Kinesiology Commons^™

Motor Preparation For Compensatory Reach-To-Grasp Responses When Viewing A Wall-Mounted Safety Handle, David A.E. Bolton, David M. Cole, Jixun Zhan, Manhoud Mansour, Garrett Rydalch, Douglas W. Mcdannald, Sarah E. Schwartz

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The present study explored how motor cortical activity was influenced by visual perception of complex environments that either afforded or obstructed arm and leg reactions in young, healthy adults. Most importantly, we focused on compensatory balance reactions where the arms were required to regain stability following unexpected postural perturbation. Our first question was if motor cortical activity from the hand area automatically corresponds to the visual environment. Affordance-based priming of the motor system was assessed using single-pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to determine if visual access to a wall-mounted support handle influenced corticospinal excitability. We evaluated if hand actions were …

Staying Upright By Shutting Down? Evidence For Global Suppression Of The Motor System When Recovering Balance, Caleigh Goode, David M. Cole, David A.E. Bolton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background

When automatic, yet unwanted action is quickly inhibited, short-lived suppression throughout the motor system ensues. This effect is referred to as global suppression. Although response inhibition is essential for behavioral flexibility, widespread motor suppression may delay action reprogramming. In reactive balance control, even fleeting suppression of the motor system could interfere with our ability to adapt compensatory reactions quickly enough to avoid a fall.

Research Question

Is muscle activity in the hand suppressed when a prepotent compensatory step becomes suddenly blocked in a balance recovery task?

Methods

Nineteen young adults were tested using a lean and release apparatus. …

Interlimb Transfer And Generalisation Of Learning In The Context Of Persistent Failure To Accomplish A Visuomotor Task, David A.E. Bolton, A. R. Buick, T. J. Carroll, R. G. Carson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Transfer, in which capability acquired in one situation influences performance in another is considered, along with retention, as demonstrative of effectual learning. In this regard, interlimb transfer of functional capacity has commanded particular attention as a means of gauging the generalisation of acquired capability. Both theoretical treatments and prior empirical studies suggest that the successful accomplishment of a physical training regime is required to bring about generalised changes that extend to the untrained limb. In the present study, we pose the following question: Does interlimb transfer occur if and only if the training movements are executed? We report findings from …

Priming Of Grasping Muscles When Viewing A Safety Handle Is Diminished With Age, David A.E. Bolton, Sarah E. Schwartz, Manhoud Mansour, Garrett Rydalch, Douglas W. Mcdannald

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Merely viewing objects within reachable space can activate motor cortical networks and potentiate movement. This holds potential value for smooth interaction with objects in our surroundings, and could offer an advantage for quickly generating targeted hand movements (e.g. grasping a support rail to maintain stability). The present study investigated if viewing a wall-mounted safety handle resulted in automatic activation of motor cortical networks, and if this effect changes with age. Twenty-five young adults (18–30 years) and seventeen older adults (65+ years) were included in this study. Single-pulse, transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the motor cortical hand representation of young …

The Influence Of Time Spent In Beginning And End-State Postures On Grasp Choice, Rachel Modersitzki

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The choice to end comfortably often requires adoption of uncomfortable beginning states, demonstrating that a sequence of movement is planned in advance of movement onset. Many factors may influence the choice of comfortable end-state postures including the greater precision and speed afforded by postures at joint angle mid-ranges (Short & Cauraugh, 1999). There has been no evaluation of the hypothesis that postures are chosen based on minimizing time spent in postures. Typically, the time spent in beginning and end-states are not explicitly constrained, but the end-state posture is likely held for the longer amount of time due to greater precision …

Relationships Between Neuromuscular Function And Functional Balance Performance In Firefighters, Jacob A. Mota, Timothy J. Barnette, Gena R. Gerstner, Hayden K. Giuliani, Andrew J. Tweedell, Craig R. Kleinberg, Brennan J. Thompson, Brian Pietrosimone, Eric D. Ryan

