A atividade exploratoria em tarefas de ancoragem haptica exerce um efeito positivo em tarefas desafiadoras ao controle postural. A melhora ou reducao da instabilidade postural em tarefas de ancoragem foi comprovada em diversos grupos (i.e., adultos jovens, adultos idosos, criancas, e participantes com deficiencia) e condicoes experimentais (i.e., variados niveis de complexidade de tarefa postural). O problema deste estudo foi analisar em contextos de tarefas posturais se existe uma relacao entre o desequilibrio homeostatico provocado pelo exercicio fisico de esforco maximo (que afeta o sistema postural pelo impacto no sistema autonomo) e o sistema haptico (que integra adicional estrategia de controle voluntario ao sistema postural). O objetivo do nosso estudo foi testar se a informacao haptica proporcionada pelo uso do sistema ancora exibe efeitos imediatos de atenuacao dos niveis de instabilidade postural aumentada pela fadiga geral decorrente do exercicio fisico maximo. O sistema ancora incorpora atividade exploratoria simultanea a execucao de uma tarefa postural desafiadora. O contexto de ancoragem inclui o manejo de dois cabos flexiveis com cargas anexas em suas extremidades que possibilita a exploracao haptica. Neste estudo, dois grupos foram compostos, um grupo experimental com vinte e tres adultos jovens fisicamente ativos e um grupo controle composto de dez adultos jovens. Ambos os grupos realizaram duas sessoes experimentais (com ancora; sem ancora) com tarefas de controle postural. Para o grupo experimental, as duas sessoes consistiram em: a. uma tarefa de equilibrio antes do esforco fisico, b. um protocolo incremental de esforco, e c. tarefas de equilibrio apos o protocolo de esforco realizados em 4 diferentes momentos ate 15 minutos. Para a inducao do esforco fisico, utilizamos um protocolo incremental maximo em esteira ergometrica, e as duas sessoes experimentais foram realizadas em dias diferentes com prazo maximo entre elas de 14 dias. O grupo controle realizou as mesmas sessoes, entretanto o protocolo de inducao ao esforco fisico foi substituido por um periodo equivalente de descanso. O objetivo da existencia do grupo controle foi verificar a presenca de um efeito de aprendizagem durante a execucao das tarefas. Os resultados para o grupo experimental das variaveis relacionados ao deslocamento do CT, no dominio do tempo mostraram que a informacao haptica proveniente do sistema ancora atenuou a instabilidade postural durante condicoes de tarefas de controle postural onde o participante encontrava-se sob os efeitos da fadiga. Em todas as condicoes experimentais, o exercicio fisico maximo na esteira produziu um aumento na oscilacao postural, como esperado. Entretanto, quando a informacao haptica foi associada na tarefa experimental, a oscilacao postural foi significativamente diminuida. Embora a informacao haptica tenha atenuado significativamente os efeitos da fadiga geral sobre os niveis de oscilacao postural, a velocidade de recuperacao dos valores basais da oscilacao postural foi, na condicao de ancoragem, reduzida dada sua proximidade com os valores de oscilacao tipicos da tarefa sem a fadiga. Os resultados do grupo controle demonstraram que as tarefas utilizadas nao foram suficientes para promover um efeito de aprendizagem. O organismo a partir de estimulos de curto prazo compensou os efeitos de degradacao do equilibrio provocados pela fatiga. A informacao haptica foi util para o sistema de controle da postura compensar os efeitos de perturbacao causados pela fadiga. / Exploratory activity during haptic anchoring has a positive effect during challenging postural control tasks. In such case, improvement of postural stability has been demonstrated in a variety of groups (i.e., young adults, older adults, children, and disabled participants) and experimental conditions (i.e., different levels of postural task complexity). The issue of this study is to analyze in contexts of postural tasks whether there is a relation between the homeostatic imbalance caused by maximal physical exertion (that affects the postural system by the impact on the autonomic system) and the haptic system (which integrates additional strategy of voluntary control to the postural system). The purpose of our study was to test whether the haptic information provided by the use of the anchor system exhibits immediate effects on attenuation of postural instability levels increased by general fatigue caused by maximal physical exertion. The anchor system incorporates simultaneous exploratory activity to the execution of a challenging postural task. The anchoring context includes the handling of two flexible cables with loads attached at their ends that enable haptic exploration. In this study, two groups were composed, an experimental group with twenty-three physically active young adults and a control group composed of ten young adults. Both groups performed two experimental sessions (with anchor, without anchor) with tasks of postural control. For the experimental group, the two sessions consisted of: a. balance tasks before physical effort, b. exposure to an incremental exercise protocol, and c. balance tasks after the exercise protocol distributed in 4 periods up to 15 minutes. To induce physical exertion, we used a maximum incremental protocol on a treadmill, and