O aprendizado motor pode ser considerado um processo sensório-cognitivomotor, que envolve a formação de representações neurais da tarefa, chamadas de modelos internos. Essa forma de entender o aprendizado motor permite que processos como o aprendizado por meio da prática mental, ou seja, sem a finalização do movimento pelos efetores e a realimentação sensorial conseqüente a isso, possam ser compreendidos. A prática mental mostra-se uma forma de treinamento tão eficiente quanto a prática física em adultos, porém com vantagens quanto à generalização, visto que favorece a formação de modelos internos mais flexíveis. Entre os 5 e 6 anos de idade, a despeito das imaturidades de funções cognitivas, como memória de trabalho e atenção, as crianças já são capazes de imaginar tarefas motoras dinâmicas, embora não haja evidências na literatura sobre a capacidade de aprendizado por meio da imaginação nem a comparação com o treino físico. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a capacidade de aprender, reter e generalizar uma nova habilidade motora de oposição seqüencial de dedos por meio do treino físico e mental, em crianças de 5 e 6 anos. Para tal, foi comparado o desempenho motor em uma tarefa de oposição seqüencial de dedos, em 3 diferentes condições: com treinamento físico da tarefa, com treinamento mental e sem treinamento. O grupo de prática física (PF) era composto por dezesseis crianças com média de idade de 6,5±0,2 anos, sendo doze meninas e quatro meninos; o grupo de prática mental (PM) composto por 12 crianças com média de idade de 5,7±0,5 anos, dentre elas 7 meninos e 5 meninas e o grupo sem prática (SP), por 12 crianças de 5,6±0,4 anos, das quais 8 eram meninos e 4 meninas, todos destros. Os grupos de PF e PM foram submetidos a uma sessão de treino com 2400 repetições, sendo avaliados, assim como o grupo SP, antes, depois, 4, 7, 14 e 28 dias após o treinamento. Os resultados mostram que independente da forma de treino, as crianças foram capazes de melhorar o seu desempenho em termos de velocidade ao longo do treinamento, sendo que o grupo PM foi mais rápido para concluir cada bloco de treino em comparação com o grupo PF. Quanto à aquisição, embora de forma mais lenta, as crianças do grupo PM atingiram o mesmo desempenho que o grupo PF ao final das reavaliações, enquanto que o grupo SP permaneceu com o desempenho semelhante ao da primeira avaliação e significativamente inferior aos grupos PF e PM. Já para a generalização, os grupos PF e PM apresentaram melhora do desempenho da seqüência reversa (SR) mais lenta em comparação à seqüência treinada (ST), porém ao final dos 28 dias de experimento o grupo PM manteve esta melhora, enquanto o grupo PF perdeu desempenho. O grupo SP não apresentou diferenças significativas no comportamento de nenhuma das 2 seqüências testadas. Com base nesses resultados, pode-se concluir que crianças de 5 e 6 anos vii são capazes de aprender, reter e generalizar uma nova habilidade motora envolvendo movimentos seqüenciais de oposição de dedos por meio da prática mental, sem diferenças em comparação com a prática física, porém com vantagens quanto à generalização. / Motor skill learning (MSL) is a sensory-cognitive-motor process that involves the formation of neural representations of a task, known as internal models. This way of understanding the MSL allows processes such as motor learning through mental practice, which is, without end-movements from muscles and the subsequential sensorial feedback to those movements, to being understood. Mental practice is shown as a form of training as efficient as the physical practice in adults, however with advantage on generalization since it favors the formation of more flexible internal models. Between 5 and 6 years of age, in spite of immature cognitive functions such as working memory and attention, children are already capable to imagine dynamic motor tasks, although there is no evidence in literature regarding motor learning through imagination neither a comparison with physical training. Therefore, the objective of this study is to compare the ability of learning, retaining and generalizing a fresh motor ability of sequential opposition of fingers by physical and mental practice in children of 5 and 6 years. To do so, motor performance in a task of sequential opposition of fingers was compared in 3 different conditions: by (1) physical training of the task, (2) mental training and (3) no training at all. The physical practice group (PF) was composed by sixteen children with an average of 6,5±0,2 years, with twelve girls and four boys; the mental practice group (PM) was composed by 12 children with an average of 5,7±0,5 years, amongst them 7 boys and 5 girls and finally the notraining group (SP), composed with 12 children of 5,6±0,4 years, 8 boys and 4 girls, all dexterous. The PF and PM groups were submitted to one session of training with 2400 repetitions; they were evaluated, as well as group SP, before the training and 4, 7, 14 and 28 days after the training. The results have shown that regardless the form of training the children were capable to improve their speed performance throughout the training, with PM group concluding each block of training faster when compared to group PF. Regarding acquisition, although being slower, the children of PM group have reached the same performance as PF group in the end of the reevaluations, whereas SP group remained with the same performance as the one on the first evaluation and thus significantly inferior performance compared to PF and PM groups. As for generalization, groups PF and PM presented improvement in performance of the reversal finger opposition sequence (SR), both slower in comparison to the trained finger opposition sequence (ST), however in the end of 28 days of experiment the PM group kept this improvement while PF group lost performance. SP group did not present significant performance differences in neither of the 2 tested sequences. Based on these results, we conclude that children of 5 and 6 years are capable to learn, to retain and to generalize a new motor ability involving sequential movements of ix opposition of fingers through mental practice, without differences in comparison with physical practice, however with advantages in generalization.