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between neuromuscular function and functional balance performance in firefighters. Fifty career firefighters (35.1±7.5yr) performed isometric leg extension and flexion muscle actions to examine peak torque (PT), and absolute (aTQ) and normalized (nTQ; %PT) rapid torque variables at 50, 100, 150, and 200ms. A performance index (PI) was determined from the functional balance assessment completion time. Partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between the PI and the maximal and rapid TQ variables for each muscle and the composite value, while controlling for demographic data related to the PI. …

Effect Of A Flying Versus Stationary Start On Wingate Test Outcomes Using An Electromagnetically-Braked Cycle Ergometer In Advanced Resistance-Trained Males, Nicolas W. Clark, Dale R. Wagner, Edward M. Heath

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare power outputs of the flying start to the stationary start method on an electromagnetically–braked cycle ergometer. Twenty advanced resistance-trained men (age 24.6 ± 4.5 years; 25.4 ± 2.5 kg/m²) volunteered to participate in this study. A counter-balanced, repeated-measures design was utilized to randomly assign participants to either the flying start or the stationary start for their first Wingate test. Paired t tests were used to evaluate mean differences between start methods. Peak power (PP), mean power (MP), total work (TW), peak cadence (PC), mean cadence (MC), and time to reach …

Comparison Of Motor Skill Learning, Grip Strength And Memory Recall On Land And In Chest-Deep Water, Eadric Bressel, Michiel N. Vakula, Youngwook Kim, David A.E. Bolton, Chris J. Dakin

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Immersion in chest-deep water may augment explicit memory in healthy adults however, there is limited information on how this environment might affect implicit memory or motor learning. The purpose of this study was to compare the speed and accuracy for learning a motor skill on land and in chest-deep water. Verbal word recall and grip strength were included to gain a more complete understanding of the intervention. Sixty-two younger adults (age = 23.3 ± 3.59 yrs.) were randomly assigned to either a water group immersed to the xiphoid or a land group. Participants in both groups completed the same eight …

The Immediate Influence Of Whole Body Vibration On Proprioceptive Precision, Sean Madill

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As our bodies are exposed to whole-body vibration inertial and strain sensitive sensory receptors throughout our body are activated. The information relayed from these receptors to the central nervous system and brain is used to analyze our environment and coordinate movement. The aim of this study was to investigate whether extended duration whole-body vibration influences sensory adaptation and coordinated movement, specifically our joint position acuity immediately following vibration exposure. Twenty-five adults completed a between ankle joint matching task before and immediately following a 20-minute whole-body vibration session and a control session of 20 minutes of standing near, but not on …

Motor Affordance For Grasping A Safety Handle, Douglas W. Mcdannald, Manhoud Mansour, Garrett Rydalch, David A.E. Bolton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Mere observation of objects in our surroundings can potentiate movement, a fact reflected by visually-primed activation of motor cortical networks. This mechanism holds potential value for reactive balance control where recovery actions of the arms or legs must be targeted to a new support base to avoid a fall. The present study was conducted to test if viewing a wall-mounted safety handle – the type of handle commonly used to regain balance – results in activation of motor cortical networks. We hypothesized that the hand area of the primary motor cortex would be facilitated shortly after visual access to a …

Motor Affordance For Grasping A Safety Handle, Doug W. Mcdannald

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Observation of objects in our environment can potentiate movement, a fact reflected by increased activity in motor cortical networks when participants simply view a graspable object. This suggests that specific areas in the motor cortex play an important role in processing visual information to rapidly determine an appropriate action. The present study was conducted to test if visual access to a wall-mounted safety handle results in activation of motor cortical networks. We hypothesized that the hand area of the primary motor cortex would be facilitated shortly after visual access to a safety handle versus when no handle was visible. To …

The Vestibular Contribution To Balance Control In Older Adults During Locomotion And Stair Negotiation, Megan Elwood

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Stability is known to decrease as we age, but currently we know very little about how the body's balance system, the vestibular system, contributes to balance control in older adults, particularly while walking and climbing stairs. The purpose of this study was to take the first step in understanding vestibular contribution to balance control during locomotion and stair negotiation, and how this changes with age.

