O presente estudo investigou as mudanças relacionadas à idade nos ajustes posturais compensatórios em crianças com e sem Desordem Coordenativa Desenvolvimental (DCD). Os ajustes posturais compensatórios foram investigados em 105 crianças (5-12 anos de idade) que foram selecionadas a partir de 538 crianças no sul do Brasil. As crianças com DCD foram definidas como aquelas com escores abaixo do 5º percentil no Teste Movement ABC. As crianças com desenvolvimento típico (DT) foram aquelas cujos escores no teste foram acima do 30º percentil (52 crianças). Os sujeitos foram solicitados a permanecerem em pé ereto sobre uma plataforma de força e a executar um movimento rápido alvo direcionado com o membro superior direito. O tempo de movimento e os erros absolutos do movimento do braço e também a amplitude e direção das mudanças do centro de pressão foram mensuradas. O resultado mostrou mudanças relacionadas à idade nos ajustes posturais compensatórios e, tempo de movimento, significativos em ambos os grupos. As crianças com DT mostraram mudanças com a idade significativas sobre a direção e amplitude do centro de pressão (COPy), sugerindo que eles melhoram suas habilidades para ajustar o equilíbrio quando realizando um movimento voluntário do membro superior com a idade, pelo uso do seu feedback. Crianças com DCD mostraram grandes amplitudes médio-laterais e tempo de movimento, quando comparadas com as crianças com DT. Uma correlação forte e positiva foi encontrada entre a amplitude do centro de pressão e o tempo de movimento em crianças com DCD sugerindo que os atrasos no movimento, frequentemente observados na criança com DCD, poderia ser causada por déficits posturais. Nós concluímos que a tendência desenvolvimental dos ajustes posturais compensatórios nas crianças com DCD é semelhante à criança com DT. / The present study investigated age-related changes of compensatory postural adjustments in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Compensatory postural adjustments were investigated in 105 children (5-12 years old) screened from 538 children in the south of Brazil. Children with DCD were defined as those with scores at or below the 5th (53 Children) percentile on Movement ABC Test. Typically developing children (TD) were those whose scores on the test were above the 30th percentile (52 children). Subjects were asked to stand upright and still on the force platform and perform a quick goal movement directed with the right superior limb. Movement time and absolute error of the arm movement and also amplitude and direction changes of the center of pressure were measured. The results showed significant age-related changes in the compensatory postural adjustments and movement time in both groups. TD children showed significant age-related changes on direction and amplitude of center of pressure (COPy), suggesting that they improve their ability to adjust their balance when performing an arm voluntary movements with the age by using their feedback. Children with DCD showed larger medium-lateral amplitudes and movement times as compared with TD children. A positive and well correlation found between center of pressure amplitude and movement time in children with CD suggests that the movements delays, often observed in children with DCD, could be caused by postural deficits. We conclude that the development trend of compensatory postural adjustments in children with DCD is similar to TD children.

O presente estudo investigou as mudanças relacionadas à idade nos ajustes posturais compensatórios em crianças com e sem Desordem Coordenativa Desenvolvimental (DCD). Os ajustes posturais compensatórios foram investigados em 105 crianças (5-12 anos de idade) que foram selecionadas a partir de 538 crianças no sul do Brasil. As crianças com DCD foram definidas como aquelas com escores abaixo do 5º percentil no Teste Movement ABC. As crianças com desenvolvimento típico (DT) foram aquelas cujos escores no teste foram acima do 30º percentil (52 crianças). Os sujeitos foram solicitados a permanecerem em pé ereto sobre uma plataforma de força e a executar um movimento rápido alvo direcionado com o membro superior direito. O tempo de movimento e os erros absolutos do movimento do braço e também a amplitude e direção das mudanças do centro de pressão foram mensuradas. O resultado mostrou mudanças relacionadas à idade nos ajustes posturais compensatórios e, tempo de movimento, significativos em ambos os grupos. As crianças com DT mostraram mudanças com a idade significativas sobre a direção e amplitude do centro de pressão (COPy), sugerindo que eles melhoram suas habilidades para ajustar o equilíbrio quando realizando um movimento voluntário do membro superior com a idade, pelo uso do seu feedback. Crianças com DCD mostraram grandes amplitudes médio-laterais e tempo de movimento, quando comparadas com as crianças com DT. Uma correlação forte e positiva foi encontrada entre a amplitude do centro de pressão e o tempo de movimento em crianças com DCD sugerindo que os atrasos no movimento, frequentemente observados na criança com DCD, poderia ser causada por déficits posturais. Nós concluímos que a tendência desenvolvimental dos ajustes posturais compensatórios nas crianças com DCD é semelhante à criança com DT. / The present study investigated age-related changes of compensatory postural adjustments in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Compensatory postural adjustments were investigated in 105 children (5-12 years old) screened from 538 children in the south of Brazil. Children with DCD were defined as those with scores at or below the 5th (53 Children) percentile on Movement ABC Test. Typically developing children (TD) were those whose scores on the test were above the 30th percentile (52 children). Subjects were asked to stand upright and still on the force platform and perform a quick goal movement directed with the right superior limb. Movement time and absolute error of the arm movement and also amplitude and direction changes of the center of pressure were measured. The results showed significant age-related changes in the compensatory postural adjustments and movement time in both groups. TD children showed significant age-related changes on direction and amplitude of center of pressure (COPy), suggesting that they improve their ability to adjust their balance when performing an arm voluntary movements with the age by using their feedback. Children with DCD showed larger medium-lateral amplitudes and movement times as compared with TD children. A positive and well correlation found between center of pressure amplitude and movement time in children with CD suggests that the movements delays, often observed in children with DCD, could be caused by postural deficits. We conclude that the development trend of compensatory postural adjustments in children with DCD is similar to TD children.

