete a simulated baseline drive with no task and a cognitive load manipulation using the 1-back task. We also recruited 18 paramedicine students who completed a drive while considering two cases they were travelling to: cardiac arrest and infant seizure, representing varying difficulty in required treatment. The results indicated that both cases imposed considerable cognitive load, as indicated by NASA Task Load Index responses, comparable to the 1-back task and significantly higher than driving with no load. These findings suggest that contemplating cases and treatment plans may impact the safety of novice paramedics driving ambulances for emergency response. Further research should explore the influence of experience and the presence of a second individual in the vehicle to generalise to broader emergency response driving contexts.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Automobile Driving; Adult; Cognition; Young Adult; Seizures; Computer Simulation; Allied Health Personnel; Ambulances; Infant; Emergency Treatment; Task Performance and Analysis; Paramedicine
PubMed: 38830295
DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2024.107646