Uma ativação do trato olivococlear medial reduz a amplitude das emissões otoacústicas de forma lateralizada, com um predomínio à direita. Pessoas com zumbido teriam uma disfunção do reflexo eferente, mas esses resultados não foram comprovados em todas as pesquisas. Curiosamente, estas pesquisas não valorizam a lateralidade eferente. Comparamos a supressão na orelha direita de pessoas com e sem zumbido e a lateralidade do sistema eferente pela análise da supressão à direita e à esquerda no grupo sem zumbido. Concluímos que há relação entre zumbido e não supressão e que à direita, a supressão é maior / An activation of the medial olivocochlear tract reduces the amplitude of otoacoustic emissions with predominance of the right side. Subjects with tinnitus would have an abnormality of the suppressing reflex, but such results have not been confirmed yet in any study. Curiously, such studies did not value the functional laterality. We compared right ear suppression of people with and without tinnitus, and the suppression on the right and on the left in the group without tinnitus. We concluded that there was a relation between tinnitus and absent suppression of otoacoustic emissions and right ear suppression was more marked.

Preterm birth (&lt; 37 complete gestation weeks, GWs) is the single most prominent risk factor for the development of cerebral palsy (CP). This is due to the immature physiological state of the preterm born infant which increases the risk of brain lesions. In CP, prominent sensorimotor, cognitive, and perceptual deviations are manifested with varying degrees of functional impairment. Although most children born preterm (PT) do not develop CP, sensorimotor and cognitive deficits are frequently reported in the absence of major disability. To date, few studies have focused on detailed kinematic analysis of upper-body goal-directed movements and how aspects of movement organization and control are related to hand preference, intellectual function, gestational age, and sex within groups of prematurely born children. Further, studies evaluating effects of sensorimotor training in persons with CP is needed and of importance as positive effects on movement performance may increase individual autonomy as a consequence.To investigate the prevalence of non-right hand preference within children born preterm (PT) in comparison to children born fullterm (FT), a meta-analysis and literature review were performed (study I). It was shown that children born PT had increased rates of non-right handedness (NRH) corresponding to 22% compared to 12% in the FT group (odds ratio 2.12). In study II, hand preference and side specific movement performance in children born PT (. 35 GWs) compared to an age matched group of children born FT were investigated. All included participants were 4-8 years of age without major disability. Movement performance was studied through detailed kinematic registrations of the head, arm, and hand during a goal-directed task and hand preference through observations of the hand used when manipulating different objects. On a group level, the children born PT, specifically those born &lt; 33 GWs, showed an increased rate of NRH, weaker strength of hand preference, and a lack of side specificity in terms of movement kinematics. In general, the children born &lt; 33 GWs also displayed poorer movement organization and control as expressed by longer durations, less smooth and longer distances of the movement trajectories. These findings imply that preterm birth has long term effects on sensorimoror organization and function, possibly reflecting a developmental delay and/or a persistent effect that may be associated with the increased risk of deviations in brain development.In study III, associations between movement performance, assessed with the same task as in study II, and intellectual function (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th ed; WISC-IV) were studied. This study included a subsample of the children from study II at 6-8 years of age. The results showed a link between movement organization and general intellectual functioning (IQ), when controlling for effects of GA and sex, for the PT born but not the FT born children. These findings suggest shared neural underpinnings and interrelated development of motor and intellectual functions.In study IV, kinematic analysis of upper-body movements and subjective experience of change in upper-body function were applied before and after a period of synchronized metronome training (SMT) in adolescents with varying degree of CP to study the effects of this type of training. The