Perceptual and Motor Skills最新文献

Our study aimed to improve the lower limbs' simple and choice reaction times and reactive spatial orientation by practicing an experimental program using Fitlight technology in U14 and U16 junior basketball players. This research integrates three specific tests: the Lower Limb Reaction Test, the Lower Limb Choice Reaction Test, and the Spatial Orientation Reactive Test. These were designed to measure and improve players' reactions to simple, choice, and spatial orientation through visual stimuli. An 18-week training program was implemented between the initial and final evaluation, emphasizing integrating basketball-specific technical and physical exercises using Fitlight technology. The subjects' sample consists of an experimental and control group with identical numbers of participants in both the U14 (18 subjects) and U16 (17 subjects) categories. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. The results indicate significant improvements with p < .05, Cohen's d parameters with very high effect sizes (d > 1), in reaction times and spatial orientation for the experimental groups, highlighting the effectiveness of incorporating modern equipment in the sports training program. Analyzing the results of the experimental groups, we find that the most relevant age for the reactive development of spatial orientation with the help of Fitlight technologies implemented in the training process is U14, while the most relevant age for the reactive time of the lower limbs is U16. The study's results highlight the experimental program's positive impact in improving reactive reaction time in the lower limbs and spatial orientation of junior basketball players.

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for the development of physical and cognitive health. Understanding how lifestyle and physical health parameters relate to academic performance and quality of life may inform school-based interventions. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between physical activity level (PAL), quality of life (QoL), physical fitness (PF), strength, speed and agility, body composition, and academic performance (AP) in high school students. Research Design: A cross-sectional, correlational study using multiple linear regression models to assess predictive relationships. Study Sample: 365 students (aged 16.93 ± 0.94 years) participated in the study. Data Collection and Analysis: Evaluations included Body Mass Index (BMI); PAL; QoL; PF (handgrip strength, countermovement vertical jump, and agility); and AP. A multiple linear regression was conducted using AP as the dependent variable, with BMI, jump performance, agility, handgrip strength, and PAL scores as predictors. Five additional multiple linear regressions were performed, each with a QoL domain as the dependent variable, and the same set of predictors as in the AP model. Participants' age and sex were included as covariates in all models. Results: Significant predictive capacity was observed for AP (F = 2.22, p = .028, R = 0.31, R² = 0.093) and two QoL domains: physical health (F = 2.32, p = .021, R = 0.28, R² = 0.079) and psychological health (F = 2.32 and p = .021, R = 0.28, R² = 0.079); however, with weak correlation coefficients (0.2 ≤ R <0.4). Only jump performance and age significantly affected the AP model (β = 0.038, p = .014) and the psychological health domain model (β = 0.48, p = .018). Conclusions: The predictors explained 9.3% of the variance in AP and 7.9% of the variance in physical health and psychological health in QoL domains, suggesting that additional factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, dietary habits) may play a role. The findings highlight the importance of multifactorial approaches in future research.

Purpose: This study compared the ball-in-play (BIP) running demands between pool stage and knockout matches in professional women's rugby sevens. Methods: Twenty official matches from the 2023 Super Sevens Championship were analyzed, involving 21 full-time professional athletes (mean age 25.4 ± 6.0 years) from a single team. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology was employed to quantify BIP duration, distance covered per minute, sprint distance per minute (defined as speeds exceeding 18 km/h), and the number of accelerations per minute (above 3.0 m/s²) during both pool stage (n = 12 matches) and knockout stage (n = 8 matches) games. The tournament comprised four events, each featuring three pool matches on the first day and two knockout matches on the second day. Comparisons between the pool stage and knockout stage matches were conducted using Paired Samples T-tests, and effect sizes were reported as Cohen's d. Results: The analysis revealed no significant differences between match types for distance per minute (p = .167; d = 0.544), sprint distance per minute (p = .252; d = 0.442), or accelerations per minute (p = .199; d = 0.502). However, longer BIP durations were observed in the knockout stage matches (difference of 6.1%; p = .022; d = 1.034). Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of tailored training interventions focusing on sustaining performance under fatigue conditions and emphasize the value of analyzing BIP metrics to avoid underestimating match demands.

