Human Movement Science最新文献

{"title":"Cortical activity during supported and unsupported choice-stepping reaction time tasks in young and older people: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study","authors":"Jasmine C. Menant ,&nbsp;Paulo H.S. Pelicioni ,&nbsp;Daina L. Sturnieks ,&nbsp;Stephen R. Lord","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2026.103464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2026.103464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is strong evidence from dual-task studies that balance requires cortical input. Yet, whether this cortical activity requirement relates disproportionally to balance control or simply to the undertaking of any motor task is unclear. Potential effects of aging on this relationship are also unknown. We investigated the effects of supporting balance control during cognitively demanding stepping tasks, on cortical activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), supplementary motor area (SMA) and premotor cortex (PMC), in healthy young and older people. Thirty-two young and 48 older people performed the choice stepping reaction time (CSRT), inhibitory CSRT (iCSRT) and stroop stepping (SST) tasks on a computerised step mat, in two randomly presented support conditions: supported standing using armrests and unsupported free standing. We measured mean stepping response times, step errors and cortical activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Both young and older participants had slower response times across the three stepping tasks in the unsupported condition compared with the supported condition (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), and this was accompanied by increased cortical activation in the PFC, SMA and PMC in the CSRT task in the young cohort only (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05): findings supporting the involvement of these cortical regions in balance control. The similar cortical activity levels between the supported and unsupported conditions for both groups in the iCSRT and SST tasks may indicate the cognitive component of these tasks overshaded the motor component in these more cognitively demanding tasks and/or that these tasks promoted automaticity of postural control by distracting participants from focusing on maintaining balance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 103464"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039752","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}

{"title":"Process-based measures of handwriting performance across manual preference.","authors":"Carlo Di Brina, Tania Cerni","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2026.103482","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2026.103482","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Handwriting is a highly practiced motor skill that relies on the interaction between effector-dependent execution processes and effector-independent motor representations. The present study investigated handwriting performance with the preferred (PH) and non-preferred hand (NPH) in adults using a comprehensive set of process-based measures capturing execution-related fluency, automatization, and force regulation, as well as shape-based pattern stability. Twenty-five participants repeatedly produced a cursive letter \"o\" under four task conditions (normal, fast, accurate, and a visually constrained task). Execution-related measures revealed robust hand-related differences, with the PH showing higher fluency, greater automatization, and more efficient force regulation across task conditions. Task demands modulated performance in both hands, but fluency and automaticity measures were more sensitive to hand-specific adjustments. In contrast, shape-based measures derived from Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) showed smaller hand-related effects and no significant Hand × Task interaction, suggesting greater similarity in letter-form stability across hands. Classification analyses further indicated that execution-related measures were the most effective in identifying the executing hand across tasks, whereas DTW-based measures showed limited discriminative ability. These findings support a functional dissociation between motor execution and motor pattern stability in handwriting. While execution-related processes remain strongly effector-dependent, the spatial structure of a well-learned letter appears to rely on motor representations that are largely shared across hands. This dissociation highlights the value of combining execution-related and shape-based measures for a more nuanced assessment of handwriting performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"107 ","pages":"103482"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147517020","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}

{"title":"Kinematic synergies in upper-limb drawing tasks: Effects of geometric complexity on fine motor control","authors":"Zixin Zhou ,&nbsp;Zheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103430","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103430","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A quantitative assessment of fine motor abilities, as well as the design and optimisation of prosthetic and rehabilitation exoskeletons, can be supported by joint kinematic synergy analysis. However, extant research has primarily focused on discrete movements, offering limited insight into the coordination mechanisms underlying continuous fine motor tasks. This has resulted in considerable challenges with regard to practical implementation in both clinical and engineering contexts. The present study investigated the spatiotemporal characteristics of upper-limb joint synergies during drawing tasks involving targets of varying geometric compålexity. Angular velocity data from 17 upper-limb joints were collected from 15 healthy participants. Non-negative matrix factorization identified eight synergy modules that collectively accounted for over 90 % of the motion variance. An analysis of the spatial aspect reveals a correlation between increased target complexity and enhanced kinematic independence of distal joints. A parallel analysis of the temporal aspect demonstrates a close relationship between synergy activation patterns and the stability requirements of the task. Furthermore, geometric shape—rather than complexity level alone—emerged as the predominant factor influencing synergistic coordination strategies. These findings contribute to the enhancement of our understanding of continuous motor coordination and provide a data-driven foundation for clinical assessment, rehabilitation training, and the development of assistive technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103430"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145685898","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}