SMT method applied entailed elements of movement timing and rhythmic activation coupled with feedback and was hypothesized to train sensorimotor integration. It was found that SMT did improve, to varying degrees, the organization and control of movements in adolescents with CP. The participants with more severe forms of CP reported substantial effects in daily living activities. The observed effects of SMT warrant further study of specific effects on movement planning, biomechanical constraints, and attention.The relation between hand preference and movement performance, movement performance and intellectual function, and aspects related to the SMT method applied in study IV are discussed. Specifically, the lack of side specific movement organization within the group of children born PT is discussed from perspectives of motor learning, plasticity, and genetics. The relations between movement performance and intellectual functions are considered and ideas for how this association could be tested are given. With relation to study IV, the functions trained by the specific SMT method applied and the accessibility of individuals with different degree of CP is discussed. Methodological considerations and ideas for future research approaches within these areas are presented. / Varje år föds det drygt 100 000 barn i Sverige. Cirka 5% av dessa barn föds för tidigt, det vill säga före 37 kompletta graviditetsveckor. Av de barn som föds för tidigt har majoriteten en gestationsålder (antalet graviditetsveckor) över 33 veckor (Medicinska födelseregistret, 2009). Omkring 8% av barn som föds för tidigt diagnosticeras senare med cerebral pares (CP) (Ancel, et al., 2006) och omkring hälften av personer med diagnosen CP har en för tidig födelsehistorik (Beaino et al., 2010). CP är ett paraplybegrepp som innefattar ett flertal icke-progressiva motoriska utvecklingsavvikelser av olika karaktär och funktionsnedsättningsgrad, orsakade av hjärnskador som inträffar under fosterlivet eller vid förlossningen. Vanligtvis så påverkas även sensorik, perception, kognition, och beteende negativt (Rosenbaum, Paneth, Leviton, Goldstein, &amp; Bax, 2008). En prematur födsel utgör den största riskfaktorn för utvecklingen av CP där risken är störst för de barn som föds allra tidigast (Murphy, Sellers, MacKenzie, Yudkin, &amp; Johnson, 1995). De allra flesta barn som föds för tidigt drabbas dock inte av grav sensomotorisk funktionsnedsättning som till exempel CP trots att det finns en ökad risk för hjärnskador hos denna grupp. Ett flertal studier har ändå visat att barn som fötts för tidigt och ej diagnosticerats med CP i högre grad än fullgångna barn generellt har både motoriska (e.g., Williams et al., 2010) och kognitiva (e.g., Bhutta, 2002) funktionsnedsättningar.I dagsläget så har endast ett fåtal studier fokuserat på att i detalj studera organiseringen av målinriktade hand-armrörelser hos barn som fötts för tidigt. Av dessa har merparten fokuserat på spädbarn i syfte att finna tidiga markörer för sensomotoriska avvikelser. Då de sensomotoriska problemen hos för tidigt födda barn kvarstår i skolåldern och i vissa fall är så diskreta att de upptäcks först när barnet börjar skolan så kan rörelseanalys vara en metod som kan bidra till ökad förståelse och kunskap om hur den sensomotoriska påverkan uttrycks hos äldre barn. Ett av syftena med denna avhandling var således att noggrant studera organiseringen av huvud-, arm-, och handrörelser under en målinriktad handling hos barn som fötts för tidigt jämfört med en grupp barn i samma åldrar (4-8 år) som fötts efter fullgången graviditet. Av intresse är att studera relationen mellan aspekter associerade med rörelseorganisation och handpreferens, intellektuell förmåga, gestationsålder, samt kön. Då barn och ungdomar med CP utgör den största diagnosgruppen som behandlas inom barn- och ungdomshabiliteringar (Odding, Roebroeck, &amp; Stam, 2006) finns det ett stort behov av att utvärdera effekten av redan existerande träningsmetoder. Ett ytterligare syfte med detta avhandlingsarbete var att utvärdera både kort- och långtidseffekter av en etablerad träningsmetod (synchronized metronome training; SMT) som antas främja den sensomotoriska integreringen hos ungdomar (12-17 år) med diagnosen CP. Effekterna av denna träningsmetod utvärderades med hjälp av detaljerad rörelseanalys samt ett frågeformulär gällande individens upplevelse av förändring.Då barn som fötts för tidigt i vissa studier har visat sig ha en ökad prevalens av icke-högerhänthet, det vill säga fler som är vänsterhänta eller tvåhänta (ambidextra), så utfördes en systematisk