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Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is one of the most prevalent pediatric chronic conditions. Without proper intervention, significant delays in motor skill performance and learning may persist until adulthood. Moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise has been proven to improve motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) in children with or without disorders. However, the effect of a short bout of physical exercise on motor adaptation and consolidation in children with DCD has not been examined. Furthermore, the role of perceptual-motor integration and attention as mediators of learning has not been examined via neuroimaging in this population. Therefore, the primary aims of this project will be to compare children with and without DCD to (a) examine the effect of acute exercise on motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) while performing a rotational visuo-motor adaptation task (rVMA), and (b) explore cortical activation in the dorsolateral- and ventrolateral-prefrontal cortex areas while learning the rVMA task under rest or post-exercise conditions. One hundred twenty children will be recruited (60 DCD, 60 controls) and within-cohort randomly assigned to either exercise (13-minute shuttle run task) or rest prior to performing the rVMA task. Adaptation and consolidation will be evaluated via two error variables and three retention tests (1h, 24h and 7 days post adaptation). Cortical activation will be registered via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the baseline, adaptation, and consolidation. We expect to find exercise benefits on motor learning and attention so that children with DCD profiles will be closer to those of children with typical development. The results of this project will provide further evidence to: (a) better characterize children with DCD for the design of educational materials, and (b) establish acute exercise as a potential intervention to improve motor learning and attention.

Mental health issues among young university students have increased in recent years, driven by academic stress and sedentary lifestyles. The YoungFitT Project aims to explore well-being strategies and the psychobiological mechanisms behind their effects on university students. The project includes two studies: the first evaluates the effectiveness of High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Qigong (QG) on psychological well-being and cognitive functions, and also explores whether socio-demographic, mental (mindful thinking, sleep quality), physical (physical fitness, physical activity), physiological (heart rate variability), and biological (microbiota) factors mediate or moderate intervention effects on university students. Given that immersive virtual reality (VR) can enhance adherence and provide additional benefits, the second study will explore the feasibility and efficacy of HIFT-VR, MBSR-VR, and QG-VR on university students' psychological well-being and cognitive functions. Two mixed-methods randomized controlled trials will be conducted. In Study 1, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups (HIFT, MBSR, QG) using a 1:1:1 ratio. Psychological, cognitive, physical, physiological, and biological measures will be evaluated two weeks before and after the interventions. The interventions include three weekly sessions for 12 weeks. Subsequently, a follow-up will be conducted 12 weeks after the intervention to assess psychological well-being. Study 2 is a proof-of-concept study in which VR interventions will be co-designed with input from university students and professionals. Twelve participants from each study will also complete semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences and perceived impact. The proposed interventions are expected to produce differential effects on psychological well-being and cognitive function. VR environments may enhance adherence and offer added benefits over conventional training. Findings will inform effective, personalized strategies for the mental and physical health of university youth. www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT06406283; Registration date: 2024/05/06.

Maximal isometric finger dead-hangs are used in rock climbing to strengthen finger flexors. Although various grip positions are often used when performing finger dead-hangs, little is known regarding how these grip positions can affect forearm muscle activity. Understanding how forearm muscles are recruited during dead-hangs could help foreseeing the potential for training of different grip positions. The aim of the present study was to explore the training applications of the various grip positions by comparing the activity of forearm muscles during maximal dead-hangs in rock climbers. Twenty-five climbers performed maximal dead-hangs in three climbing-specific grip positions: CRIMP, SLOPE, and SLOPER. We recorded the maximal loads used and the sEMG of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP), the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), the flexor carpi radialis (FCR), and the extensor digitorum communis (EDC). Individual and global (sum of all muscles) root mean square (RMS) and neuromuscular efficiency (NME) values were computed. Repeated measures analysis were performed to assess grip differences (  < 0.05). SLOPER showed the largest maximal load values among the three grip positions (  < 0.001,  ≥ 2.772). Greater global (  ≤ 0.044,  ≥ 0.268), FDS (  ≤ 0.005,  ≥ 0.277), and FCR (  < 0.001,  ≥ 1.049) activity was observed for the SLOPER compared to CRIMP and SLOPE, while EDC (  ≤ 0.005,  ≥ 0.505) showed lower activity in the SLOPER compared to the other two grip positions. SLOPER presented the highest global (  < 0.001,  ≥ 0.629), FDP (  < 0.001, ≥ 0.777), FDS (only CRIMP SLOPER: < 0.001, = 0.140), and EDC NME ( < 0.001, ≥ 1.194). The CRIMP showed greater FDS activity ( = 0.001, = 0.386) and lower NME ( = 0.003, = 0.125) compared to SLOPE. These results revealed that, under maximum intensity conditions, SLOPER could stimulate the FDS and FCR better than the other grip positions at the expense of using greater loads. Similarly, maximum CRIMP dead-hang could better stimulate the FDS than the SLOPE, even when using similar loads.

