Perceptual and Motor Skills最新文献

Low back pain is a common health problem. In this study, we investigated the effects of yoga, physical therapy (PT), and home exercise (HE) on pain perception, function, stress, and quality of life in chronic low back pain (cLBP). We randomly assigned 54 participants to three distinct treatment groups: (a) a physical therapy group (PT) who received spinal stabilization exercises (SSE) combined with local heat and transcutaneous electrical stimulation; (b) a home exercise group (HE) who received SSE as part of the home program; and (c) a yoga group who received yoga exercises. The primary outcome measures were a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for measuring pain, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to measure function. Secondary outcome measures were the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), pain sensitivity (L3 and deltoid R/L PPTs), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), plasma cortisol and DHEA-S levels, Transversus Abdominis (TrA) muscle activation, and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Assessments were conducted before and after a six-week intervention period. All three groups demonstrated improvements in pain on the VAS, function on the ODI, pain sensitivity on the L3 and deltoid R/L PPTs, CSI, anxiety on the STAI, TrA muscle activation, and quality of life on the NHP (p < .05). The PT group exhibited a more pronounced improvement on the ODI score (p < .05) than the other groups. Cortisol levels only decreased in the PT group (p < .05). The exercises did not impact DHEA-S and NHP-S parameters. Thus, all interventions resulted in decreased stress, pain intensity, pain sensitivity, central sensitization, and improved function and quality of life; there was no singularly superior approach between interventions. These findings will aid in tailoring treatment programs for managing cLBP according to individual needs.

In recent years, there has been growing scientific interest in the neuropsychophysiological aspects of soccer performance. The purpose of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis to identify and review key topics within the neuropsychophysiological dimensions of soccer performance and identify any research voids that warrant further attention. We retrieved 192 documents from the Scopus database and anayzed the extracted data using VOSviewer software to conduct a bibliometric analysis. We applied both performance analysis techniques (including the number of documents per year, top 20 authors by citations, and top 15 sources by documents) and science mapping analysis (co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, co-citation, and co-occurrence). The co-occurrence analysis identified three main clusters of research themes. The first cluster focused on the relationship between physical performance and cognitive factors, the second on technical-tactical performance, and the third on health and well-being. Our findings emphasize the significant role of neuropsychophysiological factors in all aspects of soccer performance. We highlight the importance of integrating cognitive and physical training to enhance player performance and underscore the need for further research to deepen our understanding of these relationships.

For judo athletes with visual impairments and their coaches, understanding possible muscle adaptations can be challenging. As it is commonplace for these adaptations to include interlimb asymmetry, we analyzed the magnitude and direction of interlimb asymmetry in judo athletes with visual impairments and verified the association of this asymmetry with their unilateral physical performances. Participants were 18 elite judo athletes (10 male, 8 female) with visual impairments. These athletes performed three physical tests: countermovement jump (CMJ), medicine ball throw (MBT), and handgrip strength (HGS), while we conducted unilateral right and left side assessments using the interlimb asymmetry equation for each physical test. Our main results showed that the CMJ and MBT tests presented asymmetry values above 10%; with CMJ significantly higher than HGS (p = 0.050), and with inconsistencies across the three tests in the direction of interlimb asymmetry (k = -0.22-0.26). Unilateral CMJ (left limb) was negatively correlated with asymmetry (r = -0.51; p = 0.031), and unilateral MBT (right limb) was positively correlated with asymmetry (r = 0.52; p = 0.024). Based on these results, coaches should prioritize regular assessments of interlimb asymmetry using these specific tests. This data can guide the construction of training programs aimed at minimizing asymmetry and enhancing overall physical performance. Continuous monitoring and adjustment of training strategies based on asymmetry findings are crucial for optimizing muscle balance in judo athletes with visual impairments.

Recent case reports have emphasized the essential clinical contribution of telerehabilitation in the treatment of facial palsy. However, no randomized controlled trial has yet demonstrated the effects of telerehabilitation-based facial exercise therapy. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of video exercise-based telerehabilitation on motor and non-motor clinical outcomes in adults with facial palsy. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 40 peripheral facial palsy patients. Those in the experimental group (EG) received four weeks of telerehabilitation-based video exercises and routine care. Those in the control group (CG) received only routine care. All participants were evaluated with the Facial Disability Index (FDI), the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale (FaCE), Short Form-12 (SF-12), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the House-Brackmann Scale (H-B) and the Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire (TSUQ), both before and after the interventions. Both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in FDI, FaCE, and SF-12 PCS scores (p < .05). In addition, there was a significant improvement only in EG on the SF-12 MCS score (p < .05), and there was a significant gain only in CG on the HADS-Depression score (p < .05). While these results provide a further contribution to our understanding of telerehabilitation benefits in mental health variables related to quality of life for facial palsy patients, we found no EG and CG differences on the physical components of treatment.

High competence in fundamental motor skills (FMS) and adequate physical fitness (PF) levels are a solid foundation for acquiring an active and healthy lifestyle during childhood and adolescence. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to compare gender and age groups and identify correlations between FMS and PF in young elementary school students. We used a structured questionnaire to gather sociodemographic information from parents, and we characterized the children's economic profile with the Brazil Social Economic Status Criterion. We collected FMS data using the Furtado-Gallagher Children Observational Movement Pattern Assessment System (FG-COMPASS), and we used the Brazil Sports Project Battery Test to measure PF levels. Statistical analyses involved descriptive data and inferential tests to determine group differences in FMS and PF levels. Hierarchical regression helped identify the associations between FMS and PF, as controlled by sociodemographic factors. Participants were 720 students (and parents) of both genders (383 girls, 337 boys; M age = 8.8, SD = 1.52 years) from grades 1 to 5 in an elementary school in a municipality in the western region of the Paraná state in Brazil. The results showed significant differences in children's motor skills and PF based on gender and age. The hierarchical regression model showed different combinations of flexibility, abdominal resistance, upper limb strength, agility, speed, and lower limb strength, which explained 33.7% of the variability in the global FMS index, 41% of the variability in manipulative skills, and 12.7% of the variability in locomotor skills. In addition, there was a positive association between FMS and PF related to neuromuscular development for both sexes, regardless of age.

