Pub Date : 2025-04-24DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103353
Sem Otten , Ruud J.R. Den Hartigh , Frank T.J.M. Zaal , Benoît G. Bardy , Christophe Gernigon
Optic flow can significantly influence the perception and exertion of effort. In this study, we investigated the effects of exposure to proximal and distal areas of the optic flow field on exerted and perceived cycling effort. Thirty cyclists participated in two 20-min cycling trials within a virtual reality environment, with the goal of surpassing the power output achieved during a baseline trial. During these trials, they viewed the environment through a proximal or distal window, in counterbalanced order. We measured the cyclists' exerted effort on a bicycle trainer, and recorded their responses regarding perceived effort and psychological momentum experience. A one-way repeated measures ANCOVA with average baseline power as a covariate revealed a significant difference in exerted effort between the proximal and distal condition, with higher average exerted effort in the proximal condition. However, a significant interaction effect between condition and baseline power indicated that the beneficial effect of the proximal condition was mainly present for lower-level cyclists. We observed no significant differences in perceived effort or psychological momentum. These findings provide novel insights into the relation between optic flow and cycling effort, and call for new research on the mechanisms underlying this relation.
{"title":"Optic flow and cycling effort: Where to look to go faster","authors":"Sem Otten , Ruud J.R. Den Hartigh , Frank T.J.M. Zaal , Benoît G. Bardy , Christophe Gernigon","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Optic flow can significantly influence the perception and exertion of effort. In this study, we investigated the effects of exposure to proximal and distal areas of the optic flow field on exerted and perceived cycling effort. Thirty cyclists participated in two 20-min cycling trials within a virtual reality environment, with the goal of surpassing the power output achieved during a baseline trial. During these trials, they viewed the environment through a proximal or distal window, in counterbalanced order. We measured the cyclists' exerted effort on a bicycle trainer, and recorded their responses regarding perceived effort and psychological momentum experience. A one-way repeated measures ANCOVA with average baseline power as a covariate revealed a significant difference in exerted effort between the proximal and distal condition, with higher average exerted effort in the proximal condition. However, a significant interaction effect between condition and baseline power indicated that the beneficial effect of the proximal condition was mainly present for lower-level cyclists. We observed no significant differences in perceived effort or psychological momentum. These findings provide novel insights into the relation between optic flow and cycling effort, and call for new research on the mechanisms underlying this relation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103353"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143868623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
While some studies suggest stereotype threat negatively affects motor performance and learning, further research is needed to better understand its effects and underlying mechanisms, which could lead to strategies for mitigating its impact. In experiment 1, we 1) investigated the effects of gender stereotype threat on learning of an aiming task among adolescent girls, 2) evaluated conscious processes and motivational processes to explore the variables that act as mediators in the context of stereotype threats on performance, and 3) conducted in-depth interviews to explore the participants' experiences, understandings, and opinions related to gender stereotype. Moving one step further, with respect to our findings in Exp 1, we tested whether attentional focus strategies could mitigate the negative effects of stereotype threat on the motor learning of adolescent girls (Exp 2). Our results revealed that implementing an external focus of attention can mitigate the detrimental effects of stereotype threat on motor performance and learning in adolescent girls. These findings hold significant implications for the acquisition of motor skills among adolescents, especially in stereotype-threat conditions. Coaches and teachers, particularly in activities such as throwing, can encourage adolescents to adopt an external focus of attention.
