Research in hyperactivity has been primarily concerned with demon-strating casual relationships with cerebral dysfunction of the effects of drugs on improving learning performance. Studies which have attempted to focus on other factors influencing learning performance have demonstrated IQ and perceptual motor differences between hyperactive and normal children. More recently Koegel and Covert have shown that, among a group of autistic children, over-selectivity of components from stimulus complex may adversely influence learning performance on a simultaneous discrimination task. There have been no demonstrations of this phenomena with hyperactive children. The present study employed a simultaneous discrimination task composed of two stimulus complexes. Each complex in turn consisted of three geometric forms. Children were randomly selected, rated for activity level and then trained to respond reliably to specific complex. Once the discrimination to one of the complexes was established, the child was exposed to random pairs of components (one from the SD complex and one from the SΔ complex). Responses to either SD or SΔ were recorded. A significant relationship was found between over-selectivity for one or more SD components as a function of increasing activity level. Response errors were found to be related to selectivity but not to activity level. It would appear that performance deficits in learning a discrimination task may be, in part, related to over-selective focusing which results in failure to learn and hence, to integrate the entire stimulus complex.

Objective: Utilizing a conceptual model of the impact of disasters on children╒s functioning, the current study examined unhealthy diet and sedentary activity levels of children exposed to Hurricane Ike. Exposure stressors (perceived and actual life threat) and recovery stressors (hurricane-related stressors and major life events), were hypothesized to be associated with unhealthy diet and sedentary activity. Exposure stressors, recovery stressors, and child demographic characteristics were also expected to be associated with posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. It also was predicted that physical activity would attenuate the relationship between recovery stressors and children╒s PTS symptoms. Finally, the feasibility of collecting health behavior information from children was examined. Method: Utilizing a cross-sectional design, 204 children (51% girls; M age = 9.23, SD = .79; grades 3 and 4) from Galveston, Texas were evaluated 8 months after Hurricane Ike (Time 1). At Time 1, children completed self-report measures of traumatic experiences, major life events, PTS symptoms, height and weight, and health behaviors. 53 children were reevaluated two weeks later (Time 2) to examine the stability and validity of health-related measures. Children completed a second measure of their height, weight, and health behavior measures, and actual measurements of height and weight were also taken. Results: Consistent with expectations, exposure and recovery stressors were associated with sedentary activity and PTS symptoms. Exposure stressors were indirectly related to sedentary activity and PTS symptoms through recovery stressors. However, contrary to expectations, stressors were not associated with unhealthy diet. African American ethnicity, Hispanic ethnicity, and female gender were related to PTS symptoms through recovery stressors. Physical activity did not attenuate the relationship between recovery stressors and children╒s PTS symptoms. In terms of health behaviors, children╒s self-reported weight was both stable and valid from Time 1 to Time 2. Self-reported height was stable but invalid. Measures of children╒s unhealthy diet and sedentary activity showed moderate stability. The measure of physical activity exhibited low stability and low validity. Conclusions: Sedentary activity may be a particularly important health behavior to examine after disasters. Implications for schools, families, and future research are discussed. Alternative measures of physical activity should be considered.

Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) is a non-invasive technique that can be used to modulate spinal function. It consists of applying a low-level direct current (DC) across the skin to modulate spinal excitability using surface electrodes. Recent research indicates that this technique can relieve musculoskeletal pain. In this study, we investigate the effect of a 20-min anodal tsDCS (2.5 mA) protocol applied over the thoracic spine on pressure pain threshold (PPT) measured in the thigh, leg and foot in healthy young adults. One primary focus of this study was to determine whether physical activity level, as a potential modulator of pain perception, could influence individual responses to tsDCS. A secondary aim was to also address the role of sex as another potential modulator of pain response. Thirty-five healthy young adults (age 18-35) were recruited for this study. Participants were assigned to either a moderately active (n=21, 12 females), or highly active group (n=14, 8 females) based on a self-report questionnaire (International Physical Activity Questionnaire). The effects were determined by comparing PPT measures at the three sites (thigh, leg, foot) at three time points with respect to tsDCS application: T0: before, T1: immediately after, and T2: 30 min post-application. Results from a multivariate analysis of variance revealed a large main effect of time (F=5.3, p<0.001) on PPTs. Univariate tests (F>16.2, p<0.001) confirmed that PPTs were significantly elevated post-application. In addition, the analysis revealed a significant “Group X Time” interaction (F=2.8, p=0.03), which was explained by a larger elevation in PPTs (thigh site) in the highly active group when compared to the moderately active group. No main effect or interaction was found for sex. Altogether, these results confirmed the anti-nociceptive effects of tsDCS application on mechanical pain threshold and further point to the importance of physical activity as a personal factor susceptible to modulate response to tsDCS.