Feedback is a powerful tool for coaches and instructors in the learning process as well as an important tool regarding motor skill development. The aim of the study was to investigate how feedback is used in a crossfit environment, focusing on what types of feedback are used and what the coaches’ approach to feedback is. To achieve this, six crossfit coaches were observed and interviewed. The study found that the frequency of feedback varied greatly between the coaches. The feedback was given both individually and to the whole group, and visual and verbal feedback were often combined. The main purposes of the feedback seemed to be to improve the participants’ performance and to promote a fun environment. The coaches also seemed to believe that it is important to adjust the feedback to the individual participants.

O objetivo desse estudo foi investigar os efeitos do fornecimento de dicas visual, cinestésica, separadamente e em conjunto, na aprendizagem de habilidades motoras por indivíduos surdos. A tarefa utilizada foi o arremesso de dardo de salão. A amostra foi composta por 99 indivíduos do ensino fundamental, de ambos os sexos, sendo 62 com surdez neurossensorial bilateral (de moderadamente severa a anacusia) e 37 ouvintes, com idade média de 10,4 anos (±1,5) e 10,8 anos (±1,4), respectivamente. O estudo constou de três grupos experimentais de indivíduos surdos: dica visual (SV); dica cinestésica (SC) e dica visual e cinestésica (SVC). Para cada um destes grupos foi composto um grupo de ouvintes pareado por idade. O delineamento compreendeu: pré-teste (1 bloco de 5 arremessos); fase de aquisição (6 blocos de 10 arremessos); pós-teste (1 bloco de 5 arremessos) seguido de teste de transferência (1 bloco de 10 arremessos). Somente na fase de aquisição, a cada bloco de 10 tentativas, a dica \"cotovelo flexionado em 90º\" foi fornecida de acordo com a condição, por meio de figura (dica visual), manipulação (dica cinestésica) ou figura e manipulação (dica visual/cinestésica). As análises foram realizadas separadamente para os participantes que aprenderam (PA) e que não aprenderam (PNA) a habilidade. A identificação de indicativo de aprendizagem ocorreu mediante análise descritiva dos desempenhos individuais em relação ao erro radial absoluto. Foram consideradas para a análise não-paramétrica as variáveis precisão e consistência do desempenho (erro radial), respectivamente, erros absoluto e variável e, a tendência direcional através do erro constante; duas variáveis que expressam o padrão de resposta (temporais) e 14 variáveis que correspondem ao padrão de movimento (espaço-temporais). Os indivíduos surdos também foram avaliados quanto ao domínio da língua de sinais brasileira (LIBRAS) por meio da TVRSL 1.3. As medidas de erro, de padrão de resposta e de movimento foram obtidas através dos softwares Launcher Tracker e Kinovea. Os resultados dos PA mostraram que, com a prática, todos os grupos (surdos e ouvintes) diminuíram os erros radiais, absoluto e variável; ou seja, em termos de precisão e consistência do arremesso, aprenderam a habilidade. Na comparação entre os grupos experimentais, os resultados mostraram que o grupo SV obteve desempenho superior ao SC e ao SVC. Não foi detectada diferença na comparação entre os grupos de ouvintes em função da dica fornecida. A confirmação do melhor aproveitamento da dica visual pelos aprendizes surdos também foi verificada nos resultados relativos ao padrão de movimento. A dica visual possibilitou um melhor posicionamento do braço de arremesso, o que interferiu nas variáveis de ângulo, tempo e velocidade, resultando em maior precisão e consistência do arremesso. Estes resultados permitem concluir que: (1) A dica visual é mais eficiente em promover a aprendizagem motora dos surdos do que a dica cinestésica e a visual associada à cinestésica; (2) os efeitos da dica visual são específicos à aprendizagem dos surdos; e (3) o nível de domínio da LIBRAS dos aprendizes surdos - no caso, abaixo do esperado para a idade e escolaridade - não determina a ocorrência ou a não-ocorrência de aprendizagem de uma habilidade motora / The aim of this study was to investigation the effects of providing visual kinesthetic cues, separately and in combination, on the learning of motor skills by deaf individuals. The task used in this study was the dart throwing. The sample consisted of 99 subjects of elementary education, of both sexes, as follows: 62 with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (from moderate/severe to anacusis) and 37 listeners, with an average age of 10.4 years (± 1.5) and 10.8 years (± 1.4), respectively. The study consisted of three experimental groups of deaf individuals: visual cue (SV); kinesthetic cue (SC) and visual and kinesthetic cue (SVC). For each of these groups, an age-matched group of listeners was composed. The project comprised: pre-test (1 block of 5 throws); acquisition phase (6 blocks of 10 throws); post-test (1 block of 5 throws) followed by transfer test (1 block of 10 throws). Only in the acquisition phase, in each block of 10 attempts, the cue \"elbow flexed at 90º\" was supplied according to the condition, by means of figure (visual cue), manipulation (kinesthetic cue) or figure and manipulation (visual-kinesthetic cue). The analysis was performed separately for the participants who learned (PA) and did not learn (PNA) of motor skill. The identification of learning occurred through a descriptive analysis of the individual performances in relation to the absolute radial error. For the non-parametric analysis, we considered the variables accuracy and consistency of performance (radial error), respectively, absolute and variable errors, and the directional trend through constant error; two variables which express the response pattern (temporal) and 14 variables that correspond to the movement pattern (spatiotemporal). Deaf individuals were evaluated concerning the mastery of the Brazilian sign language (LIBRAS) through the TVRSL 1.3. The measurements of error, standard response and motion were obtained through the software programs Launcher Tracker and Kinovea, respectively. The results of PA showed that, with practice, all groups (deaf and hearing) decreased radial errors, absolute and variable; that is, in terms of accuracy and consistency of the throw, they learned the skill. In the comparison between the experimental groups, the results showed that the SV group performed better than SC and SVC. No difference was detected in the comparison between the groups of listeners, depending on the provided cue. The confirmation of the best use of the visual cue by the deaf learners was also verified in the results related to the movement pattern. The visual cue provided a better positioning of the throwing arm, which interfered in the variables of angle, time and speed, resulting in greater precision and consistency of the throw. These results allow to conclude that: (1) the visual cue is more efficient to promote the motor learning of the deaf individuals than the kinesthetic and visual-kinesthetic cues; (2) the effects of the visual cue are specific to the learning of the deaf individuals; and (3) the mastery level of LIBRAS in deaf learners - in this case, lower than expected for their age and schooling - does not determine the occurrence or failure of a motor skill learning