O presente estudo investigou as mudanças relacionadas à idade nos ajustes posturais compensatórios em crianças com e sem Desordem Coordenativa Desenvolvimental (DCD). Os ajustes posturais compensatórios foram investigados em 105 crianças (5-12 anos de idade) que foram selecionadas a partir de 538 crianças no sul do Brasil. As crianças com DCD foram definidas como aquelas com escores abaixo do 5º percentil no Teste Movement ABC. As crianças com desenvolvimento típico (DT) foram aquelas cujos escores no teste foram acima do 30º percentil (52 crianças). Os sujeitos foram solicitados a permanecerem em pé ereto sobre uma plataforma de força e a executar um movimento rápido alvo direcionado com o membro superior direito. O tempo de movimento e os erros absolutos do movimento do braço e também a amplitude e direção das mudanças do centro de pressão foram mensuradas. O resultado mostrou mudanças relacionadas à idade nos ajustes posturais compensatórios e, tempo de movimento, significativos em ambos os grupos. As crianças com DT mostraram mudanças com a idade significativas sobre a direção e amplitude do centro de pressão (COPy), sugerindo que eles melhoram suas habilidades para ajustar o equilíbrio quando realizando um movimento voluntário do membro superior com a idade, pelo uso do seu feedback. Crianças com DCD mostraram grandes amplitudes médio-laterais e tempo de movimento, quando comparadas com as crianças com DT. Uma correlação forte e positiva foi encontrada entre a amplitude do centro de pressão e o tempo de movimento em crianças com DCD sugerindo que os atrasos no movimento, frequentemente observados na criança com DCD, poderia ser causada por déficits posturais. Nós concluímos que a tendência desenvolvimental dos ajustes posturais compensatórios nas crianças com DCD é semelhante à criança com DT. / The present study investigated age-related changes of compensatory postural adjustments in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Compensatory postural adjustments were investigated in 105 children (5-12 years old) screened from 538 children in the south of Brazil. Children with DCD were defined as those with scores at or below the 5th (53 Children) percentile on Movement ABC Test. Typically developing children (TD) were those whose scores on the test were above the 30th percentile (52 children). Subjects were asked to stand upright and still on the force platform and perform a quick goal movement directed with the right superior limb. Movement time and absolute error of the arm movement and also amplitude and direction changes of the center of pressure were measured. The results showed significant age-related changes in the compensatory postural adjustments and movement time in both groups. TD children showed significant age-related changes on direction and amplitude of center of pressure (COPy), suggesting that they improve their ability to adjust their balance when performing an arm voluntary movements with the age by using their feedback. Children with DCD showed larger medium-lateral amplitudes and movement times as compared with TD children. A positive and well correlation found between center of pressure amplitude and movement time in children with CD suggests that the movements delays, often observed in children with DCD, could be caused by postural deficits. We conclude that the development trend of compensatory postural adjustments in children with DCD is similar to TD children.

No description available.

