Motor Learning

Purpose This study explores the importance of production frequency during speech therapy to determine whether more practice of speech targets leads to increased performance within a treatment session, as well as to motor learning, in the form of generalization to untrained words. Method Two children with childhood apraxia of speech were treated with an alternating treatment AB design, with production frequency differing in the 2 treatments. The higher production frequency treatment required 100+ productions in 15 min, while the moderate-frequency treatment required 30–40 productions in the same time period. One child was treated 3 times weekly for 11 weeks; the other child was treated twice weekly for 5 weeks. At the conclusion of each treatment phase, 5 min of probes were administered to determine whether generalization had occurred. Maintenance data to measure performance and learning were collected after a break from treatment. Results Both children showed improvement on all targ...

This study examines young volleyball players' learning of increasingly complex attack gestures. The main purpose of the study was to examine the predictive role of a cognitive variable, working memory capacity (or ''M capacity"), in the acquisition and development of motor skills in a structured sport. Pascual-Leone's theory of constructive operators (TCO) was used as a framework; it defines working memory capacity as the maximum number of schemes that can be simultaneously activated by attentional resources. The role of expertise in motor learning was also considered. The expertise of each athlete was assessed in terms of years of practice and number of training sessions per week. The participants were 120 volleyball players, aged between 6 and 26 years, who performed both working memory tests and practical tests of volleyball involving the execution of the ''third touch" by means of technical gestures of varying difficulty. We proposed a task analysis of these different gestures framed within the TCO. The results pointed to a very clear dissociation. On the one hand, M capacity was the best predictor of correct motor performance, and a specific capacity threshold was found for learning each attack gesture. On the other hand, experience was the key for the precision of the athletic gestures. This evidence could underline the existence of two different cognitive mechanisms in motor learning. The first one, https://doi.

Voluntary physical activity and exercise training can favorably influence brain plasticity by facilitating neurogenerative, neuroadaptive, and neuroprotective processes. At least some of the processes are mediated by neurotrophic factors. Motor skill training and regular exercise enhance executive functions of cognition and some types of learning, including motor learning in the spinal cord. These adaptations in the central nervous system have implications for the prevention and treatment of obesity, cancer, depression, the decline in cognition associated with aging, and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia, ischemic stroke, and head and spinal cord injury. Chronic voluntary physical activity also attenuates neural responses to stress in brain circuits responsible for regulating peripheral sympathetic activity, suggesting constraint on sympathetic responses to stress that could plausibly contribute to reductions in clinical disorders such as hypertension, heart failure, oxidative stress, and suppression of immunity. Mechanisms explaining these adaptations are not as yet known, but metabolic and neurochemical pathways among skeletal muscle, the spinal cord, and the brain offer plausible, testable mechanisms that might help explain effects of physical activity and exercise on the central nervous system.

An external focus of attention is considered superior to an internal focus for learning and performance. However, findings specific to changing the task difficulty are inconsistent. The present study used a reciprocal aiming task to determine the effects of attentional focus on motor performance using speed-accuracy paradigm. We constrained timing to examine how internal and external focus of attention influenced accuracy when task difficulty changes. The results indicated greater accuracy on the right target and greater consistency on both targets for the external focus condition, regardless of task difficulty. Our results uniquely demonstrated how instruction modified a speed-accuracy task.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of errorless, error full and scaling equipment practice methods on learning of basketball free throw skill in children. 50 Boy students, 10–12 years old With a history of exercise three times a week selected and randomly divided into five groups of 10 people (Training with scaling equipment from a constant distance, Training with standard equipment from a constant distance, errorless- scaling equipment, errorless- standard equipment and error full- scaling equipment). Acquisition phase includes 5 sessions and each session was conducted 50 trials. Tests, included transfer and retention tests. Transfer test (10 throw from a distance of 3.5 meters with ball size 6 and the ring height 2.80 m) performed 10 minutes after the last trial on the last day of acquisition phase. The retention test were completed as a double transfer design with 10 throw from a distance of 3.5 meters with balls 5 and 7, with a ring height of 2.60 and 3.05 meters respectively, 24 h after the last session of Acquisition. Data was analyzed with dependent T-test, ANOVA and mixed ANOVA (at the significant level P=0.05). According to the accuracy variable, significant differences were not found between the 5 groups in retention and transfer tests. However throw pattern in groups practice with scaling equipment compared with no scaling equipment groups was better. In general, according the results of this study, it can be concluded that the use of scaling equipment training method leads to better learning of movement pattern in children.

With the use of the PNF concept a variety of sub goals can be
achieved. These range from improvement of strength up to functional
activities. In this way one can work on every level of the ICF
with the PNF concept. In searching publications concerning the
efficacy of the PNF method we soon run into smaller studies,
which illustrate the variety of applicability [8, 14, 15, 22, 29}. To illustrate
the broad possibilities of the PNF-concept this article deals with a
case report in which an anterior shoulder instability plays a central
role.

Motor behavior is modulated by dopamine-responsive neurons in the striatum, where dopaminergic signaling uses G-protein-coupled pathways, including those that result in the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). The RIIbeta isoform of PKA is highly enriched in the striatum, and targeted disruption of the RIIbeta gene in mice leads to a dramatic reduction in total PKA activity in this region. Although the mutant mice show typical locomotor responses after acute administration of dopaminergic drugs, they display abnormalities in two experience-dependent locomotor behaviors: training on the rotarod task and locomotor sensitization to amphetamine. In addition, amphetamine induction of fos is absent, and the basal expression of dynorphin mRNA is reduced in the striatum. These results demonstrate that motor learning and the regulation of neuronal gene expression require RIIbeta PKA, whereas the acute locomotor effects of dopaminergic drugs are relatively unaffected by this PKA...