Yes / Background: Stroke has been linked to a lack of physical activity; however, the extent of the association between inactive lifestyles and stroke risk has yet to be characterized across large populations. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the association between activity-related behaviors and stroke incidence. Methods: Data from 1999 to 2018 waves of the concurrent cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were extracted. We analyzed participants characteristics and outcomes for all participants with data on whether they had a stroke or not and assessed how different forms of physical activity affect the incidence of disease. Results: Of the 102,578 individuals included, 3851 had a history of stroke. A range of activity-related behaviors was protective against stroke, including engaging in moderate-intensity work over the last 30 days (OR = 0.8, 95% CI = 0.7–0.9; P = 0.001) and vigorous-intensity work activities over the last 30 days (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.5–0.8; P < 0.001), and muscle-strengthening exercises (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.5–0.8; P < 0.001). Conversely, more than 4 h of daily TV, video, or computer use was positively associated with the likelihood of stroke (OR = 11.7, 95% CI = 2.1–219.2; P = 0.022). Conclusion: Different types, frequencies, and intensities of physical activity were associated with reduced stroke incidence, implying that there is an option for everyone. Daily or every other day activities are more critical in reducing stroke than reducing sedentary behavior duration.

Syfte: Studiens syfte var att undersöka samband mellan hur universitetsstudenter skattar sin fysiska aktivitetsnivå och hur de registrerar aktivitetsnivå med hjälp av dagbok samt att se om de kom upp i ACSM (American College of Sport Medicine) och WHO´s (World Health Organisation) rekommendationer. Metod: Studien hade en icke experimentell, deskriptiv och korrelerande design där 26 försökspersoner, två män och 24 kvinnor, rekryterades via anslag. De fick först svara på en enkät och därefter registrera sin aktivitet via en 7-dagars aktivitetsdagbok. Resultat: Studenterna ansåg inte att de hade en stillasittande livsstil och alla deltagare utom en ansåg sig komma upp till ACSM´s rekommendationer av fysisk aktivitet 30 minuter per dag av måttlig intensitet alla dagar i veckan. Trettiofem procent kom inte upp i WHO´s rekommendationer och av dessa överskattade 67% sin fysiska aktivitetsnivå. Sextiofem procent kom inte upp i ACSM´s rekommendationer och av dessa överskattade 94% sin aktivitetsnivå. Konklusion: Studenterna hade en låg fysisk aktivitetsnivå utifrån ACSM´s rekommendationer och majoriteten av de som inte levde upp till WHO och ACSM rekommendationer överskattade sin fysiska aktivitetsnivå. Det krävs dock mer omfattande studier för att dra några generella slutsatser då denna studie hade en skev könsfördelning och ett lågt antal deltagare. Keywords: Self-estimation, Perception, Activity diary, Physical Activity level, Overestimation. / Objectives: The main objective was to compare self-estimated physical activity level with the registration of physical activity level among college students. A secondary objective was to investigate if the subjects reached the level of physical activity recommended by American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) and World Health Organisation (WHO). Method: A non-experimental, descriptive and correlated design. 26 subjects, 2 men and 24 women, were included. A questionnaire was used to investigate their perceived level of physical activity and a 7-day activity diary was used for the registration of activity level. Results: The students did not perceive to have a sedentary lifestyle and all subjects except one believed they reached the level recommended by ACSM. Thirty-five percent did not reach the recommendations of WHO and 67% of these overestimated their physical activity level. Sixty-five percent did not reach ACSM´s recommendations and 94% of these overestimated their physical activity level. Conclusion: The students had a low physical activity compared to the recommendations of ACSM and subjects who did not reach WHO and ACSM´s recommendations overestimated their physical activity level.  Due to the small number and adverse gender in the subjects, numerous studies need to be done in order to complete any further conclusions.

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Maintaining a physically active lifestyle has shown to decrease the risks of falling by slowing down the degenerative changes that occur with aging adults. But despite these physical changes, research has recognized the development of the fear of falling (FOF) as also attributing to the aging adults’ risk of falling. Furthermore, increases the risk of falling and subsequently increases the loss of independency. This study aimed to: 1) examine the relationships between the levels of physical activity, degree of FOF, and fall risk using quantitative approach; and 2) explore the changes of FOF and understand its cause using qualitative approach. Data was collected from participants through various assessments including the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) for measuring physical activity, shortened version of Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) for measuring FOF, and semi-structured one-on-one interviews. As data is being analyzed, participants who increased their physical activity levels were identified to having lowered their level of FOF and those who had a decrease of physical activity levels showed an increase with their FOF. It was also translated that the notion of being aware played a key role on the individuals FOF from 46% of the 13 participants interviewed and over 80% also stated not having talked to their doctor about their risks of falling and prevention. The importance of maintaining a physical activity level not only continues to prove the benefits it has on the individual’s risk of falling but how it also plays a role on the individuals fear of falling.

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No description available.

The relationships between muscle-tension level, motoric-activity level, and academic performance in the laboratory setting are investigated. Three participants were reinforced for reducing and increasing their tension levels, alternately, while engaged in a simulated academic task, and the effects of each on the rate of activity and academic performance were measured. Measures were also obtained on the rate of activity and occurrence of problem behavior in the subject's homes. Significant treatment differences were found which support a direct relationship between tension and activity level so that a decrease in EMG level was associated with a decrease in motoric activity, and an increase in EMG level was associated with an increase in motoric activity. The efficacy of using EMG biofeedback to train relaxation in children with activity-level problems to control their symptoms is supported, especially where such a technique can be used in a specific task-oriented situation.