{"title":"Perspectives on sports analytics to inform constraint manipulation, representative learning and functional variability in practice design","authors":"Ben Teune ,&nbsp;Harjiv Singh ,&nbsp;Sam Robertson","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103447","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103447","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the prevalence of technology and data use increases in sports, new opportunities exist to support practitioners by informing practice design. In turn, analytical techniques which leverage this data can be used to further bring life to frameworks of skill acquisition such as the constraints-led approach. Machine learning in particular presents as a viable method to reveal detailed insights, as it can consider multivariate and non-linear relationships. In the field of skill acquisition, a variety of different algorithms are well suited to help operationalise principles of constraint manipulations, representative learning design and functional variability. Specifically, decision trees or random forests may benefit coaches by predicting how constraints can be manipulated to facilitate player behaviour. Rule association can identify interacting constraints within the competition environment which can then be replicated in practice. Clustering techniques may be beneficial to assign similar player movements, or activity repetitions, into groups, allowing coaches to manipulate training variability by prescribing movement types from various groups. These techniques are proposed as methods to support coaches and applied sport scientists’ use of technology and data, as well as enhance their decision-making regarding practice design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103447"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145812285","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}

{"title":"From real to virtual: Kinematic adjustments in gait biomechanics of healthy older adults","authors":"Emanuele Los Angeles ,&nbsp;Layla Cupertino ,&nbsp;Nathalia Mendes Pellegrino ,&nbsp;Brenda Luciano de Souza ,&nbsp;Claudiane Arakaki Fukuchi ,&nbsp;Daniel Boari Coelho","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a valuable tool for gait rehabilitation, offering controlled and immersive environments that simulate real-world scenarios. Although little is known about how immersive VR affects gait biomechanics in older adults, we specifically investigate how walking in VR influences lower-limb kinematics compared to walking in a non-VR environment. Healthy older adults walked at their self-selected speed on an instrumented treadmill. VR participants experienced a fully immersive virtual industrial environment using the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) system, while non-VR participants walked without a virtual environment. Kinematics were analyzed using one-dimensional Statistical Parametric Mapping to compare the VR and non-VR conditions across the gait cycle. Dimensionless gait speed was also assessed to ensure consistency in walking pace between groups. No significant differences were found between the VR and non-VR groups in dimensionless gait speed. However, phase-specific differences were observed in pelvic tilt, hip adduction/abduction, and ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion. These differences were small in magnitude (largest ≈4°) and within ranges often reported for measurement error or minimal detectable change in kinematics; therefore, they should be interpreted cautiously and as associations observed under differing acquisition/processing pipelines rather than as definitive effects attributable to VR. While overall speed was preserved, older adults made localized joint-level adjustments during specific gait phases, suggesting that immersive visual conditions interact with sensorimotor control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103434"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145651704","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}