There is substantial research supporting the role of workplace atmospheres in English-as-a Foreign-Language (EFL) teachers' emotions and classroom practices. However, the degree to which (if any) classroom climate may affect teachers' specific emotional exhaustion and/or job attrition has not been addressed. To fill this gap, in this qualitative study, we used a semi-structured interview with 39 Chinese EFL teachers of various backgrounds to better understand the role of classroom climate in its relationship to teachers' emotional exhaustion and attrition, including teachers' perceptions of causative factors in these relationships. Thematic analysis revealed teachers' claims that both emotional exhaustion and attrition were prevented by a positive classroom climate. However, in the context of negative classroom climates, the participants believed that both variables might be worsened. Furthermore, EFL teachers' reported that their emotional exhaustion and job attrition were caused by a wide range of specific teacher-related, work-related, and workplace-related (contextual) factors. We discuss these findings and their implications for EFL practitioners and policy-makers, and we recommend measures to deal with teachers' emotional exhaustion and attrition in the EFL context.

The way a map scale is represented plays a key role in comprehending it. In this research, we examined the relationships between the form of representation of the map's scale (numerical scale, linear graphic scale and circular graphic scale), the user's gender, and the distance between two map objects on user estimates of the distance between two objects on the map (i.e., a 5, 10, 15 and 20-min walk). We gave 183 college students 84 maps of three types: 28 numerical scale, 28 linear graphic scale, and 28 circular graphic scale. Each map presented varied distances to be estimated. We assessed the participants' accurate hits, errors, and their hits minus errors in these distance estimations. Participants had both more hits and more errors on circular scale maps than on linear or numerical scale maps, and the distances between objects and gender also significantly related to the estimated e distance. Both the type of scale and the distance between objects influenced the number of hits minus the number of errors.

Symptoms of "the yips" manifest in various sports and often cause athletes to retire prematurely from competition. While there have been case studies on yips-affected baseballers (YBBs), there has been no comprehensive demographic profile of YBBs, and contributing factors are only partially understood. We aimed to describe youth YBBs' demographic characteristics and explore contributing factors to yips symptoms. We analyzed a self-report questionnaire administered to 285 youth baseballers to investigate yips symptoms and identify both players' psychological characteristics and trigger factors for yips. We defined YBBs as players who exhibited symptoms of involuntary muscle contractions, characterized by jerks, tremors, or freezing during planned movements that resulted in unpredictability when throwing a baseball. Individuals without these symptoms were categorized as non-yips-affected baseballers (NBBs). In our total sample, there was a YBB prevalence of 10.2% with a significantly higher occurrence among pitchers than among players in other positions (p < .05). Additionally, YBBs showed a significantly higher incidence of self-reported anxiety during throwing compared to NBBs (p < .001), and a significantly greater proportion of YBBs than NBBs struggled particularly with gentle or light motion throws (p < .001), especially at short distances (75.0% of the YBBs). Furthermore, 62.1% of YBBs faced difficulties in appropriately releasing the ball. Thus, we found approximately one in 10 youth baseballers experienced yips symptoms that were influenced by throwing distance and high-pressure situations. Our descriptive study advances an understanding of yips-related performance problems in youth baseballers.

The L Test has been developed to assess balance and gait disorders. Our aim in this study was to estimate the test-retest reliability and validity of the L Test when used with 82 persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). For these participants, we examined the degree of agreement between the results of a first and second administration of the L Test (separated by one day), using Bland-Altman analysis and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). We computed minimal detectable change (MDC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) values for the L Test and evaluated concurrent validity by correlating L Test results with the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and the 10-minute Walk Test (10MWT). Prior to administering these measurements, we randomized the sequence of the test administrations to our participants. The Bland-Altman analysis showed that L Test was reproducible, with upper and lower limits of agreement of 0.99 and -1.45 seconds, respectively. The L Test demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability, with an ICC value of 0.996 (95% CI: 0.994-0.998). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.996. The performance of the L Test is measured by seconds required to complete the task, and we found the L Test SEM value to be 0.35 seconds, and its MDC value to be 0.97 seconds. The L Test showed a strong correlation with both the TUG test (rho = 0.936; p < .001) and the 10MWT (rho = 0.925; p < .001). We concluded that the L Test is a reliable and valid tool for assessing functional mobility and balance in PwMS.

While many studies have identified multiple benefits and affordances in using virtual reality (VR) technology in language learning, most have been qualitative, with few providing evidence of factors that may impact VR effectiveness for language learning or of the role of learners' unique psychological, environmental, and emotional experiences in language learning. Against this backdrop, we framed this study within social cognitive theory and surveyed 368 Chinese university students of English who were participating in VR-assisted language instruction to explore whether learners' foreign language learning enjoyment and boredom related to their learning engagement; we also investigated the mediating role of learning self-efficacy in these relationships. Our results suggested that (a) students learning English through VR-assisted instruction experienced a relatively high level of enjoyment but moderate level boredom; (b) foreign language learning enjoyment significantly (positively) predicted foreign language learning self-efficacy and engagement; and (c) foreign language learning boredom significantly (negatively) predicted foreign language learning self-efficacy, but not engagement; and foreign language learning self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between foreign language learning boredom and engagement, and partially mediated the significant relationship between foreign language learning enjoyment and engagement. Based on these findings, we suggest ways to improve VR-assisted language teaching and learning.