litteraturgenomgång och en metaanalys för att undersöka detta fenomen närmare (studie I). I denna studie visade det sig att barn som fötts för tidigt i större utsträckning var icke-högerhänta jämfört med barn som fötts efter en fullgången graviditet (odds ratio 2.12). Hos de för tidigt födda barnen var 22% icke högerhänta jämfört med 12% av de som fötts efter fullgången graviditet. Dock säger handpreferensstudier inget om hur kvaliteten på rörelser utförda med den föredragna eller icke-föredragna handen ser ut. För att undersöka sambandet mellan handpreferens och kvalitet på rörelser kopplade till den föredragna och icke-föredragna handen hos barn som fötts för tidigt, jämfört med fullgångna åldersmatchade kontroller, utfördes kinematiska rörelseanalyser samt ett testbatteri som undersöker handpreferens (studie II). Barnen utförde målinriktade rörelser, med en hand i taget, i en uppgift som ställer höga krav på öga-hand-koordination och precision. Uppgiften bestod i att plocka upp och trä så många pärlor som möjligt på en smal pinne under 30 sekunder. Denna studie visade att barnen med en för tidig födelsehistorik, speciellt de mycket för tidigt födda (före graviditetsvecka 33), i större utsträckning var klassificerade som icke-högerhänta och hade en svagare handpreferens i jämförelse med barnen som inte fötts för tidigt. De mycket för tidigt födda barnen visade även, som grupp, en sämre organisering av huvud-, arm-, och handrörelser vilket manifesterades i en ökad längd, tidsåtgång och ojämnhet av rörelsebanorna. Oavsett gestationsålder så visade den för tidigt födda gruppen barn inga sidoskillnader i kvaliteten på rörelserna vilket däremot var tydligt hos gruppen barn som fötts vid fullgången graviditet. Dock så skiljde sig gruppen barn som fötts moderat för tidigt (mellan graviditetsvecka 33 och 35) inte statistiskt signifikant åt från barnen i den fullgånget födda gruppen. Dessa resultat indikerar en långvarig effekt av för tidig födsel på sensomotorisk funktion. Den markanta påverkan som barnen som fötts före graviditetsvecka 33 uppvisade, kan tolkas som en effekt av den ökade risken för avvikelser i hjärnans utveckling.I studie III undersöktes sambanden mellan intellektuell förmåga och organiseringen av rörelser hos barn som fötts för tidigt samt hos barn som fötts efter en fullgången graviditet i 6-8 års ålder (en subgrupp ur studie II). Den intellektuella förmågan undersöktes med hjälp av Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4:e upplagan, och den kinematiska uppgiften var den samma som beskrivits ovan. Denna studie visade på skillnader i intellektuell förmåga, specifikt gällande generell intelligens samt verbal och perceptuell förmåga, där de för tidigt födda barnen hade lägre poäng än de fullgångna barnen. Viktigt att poängtera är dock att medelvärdena för gruppen för tidigt födda barn låg inom det normala spannet. Vidare så visade sig gestationsålder och generell intellektuell förmåga ha betydelse för det motoriska utförandet hos de för tidigt födda barnen, speciellt på den föredragna sidan. Kön bidrog inte till att förklara skillnader i organiseringen av rörelser. Intellektuell förmåga hade ingen relation till den sensomotoriska funktionen hos gruppen barn som fötts efter en fullgången graviditet. Detta belyser vikten av att studera kognitiva aspekter av motorisk funktion för att bättre förstå de skillnader eller avvikelser som ofta påvisas hos barn med en för tidig födelsehistorik. Dessutom skulle en sådan ansats öka kunskapen om den interrelaterade utvecklingen av motorisk och intellektuell förmåga, både ur ett beteendeperspektiv och ur ett hjärnutvecklingsperspektiv.Kinematisk rörelseanalys användes även i studie IV för att beskriva eventuella förändringar i rörelseorganisation efter SMT-träning hos ungdomar med olika typer av CP och varierande grad av funktionsnedsättning (studie IV). Ungdomarna utförde en målinriktad uppgift som bestod i att tända små lampor i sekventiell ordning. Testerna genomfördes vid tre tillfällen, före, i anslutning till avslutad SMT-träning samt 6 månader efter avslutad SMT-träning. Träningsperioden varade i 4 veckor och innefattade 12 individanpassade SMT-sessioner. Den typ av SMT-träning som användes i denna studie antas främja sensomotorisk integrering genom rytmisk aktivering och timing av rörelser mot en auditiv och visuell signal. Feedback på avvikelsen i synkronisering, och en instruktion om hur deltagaren skall uppnå bättre rörelsetiming, ges direkt både auditivt och visuellt. Denna studie visade på förändringar i rörelseorganisation och motorisk kontroll hos flertalet av deltagarna. Dessa