{"title":"Gender stereotype threat and motor learning: Exploring its impact, underlying mechanisms, and attentional focus pathways for mitigation","authors":"Seyyed Mohammadreza Mousavi , Hamid Salehi , Takehiro Iwatsuki","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While some studies suggest stereotype threat negatively affects motor performance and learning, further research is needed to better understand its effects and underlying mechanisms, which could lead to strategies for mitigating its impact. In experiment 1, we 1) investigated the effects of gender stereotype threat on learning of an aiming task among adolescent girls, 2) evaluated conscious processes and motivational processes to explore the variables that act as mediators in the context of stereotype threats on performance, and 3) conducted in-depth interviews to explore the participants' experiences, understandings, and opinions related to gender stereotype. Moving one step further, with respect to our findings in Exp 1, we tested whether attentional focus strategies could mitigate the negative effects of stereotype threat on the motor learning of adolescent girls (Exp 2). Our results revealed that implementing an external focus of attention can mitigate the detrimental effects of stereotype threat on motor performance and learning in adolescent girls. These findings hold significant implications for the acquisition of motor skills among adolescents, especially in stereotype-threat conditions. Coaches and teachers, particularly in activities such as throwing, can encourage adolescents to adopt an external focus of attention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103357"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143855084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-17DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103356
Prakruti Patel, Neha Lodha
Coordination between lower extremities is a fundamental aspect of walking, yet it has received limited attention in locomotor recovery post-stroke. We aimed to compare the impact of unilateral versus bilateral force impairments on gait coordination and examine the relationship between gait coordination and incidence of falls post-stroke. In adults with stroke (N = 22) and age-similar healthy controls (N = 22), we measured gait coordination with phase coordination index (PCI) during overground walking. We measured force control for ankle dorsiflexors in unilateral and bilateral conditions. Unilateral force impairments were quantified with force error during visuomotor tracking and maximum voluntary contraction force for each leg. Bilateral force impairments were measured with cross-correlation coefficient, time lag, and strength symmetry. We recorded the history of falls in the previous year for adults with stroke. Compared with controls, adults with stroke showed significantly increased PCI, decreased cross-correlation coefficient and increased time lag between bilateral forces. Force error of both paretic and non-paretic legs was increased in the stroke group. Strength symmetry and cross-correlation coefficient explained 59.5 % of the variance in PCI (p < 0.001). However, unilateral force impairments were not associated with PCI. Adults with stroke reported a previous fall incidence rate of 59.09 %. Stroke survivors with a history of fall showed significantly higher PCI relative to stroke survivors without a history of fall (p < 0.01). We found a significant relationship between falls and PCI (p < 0.05) such that poor gait coordination was related to past incidence of falls in stroke survivors. The current study provides novel insights that impairments in bilateral, but not unilateral force control influences coordination during overground walking post-stroke. Specifically, impaired timing between bilateral ankle forces and strength asymmetry negatively impacts gait coordination post-stroke. Impaired gait coordination elevates the risk for falling post-stroke, thereby compromising safe mobility in individuals with stroke.
{"title":"Beyond unilateral motor impairments: Role of bilateral force control and strength asymmetry in gait coordination and falls post-stroke","authors":"Prakruti Patel, Neha Lodha","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coordination between lower extremities is a fundamental aspect of walking, yet it has received limited attention in locomotor recovery post-stroke. We aimed to compare the impact of unilateral versus bilateral force impairments on gait coordination and examine the relationship between gait coordination and incidence of falls post-stroke. In adults with stroke (<em>N</em> = 22) and age-similar healthy controls (N = 22), we measured gait coordination with phase coordination index (PCI) during overground walking. We measured force control for ankle dorsiflexors in unilateral and bilateral conditions. Unilateral force impairments were quantified with force error during visuomotor tracking and maximum voluntary contraction force for each leg. Bilateral force impairments were measured with cross-correlation coefficient, time lag, and strength symmetry. We recorded the history of falls in the previous year for adults with stroke. Compared with controls, adults with stroke showed significantly increased PCI, decreased cross-correlation coefficient and increased time lag between bilateral forces. Force error of both paretic and non-paretic legs was increased in the stroke group. Strength symmetry and cross-correlation coefficient explained 59.5 % of the variance in PCI (<em>p</em> < 0.001). However, unilateral force impairments were not associated with PCI. Adults with stroke reported a previous fall incidence rate of 59.09 %. Stroke survivors with a history of fall showed significantly higher PCI relative to stroke survivors without a history of fall (<em>p</em> < 0.01). We found a significant relationship between falls and PCI (<em>p</em> < 0.05) such that poor gait coordination was related to past incidence of falls in stroke survivors. The current study provides novel insights that impairments in bilateral, but not unilateral force control influences coordination during overground walking post-stroke. Specifically, impaired timing between bilateral ankle forces and strength asymmetry negatively impacts gait coordination post-stroke. Impaired gait coordination elevates the risk for falling post-stroke, thereby compromising safe mobility in individuals with stroke.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103356"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143842751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-09DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103354
Dave Bright , Jenny Smith , Philip Kearney , Oliver Runswick
Learning conditions that provide task-relevant autonomy, and those that encourage cognitive effort through manipulations of difficulty, have been reported to enhance skill development. However, research is yet to directly compare these two manipulations to establish their relative contribution to enhancing motor learning. This study used an on-screen target interception task to compare an autonomous group (self-selection of racquet size), a Challenge Point group (performance-contingent racquet size), a yoked group, and a fixed racquet size control group. Task accuracy and self-report measures of intrinsic motivation and cognitive effort were recorded at multiple time points across acquisition and at immediate, 24-h, seven-day, and 30-day retention and transfer tests. Results showed that task accuracy improved over acquisition, and remained robust across all retention tests, but no between group differences were seen. Intrinsic motivation levels decreased over acquisition, but with no between group differences observed. Participants (83, mean age 40(±12) years, 50 % male) within all groups reported consistently high cognitive effort scores, and made tactical learning choices, suggesting that high task difficulty may have suppressed the more subtle effects of autonomy and performance contingent practice. Conclusions are made regarding the variability of individual approaches to a novel task and the need to build experiments that can detect these idiosyncrasies.