{"title":"Contextual interference enhances vertical transfer of fine motor skill from upper to lower limbs","authors":"Satoshi Kasahara ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Saito ,&nbsp;Linjing Jiang ,&nbsp;Kazumasa Yoshimi ,&nbsp;Shikino Abe ,&nbsp;Tomoya Ishida ,&nbsp;Yuta Koshino ,&nbsp;Mina Samukawa ,&nbsp;Harukazu Tohyama","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103428","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103428","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>While contextual interference (CI) is known to facilitate motor learning, its role in promoting interlimb transfer—particularly from the upper to the lower limb—remains underexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study examined how different practice schedules (random vs. serial) influence the transfer of fine force control both horizontally (to the contralateral hand) and vertically (to the contralateral ankle).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thirty healthy young adults (<em>N</em> = 30; Male = 21, Female = 9; Mean age: 21.9 ± 1.6 years) were divided equally into a random (RTG: <em>N</em> = 15) or serial (STG: N = 15) schedule group. Most participants were right-handed, with three left-handed individuals included across the two groups. Participants practiced a force-matching task with their non-dominant hand using either a random or serial schedule. Transfer effects were assessed in the contralateral hand and ankle at four target force levels (20–80 % of maximal voluntary contraction, MVC).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Both practice conditions improved force control in the contralateral hand (<em>p</em> &lt; .05), indicating horizontal transfer. However, vertical transfer to the foot emerged only after random practice (p &lt; .05) and was limited to moderate and high force levels. These findings suggest that the interaction between task difficulty and practice variability critically influences the extent and direction of interlimb transfer.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>High CI practice promotes vertical transfer of motor skill when task demands are sufficiently challenging. These results highlight the importance of training structure in facilitating the generalization of motor control across limbs, offering practical implications for skill acquisition in both athletic and rehabilitation settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103428"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791116","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}

{"title":"Temporal framing of external focus instructions enhances golf putting accuracy in novices","authors":"Thomas Simpson ,&nbsp;Leyton Cory ,&nbsp;Callum Queen ,&nbsp;Robin Owen ,&nbsp;Esmaeel Saemi ,&nbsp;David Marchant","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A plethora of studies have investigated internal and external foci of attention effects on motor performance. However, few studies have considered the temporal aspects of these foci. Within the present study, 26 novice participants (22 males, 4 females; Aged 18–21 years) were instructed to focus their attention either on maintaining a square clubface at impact (i.e., swing-impact condition) or maintaining a square clubhead throughout the swing (i.e., throughout-swing condition). Although both conditions were external foci, it was hypothesised that the swing-impact would provide more task-relevant information and facilitate movement automaticity during the backswing and follow-through. Participants who focused on maintaining a square clubface at impact demonstrated significantly better putting accuracy than those who focused on maintaining a square clubface throughout the swing (<em>p</em> = .047). These findings highlight how subtle changes in instructional language, particularly those that affect temporal components, affect motor performance. Instructions may be optimal when they focus attention for a short temporal duration and only on the most task-relevant point of execution (e.g., impact). Future studies are encouraged to explore the interaction between temporal and task-relevance features of instruction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103429"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145685598","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}

{"title":"Motor learning of a novel dynamic coordination task in the lower-limb of young healthy adults","authors":"Stephanie B. Hernandez-Hernandez ,&nbsp;Kristan A. Leech ,&nbsp;Peter G. Adamczyk","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103433","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103433","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding motor learning processes provides crucial insights into how individuals can recover function after neurological injury. While current research has advanced the understanding of motor learning in the upper limbs, exploration in the lower limb remains limited. This study aimed to elicit and quantify motor learning, skill retention and transfer, and aftereffects in lower-limb movements made by healthy young adults using a haptic robot. Participants interacted with a rotational spring-mass-damper virtual environment, learning to stabilize a virtual inertia disk at a target angular position with leg reaching movements. Baseline reaching and initial skill acquisition occurred on the first day. Skill retention was assessed after 22–48 h and inter-limb transfer was assessed by switching the leading leg. Aftereffects were measured by disabling the environment at the end of day two. Participants learned the novel task with their legs, reducing settling time and path length by 43 % and 48 %, by the end of day one. Retention was observed with a 40 % and 42 % reduction in settling time and path length at the start of the retention phase compared to beginning of initial acquisition. Inter-limb transfer resulted in a 43 % and 52 % decrease in settling time and path length at the start of the transfer phase. Lastly, aftereffects were detected, requiring washout to de-adapt to nominal movement with no environment. These findings suggest that lower-limb motor learning exhibits similar principles to upper-limb motor learning. Future work will study specific motor learning processes, like reinforcement learning, in the lower limbs and inform rehabilitation techniques.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103433"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145685597","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}