In this dissertation, three experiments were conducted that examined the influence of task demands on manual asymmetries for the performance of reaching movements to tools. In all three experiments, the difference between the hands (in terms of preference for Experiment 1 and performance for Experiments 2 and 3) was studied in response to varying task demands for grasping movements to tools. In the first experiment, 82 right-handed and 60 left-handed university students performed reaching movements to tools and dowels at five positions within working space. Differences in the reaching patterns of the left and right hands to the tools and dowels were examined, as well as the effect of task demands (lift, use) and type of object (tool, dowel) on the reaching patterns. Dowels were used in order to examine if participants would treat a neutral object as if it were a tool in terms of their reaching patterns in working space. Results confirmed and extended prior research on the influence of task demands on reaching patterns within working space. Overall, there were more similarities in the general reaching patterns of left- and right-handed participants than differences. However key differences between the handedness groups emerged in the treatment of the dowel and the frequency of switches (reaching to lift the object with the non-preferred hand and transferring it to the preferred hand to use). Results also showed that tools enjoy a privileged association with the preferred hand, and that the intent of the movement has a very real goal on movement planning. The first experiment examined patterns of hand use across working space in response to differing task demands. In the next experiments performance differences between the hands in terms of movement planning and initiation were examined through the use of reaction time and movement time. In these experiments, reaction time represented the time from the presentation of a go signal to when the participant first lifted their hand, and movement time was the time between lifting the hand to lifting a tool off a sensor. Movement time represented the time to pick up the tool, and did not include the time to use the tool to perform a particular task and complete the reaching movement. In the second experiment, reaction time and movement time to tools placed at the midline position were examined under varying degrees of advance information using a precue paradigm. Three precue conditions were used which presented advance information on the hand to use to perform the movement (left or right) and/or the task (lift, use, or pantomime) to be performed: (1) both hand and task were cued in advance (Both precue); (2) task only was cued in advance (Task precue); and (3) neither hand nor task were cued in advance (No precue). Twenty-four right-handed university students performed reaching movements to tools under the three different precue conditions. The results of Experiment 2 showed that reaction time was sensitive to the amount of advance information presented in the precue. For reaction time manual asymmetries were observed in one condition only – a right hand advantage was present in the No precue condition. In contrast manual asymmetries in favor of the right hand were clearly observed with the movement time results. Experiment 2 was the first experiment reported in the literature to systematically examine reaction time for reaching and grasping movements to tools. In order to further explore these results, in Experiment 3 a fourth precue condition (in which the hand to be used was cued in advance; the Hand precue) was added to the precue paradigm used in Experiment 2. An additional variable called replacement time, which represented the time spent interacting with the tool, was also examined. Forty-two right-handed university students participated in Experiment 3. The results of Experiment 3 largely replicated the findings of Experiment 2, and indicated that both the amount and type of precue information had an effect on reaction time. The addition of the Hand precue condition suggested that having advance knowledge of the hand to be used to perform the task was of greater importance for movement planning than was advance knowledge of the task to be performed. Regarding the movement time results, Experiment 3 was one of the first experiments to show the influence of task demands on the magnitude of manual asymmetries. The lack of differences between the hands for the replacement time results also suggested that the initial execution of the movement (represented by movement time) was most sensitive to manual asymmetries. Overall, these experiments provided further insight into manual asymmetries for the performance of reaching movements, and illustrated how simple manipulations of task demands led to differences between the hands in measures of both preference and performance when interacting with tools.