{"title":"Task difficulty promotes tactical learning but supresses the positive learning effects of autonomy and cognitive effort","authors":"Dave Bright , Jenny Smith , Philip Kearney , Oliver Runswick","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Learning conditions that provide task-relevant autonomy, and those that encourage cognitive effort through manipulations of difficulty, have been reported to enhance skill development. However, research is yet to directly compare these two manipulations to establish their relative contribution to enhancing motor learning. This study used an on-screen target interception task to compare an autonomous group (self-selection of racquet size), a Challenge Point group (performance-contingent racquet size), a yoked group, and a fixed racquet size control group. Task accuracy and self-report measures of intrinsic motivation and cognitive effort were recorded at multiple time points across acquisition and at immediate, 24-h, seven-day, and 30-day retention and transfer tests. Results showed that task accuracy improved over acquisition, and remained robust across all retention tests, but no between group differences were seen. Intrinsic motivation levels decreased over acquisition, but with no between group differences observed. Participants (83, mean age 40(±12) years, 50 % male) within all groups reported consistently high cognitive effort scores, and made tactical learning choices, suggesting that high task difficulty may have suppressed the more subtle effects of autonomy and performance contingent practice. Conclusions are made regarding the variability of individual approaches to a novel task and the need to build experiments that can detect these idiosyncrasies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103354"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-04DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103355
Cláudio Manoel Ferreira Leite , Marcelo da Silva Januário , Edson Filho , Thábata Viviane Brandão Gomes , Leonardo Luiz Portes , Leszek Antoni Szmuchrowski , Rodolfo Novellino Benda
We investigated the influence of skill level on the learning of a new serial task in Taekwondo, along with the underlying aspects of the learning processes. Two groups of Taekwondo athletes, skilled and beginners, practiced a serial task based on basic TKD fighting movements on the first intervention day and were tested for retention in the following day. We recorded temporal elements of the task: response time (RespT), reaction time (RT), movement time (MT), and the time interval between task components (TITC) to analyze performance throughout the acquisition phase and in the retention test, chunking, and the informational aspects related to task performance. Additionally, we investigated online and offline learning processes. Both groups learned the task, but the skilled participants exhibited greater improvements in performance, particularly in the retention test. Best performance of skilled participants appear to be linked to the benefits of chunking in serial tasks. Moreover, skilled participants required less information processing to complete the task, indicating automaticity effects related to chunking. Despite these differences, especially in terms of informational demands, both groups learned predominantly through online learning process. Increasing skill level enhances performance, and influences the learning of new motor skills in a specific sports domain. This advantage may be explained by the superior chunking ability demonstrated by skilled performers, likely resulting from larger experiences within Taekwondo, which facilitated the recombination of previously learned motor skills. The relationship between motor learning and skillfulness warrants further investigation for understanding motor learning itself, but can also assist professionals in organizing practice schedules in sports contexts.