Robotics in rehabilitation provides considerable opportunities to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities. Computerized and Virtual Environment (VE) training systems for persons with disabilities, many of which utilize the haptic feedback, have gained increasing acceptance in the recent years. Our methodology here is based on creating virtual environments connected to a haptic interface as an input device. This robotic setup introduces the advantages of the haptic rendering features in the environment and also provides tactile feedback to the patients. This thesis aims to demonstrate the efficacy of assistance function algorithms in rehabilitation robotics in virtual environments. Assist functions are used to map limited human input to motions required to perform complex tasks. The purpose is to train individuals in task-oriented applications to insure that they can be incorporated into the workplace. Further, Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based motion recognition and skill learning are used for improving the skill levels of the users. For the Hidden Markov Model based motion recognition, the user's motion intention is combined with environment information to apply an appropriate assistance function. We used this algorithm to perform a commonly used vocational therapy test referred to as the box and the blocks test. The Hidden Markov Model based skill approach can be used for learning human skill and transferring the skill to persons with disabilities. A relatively complex task of moving along a labyrinth is chosen as the task to be modeled by HMM. This kind of training allows a person with disability to learn the skill and improve it through practice. Its application to motion therapy system using a haptic interface helps in improving their motion control capabilities, tremor reduction and upper limb coordination. The results obtained from all the tests demonstrated that various forms of assistance provided reduced the execution times and increased the motion performance in chosen tasks. Two persons with disabilities volunteered to perform the above tasks and both of the disabled subjects expressed an interest and satisfaction with the philosophy behind these concepts.