effekter kvarstod till viss del vid uppföljningen efter 6 månader. Deltagarna med gravare funktionsnedsättning rapporterade substantiella förändringar i förmågan att delta i dagliga aktiviteter både direkt efter avslutad träning samt 6 månader senare. De rapporterade effekterna gällde ökad snabbhet, minskad muskeltonus, bättre arm-, hand- och fingerkontroll, samt ökad motivation att använda armen och handen både i träning och vardagliga aktiviteter. Dessa subjektivt upplevda förändringar tillsammans med de vi observerat i de kinematiska parametrarna utgör en grund för fortsatta studier av effekter av SMT hos denna grupp ungdomar och även hos andra grupper barn och ungdomar med motoriska problem. En ansats där effekter av SMT-metoder studeras utifrån rörelseplanering, biomekaniska restriktioner, samt uppmärksamhet skulle vara av betydelse.I avhandlingen diskuteras relationen mellan handpreferens och kvalitet på rörelser i relation till den föredragna och icke-föredragna handen, samband mellan organisering av rörelser och intellektuell förmåga, samt aspekter relaterade till SMT-metoden som applicerats i studie IV. Specifikt diskuteras avsaknaden av en sidospecifik rörelseorganisering hos gruppen barn som fötts för tidigt i relation till motorisk inlärning, hjärnans förmåga att förändra sig, och genetik. Relationen mellan organisering av rörelser och intellektuell förmåga betänks och förslag på hur detta samband kan undersökas i kommande studier ges. Vidare så diskuteras vilka funktioner som SMT-metoden tränar samt dess tillgänglighet för barn och ungdomar med olika grad av funktionsnedsättning relaterad till typ av CP diagnos. Metodologiska överväganden och idéer för framtida forskningsansatser inom dessa områden presenteras. / <p>En viktig annan finansiär är Norrbacka-Eugenia Stiftelsen som bekostade hela min forskarutbildning.</p>

In today's world there is a need for products and services that are accessible to all individuals. Universal Design is the concept that products and environments should be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialization. There is a growing need for such products. However, many products are not accessible to all potential customers, arguably due to a lack of experience, design tools, and engineering methods for creating universally designed products. This research compares paired products to determine the differences between "Universal Design (UD)" and "Standard" Products. For each pair of products, a functional model and activity diagram were developed and analyzed. For each product pair, the identified differences in the products were recorded in a Universal Design differences database. Through systematic analysis of the Universal Design differences database and other research in Universal Design, a set of three Handheld Universal Design Tools was created. The toolset consists of the Handheld Universal Design Checklist, The Handheld Universal Design Guidelines, and the Handheld Universal Design Matrix. These three tools are designed to be used in the concept generation phase of product design or redesign. The Handheld Universal Design Tools were evaluated using a human subjects experiment. Control and test groups were asked to generate concepts for redesigning a product. The metrics of quality, universality, laterality, senior usability and inclusivity were used to evaluate the design concepts. The results of the study suggest that Handheld Universal Design Tools assist engineers in generating design concepts appropriate for Universally Designed products. As a part of the research, Universal Design was presented to first year mechanical engineering students with pre- and post- surveys on the students' perceptions of engineering. Subsequent analysis of the surveys indicated that exposure to Universal Design affects students' perceptions of engineers' overall role in society and their capacity to help others. The Handheld Universal Design Checklist, Guidelines and Matrix represent an initial step to provide engineers with tools to create Universally Designed products. / text

This thesis is named Problems of school maturity (with respect to graphic abilities). It is divided into two parts. The theoretical part defines the concept of pre-school age and of school maturity, it deals with possible reasons for school immaturiry and their improvement. Special attention is given to drawing in connection with school maturity. The practical part derives from judgement of school maturity on the base of graphic abilities. The typical signs and possible differences between boys' and girls' graphic abilities are viewed.