{"title":"Skill level influences the learning of a taekwondo-based serial task","authors":"Cláudio Manoel Ferreira Leite , Marcelo da Silva Januário , Edson Filho , Thábata Viviane Brandão Gomes , Leonardo Luiz Portes , Leszek Antoni Szmuchrowski , Rodolfo Novellino Benda","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We investigated the influence of skill level on the learning of a new serial task in Taekwondo, along with the underlying aspects of the learning processes. Two groups of Taekwondo athletes, skilled and beginners, practiced a serial task based on basic TKD fighting movements on the first intervention day and were tested for retention in the following day. We recorded temporal elements of the task: response time (RespT), reaction time (RT), movement time (MT), and the time interval between task components (TITC) to analyze performance throughout the acquisition phase and in the retention test, chunking, and the informational aspects related to task performance. Additionally, we investigated online and offline learning processes. Both groups learned the task, but the skilled participants exhibited greater improvements in performance, particularly in the retention test. Best performance of skilled participants appear to be linked to the benefits of chunking in serial tasks. Moreover, skilled participants required less information processing to complete the task, indicating automaticity effects related to chunking. Despite these differences, especially in terms of informational demands, both groups learned predominantly through online learning process. Increasing skill level enhances performance, and influences the learning of new motor skills in a specific sports domain. This advantage may be explained by the superior chunking ability demonstrated by skilled performers, likely resulting from larger experiences within Taekwondo, which facilitated the recombination of previously learned motor skills. The relationship between motor learning and skillfulness warrants further investigation for understanding motor learning itself, but can also assist professionals in organizing practice schedules in sports contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103355"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-28DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103352
T.A. Holloway, M.E. Cinelli
Humans use visual information to safely guide locomotion to avoid collisions with objects or other people within cluttered environments. The purpose of the current study was to examine head-on mutual avoidance behaviours of two young adults when approaching an aperture from opposite sides. It was hypothesized that when two young adults are on a collision course, both pedestrians would accurately perceive the difference in arrival time between one another to predict and maintain passing order through an aperture. Nineteen young adults ( years, 9 males and 10 females) participated in the study and interacted with a female research assistant (RA) (22 years, 157.5 cm). Starting at one of two locations on opposite sides of a 10 m pathway, the participant and the RA were instructed to approach one another, and mutually decide who would pass first through an aperture located halfway (5 m) along the path. Kinematic trunk data was collected from both the participant and the RA using the Optotrak motion analysis system. The results revealed that the walkers were able to accurately perceive and maintain the predicted order of crossing (i.e., predicted order matched their observed crossing order) on 90.9 % of the trials. This finding indicate that individuals are in-tune to the visual information necessary in determining and maintaining crossing order, such that the walker passing second (P2) slowed down and deviated from the path to allow the other walker (P1) to pass through the doorway first. Additionally, it was revealed that individuals distribute their gaze fixations equally between the aperture and the approaching person prior to crossing the aperture. The results suggest that when two young adults are approaching a doorway from opposite sides, they may rely on the coupling of two optical expansion rates, or tau-coupling, to determine crossing order as indicated by the low number of inversions. While gaze behaviours are coupled with locomotion to maintaining path trajectory and determining crossing order.
{"title":"Mutual avoidance behaviours of two pedestrians passing through an aperture","authors":"T.A. Holloway, M.E. Cinelli","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humans use visual information to safely guide locomotion to avoid collisions with objects or other people within cluttered environments. The purpose of the current study was <em>t</em>o examine head-on mutual avoidance behaviours of two young adults when approaching an aperture from opposite sides. It was hypothesized that when two young adults are on a collision course, both pedestrians would accurately perceive the difference in arrival time between one another to predict and maintain passing order through an aperture. Nineteen young adults (<span><math><mover><mi>x</mi><mo>¯</mo></mover><mo>=</mo><mn>21.35</mn><mo>±</mo><mn>0.49</mn></math></span> years, 9 males and 10 females) participated in the study and interacted with a female research assistant (RA) (22 years, 157.5 cm). Starting at one of two locations on opposite sides of a 10 m pathway, the participant and the RA were instructed to approach one another, and mutually decide who would pass first through an aperture located halfway (5 m) along the path. Kinematic trunk data was collected from both the participant and the RA using the Optotrak motion analysis system. The