Methods: Ten young adults and six older adults ascended and descended a nine-step staircase 78 times and walked on a treadmill for 10 minutes to complete a total of 300 complete steps in …

The Role Of Trailing Behavior In Conspecific Mating In Thamnophis Elegans And Thamnophis Sirtalis, Eleanor Watson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In many gartersnake species, successful mating depends on the ability of males to follow pheromone trails left by females. The populations we investigated (Thamnophis sirtalis and Thamnophis elegans, closely related sympatric species) overwinter together and simultaneously emerge. Although, mating occurs concurrently, there is no evidence of hybridization. Therefore, we sought to investigate the mechanisms that allow male snakes to differentiate between heterospecific and conspecific females to ensure mating success. Behavior studies were conducted by presenting male snakes with extracted scents of conspecific females, heterospecific females, and conspecific males. We measured male preference by number of investigatory tongue flicks …

Summer Camp As A Force For 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking In A Residential Camp Setting, Myles L. Lynch, C. Boyd Hegarty, Nate E. Trauntvein, Jonathan Plucker

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study investigated change in divergent thinking (DT), an indicator of creative potential, at two gender-specific residential summer camps. Additionally, this study examined whether the change in DT varied by gender and by the type of activities campers self-select. Quantitative methods, using a quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand differences in camper scores. A total of 189 youth, 100 girls, 89 boys, between the ages of 9 and 14 years participated in the current study. Participants were administered a modified version of Guilford's (1967) alternate uses task, a measure of DT, in which respondents were asked questions such …

Positive Youth Development And Observed Athlete Behavior In Recreational Sport, Matthew Vierimaa, Mark W. Bruner, Jean Côté

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Objectives

Competence, confidence, connection, and character are regarded as outcomes of positive youth development (PYD) in sport. However, the specific athlete behaviors associated with different PYD profiles are not well understood. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between athletes' observed behavior during sport competitions and their perceptions of PYD outcomes.

Design

Cross-sectional study with systematic behavioral observation.

Method

Sixty-seven youth athletes were observed during basketball games near the end of their season, and the content of their behavior was systematically coded. Athletes also completed measures of the 4 Cs (competence, confidence connection, and character). A …

Stigma And Status At An Hbcu: Perceptions Of Racial Authenticity Among Racially Underrepresented Students In The South, Patrick Webb, Le'brian Patrick, Sandra H. Sulzer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The existence of race-based stigma among minority populations in the United States has been well-documented. Notably, the acting White accusation has garnered considerable attention in relation to the African American population. Interestingly, studies related to this accusation have been primarily centered around Black students at Predominately White Institutions. Comparably, a focus on African American college students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities is limited. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which student characteristics (i.e., age, classification) are associated with the acting White accusation. Utilizing a quantitative method design, we analyzed over 100 student surveys which …

The Role Of Multiple Internal Timekeepers And Sources Of Feedback On Interval Timing, Breanna E. Studenka, Daisha L. Cummins, Megan A. Pope

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The aim of this experiment was to document the role of multiple internal clock mechanisms and external sources of temporal feedback on reducing timing variability when two fingers tap instead of one (a phenomenon known as the bimanual advantage). Previous research documents a reduction in timed interval variability when two effectors time instead of one. In addition, interval variability decreases with multiple sources of feedback. To date, however, no research has explored the separate roles of feedback and internal timing on the bimanual advantage. We evaluated the bimanual advantage in a task that does not utilise an internal clock (circle …

Reliability Of The Wingate Anaerobic Test With Ice Hockey Players On The Velotron Cycle Ergometer, Ryan F. Bringhurst, Dale R. Wagner, Sarah Schwartz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Purpose: This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) performed on a Velotron electromagnetically-braked cycle ergometer (EE) for power-trained athletes and assessed whether a familiarization trial was necessary to achieve high test-retest reliability. Methods: Twenty-one male ice hockey players (age 23.5 ± 4.7 yrs, mass 86.3 ± 16.6 kg, height 180.9 ± 7.4 cm) from a collegiate club team (Club = 10) and a recreational league (Rec = 11) performed three, 30-sec WAnTs within 2 weeks, and with at least 24 hours between visits. Mean power, anaerobic capacity, peak power, anaerobic power, maximum RPM, …