L'étude de l'os est d'un intérêt majeur en Anthropologie. Constituant la charpente des vertébrés, le squelette est le reflet de l'activité motrice. En effet, chaque élément du squelette a une fonction dictée par sa forme et un rôle autorisé par sa morphologie. C'est l'illustration la plus visible de l'adaptation. Ce processus est largement étudié dans la lignée humaine et ce dogme est au cœur de nombreuses recherches en Anthropobiologie. Ces caractères sont inscrits dans la forme de l'os. Chaque courbure, apophyse ou crête témoignent au moins en partie de l'action d'un muscle ou d'une fonction dictée par un lent processus évolutif voire adaptatif. Cette évolution se fait par l'évolution de caractères externes de l'os par sa forme ou l'anatomie " visible " d'une part et par l'évolution de caractères plus internes, subtils et directement lié aux propriétés biomécaniques de l'os à savoir l'os trabéculaire. L'os trabéculaire est un matériau plus fragile, déformable que l'os cortical. Il constitue une trace indirecte des contraintes appliquées squelette. C'est ainsi que les activités locomotrices, alimentaires ou occupationnelle seront inscrite dans l'endostructure osseuse. C'est la théorie développée par Wolff dès 1870 dans " The law of bone remodelling ". Il développa cette conception d'un processus actif, évolutif par l'observation macroscopique des travées de l'extrémité supérieure du fémur chez l'homme. Si la contrainte exercée sur un os en particulier augmente, il va se remodeler pour devenir plus rigide et résister à la charge dans ce segment d'os particulier et pour cette force particulière de contrainte. Nous avons étudié cette théorie sur deux modèles chez le vivant au niveau du membre supérieur et au niveau du membre inférieur pour caractériser les contraintes asymétriques appliquées à l'os trabéculaires. La latéralité ou préférence manuelle est un exemple d'activité asymétrique. Ses effets sur l'os sont bien connus lors de la pratique de sports intensifs ou d'activités très latéralisées. Cependant peu de données existent sur les activités usuelles et la préférence manuelle de l'homme jeune sans activité particulière. Par une étude en microscanner avec des coupes de 41 microns, des volumes d'intérêt dans les os du squelette carpien radial ont été réalisés sur des individus d'âge jeune sans antécédent particulier de façon bilatérale. Plusieurs variables cliniques et anthropométriques ont également été recueillis. Nous avons pu mettre en évidence des caractères endostructuraux expliquant la variabilité interindividuelles en les comparant avec des éléments anthropomorphiques et la force de serrage manuelle. Par ailleurs, les défauts d'axe en varus ou en valgus exercent des contraintes asymétriques également sur les articulations portantes. La chirurgie prothétique du genou croit ces dernières années de façon exponentielle par un effet conjoint de l'amélioration des techniques, et l'augmentation de l'incidence de l'arthrose. / The study of bone is of major interest in Anthropology. The skeleton is an image of motor activity. Indeed, every element of the skeleton has a function dictated by its shape and role and then by its morphology. This illustrates the most visible adaptation of the bone. This process is widely studied in the human lineage. This theory is an important path of research in Anthropology. These characters are inscribed in the shape of the bone. Each curve, or crest reflect the action of a muscle or a function dictated by a slow evolutionary process. This change is by changing external characteristics of the bone by its form or anatomy "visible" on the one hand and by the evolution of more internal character, subtle and directly related to the biomechanical properties of bone namely trabecular bone. Trabecular bone is a more brittle material, deformable than cortical bone. It is an indirect trace of the stresses applied to the bone. Thus locomotion, feeding or occupational activities can be analyzed into the bone endostructure. This is the theory developed by Wolff in 1870 in "The law of bone remodeling." He developed this idea of ??an active, evolving process by macroscopic observation of the spans of the proximal femur in humans. If the stress on a particular bone increases, it will remodel to become more rigid and withstand the load in that particular bone segment and for this particular force of constraint. We studied this theory on two models in the living human being. One concerned the upper limb and the second the lower limb to characterize asymmetrical forces on trabecular bone. Laterality or handedness is an example of asymmetrical activity. Its effects on bone are well known in the practice of intensive sports or very lateralized activities. However, little data exist on the usual activities and the handedness of the young man with no particular activity. We performed a microCT study with cuts 41 microns slices. Volumes