results revealed that the walkers were able to accurately perceive and maintain the predicted order of crossing (i.e., predicted order matched their observed crossing order) on 90.9 % of the trials. This finding indicate that individuals are in-tune to the visual information necessary in determining and maintaining crossing order, such that the walker passing second (P2) slowed down and deviated from the path to allow the other walker (P1) to pass through the doorway first. Additionally, it was revealed that individuals distribute their gaze fixations equally between the aperture and the approaching person prior to crossing the aperture. The results suggest that when two young adults are approaching a doorway from opposite sides, they may rely on the coupling of two optical expansion rates, or <em>tau-coupling</em>, to determine crossing order as indicated by the low number of inversions. While gaze behaviours are coupled with locomotion to maintaining path trajectory and determining crossing order.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103352"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143714997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-19DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103351
I-Fei Cho , Chi-Chao Chao , Ta-Te Lin , Yuan Yang , Pei-Fang Tang
Ankle motor control is crucial for balance maintenance and fall prevention. Neurocomputational models of motor control suggest that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) plays a critical role in estimating body and environmental states, a process fundamental to motor control. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) has been shown to modulate cortical excitability and alter behaviors accordingly. This study explored the impact of atDCS over the PPC on ankle tracking visuomotor control using a motor adaptation research paradigm in healthy young adults. Thirty-eight participants were randomly assigned to either an atDCS or sham control group. All participants completed an ankle tracking experiment divided into three phases: pre-adaptation, adaptation, and re-adaptation, with each phase comprising eight blocks of five trials. During the experiment, each participant wore a sensor on the non-dominant foot and performed continuous dorsiflexion and plantarflexion movements to track a target cursor on a screen. Visual feedback of the foot position was provided, with a 1:1 feedback ratio in the pre- and re-adaptation phases and a 2.5:1 ratio in the adaptation phase to promote visual-motor remapping. The atDCS group received 20 min of 2 mA atDCS over the PPC during the adaptation phase. Tracking performance on each trial was measured as the root mean squared error (RMSE) between the target and actual movement trajectories. Both groups showed similar RMSEs in the pre-adaptation phase (p > 0.05). However, in the adaptation phase, the atDCS group demonstrated a significant reduction from block 1 to block 2 (p = 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.86) and maintained this improved performance in the following blocks, while the sham group showed no significant changes throughout this phase (p > 0.05). In the re-adaptation phase, both groups quickly returned to their pre-adaptation performance levels. These findings indicate that neither the atDCS nor the sham group adapted to the high visual feedback ratio. However, the early reduction in RMSE observed in the atDCS group suggests that atDCS over the PPC may transiently enhance ankle tracking visuomotor control under the heightened visual feedback ratio condition, resulting in short-term improvements. Future research is warranted to explore whether multiple atDCS sessions over the PPC could provide long-term benefits for lower extremity visuomotor control.
{"title":"Effects of posterior parietal cortex anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on ankle tracking visuomotor control in healthy young adults","authors":"I-Fei Cho , Chi-Chao Chao , Ta-Te Lin , Yuan Yang , Pei-Fang Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103351","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103351","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ankle motor control is crucial for balance maintenance and fall prevention. Neurocomputational models of motor control suggest that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) plays a critical role in estimating body and environmental states, a process fundamental to motor control. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) has been shown to modulate cortical excitability and alter behaviors accordingly. This study explored the impact of atDCS over the PPC on ankle tracking visuomotor control using a motor adaptation research paradigm in healthy young adults. Thirty-eight participants were randomly assigned to either an atDCS or sham control group. All participants completed an ankle tracking experiment divided into three phases: pre-adaptation, adaptation, and re-adaptation, with each phase comprising eight blocks of five trials. During the experiment, each participant wore a sensor on the non-dominant foot and performed continuous dorsiflexion and plantarflexion movements to track a target cursor on a screen. Visual feedback of the foot position was provided, with a 1:1 feedback ratio in the pre- and re-adaptation phases and a 2.5:1 ratio in the adaptation phase to promote visual-motor remapping. The atDCS group received 20 min of 2 mA atDCS over the PPC during the adaptation phase. Tracking performance on each trial was measured as the root mean squared error (RMSE) between the target and actual movement trajectories. Both groups showed similar RMSEs in the