{"title":"Comparing the effects of faded vs. constant knowledge of results on the acquisition, retention, and transfer of a skilled walking task","authors":"Maya Sato-Klemm ,&nbsp;Alison M.M. Williams ,&nbsp;Amanda E. Chisholm ,&nbsp;Tania Lam","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103442","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103442","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The purpose of this study is to compare the use of faded and constant knowledge of results (KR) on skill acquisition, retention, and transfer in an end-point precision locomotion task.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Participants were trained in an end-point precision locomotion task where they were asked to match their peak foot height during the swing phase as closely as possible to a target height. Targets were normalized to individual foot trajectory. Participants were randomized to a constant KR group (KR presented after each trial) or a faded KR group (KR provided on 50 % of trials, distributed using a faded procedure). Before acquisition, and immediately, 24, and 48 h after acquisition, participants were tested on their performance of the task. Participants were also tested in a transfer task immediately, 24, and 48 h after acquisition, where they wore an ankle weight of 2.5 % of their body weight to complete the performance test.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirty-six healthy adults participated in this study. Our findings demonstrate that both constant and faded KR groups showed improvements in performance immediately after acquisition. However, the faded KR group outperformed the constant feedback group at 24 and 48 h with respect to both skill retention and transfer.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Faded KR leads to superior retention and transfer of an end-point precision locomotion task over time. Future research should explore these findings in clinical populations and the incorporation of other feedback modalities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103442"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145702887","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}

{"title":"Wearable eye-tracking of visuomotor strategies in table tennis players of diverse expertise and cognitive function in a naturalistic environment","authors":"Alejandro Guiseris-Santaflorentina ,&nbsp;Ana Sanchez-Cano ,&nbsp;Elvira Orduna-Hospital","doi":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103448","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humov.2025.103448","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how gaze behaviour and visuomotor control vary across populations is crucial for optimizing performance and training in fast-paced sports. However, studies involving athletes with cognitive disabilities remain limited, particularly in naturalistic environments. This study employed wearable eye-tracking technology to examine gaze behaviour and oculomotor control in table tennis players of differing skill levels and cognitive profiles. Forty-six participants were grouped as Professional athletes, Amateur players, individuals with Down syndrome (DS), or intellectual disabilities (ID). All completed table tennis-specific tasks in naturalistic environment training conditions while wearing a head-mounted eye-tracker. Oculomotor metrics, including fixation frequency and duration, saccade frequency and velocity, and pupil diameter, were analysed. Fixation duration did not differ across groups (≈272–301 ms; <em>p</em> = 0.984, η² = −0.032), whereas fixation frequency varied: ID participants (80.67 ± 6.81 %) and Amateurs (78.98 ± 5.22 %) showed higher and more consistent rates, DS participants were lower and more variable (74.56 ± 17.37 %), and Professionals maintained moderately lower but strategically balanced frequency (77.78 ± 12.64 %). Although saccade metrics were not statistically significant, trends suggested more controlled patterns in Professionals (right eye (RE) length: 1414.63 ± 720.47 mm; longitudinal velocity: 13,888.52 ± 4242.25 mm/s) and higher variability in DS participants (RE length: 2254.03 ± 3215.55 mm; longitudinal velocity: 16,274.78 ± 6,837.21 mm/s). Pupil diameter was significantly larger in Professionals (RE: 5.26 ± 0.79 mm; left eye (LE): 5.40 ± 0.81 mm; <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), indicating higher visual engagement and cognitive arousal. Binocular vergence metrics remained stable across groups, and gaze heat maps revealed more focused visual strategies in Professionals, while participants with DS and ID exhibited dispersed, less task-relevant fixations. These findings indicate that the accuracy of eye movements, rather than their duration, serves as a sensitive indicator of visuomotor expertise. In conclusion, wearable eye-tracking in naturalistic sport environment offers valuable insights into visual strategies across diverse populations and supports the development of tailored visual training programs, particularly for athletes with cognitive disabilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55046,"journal":{"name":"Human Movement Science","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103448"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145783592","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}