Play is crucial in acquiring and enhancing life skills (e.g., teamwork, collaboration, leadership, decision-making, responsibility, commitment, empathy). During childhood and adolescence, free play is essential for comprehensive development. As individuals mature, play evolves, gaining purpose and direction. Motor games include activities that promote large and small movements, balance, coordination, and strength, while sensory play stimulates the senses. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of play, applied through adapted sports (AS), with a focus on cooperative (CE) and competitive (CPE) approaches in strengthening the social (SS) and motor skills (MS) of primary school children in the first cycle of primary school (7.61 ± 0.33 years). This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a descriptive scope. An 8-session program was implemented, during which motor and sensory games based on AS were developed for elementary school students. The interventions were distributed into two groups: one that received a CE and another that received a CPE. The TGMD-2 test was used to assess motor skills, and the Social Interaction Skills Questionnaire (CHIS) was utilized. The CE group was more effective than the CPE group in motor skills (Δ = 11.48 in favor of CE over CPE) and social skills (Δ = 11.15 in favor of CE over CPE). Students who participated in cooperative approach group demonstrated an improvement in motor skills (pre = 15.04 ± 4.46; post = 19.88 ± 3.64; p=<0.001; Δ = 39.21) and social skills (pre = 231.44 ± 35.69; post = 252.84 ± 27.73; p=<0.001; Δ = 10.13), whereas the competitive approach group showed improvement only in motor skills (pre = 14.08 ± 3.99; post = 17.28 ± 3.42; p=<0.001; Δ = 27.73). The implementation of an AS program showed differentiated effects depending on the applied approach. CE activities favored the development of SS and MS, while CPE activities improved motor skills in students. This suggests the importance of combining both approaches to promote holistic development in students.

Endurance exercise bouts require sustained exertion and the precise regulation of energy expenditure. Without accurate knowledge of the task demands and performance metrics (e.g., speed, distance), individuals may struggle to establish or maintain effective pacing strategies. Providing deceptive information about the task can be a useful experimental tool for exploring the phenomenon of pacing and endurance performance. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize existing research on the effect of deception on performance outcomes in endurance sport tasks. An electronic search was performed across four databases and 21 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. Studies investigated deception of time, split pace, power output, anticipated difficulty, speed, previous performance, and presence of a competitor within cycling, running, and/or triathlon tasks. Various methodologies, including different types and percentages of deception, were utilized across studies in review. Time deception does not appear to influence cycling performance but may influence pacing strategy. Competitor deception appears to improve endurance performance, however the effects of speed and power deception had conflicting findings within the literature. Due to the discrepancies across studies and most studies using male cyclists, future research should consider the effects of deceptive feedback in other endurance tasks as well as in more diverse samples and utilizing mixed-method designs.

The sensory organisation test (SOT) and active movement extent discrimination assessment (AMEDA) are commonly used tools to assess postural stability and somatosensory acuity. Research on the relationship between these assessments is limited. This study aimed to explore the relationship between ankle somatosensation and postural stability in healthy adults. Participants completed one assessment of ankle somatosensory acuity (AMEDA) and one assessment of postural stability (SOT). Ankle somatosensory acuity was assessed on the non-dominant foot and measured their ability to detected small changes in joint movement within the inversion/eversion plane. The SOT involved both feet upon the testing platform and six "conditions" which distorted the sensory systems and assessed the ability to use visual, somatosensory, and vestibular feedback to maintain postural control. A Spearman's Rank-Order Correlation was run to assess the relationship between AMEDA and SOT measures. We hypothesised that AMEDA scores would positively correlate with SOT conditions 4-6 (sway-referenced platform for all) and the somatosensory (SOM) sensory score. 54 participants (28 females, 26 males; mean age 40 ± 14 years) completed the study. Positive correlations were found between the AMEDA score and SOT conditions 5 (eyes closed, sway-reference platform) and 6 scores (sway-referenced visual surround and platform) (p = .041 and p = .006) but not with SOT condition 4 (eyes open, sway-referenced platform) or the SOM sensory score (p > .05). There were positive correlations between the AMEDA score, and SOT composite score and vestibular (VEST) sensory score (p < .001 and p = .007). Somatosensation and postural stability scores were related during the most challenging balance tasks, highlighting the role of somatosensory acuity in postural control. However, AMEDA score did not relate to the SOM scores in the SOT, suggesting different factors influence these measures of somatosensation. This highlights the unique contributions of the AMEDA and SOT in assessing sensory function and its impact on balance.