pre-adaptation phase (<em>p</em> > 0.05). However, in the adaptation phase, the atDCS group demonstrated a significant reduction from block 1 to block 2 (<em>p</em> = 0.001, <em>Cohen's d</em> = 0.86) and maintained this improved performance in the following blocks, while the sham group showed no significant changes throughout this phase (<em>p</em> > 0.05). In the re-adaptation phase, both groups quickly returned to their pre-adaptation performance levels. These findings indicate that neither the atDCS nor the sham group adapted to the high visual feedback ratio. However, the early reduction in RMSE observed in the atDCS group suggests that atDCS over the PPC may transiently enhance ankle tracking visuomotor control under the heightened visual feedback ratio condition, resulting in short-term improvements. Future research is warranted to explore whether multiple atDCS sessions over the PPC could provide long-term benefits for lower extremity visuomotor control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"101 ","pages":"Article 103351"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-11DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103341
Noah Jacobson, Quinn Berleman-Paul, Madhur Mangalam, Damian G Kelty-Stephen, Christopher Ralston
{"title":"Corrigendum to \"Multifractality in postural sway supports quiet eye training in aiming tasks: A study of golf putting\" Human Movement Science, 76 (2021) 102752.","authors":"Noah Jacobson, Quinn Berleman-Paul, Madhur Mangalam, Damian G Kelty-Stephen, Christopher Ralston","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2025.103341","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":" ","pages":"103341"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143617800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-09DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103342
Maria Chiara Fastame , Micaela Porta , Bruno Leban , Federico Arippa , Giulia Casu , Massimiliano Pau
This study mainly intended to examine whether the objective motor and visuospatial measures assessed in school-aged children predicted the evaluations expressed by their teachers. Moreover, it was investigated whether the pupils identified by their teachers as those with the poorest visuospatial skills also exhibited the worst performance in an instrumentally administered functional mobility task using wearable inertial sensors. Non-verbal fluid reasoning, visuospatial fluency, spatial understanding, and mobility (i.e., the instrumented Timed Up and Go test, iTUG) were assessed in 116 children (Mage = 105.4 months, SD = 16.4 months) attending several Italian primary schools, whereas their teachers completed the visuospatial subtest of the Shortened Visuospatial questionnaire for teachers (i.e., SVS-vs). Statistically significant associations were found between the SVS-vs score, certain psychological measures, and the time required to perform the intermediate and final 180° turn in the iTUG task. Then, approximately 30 % of the variance in the SVS-vs condition was predicted by non-verbal reasoning, spatial understanding, and the time required to perform the final 180° turn in the iTUG task. Finally, children who reported the lowest SVS-vs scores were slower in performing the 180° intermediate turn of the iTUG test than the group who exhibited the highest SVS-vs scores.
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Pub Date : 2025-03-08DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2025.103340
Rachael Harmon, Matthew Beerse, Diana Cuy Castellanos
Background
Early exposure to performing cooking skills at a young age might have the dual capability to improve nutrition behavior and fine motor function. While some evidence has demonstrated the positive benefits for nutrition behavior, there is a paucity of evidence relating cooking skills to fine motor function.
Research question
Is better cooking skills (CS) performance associated with better fine motor skills (FMS) in preschool-aged children and what are the shoulder and elbow joint control strategies employed during cooking skill performance?
Methods
We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study of preschool-aged children. Thirty-eight participants aged 3–5 years (17 males, 20 females; mean age = 3.89 years, sd = 0.7 years) were recruited through non-randomized, convenience sampling. Participants completed the Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT) and Circle Drawing Test to assess fine motor skills, and four CS: stirring, mashing, spooning, and spreading. A piloted criterion-based test was implemented to score both the outcome and movement performance of each CS. Total CS ability was calculated as the summed total of each CS composite score. An inertial measurement unit motion capture system registered elbow and shoulder joint kinematics during the performance of the cooking skills.
Results and significance
Correlation analyses indicated that better NHPT performance was associated with higher total CS score, mashing performance, and spreading performance. In general, children that demonstrated better fine motor function via the NHPT maintained a more anatomically neutral shoulder joint position and faster average joint velocities during the performance of CS. Independent t-tests indicated that there were no sex differences between male and female children on the CS nor FMS performance. Our results demonstrated preliminary evidence suggesting an association between cooking skills performance and fine motor function, as well as initial characterization of cooking skill movement patterns associated with more adept fine motor control.
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