Impact Of Student Fees On Winning In The Ncaa, James T. Morton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The financial picture for most intercollegiate athletic departments involves the use of student fees to help offset the costs of running the department. Students were charged more than $795 million to support sports programs at 222 Division I public schools during the 2008-09 school year (Berkowitz, Upton, McCarthy, & Gillum, 2010). With that level of investment it is prudent to ask what effect on winning these funds may have. Many presidents have cited the indirect benefits athletics brings to a campus as a justification for allocating student fees to athletics. However, while much research has been done on the subject, …

I Use The Student Recreation Center, But I Would Use It More If…: Understanding Male And Female Constraints To Student Recreation Center Use, Christopher L. Stankowski, Nate E. Trauntvein, Stacey L. Hall

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Studies have found that there is a positive relationship between the number of student visits to campus recreation and academic outcomes such as rates of graduation and grade point average (Huesman, Brown, Lee, Kellogg, & Radcliffe, 2009). Despite the strong correlation between use of fitness facilities and academic performance some students choose not to visit, while some who use the facilities may not be maximizing such use due to constraints (barriers). The purpose of this study was to understand the constraints to using the campus recreation facility at a midsized New England university. Moreover, this study sought to understand the …

The Influence Of Oblique-Angle Forced Exercise In Surgically Destabilized Stifle Joints Is Synergistic With Bone, But Antagonistic With Cartilage In An Ovine Model Of Osteoarthritis, Rachel J. Hill, Holly M. Mason, Gavin Yeip, Samer S. Merchant, Aaron L. Olsen, Rusty D. Stott, Adam Raikes, Eadric Bressel, Jeffery B. Mason

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Large animal models of osteoarthritis are a necessary testing ground for FDA approval of human medicine applications. Sheep models have advantages over other available large animals, but development and progression of osteoarthritis in sheep is exceedingly slow, which handicaps progress in development of potential treatments. We combined oblique angle forced exercise to increase stress on the stifle, with surgical destabilization to hasten the development of osteoarthritis in ewes. Methods for early detection of clinical signs included radiography, urine, and serum biomarker assays and gait analysis and ex vivo we used microcomputed tomography and macroscopic joint analysis. Our model was able …

Online Information-Seeking Behaviors Of Parents Of Children With Adhd, Adam Sage, Delesha Carpenter, Robyn Sayner, Kathleen Thomas, Larry Mann, Sandra H. Sulzer, Adrian D. Sandler, Betsy Sleath

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This article describes (a) parent questions about ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), (b) parent Internet use to seek ADHD information, and (c) associations between type of Internet access and ADHD information-seeking. Seventy parents of children (ages 7-17 years) with ADHD completed questionnaires after their child’s visit with their pediatrician. Bivariate relationships were assessed using chi-square statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, or t tests. Parents identified an average of 8.9 questions about ADHD for their child’s provider. Common questions were related to medication and long-term implications of ADHD. A majority of parents searched the Internet for general ADHD information (87%) and ADHD medication …

Youth Views On Communication About Adhd And Medication Adherence., Betsy Sleath, Delesha Carpenter, Robyn Sayner, Kathleen Thomas, Larry Mann, Adam Sage, Sandra H. Sulzer, Adrian D. Sandler

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine youth perceptions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) communication with their pediatric providers, their reported adherence to their ADHD medications, and their desired location for an ADHD educational program. Youth ages 7 through 17 with an ADHD diagnosis were recruited. A research associate interviewed the youth. Parents completed demographic questionnaires. Seventy families participated. One-third of the youth wanted more discussion about ADHD with their providers during visits. The average youth had over eight questions about ADHD and its treatment. Most youth wanted to learn about ADHD at their provider’s office. Non-white and …

Gender Differences In Nonlinear Motor Performance Following Concussion, Breanna E. Studenka, Adam Raikes

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: To quantify differences in nonlinear aspects of performance on a seated visual-motor tracking task between clinically asymptomatic males and females with and without a self-reported mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history.