of interest in radial carpal bones were performed on both sides on young human adults without particular medical history. Several clinical and anthropometric variables were also collected. We were able to highlight endostructural patterns explaining the interindividual variability in comparison with anthropometric parameters and crush or pinch grip. Furthermore, axis deviations in varus or valgus exert asymmetric constraints also on weight-bearing joints. The prosthetic knee surgery increases exponentially in the last decades by a combined effect of improved techniques and the increased incidence of osteoarthritis. The OA is multifactorial but the weight has a major effect on cartilage wear. We further know that the morphology and deformation of members influence this phenomenon. We wanted to characterize the response of the bone to endostructure these asymmetrical stresses on the tibial plateau. We collected tibial plateaus during total joint replacement surgeries for knee and compare the bone under chondral internal and external with microCT 7.4 micron slices. Some parameters highlight the major effect weight and body mass such as bone volume fraction BV/TV, structure model index SMI, trabecular space Tb. and trabecular number Tb.N. Subchondral densification during osteoarthritis is associated with a reduction in its elastic modulus, which could increase cartilage stress, and accelerate cartilage loss.

Nous avons étudié la latéralité gestuelle intraspécifique de chimpanzés et de gorilles captifs dans des contextes socio-écologiques proches des conditions naturelles de vie. Nous avons montré que les chimpanzés et les gorilles étudiés présentaient un biais populationnel pour la main droite pour la majorité des gestes les plus fréquents de leur répertoire. Par la mise en oeuvre d’une approche multifactorielle, nous avons montré pour la première fois que la latéralité gestuelle intraspécifique de ces primates était influencée par plusieurs facteurs et par leurs interactions: contexte de l’interaction (champs visuels de l’émetteur et du récepteur et contexte émotionnel), caractéristique du geste (modalité sensorielle, utilisation d'un outil de communication, degré de partage et durée du geste) et par certaines composantes sociodémographiques, particulièrement le rang hiérarchique de l’émetteur et son âge dans une moindre mesure. De plus, nous avons comparé la latéralité manuelle des chimpanzés lors de l'utilisation d'outil pour des actions non-communicatives et des gestes intraspécifiques. Notre analyse multifactorielle suggère que l’utilisation d’outil dans les gestes serait plus contrôlée par l'hémisphère cérébral gauche que l’utilisation d’outil dans des actions non-communicatives. Globalement, nos résultats vérifient le modèle de Ghirlanda et collègues (2009) selon lequel les biais de latéralité au niveau populationnel pourraient être expliqués par une stratégie évolutive stable basée sur les interactions intraspécifiques. Nos résultats sont également en accord avec les études mettant en évidence l'utilisation préférentielle de la main droite pour la communication gestuelle des primates non humains et suggérant que la latéralité gestuelle serait un précurseur de la spécialisation hémisphérique gauche pour le langage. En outre, nos résultats confortent l'hypothèse que certaines espèces de primates pourraient avoir un traitement spécifique de l’hémisphère gauche pour les gestes communicatifs distinct de celui des actions manuelles non-communicatives. Du point de l’évolution, nos résultats soulignent l’importance d’étudier en détail la latéralité intraspécifique en considérant des espèces de différents degrés de socialité et en prenant en compte des contextes socioécologiques proches des conditions naturelles ainsi que de multiples facteurs potentiellement influents. / We studied intraspecific gestural laterality of captive chimpanzees and gorillas in real-life social-ecological relevant contexts. We evidenced that chimpanzees (respectively gorillas) exhibited a right-hand bias at the population level for the majority of the most frequent gestures of their specific natural communication repertoire. By designing and applying a multifactorial approach, we showed for the first time that intraspecific gestural laterality of primates was influenced by several factors and their mutual intertwinement: interactional context (visual fields of both signaller and recipient as well as emotional context), gesture characteristic (sensory modality, use of a communication tool, sharing degree, and gesture duration) and by some socio-demographic components in particular signaller’s hierarchical rank, and to a lesser extent signaller’s age. Similarities but also some discrepancies between chimpanzees and gorillas may be related to the lateralization of emotional processing, to communication strategies, and to social selection pressures related to the social