two experimental sessions were conducted on different days with a maximum of 14 days between them. The control group performed the same sessions, however the protocol of induction to physical effort was replaced by an equivalent period of rest. The aim of the control group was to verify the presence of a learning effect during the execution of the tasks. The results for the experimental group of variables related to CT displacement in time domain showed that haptic information from the anchor system attenuated postural instability during conditions of postural control tasks where the participant was under effects of fatigue. In all experimental conditions maximal physical exercise on the treadmill increased postural oscillation, as expected. However, when the haptic information was associated with the experimental task, the postural sway was significantly decreased. Although haptic information significantly attenuated the effects of general fatigue on postural sway the rate of recovery of the basal values of the postural sway was, in the anchoring condition, reduced because of its proximity to the typical oscillation values of the task without the fatigue. The results of the control group demonstrated that the tasks used were not enough to promote a learning effect. The organism from short-term stimuli compensated for the effects of balance degradation caused by fatigue. Haptic information was useful for the posture control system to compensate for the disturbance effects caused by fatigue.

A atividade exploratoria em tarefas de ancoragem haptica exerce um efeito positivo em tarefas desafiadoras ao controle postural. A melhora ou reducao da instabilidade postural em tarefas de ancoragem foi comprovada em diversos grupos (i.e., adultos jovens, adultos idosos, criancas, e participantes com deficiencia) e condicoes experimentais (i.e., variados niveis de complexidade de tarefa postural). O problema deste estudo foi analisar em contextos de tarefas posturais se existe uma relacao entre o desequilibrio homeostatico provocado pelo exercicio fisico de esforco maximo (que afeta o sistema postural pelo impacto no sistema autonomo) e o sistema haptico (que integra adicional estrategia de controle voluntario ao sistema postural). O objetivo do nosso estudo foi testar se a informacao haptica proporcionada pelo uso do sistema ancora exibe efeitos imediatos de atenuacao dos niveis de instabilidade postural aumentada pela fadiga geral decorrente do exercicio fisico maximo. O sistema ancora incorpora atividade exploratoria simultanea a execucao de uma tarefa postural desafiadora. O contexto de ancoragem inclui o manejo de dois cabos flexiveis com cargas anexas em suas extremidades que possibilita a exploracao haptica. Neste estudo, dois grupos foram compostos, um grupo experimental com vinte e tres adultos jovens fisicamente ativos e um grupo controle composto de dez adultos jovens. Ambos os grupos realizaram duas sessoes experimentais (com ancora; sem ancora) com tarefas de controle postural. Para o grupo experimental, as duas sessoes consistiram em: a. uma tarefa de equilibrio antes do esforco fisico, b. um protocolo incremental de esforco, e c. tarefas de equilibrio apos o protocolo de esforco realizados em 4 diferentes momentos ate 15 minutos. Para a inducao do esforco fisico, utilizamos um protocolo incremental maximo em esteira ergometrica, e as duas sessoes experimentais foram realizadas em dias diferentes com prazo maximo entre elas de 14 dias. O grupo controle realizou as mesmas sessoes, entretanto o protocolo de inducao ao esforco fisico foi substituido por um periodo equivalente de descanso. O objetivo da existencia do grupo controle foi verificar a presenca de um efeito de aprendizagem durante a execucao das tarefas. Os resultados para o grupo experimental das variaveis relacionados ao deslocamento do CT, no dominio do tempo mostraram que a informacao haptica proveniente do sistema ancora atenuou a instabilidade postural durante condicoes de tarefas de controle postural onde o participante encontrava-se sob os efeitos da fadiga. Em todas as condicoes experimentais, o exercicio fisico maximo na esteira produziu um aumento na oscilacao postural, como esperado. Entretanto, quando a informacao haptica foi associada na tarefa experimental, a oscilacao postural foi significativamente diminuida. Embora a informacao haptica tenha atenuado significativamente os efeitos da fadiga geral sobre os niveis de oscilacao postural, a velocidade de recuperacao dos valores basais da oscilacao postural foi, na condicao de ancoragem, reduzida dada sua proximidade com os valores de oscilacao tipicos da tarefa sem a fadiga. Os resultados do grupo controle demonstraram que as tarefas utilizadas nao foram suficientes para promover um efeito de aprendizagem. O organismo a partir de estimulos de curto prazo compensou os efeitos de degradacao do equilibrio provocados pela fatiga. A informacao haptica foi util para o sistema de controle da postura compensar os efeitos de perturbacao causados pela fadiga. / Exploratory activity during haptic anchoring has a positive effect during challenging postural control tasks. In such case, improvement of postural stability has been demonstrated in a variety of groups (i.e., young adults, older adults, children, and disabled participants) and