In this dissertation, three experiments were conducted that examined the influence of task demands on manual asymmetries for the performance of reaching movements to tools. In all three experiments, the difference between the hands (in terms of preference for Experiment 1 and performance for Experiments 2 and 3) was studied in response to varying task demands for grasping movements to tools. In the first experiment, 82 right-handed and 60 left-handed university students performed reaching movements to tools and dowels at five positions within working space. Differences in the reaching patterns of the left and right hands to the tools and dowels were examined, as well as the effect of task demands (lift, use) and type of object (tool, dowel) on the reaching patterns. Dowels were used in order to examine if participants would treat a neutral object as if it were a tool in terms of their reaching patterns in working space. Results confirmed and extended prior research on the influence of task demands on reaching patterns within working space. Overall, there were more similarities in the general reaching patterns of left- and right-handed participants than differences. However key differences between the handedness groups emerged in the treatment of the dowel and the frequency of switches (reaching to lift the object with the non-preferred hand and transferring it to the preferred hand to use). Results also showed that tools enjoy a privileged association with the preferred hand, and that the intent of the movement has a very real goal on movement planning. The first experiment examined patterns of hand use across working space in response to differing task demands. In the next experiments performance differences between the hands in terms of movement planning and initiation were examined through the use of reaction time and movement time. In these experiments, reaction time represented the time from the presentation of a go signal to when the participant first lifted their hand, and movement time was the time between lifting the hand to lifting a tool off a sensor. Movement time represented the time to pick up the tool, and did not include the time to use the tool to perform a particular task and complete the reaching movement. In the second experiment, reaction time and movement time to tools placed at the midline position were examined under varying degrees of advance information using a precue paradigm. Three precue conditions were used which presented advance information on the hand to use to perform the movement (left or right) and/or the task (lift, use, or pantomime) to be performed: (1) both hand and task were cued in advance (Both precue); (2) task only was cued in advance (Task precue); and (3) neither hand nor task were cued in advance (No precue). Twenty-four right-handed university students performed reaching movements to tools under the three different precue conditions. The results of Experiment 2 showed that reaction time was sensitive to the amount of advance information presented in the precue. For reaction time manual asymmetries were observed in one condition only – a right hand advantage was present in the No precue condition. In contrast manual asymmetries in favor of the right hand were clearly observed with the movement time results. Experiment 2 was the first experiment reported in the literature to systematically examine reaction time for reaching and grasping movements to tools. In order to further explore these results, in Experiment 3 a fourth precue condition (in which the hand to be used was cued in advance; the Hand precue) was added to the precue paradigm used in Experiment 2. An additional variable called replacement time, which represented the time spent interacting with the tool, was also examined. Forty-two right-handed university students participated in Experiment 3. The results of Experiment 3 largely replicated the findings of Experiment 2, and indicated that both the amount and type of precue information had an effect on reaction time. The addition of the Hand precue condition suggested that having advance knowledge of the hand to be used to perform the task was of greater importance for movement planning than was advance knowledge of the task to be performed. Regarding the movement time results, Experiment 3 was one of the first experiments to show the influence of task demands on the magnitude of manual asymmetries. The lack of differences between the hands for the replacement time results also suggested that the initial execution of the movement (represented by movement time) was most sensitive to manual asymmetries. Overall, these experiments provided further insight into manual asymmetries for the performance of reaching movements, and illustrated how simple manipulations of task demands led to differences between the hands in measures of both preference and performance when interacting with tools.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reaction time and speed of movement of the dominant and non-dominant arms of elementary-school boys and girls.

Objectives: Quantify the effects of cold water immersion of the ankle on fractioned response time of the dominant lower limb. Design and Setting: A 2x2x5x5 crossover design with repeated measures on time and treatment directed data collection. The independent variables were gender, treatment, time (pretreatment, and post 15 seconds, 3 minutes 6 minutes and 9 minutes) and trial (5 trials for each time group). Response time (Tresp), reaction time (Treac), trial and surface temperature were measurement variables. Subjects: Thirty-six subjects, 18 females and 18 males were recruited from a physically active volunteer college student population. Measurements: Fractioned response time was tested following a 20 minute treatment. Response time and Treac were recorded by the reaction timer, and Tmov was calculated by taking the difference between Tresp and Treac. For each time/subject the high and low Tresp were discarded and the middle three trials were averaged and used for statistical analysis. A 2x2x5 ANOVA was used to determine overall differences between gender, treatment and time followed by Newman-Keuls multiple comparison tests. Results: Males were faster than females for Tresp, Treac and Tmov. Movement time and Tresp were slower with cold water immersion, but Treac was unaffected. Movement time and Tresp were fastest pretreatment, and slowest during the post 15-second time group. Though both Tmov and Tresp progressively sped up from the post 15-second through the post 9-minute time group, they did not return to pretreatment values when data collection discontinued. Conclusions: Immersing the dominant ankle in cold water for 20 minutes increases Tmov of the dominant lower limb; thereby increasing fractioned response time (Tresp).

No description available.

Title Identifying of genetic predisposition affecting sports performance focusing on anaerobic activity of skeletal muscle activity Problem Inborn predispositions of every individual are mainly influenced by the inherited genetic information in their DNA with the addition of external environmental factors. Based on the high variability of the inborn predictions in the form of phenotypic differences in the anatomy or physiology of an individual, it can be deduced on the connection between genetics and a specific sport talent. According to current scientific knowledge, anaerobic performance of the skeletal muscle tissue seems to be more genetically influenced. Anatomic and functional properties of the skeletal muscle are mainly influenced by genes, which have effect on the muscle fibre structure, blood storage, metabolism, neurotransmission, and muscle regeneration, etc. Fencing is a complex sport discipline where predispositions to speed and dynamic force play a key role. The sport performance in fencing, regardless of the type of weapon, is directly dependent on the interactions between the reaction of the fencer to the surrounding stimuli (visual, tactile), accuracy, tactical and technical skills, level of anticipation and overall physical a psychological readiness of the fencer. This work is...