structure and dynamics of the study species. Moreover, we compared manual laterality of tool use by chimpanzees in both non-communication actions and intraspecific gestures. Our multifactorial analysis showed that tool-use in gestures appear to be governed more by the left cerebral hemisphere than tool-use in non-communication actions. Our findings support Ghirlanda and colleagues’ (2009) model postulating that population-level bias could be explained by an evolutionary stable strategy based on intraspecific interactions. Our results also agree with previous reports evidencing predominant right-hand use by nonhuman primates for gestural communication and suggesting that gestural laterality would be a precursor of the left-brain specialization for language. Furthermore, our results support the hypothesis that some primate species may have a specific left-cerebral system processing gestures distinct from the cerebral system processing non-communication manual actions. From an evolutionary point of view, our findings emphasize the importance to study intraspecific laterality in detail by considering species varying in their degree of sociality and taking into account real-life social-ecological contexts and multiple potentially influential factors.

TITLE: Left-handedness and its acceptance in contemporary education system and families AUTHOR: Libuše Svobodová DEPARTMENT: Department of Biology and Environmental Studies SUPERVISOR: doc. RNDr. Václav Vančata, CSc. ABSTRACT: The diploma thesis entitled Left-handedness and its acceptance in contemporary education system and families follows up and complements the bachelor thesis entitled The issue of left- handedness in the development of children and youth - history, present and perspectives. The first and second chapters of the theoretical part of the diploma thesis focus more deeply on the characteristics of left-handed writing styles, advantages and disadvantages of left-handed writing, suitable writing aids, classroom order, organization of work environment and writing methodology. The third chapter is devoted to laterality tests with a focus on the upper limb, lower limb, eye and ear, test tasks, their conditions and evaluation. The last fourth chapter of the theoretical part deals with the central nervous system, more precisely the brain and its asymmetric anatomy, function, control of upper limb movements and motor development of the upper limb. The practical part of the diploma thesis consists of five researches. The first research verifies the occurrence of left-handers in primary schools and...

The right ear advantage (REA) phenomenon has been utilized in clinical and research settings to study auditory processing disorders and linguistic lateralization. Previous research has established that the REA is not reliable in its measures within or between individuals. This is likely due to the influence of other variables, such as neuromaturation and attention. One variable that has not been studied in depth in this context is linguistic complexity. It was hypothesized that stimulus conditions with levels of linguistic complexity would elicit corresponding levels of temporal lobe activity. Understanding and controlling the variables that affect the REA will increase the reliability of the measure. Twenty right handed, neurotypical individuals aged 18-29 participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that identified the regions and the extent of activation involved in listening to dichotic syllables, words, and sentences. Three durations of speech babble corresponding to the mean duration of the syllables, words, and sentences were used as control stimuli. Participants listened to dichotic stimuli and reported the stimulus they heard best during an fMRI scan. Reaction time (RT), ear preference, and fMRI data were recorded simultaneously and analyzed post hoc. Behavioral results showed that words had the shortest RTs and the greatest REA; syllables and sentences were similar to each other for both measures. Significant main effects were found in brain regions known to be involved in cognitive control of attention and linguistic processing. Words were associated with significant activation differences for ear preferences and minimal frontal lobe involvement for right ear preference. Syllables caused the least activity in the frontal lobe regions and less voxel activity in the temporal lobes than syllable-length babble. Sentences had the greatest voxel activity in the frontal and temporal lobe regions. It was concluded that words would best reflect the REA in clinical and experimental designs. Words had minimal involvement of frontal lobe regions indicating minimal cognitive control of attention and the largest discrepancies in activation patterns between right and left ear preferences that showed less cognitive power to process right ear stimuli in a dichotic listening situation.