Methods: Seventy-three individuals with a self-reported concussion history (age: 21.40 ± 2.25 years) and 75 without (age: 21.50 ± 2.00 years) completed the visual-motor tracking task. Participants pressed an index finger against a force sensor, tracing a line across a computer screen (visual-motor tracking). The produced signal's root-mean-square error (RMSE), sample entropy (SampEn, a measure of regularity), and average power (AvP) between 0 and 12 Hz were calculated. …

Making Sense Of Self Harm, Sandra H. Sulzer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In Making Sense of Self-harm: The Cultural Meaning and Social Context of Nonsuicidal Self-injury, Dr. Peter Steggals slowly and carefully circles around self-harm as a social construct. His book gathers up the underlying meanings and contradictions inherent in the practice and inspects them in turn. He makes a case that self-harm as we see it today in the form of skin cutting, picking, and other related phenomenon is unique to our time period and is not universally present across cultures— regardless of other mutilation, cutting, or piercing practices that may exist. And importantly, he starts by addressing our aversion to …

Comparison Of Take Off Kinematics During Loaded Countermovement Jumps In Division One Female Gymnasts And Soccer Athletes, Ryan Moreau

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare takeoff kinematics of incrementally loaded countermovement jumps (CMJ) in water and land in female gymnasts and soccer athletes.

Methods: 24 Division I student athletes (12 gymnastics, 12 soccer) volunteered for this study. Subjects performed CMJ on land and water at a level of the xiphoid process without an arm swing. CMJs with loads of body weight (BW), 10% BW, 20% BW, and 30% BW were performed three times per trial at each load. 15 kinematic variables related to the lower extremity were examined.

Results: For environment, significant (p less than …

The Influence Of Prior Motor Actions On Motor Planning In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Daisha Lynn Cummins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Studies have found children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a rigidity of motor plans and difficulties planning and executing movements. Children with ASD also exhibit repetitive behaviors such as nail biting and rocking back and forth. When planning for movements, repetitive behaviors might manifest as difficulty in formulating new or switching between different motor plans. In typically developing individuals, actions are often influence by recently performed motor actions. We sought to determine if this influence was stronger in children with ASD.

A rotation motor task was created to evaluate the rigidity of motor planning of five children with ASD …

A Systematic Review Of Empathy Development In Medical Education, Sandra H. Sulzer, Claire Wendland, Noah Feinstein

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Context Empathy in doctor–patient relationships is a familiar topic for medical scholars and a crucial goal for medical educators. Nonetheless, there are persistent disagreements in the research literature concerning how best to evaluate empathy among physicians, and whether empathy declines or increases across medical education. Some researchers have argued that the instruments used to study ‘empathy’ may not measure anything meaningful to clinical practice or patient satisfaction. Methods We performed a systematic review to learn how empathy is conceptualised in medical education research. We examined how researchers define the central construct of empathy and what they choose to measure, and …

Challenging The Discourse Of Untreatability For Borderline Personality Disorder: A Call For Comparative Research, Sandra H. Sulzer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

A diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) often signals the quintessential “difficult patient” status to clinicians, with at least one scholar arguing the condition itself was created to name and group difficult patients. While patients who are deemed difficult are often dispreferred for care, does this have an impact on their overall status as medicalized patients who have successfully achieved a sick role? This study relies on (n = 22) in-depth interviews with mental health clinicians in the United States from 2012 to evaluate how they describe patients with BPD, how the diagnosis of BPD affects the treatment clinicians are …

The Kinetic Specificity Of Plyometric Training: Verbal Cues Revisited, Talin J. Louder, Megan Bressel, Eadric Bressel

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Plyometric training is a popular method utilized by strength and conditioning professionals to improve aspects of functional strength. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of extrinsic verbal cueing on the specificity of jumping movements. Thirteen participants (age: 23.4 ± 1.9 yr, body height: 170.3 ± 15.1 cm, body mass: 70.3 ± 23.8 kg,) performed four types of jumps: a depth jump “as quickly as possible” (DJT), a depth jump “as high as possible” (DJH), a countermovement jump (CMJ), and a squat jump (SJ). Dependent measures, which included measurement of strength and power, were acquired using a …