The simultaneous changes in motor performance and EEG patterns in beta band during learning dart throwing skill in dominant and non-dominant hand.

Background: Although changes in performance during the learning of various sports skills have been studied, however, how these changes at the brain level is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate simultaneous changes in motor performance and EEG patterns in beta band during learning dart throwing skill in dominant and non-dominant hand. Methodology: The samples consisted of 14 non-athlete students with an average age of 23 ± 2.5, which were divided into two group dominant hand (7) and non-dominant hand (7). Repeated measures ANOVA were used to measure data at the execution level and changes in EEG activity. Results: The results of this study at the performance level showed a significant reduction in the absolute error of dart throwing and at the same time at the brain level increased EEG activity in frontal and parietal-posterior regions along with decreased central area activity in acquisition and retention stages in both groups (P<.05). Also, there was a significant difference between the activity of EEG pattern in the dominant and non-dominant hand groups except for two channels AF3 and PO4 (P<.05). Conclusion: In general, the results of this study showed that along with relatively constant changes in performance during dart skill learning, relatively constant changes in EEG activity pattern occur, so that the concept of motor learning is also visible at the brain level. Also, the results of this study supported the existence of the different motor program for dominant and non-dominant hand control in the conditions of bilateral transfer control.

Psychometric properties of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development inventory for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 months.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate the original English language version of the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD) inventory and test its psychometric properties for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 months. METHODS: For this purpose, the tool was translated into Farsi (a Persian language) using the forward-backward translation method and some of its psychometric properties were examined. Multistage stratified-cluster sampling was used to study 1019 families having children aged 18-42 months from among the regional divisions of Tehran urban community health centers. The questionnaire evaluated five factors: outside space, inside space, variety of stimulation, fine motor toys and gross motor toys. Expert opinion was used for content-related validity evaluation and confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine construct validity. For test-retest reliability, parents completed identical questionnaires two weeks apart. Internal consistency was evaluated using inter-examiner reliability, Cronbach's alpha and construct reliability. Linear regression analysis was used to explain and predict the effects of toys on AHEMD total score. RESULTS: Results showed that content-related validity was 0.92. Data confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit to the original five factors. Reliability over time was 0.91 and internal consistency was 0.93. It was also found that fine- and gross-motor toys showed a significant 55% predictability of affordance provision in the home. CONCLUSION: The Farsi translation of the AHEMD is acceptable for use with Iranian children aged 18-42 month.

Effectiveness of yoga training program on the severity of autism.

This study examines the effect of yoga training program (YTP) on the severity of autism in children with High Function Autism (HFA). Twenty-nine children aged 7 to 15 (mean = 11.22, SD = 2.91) years were randomly allocated to either yoga or control group. The participants in the yoga group received an 8-week (24-session) Yoga Training Program (YTP). Parents or caregivers of participants completed autism treatment evaluation checklist (ATEC) at baseline and the end of the intervention. The results of the analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two groups with regards to all ATEC sub-scores except ATEC I (speech/language/communication). This study provides support for the implementation of a yoga training program and identifies specific procedural enhancements to reduce the severity of symptoms in children with autism.

The effect of skill types and competition level on the functions of observational learning in athletes / El efecto de los tipos de destreza y del nivel de competición en las funciones de aprendizaje observacional en atletas

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of skill types (open and closed) and competition level (elite and non-elite) on the functions of observational learning in athletes. To fulfill the objectives of the study, 247 Taekwondo athletes volunteered to answer the Functions of Observational Learning Questionnaire (FOLQ). Results of 2 (skill level) × 2 (skill types) MANOVA showed that the athletes in closed skills use the skill and strategy functions more significantly than the athletes in the open skills, whereas the open skill athletes use the performance function more. Moreover, the elite athletes use all the three functions of the observational learning more than non-elite athletes. In addition, the interactive effect of skill types and competition level on the functions of observational learning was significant (p < .05). The study also showed that the effect of skill types on the functions of observational learning is stronger than the effect of the competition level

El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido investigar los efectos de los tipos de destreza (abierta y cerrada) y del nivel de competición (élite y no élite) en las funciones del aprendizaje observacional en atletas. Para alcanzar los objetivos del estudio se contó con 247 atletas de Taekwondo que contestaron voluntariamente al Cuestionario de Funciones de Aprendizaje Observacional (FOLQ). Los resultados de un ANOVA 2 (nivel de destreza) x 2 (tipos de destreza) muestran que los atletas con destrezas cerradas utilizan las funciones de destrezas y estrategias más significativamente que los atletas con destrezas abiertas, que se sirven más de la función de desempeño. Además, los atletas de élite utilizan las tres funciones del aprendizaje observacional más que los que no son de élite. Por otra parte, fue significativo el efecto interactivo de los tipos de destreza y de nivel de competición en las funciones de aprendizaje observacional (p < .05). El estudio mostró igualmente que el efecto de los tipos de destreza en las funciones de aprendizaje observacional es superior al del nivel de competición

Early developmental delay in children with autism: A study from a developing country.

Early diagnosis is appropriate and important for developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. In many less developed countries, unfortunately, diagnosis of this disorder is delayed. The aim of the present study is to determine whether this disorder can be screened using simple strategies such as comparison of the age of acquisition of motor skills. For this purpose, 124 children with autism were chosen to enter the study, and their parents were asked to retrospectively specify the age of achieving milestones of sitting without support, standing alone and walking alone. Information obtained from the parents was compared with World Health Organization standards. Results indicate that participants (male and female) have significantly delayed age of acquisition of all three skills. Based on this result, it can be suggested that existing standards, as a simple means with low cost and easy availability, can be used for early screening of the disease at a younger age so that treatment can be provided more quickly.

Effects of self-controlled feedback on learning of a throwing task in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of self-controlled feedback on learning a throwing task in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (SHCP). In order to achieve the research objectives, using a semi-experimental method, 20 children with SHCP (7-12 years old) were selected from special schools in Tehran, Iran. After showing the participants how to do the throwing task, a pre-test with 10 trials was conducted to homogenize the participants. Then, they were randomly assigned to two groups (self-control group and yoked group) to be examined in acquisition, retention, and transfer phases. Children in self-control group requested feedback when necessary during the acquisition phase. In contrast, participants in yoked-group replicated the feedback schedules of their counterparts in self-control group without any choice. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to analyze the data. Based on the results, a significant difference was not found between the self-control and yoked-group in acquisition phase (F=.538, p<.473). However, there was a significant difference between the two groups in retention (F=11.72, p<.003) and transfer (F=6.74, p<.018) phases. Thus, based on the better results obtained in the self-control condition, this type of feedback can be used in physiotherapy programs related to children with CP to improve their motor skills and independence movements.