Research has indicated that the frontal and temporal lobes are involved in the mediation of heart rate and blood pressure. However, whereas these regions of the brain have been identified in the mediation of heart rate and blood pressure, the specific cerebral processes involved in determining the direction and magnitude of change in heart rate and blood pressure has not been adequately addressed. The present paper proposes that changes in the magnitude of cerebral activation between the left and right frontal and temporal lobes is partly that which determines the direction and magnitude of changes in heart rate and blood pressure. The present investigation sought to test part of this proposition, namely, that increasing magnitude of cerebral activity within the right anterior temporal region generates increasing levels of sympathetic control of heart rate and blood pressure and that the right lateral frontal region acts to inhibit sympathetic activity. A total of 45 right handed men, with no history of significant head injury, were exposed to 55 dB, 75 dB, and 90 dB white noise presentations. Right frontal lobe functioning was assessed by performance on the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT), with the participants scoring in the lower one-third classified as Low Fluency. Those scoring in the upper one-third were classified as High Fluency. Quantitative electroencephalography, measured at 19 electrodes sites arranged according to the International 10/20 System, as well as heart rate and blood pressure responses to white noise presentation were measured. Although the results failed to support any of the hypotheses concerning the effects of varying intensity of white noise on cardiovascular activity, partial support was found for the hypotheses that varying intensity of white noise would generate differential changes in high beta magnitude between the Low and High Fluency groups. The results are discussed in terms of support for the model being tested. Alternative explanations of the findings are also provided that demonstrate correspondence between the QEEG and cardiovascular data. Finally, limitations of the model and the methods of the present investigation are discussed and suggestions for improvement are provided. / Ph. D.

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution Edu-K can make to the way that people are able to actualise themselves. Two literature studies were done. The first literature study dealt with the existing theories on self actualisation. After this study a list was drawn up that consisted of the characteristics of the actualiser. The second literature study dealt with the Seven Dimensions of Intelligence, as described by Edu-K. A connection was drawn between the characteristics of the actualiser and the Seven Dimensions. A clear connection was drawn theoretically between the characteristics of the actualiser and the seven dimensions. The empirical study also shows an improvement in the academical performance as well as the characteristics of the actualiser. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om te bepaal watter bydrae Edu-Kinesiologie (Edu-K) kan lewer tot die bereiking van selfaktualisering, veral op akademiese gebied Vir die verkenning is twee literatuurstudies gedoen. Die eerste literatuurstudie het gehandel oor die teoriee wat bestaan oor selfaktualisering. Na hierdie studie is 'n vraelys oor eienskappe wat kenmerkend van selfaktualiseerders is, saamgestel. Die tweede literatuurstudie het gegaan oor die Sewe Dimensies van lntelligensie wat deur Edu-K beskryf word, en daar is 'n verband getrek tussen die Sewe Dimensies en die eienskappe van selfaktualisering. Daar is teoreties 'n duidelike verband getrek tussen selfaktualisering en die Sewe Dimensies van lntelligensie. Die empiriese studie het ook aan die lig gebring dat daar 'n verbetering in akademiese prestasie, sowel as eienskappe van selfaktualisering is na terapie. / M. Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)