The development of performance, such as learning a new motor skill, can be represented in a performance curve. The shape of the performance curve is both of theoretical and practical relevance. Here, the author studied the interday performance of juggling over a period of 17 days in 112 college students. The results showed that 60% of participants followed an S-shaped performance curve with the inflection date on the 11th day, followed by a decelerated (20%), accelerated (14%), and linear curve (6%). As expected, except on Day 1, male participants performed at least 33% better than female participants on each practice day. Also as expected, learning performance was found to depend on the type of performance curve with the best learning performance exhibited by the linear group. The results further revealed that pooling all participants' performance together without considering the percentage of each underlying type of performance curve would lead to biased, nonrepresentative results. Given the variety of the observed performance curves and the dominance of the S-shaped performance curve among them, coaches should continuously monitor the shape of an individual's performance curve.

Introduction: Cognitive-perceptual skills are important for successful performance in many tasks. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of quiet eye training and anticipation training on performance of hockey goalkeepers. Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 10 hockey goalkeepers were selected via purposeful sampling method, and randomly assigned to two equal groups of quiet eye training and anticipation training. The study included pretest, intervention, posttest, and transference stages. Participants in pretest, posttest, and transfer (under-pressure position) stages received 25 hockey strokes at a distance of 9 meters. Intervention was done for three consecutive days (9 blocks of 40 trials, a total of 360 trials), and participants received their training instructions. Data were analyzed using independent t and dependent t tests via SPSS software. Results: Both anticipation training (P = 0.010) and quiet eye training (P < 0.001) had significant effect on the performance of hockey goalkeepers. Moreover, quiet eye training group had better performance compared to anticipation training group in both normal (P = 0.010) and under-pressure (P = 0.010) conditions. Conclusion: Quiet eye training in contrast to anticipation training results in better performance in normal and under pressure conditions.

La formazione dell'insegnante in educazione fisica, richiede non solo l'analisi degli ambiti d'intervento, dei contenuti e delle modalità organizzative, ma anche la conoscenza delle modalità di insegnamento per promuovere l'apprendimento delle competenze motorie. Obiettivo del contributo è analizzare gli effetti degli stili d'insegnamento sulle diverse modalità di apprendimento. Gli allievi come imparano le competenze motorie? La variazione degli stili d'insegnamento, determina modalità diverse di elaborazione delle informazioni e di risposta dell'allievo, sollecitando modalità di apprendimento diverse e personalizzate. La didattica delle competenze motorie richiede intenzionalità didattica e la proposta di compiti motori orientata non solo sulla quantità ma, soprattutto, sulla qualità, valorizzando il successo personale e le motivazioni degli allievi. Si sostiene la necessità di utilizzare differenti modalità di comunicazione e stili d'insegnamento perchè l'acquisizione di abilità motorie e conoscenze sia supportata dalla non linearità, necessaria ad apprendere competenze motorie in modo efficace e

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study effects on motor skills and self-esteem of an extension of the Swedish school subject Physical Education and Health (PEH) and motor training during nine school years. DESIGN AND METHOD: An intervention group (n=161) had PEH and motor training five lessons (225 min) and a matched control group (n=102) had regular PEH two lessons (90 min) per week. The method was hypothetico-deductive. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that students' motor skills improve with extended physical activity and motor training was confirmed. The school has good potential in stimulating all students' development of motor skills, but two lessons of PEH per week are not enough. Significant correlations were found between motor skills and self-esteem overall and the components friend-ship/sports efficacy and attention/learning efficacy. Differences in self-esteem between students with good motor skills and students with deficits may decrease with extended physical activity and motor training in school.

This study was a case series design. The objectives of the study were to investigate the ability of a motor learning intervention to change aberrant pelvic floor and diaphragm kinematics and respiratory patterns observed in subjects with sacroiliac joint pain (SIJP) during the active straight leg raise (ASLR) test. The ASLR test is a valid and reliable tool to assist

The quality of teaching technique employed by the teacher basically influence student's interest and learning outcome. In recent times, it has become obvious that the conventional learning pattern can no longer meet the need of digital millennials nor prepare them for the future. This has necessitated the transition from traditional (teacher-centred) approach to inquiry-based (student-centred) approach in order to improve students' skills and enhance productivity in learning. The present study critically examines the potentials of mobile technologies in enhancing the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning approach. The findings show that mobile technologies have the potential to enhance the success of inquiry-based learning method. Indeed, the inquiry process can be more effective if the "Inquirers" can maximize the potential benefits offered by mobile technologies. The study indicates that many students are closely attached to their mobile gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, notebooks and other PDAs, and can easily manipulate it for inquiries, discoveries and innovations. Also, mobile devices often come with fascinating features, apps and functions that motivate learners to connect to the internet, think critically, and to actively engage in authentic and creative learning inquiries, collaborations and discussions. With the aid of mobile devices, students can conduct inquiries (ask questions) via phone calls; text messaging, chat, and e-mails both within and outside the classroom. From the study, it can be inferred that, the use of mobile devices enhance inquiry-based learning; promotes student's inquiry and entrepreneurial spirit, and positive attitude towards learning. Also, mobile devices can inspire students to learn more comprehensively and effectively, International Journal of Education (IJE) Vol. 2, No. 01, October 2019 2 thereby increasing their proficiencies, and preparation for changes; challenges, and a knowledge-based society. Thus, the study concludes that the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning approach in the 21 st century can largely be enhanced by mobile technologies.