Skill acquisition and task specific planning are essential components of any robot system, yet they have long been studied in isolation. This, I contend, is due to the lack of a common representational framework. I present a holistic approach to planning robot behavior, using previously acquired skills to represent control knowledge (and objects) directly, and to use this background knowledge to build plans in the space of control actions. Actions in this framework are closed-loop controllers constructed from combinations of sensors, effectors, and potential functions. I will show how robots can use reinforcement learning techniques to acquire sensorimotor programs. The agent then builds a functional model of its interactions with the world as distributions over the acquired skills. In addition, I present two planning algorithms that can reason about a task using the functional models. These algorithms are then applied to a variety of tasks such as object recognition and object manipulation to achieve its objective on two different robot platforms.

Cette thèse avait pour objectif d'analyser l'influence de certains facteurs (expertise, difficulté de la tâche) sur le traitement dimages en 2D et 3D. Le terrain choisi pour étudier cette question est le domaine de la chirurgie minimale invasive, qui, par les nouvelles technologies quelle utilise, permet de recueillir des données écologiques dans une situation réelle avec de vrais experts. Nous avons donc comparé la performance de sujets novices et experts dans des tâches de complexités diverses avec différentes technologies chirurgicales (laparoscopie classique en 2D et 3D et laparoscopie robotique en 2D et 3D). Nos plans expérimentaux nous ont permis de mettre en évidence deux dimensions distinctes : une perceptive (différence 2D-3D) et une instrumentale (différence laparoscopie classique-robotique). Nos résultats montrent dans lensemble que les différences entre le 2D et le 3D se marquent particulièrement pour les sujets novices et dans les tâches de complexité moyenne. En effet, peu de différence entre le 2D et 3D est mise en évidence chez les chirurgiens experts qui ont développé des mécanismes de compensation très efficaces quand ils sont dans un environnement en 2D. En ce qui concerne la complexité des tâches, la différence entre le 2D et 3D est minime quand la tâche est simple et augmente avec la difficulté de la tâche. Elle atteint cependant un sommet à partir duquel elle napparaît plus, la différence se marquant pour les tâches très complexes à un niveau instrumental et non plus perceptif. Enfin, nous montrons chez nos sujets novices très peu de transfert dhabiletés dune technologie à lautre, ce qui encourage la poursuite des formations avec les diverses techniques afin déviter tout risque lors dune reconversion au cours dune intervention chirurgicale. This thesis aimed to analyse the influence of some factors (expertise, task complexity) on the processing of 2D and 3D images. The field of these studies was the minimal invasive surgery which uses new technologies and allows to obtain ecological data from real experts. We compared the performance of novices (medical students) and experts (surgeons) in tasks of varied complexities with different surgical techniques (classical laparoscopy in 2D and 3d and robotic laparoscopy in 2D and 3D). Our experimental plans allowed us to differentiate two dimensions: one perceptive (2D-3D difference) and one instrumental (classical and robotic laparoscopy difference). Our main results showed that difference between 2D and 3D particularly occurs in novice performance and in tasks of middle complexity. Indeed, we observed very few differences between 2D and 3D in expert performance, surgeons have developed very efficient compensatory mechanisms when they act in 2D vision. Concerning the task complexity, the difference between 2D and 3D was really minor when the task is easy and increased with the complexity of the task. However, this difference reached a top after which the difference between 2D and 3D disappeared and thus only the instrumental difference remained for very complex tasks. Finally, we showed very switch of skills between the techniques by novice subjects. This finding stresses the necessity to pursue training with the different techniques in order to prevent gaps in performance and thus operating risk if a conversion procedure occurs.