This study investigated if motivation (self-determination theory-based) mediated the associations between the coach-athlete relationship/CAR (3C's model-based) and participant's life skills development in Brazilian youth sport. 724 Brazilian sports participants (380 boys and 344 girls) aged between 10-18 years (Mage = 14.57, SD = 1.62), completed measures assessing the CAR, autonomous and controlled motivation, and life skills development (teamwork, goal setting, interpersonal communication, problem solving and decision making, time management, emotional skills, leadership, and social skills). Correlational analyses showed that the CAR was positively associated with autonomous motivation and negatively associated with controlled motivation. Participants development of all eight life skills was positively associated with autonomous, controlled motivation, and the CAR. The structural model revealed that associations between the CAR, autonomous and controlled motivation positively predicted the participants' total life skills development (i.e., all eight life skills combined). Our findings highlight that the 3C's model (i.e., the quality of the coach-athlete relationship) and self-determination theory (i.e., autonomous, and controlled motivation) can serve as theoretical frameworks for investigating the development of life skills within the Brazilian sporting context.

Visual perception is crucial for successfully executing motor skills in interceptive sports like baseball. Understanding the contribution of visual skills (VS) to baseball performance is essential for talent selection and development. Some evidence suggests that performance on visual tests is predictive of batting performance, though these findings are not consistently replicated across studies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to associate a broad spectrum of visual performance indicators with a set of batting performance variables in highly trained baseball players by combining different methodological approaches used in previous studies. Forty-five highly trained male baseball players from the same club, aged between 15 and 19 years old (mean = 17.25), underwent a thorough battery of visual tests under standardized conditions. Twenty-one variables of VS were collected and associated with ten performance indicators, including game statistics, players' ranking, age, years of practice, and position. Frequentist correlations and t-tests revealed that 17 out of the 210 associations (8.09%) reached our unadjusted threshold level and thus indicated a positive and statistically significant association. Bayesian analyses identified 34 associations (16.19%) that supported a positive association between VS and performance indicators, but only two of them (0.95%) revealed a moderate level of evidence in favor of the positive association. Therefore, this study provides limited support to the hypothesis that performance on visual tests predicts batting performance. The homogeneity of the sample and potential non-linear relations between visual and batting performance may account for these findings.

Background: Accurate force control is essential for daily and sports performance, yet individuals differ in their ability to match intended and actual force. Little is known about how external feedback influences this ability or how individual differences can be quantified. Purpose: This study examined individual differences in matching intended grip force with actual force and clarified how repeated feedback affects accuracy across force levels. Research Design: A repeated-measures design was used in which participants performed multiple trials of a perceptually guided grip force task with external feedback. Study Sample: Forty-nine healthy young men completed 11 trials at three target forces (25%, 50%, and 75% of maximum voluntary contraction). Data Collection and Analysis: Accuracy was evaluated using the absolute value of the grip error (AE). A mixed-effects model assessed fixed effects of force level and trial number and random effects reflecting individual differences in accuracy and learning rate. Results: AE decreased across trials at all force levels, indicating improved accuracy with external feedback. Improvement varied by force level: AE was initially largest and decreased most at 75%, whereas 50% showed the slowest reduction. Random-effects analysis indicated differences in the force level at which participants were most accurate, suggesting preferred control levels. In contrast, individual differences in learning rates were small. Conclusions: Individuals vary in the force levels at which they perform most accurately, yet improvement through repeated external feedback is robust. These findings advance understanding of force control and individual differences in perceptually guided motor tasks.

Background: Breast cancer and its treatments can affect neurological and motor function, potentially impairing manual dexterity. Understanding these effects is critical for planning effective rehabilitation programs. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate The impact of breast cancer on manual dexterity in right-handed women. Research Design : A comparative observational study was conducted, contrasting breast cancer patients with healthy controls using standardized dexterity tasks. Study Sample: The study included 201 right-handed women with breast cancer and 199 age-matched healthy right-handed controls. Data Collection and/or Analysis: Participants completed peg-moving and dot-filling tasks to assess manual dexterity. Performance differences between dominant (right) and non-dominant (left) hands were analyzed, including subgroup analyses based on tumor laterality (left, right, bilateral). Results: Healthy women performed better overall than patients, particularly with their dominant right hand. In the breast cancer group, the typical asymmetry between right and left hand performance was reduced. Patients with left-breast tumors showed greater hand performance differences than those with right or bilateral tumors. These deficits likely result from treatment side effects such as neuropathy and fatigue, as well as disease-related neural changes. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for rehabilitation programs targeting hand coordination and neurological factors to support daily functioning in breast cancer patients.