We assessed the effect of a single bout of intense exercise on the adaptation and consolidation of a rotational visuomotor task, together with the effect of the order of exercise presentation relative to the learning task. Healthy adult participants (n = 29) were randomly allocated to one of three experimental groups: (1) exercise before task practice, (2) exercise after task practice, and (3) task practice only. After familiarization with the learning task, participants undertook a baseline practice set. Then, four 60° clockwise rotational sets were performed, comprising an adaptation set and three retention sets at 1 h, 24 h, and 7 days after the adaptation set. Depending on the experimental group, exercise was presented before or after the adaptation sets. We found that error reduction during adaptation was similar regardless of when exercise was presented. During retention, significant error reduction was found in the retention set at 1 h for both exercise groups, but this enhancement was not present during subsequent retention sets, with no differences present between exercise groups. We conclude that an acute bout of intense exercise could positively affect retention, although the order in which exercise is presented does not appear to influence its benefits during the early stages of consolidation.

Climbing performance is greatly dependent on the endurance of the finger flexors which, in turn, depends on the ability to deliver and use oxygen within the muscle. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) have provided new possibilities to explore these phenomena in the microvascular environment. The aim of the present study was to explore climbing-related microvascular adaptations through the comparison of the oxygen concentration and hemodynamics of the forearm between climbers and non-climber active individuals during a vascular occlusion test (VOT). Seventeen climbers and fifteen non-climbers joined the study. Through NIRS and DCS, the oxyhemoglobin (O2Hb) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) concentrations, tissue saturation index (TSI), and blood flow index (BFI) were obtained from the flexor digitorum profundus during the VOT. During the reactive hyperemia, climbers presented greater blood flow slopes (p = 0.043, d = 0.573), as well as greater O2Hb maximum values (p = 0.001, d = 1.263) and HHb minimum values (p = 0.009, d = 0.998), than non-climbers. The superior hemodynamics presented by climbers could indicate potential training-induced structural and functional adaptations that could enhance oxygen transportation to the muscle, and thus enhance muscle endurance and climbing performance.

[...]we will lack therapeutic approaches for targeted interventions. (2) The sensorimotor system controls posture through muscles which produce relative movements between body segments. [...]we would argue that the mechanisms controlling human posture should be studied by directly analyzing movements and muscle activations, rather than through variables which the sensorimotor system can only indirectly affect. For upright standing it was demonstrated that the movement patterns extracted from the PCA closely approximate the classical ankle- and hip movement strategies (Federolf et al., 2013), but also for dynamic movements the eigenvectors provide a suitable reference system to assess stability (Federolf et al., 2012a), adaptability (Ó’Reilly and Federolf, 2021) or symmetry (Ó’ Reilly, 2021). Since the eigenvectors form a linear, orthonormal coordinate system, velocity and acceleration of postural changes can easily be calculated through simple differentiation (Federolf, 2016; Longo et al., 2019), thus the PMs provide a mechanically sound approach for quantifying postural states and changes therein.

IntroductionDevelopmental coordination disorder (DCD) is one of the most prevalent pediatric chronic conditions. Without proper intervention, significant delays in motor skill performance and learning may persist until adulthood. Moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise has been proven to improve motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) in children with or without disorders. However, the effect of a short bout of physical exercise on motor adaptation and consolidation in children with DCD has not been examined. Furthermore, the role of perceptual-motor integration and attention as mediators of learning has not been examined via neuroimaging in this population.ObjectivesTherefore, the primary aims of this project will be to compare children with and without DCD to (a) examine the effect of acute exercise on motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) while performing a rotational visuo-motor adaptation task (rVMA), and (b) explore cortical activation in the dorsolateral- and ventrolateral-prefrontal cortex areas while learning the rVMA task under rest or post-exercise conditions.MethodsOne hundred twenty children will be recruited (60 DCD, 60 controls) and within-cohort randomly assigned to either exercise (13-minute shuttle run task) or rest prior to performing the rVMA task. Adaptation and consolidation will be evaluated via two error variables and three retention tests (1h, 24h and 7 days post adaptation). Cortical activation will be registered via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the baseline, adaptation, and consolidation.DiscussionWe expect to find exercise benefits on motor learning and attention so that children with DCD profiles will be closer to those of children with typical development. The results of this project will provide further evidence to: (a) better characterize children with DCD for the design of educational materials, and (b) establish acute exercise as a potential intervention to improve motor learning and attention.

Lower values of shoulder internal rotation range of motion (ROM-IR) and external/ internal rotation strength ratio (S-ER/S-IR) of the dominant arm (racket grip) compared to the non-dominant arm have been observed in professional tennis players. It is considered that these adaptations could increase the risk of shoulder injury. Little is known about these adaptations in amateur tennis players. The aim of this study was to bilaterally compare the range of motion (ROM) and peak isometric strength (S) of shoulder rotation movements in amateur tennis players (dominant arm [DA] versus non-dominant arm [NDA]). In thirteen amateur tennis players (18-45 years old) the passive ROM and the S of internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER) were measured from the supine position, 90° of shoulder abduction and 90° of elbow flexion. DA and NDA values were compared by paired samples T-test. DA had lower ROM-IR (t = -9.053; p < .001; d = -2.551) and total ROM-(t = -4.429; p < .001; d = -1.228) compared to NDA (AROM-IR = 23.73 %; AROM-total = 8.32 %). Greater DA S-IR was also detected compared to NDA (t = 2.344, p = .037, d = .650, AS-IR = 9.67 %). These results indicate the existence of unilateral adaptations of the shoulder, which have been identified in other publications as risk factors for injury. In contrast to observations in professional tennis players in other studies, no S-related injury risk indicators were found.