La queue de l'aire tegmentale ventrale (tVTA) est une région cérébrale GABAergique localisée en arrière de la VTA. Elle projette de façon massive aux neurones dopaminergiques des groupes A9 et A10 du mésencéphale à l'origine des systèmes nigrostrié et mésolimbique. Ces systèmes sont impliqués dans de nombreuses fonctions comme la motricité et les comportements associés aux drogues. L'objectif de ma thèse est d'étudier le rôle de la tVTA via ses projections sur ces systèmes. Pour cela, nous avons utilisé des approches variées comprenant l'immunohistochimie, la pharmacologie in vivo,l'électrophysiologie in vivo et l'étude du comportement moteur. Parmi un ensemble de drogues appartenant à différentes classes, l'activation moléculaire de la tVTA sous forme de l'induction de FosB/ΔFosB est spécifique des psychostimulants et dépend de la dopamine. D'un point de vue physiologique, la tVTA exerce un tonus inhibiteur sur les neurones dopaminergiques de la VTA et joue un rôle crucial dans leur désinhibition par la morphine. Enfin, des lésions de la tVTA influencent des comportements dépendant du système nigrostrié comme le comportement de rotation provoqué par l'amphétamine, les performances motrices et l'apprentissage moteur. / The tail of the ventral tegmenta area (tVTA) is a GABAergic brain region located behind the VTA. It projects massively to dopaminergic neurons in mesencephalic A9 and A10 groups leading to nigrostriatal and mesolimbic systems that play a role in fonctions like motricity and drug-related behaviours. The objective of my thesis is to study the tVTA role through its projections to these systems. For that, we used various approaches including immunohistochemistry, in vivo pharmacology, in vivo electrophysiology, and motor behaviour. Between various drugs belonging to different classes, molecular activation of the tVTA by FosB/ΔFosB induction is only observed following psychostimulant treatment and is mediated by dopamine. From a physiological point of view, the tVTA exerts an inhibitory tone onto VTA dopamine neurons and plays a crucial role in morphine-induced desinhibition. Finally, tVTA lesions modulate nigrostriatal system mediated behaviour like amphetamine-induced rotational behaviour, motor coordination and motor skill learning.

This thesis deals with the Czech game called Abaku, which was created as a variation of Scrabble using numerals instead of letters. The aim of this thesis is to find out what numerical and structural skills the pupils of elementary school, who are participating in the final of Abaku League, have, and what is their relation to mathematics. The used methods are the analysis of the games played on the qualifying rounds of Abaku League, a questionnaire for the finalists of the league and an interview with several of them. Author has 165,640 records of played games for analysis, 1,157 of that were analyzed. The questionnaire was completed by 38 players and seven of them participated in the interview. The questionnaire consists of questions about the popularity of mathematics, the frequency and duration of playing Abaku, and ten tasks to identify the numerical and structural skills of the players. Above all, the research showed that the surveyed Abaku players are well-versed in the area, know how to work with powers, and show curiosity for other mathematical disciplines. The theoretical part of thesis consists of a research of available literature concerning Abaku, introduction of the game including rules and development stages of the player, comparison of Abaku with games of similar type and...

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:49:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniela Hollweg Gonzalez.pdf: 639381 bytes, checksum: 44ed837c53c17bf83c5a8d54e920324e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-26 / This study investigated the effects of both self-controlled practice and the giving of information that induces a perceived affection (relatedness) on aquatic motor skill learning. Forty recreational swimmers of both sexes participated. They performed a swimming task at different intensities. The swimmers wee divided into four groups. Two groups received a self-controlled knowledge of results (KR), one having a positive feeling of relatedness (SKP) and the other a neutral feeling of relatedness (SKN). The other two groups received an equivalent KR, one having a positive feeling of relatedness (EKP) and the other a neutral feeling of relatedness (EKN). The varied perception of relatedness was also manipulated in the groups. Through the analysis of the data with ANOVA, using the statistical package SPSS, it was concluded that the SKP group obtained better results in all the phases. / O objetivo estudo foi investigar os efeitos da prática autocontrolada e do fornecimento de informações induzindo percepções de relacionamento social na aprendizagem de uma tarefa motora aquática. Espera-se que sujeitos que pratiquem de forma autocontrolada e recebam informações induzindo percepções positivas de afetividade ou relacionamento social apresentem maior aprendizagem de uma tarefa motora aquática do que sujeitos que recebam prática externamente controlada e/ou não recebam tais informações. Participaram como sujeitos da pesquisa 40 nadadores recreacionais de ambos os gêneros, os quais realizaram uma tarefa de nadar em diferentes intensidades. Estes foram divididos em quatro grupos, dois que receberam CR de forma autocontrolada, um com indução à percepção positiva de relacionamento social, o ACP (Autocontrolado Positivo), e outro com percepção neutra, o ACN (Autocontrolado Neutro); e outros dois que receberam CR de forma equiparada, externamente controlada, também um com indução à percepção positiva, o ECP (Externamente Controlado Positivo) e outro com indução à percepção neutra de relacionamento social, o ECN (Externamente Controlado Neutro). Foram realizadas Análises de Variância (ANOVA) para verificar as eventuais diferenças entre tentativas e grupos para todas as fases, separadamente para cada fase. O teste de Tukey foi utilizado para verificar as diferenças específicas. Os dados foram analisados através do programa estatístico SPSS, versão 13.0. Através da análise dos dados, realizada através da ANOVA, pôde-se concluir que os grupos que receberam prática autocontrolada e indução a percepção positiva de relacionamento social obtiveram maior aprendizagem que os outros grupos.

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