experimental conditions (i.e., different levels of postural task complexity). The issue of this study is to analyze in contexts of postural tasks whether there is a relation between the homeostatic imbalance caused by maximal physical exertion (that affects the postural system by the impact on the autonomic system) and the haptic system (which integrates additional strategy of voluntary control to the postural system). The purpose of our study was to test whether the haptic information provided by the use of the anchor system exhibits immediate effects on attenuation of postural instability levels increased by general fatigue caused by maximal physical exertion. The anchor system incorporates simultaneous exploratory activity to the execution of a challenging postural task. The anchoring context includes the handling of two flexible cables with loads attached at their ends that enable haptic exploration. In this study, two groups were composed, an experimental group with twenty-three physically active young adults and a control group composed of ten young adults. Both groups performed two experimental sessions (with anchor, without anchor) with tasks of postural control. For the experimental group, the two sessions consisted of: a. balance tasks before physical effort, b. exposure to an incremental exercise protocol, and c. balance tasks after the exercise protocol distributed in 4 periods up to 15 minutes. To induce physical exertion, we used a maximum incremental protocol on a treadmill, and two experimental sessions were conducted on different days with a maximum of 14 days between them. The control group performed the same sessions, however the protocol of induction to physical effort was replaced by an equivalent period of rest. The aim of the control group was to verify the presence of a learning effect during the execution of the tasks. The results for the experimental group of variables related to CT displacement in time domain showed that haptic information from the anchor system attenuated postural instability during conditions of postural control tasks where the participant was under effects of fatigue. In all experimental conditions maximal physical exercise on the treadmill increased postural oscillation, as expected. However, when the haptic information was associated with the experimental task, the postural sway was significantly decreased. Although haptic information significantly attenuated the effects of general fatigue on postural sway the rate of recovery of the basal values of the postural sway was, in the anchoring condition, reduced because of its proximity to the typical oscillation values of the task without the fatigue. The results of the control group demonstrated that the tasks used were not enough to promote a learning effect. The organism from short-term stimuli compensated for the effects of balance degradation caused by fatigue. Haptic information was useful for the posture control system to compensate for the disturbance effects caused by fatigue.

[Truncated abstract] The goal of this research was to investigate some of the ways that neurons located in the primary motor cortex (MI) code for skilled movement. The task-related and temporally correlated spike activity that occurred during the performance of a goal-directed reaching and retrieval task invloving multiple motion elements and limbs was evaluated in cats. The contributions made by different neuronal subtypes loctaed in MI (which were identified based upon extracellular spiking features0 to the coding of movement was also investigated. Spike activity was simulateously recorded from microelectrodes that were chronically implanted into the motor cortex of both cerebral hemispheres. Task-related neurons modulated their activity during the reaching and retrieval movements of one forelimb, or the postural reactions of the contralateral forelimb and ipsilateral hindlimb. Spike durations and baseline firing rates of neurons were used to distinguish between putative excitatory (Regular Spiking; RS) and inhibitory (Fast Spiking; FS) neurons in the cortex. Frame by frame video analysis of the task was used to subdivide each task trial into stages (e.g. premovement, reach, withdraw and feed) and relate modulations in neural activity to the individual task stages. Task-related neurons were classified as either narrowly tuned or broadly tuned depending on whether their activity modulated during a single task stage or more than one stage respectively. Recordings were made from 163 task-related neurons, and temporal correlations in the spike activity of simultaneously recorded neurons were identified using shuffle corrected cross-correlograms on 662 different neuronal pairs.... The results of this research suggest that temporally correlated activity may reflect the activation of intracortical and callosal connections between a variety of efferent zones involved in task performance, playing a role in the coordination of muscles and limbs during motor tasks. The differences in the patterns of task-related activity, and in the incidence of significant neuronal interactions that were observed between the RS and FS neuronal populations implies that they make different contributions to the coding of movement in MI.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 43-47).