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- Affording heading in preschool and club childrenPublication . Mercê, Cristiana; Catela, David; Pereira, M.; Teixeira, G.; Figueiredo, M.; Coelho, R.; Serrão-Arrais, Ana; Brígida, NancyHeading is an identitary skill of European football, that requires a balance between physical safety and acquisition, achievable through balloons with minimal impact and slow approach. This study aimed to investigate whether preschool children (P) (N=44, M=3.91±0.87 years, ♀=24) can perform self-heading using this educational solution and whether they demonstrate a performance similar to boys in football schools (F) (N=14, M=4,57±,65 years). They were asked to perform as many consecutive self-headings as possible with a balloon, in 3 trials, without attempt restrictions. The balloon afforded to head in 3-years-old, without gender differences, reinforcing the importance of equal gender opportunities for practice. A transition is observed from 3 to 4 years, with an increase in frequency and a reduction in the time between headings. At 4 and 5 years old, the F performs better than the P. In both groups, individualized motor competence occurred. The balloon should be used to explore heading in children aged 3, with advantages in P, compared to the limited recruitment capacity found in group F. The age of 3 years may be characterized as the beginning of the sensitive period for the acquisition of heading.
- Fine motricity in finger tapping test with children: variability analysis with lyapunov exponentePublication . Mercê, Cristiana; Catela, David; Brígida, Nancy; Rafael, D.; Olhos, B.; Gonçalves, M.; Branco, Marco A. C.Recent advancements in nonlinear methodologies have allowed deeper analysis of motor control during development. This study aimed to analyse the evolution of the fine motor skills in children aged 6 to 9 years old through the Lypaunov Exponent (LyE). It was asked to 60 children (M=8,141±1,064 years) to perform the finger taping test, 6 trials in each hand, starting with their preferred one. An inertial sensor was attached to the index finger to collect three-dimensional angular velocity. The LyE values were calculated per child, hand, and movement axis. The results highlighted a notable distinction between the 6- and 7-year-old and the 8- and 9-year-old, aligned with the different phases of motor development. The older ones presented higher variability, which can reflect their greater proficiency in this fine motor task, due to their extensive practice at school context. LyE analysis seems to be sensitive to changes that occur during different phases of motor development.
- Recorrence Quantification Analysis during the finger tapping test in children of the primary schoolPublication . Branco, Marco A. C.; Catela, David; Brígida, Nancy; Rafael, Diana; Oliveira, Joana; Olhos, Beatriz; Gonçalves, Mariana; Mercê, CristianaThe Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA), applied to fine motor skills in children, may be used to observe the behavior of the state of the child, which allows to study and understand the process that he/she is going through. This study aims to analyze the evolution of the fine motor skills between 6 and 9 years old. An inertial sensor was used to collect 3D data during FTT from 60 primary school children and was calculated Recurrence (REC) and Determinism (DET) of the collected time series. Results shows a decrease of REC and DET along ages and higher values in non-preferred hand. RQA shows great sensibility to evaluate fine motor skills and its visible an onset of differentiation between hands through these ages.
- Learning to cycle: is velocity a control parameter for children’s cycle patterns on the balance bike?Publication . Mercê, Cristiana; Cordovil, R.; Catela, David; Galdino, Flávia; Bernardino, Mafalda; Altenburg, Mirjam; António, Gonçalo; Brígida, Nancy; Branco, Marco A. C.The balance bike (BB) has been pointed out as being the most efficient learning bicycle due to its inherent stimulation of balance. However, the process of acquiring the control of balance on the BB has not been explored. This study aimed to: (i) categorize the cycle patterns of children on the BB, (ii) compare the cycle patterns in different stages of learning (before and after six sessions of a BB practice program), and (iii) verify whether velocity is a control parameter leading to transitions between different cycle patterns on a BB. The data were collected during the Learning to Cycle program from 12 children aged 6.06 ± 1.25 years. The velocity was measured using an inertial sensor. Seven different movement patterns were captured and categorized through video analysis. After practice, there was an increase in the mean number of different patterns and in the global mean and maximum velocity. These were interpreted as an improvement of the motor competence in the use of the BB. The results obtained support the hypothesis that velocity is a control parameter which leads to the emergence of diverse patterns of behavior. As the speed increased, the amount of foot contact with the ground became less frequent and the locomotor modes that imply that longer flight phases began to emerge.
- Variability of gross and fine motor control in different tasks in fibromyalgia patientsPublication . Brígida, Nancy; Catela, David; Mercê, Cristiana; Branco, Marco A. C.Fibromyalgia (FM) is normally defined as a widespread pain syndrome or disease that presents disturbances in gross and fine motor control. As a gross motor control skill, gait requires coordination, balance, and muscle strength, and it could be an essential factor for FM patients to perform daily activities. Measuring the spatial and temporal gait parameters or gait variability has been used to assess motor pathologies and identify gait disorders. The Lyapunov exponent is a non-linear measure of variability, which quantifies the ability that the system has to attenuate small perturbances, indicating that there might be a relationship between balance and spati-otemporal gait parameters. This technique has already been used for gait analysis and could be used in fine and gross daily tasks, such as the finger tapping test (FTT) or the sit-and-stand test. Inertial Measurement Units have also been used to analyze gross motor control, namely in gait variability. So, the aim of this study is to analyze and compare the variability of gross and fine motor movements between patients with FM and a control group. The sample included 20 female participants, 10 with FM and 10 without (46.150 ± 12.835 years old). To analyze gross motricity, participants were asked to perform the gait task for two minutes and the 30-second chair sit-and-stand test; and to analyze fine motor control, they were asked to perform six trials of FTT test with both hands. To collect the data, an inertial sensor (IMU) was used. FM patients showed a more irregular pattern of linear acceleration peaks than controls in both tasks. Lyapunov values in FM patients show greater instability and variability in the anteroposterior and vertical movements for gait analysis and present significantly higher variability in the anteroposterior movements when performing the sit and stand task and the finger tapping test.
- Fine motricity in finger tapping test with children: incremental entropy analysisPublication . Brígida, Nancy; Catela, David; Mercê, Cristiana; Olhos, B.; Rafael, D.; Oliveira, J.; Gonçalves, M.; Rodrigues, N.; Branco, Marco A. C.During the development process, the nervous system is constantly changing (1). The application of non-linear measures such as entropy has allowed a deeper analysis of motor control (3). The Finger Tapping Test (FTT) is usually used to assess fine motor skills, and in this study we intend to use this test to analyze entropy levels and assess the development of fine motor control in children. Sixty children (M=8.141±1.064) participated in this study. Participants performed the FTT, 6 trials tapping with the index finger on a surface as fast as possible for ten seconds per trial. The test started with the preferred hand, followed by the non-preferred one. An inertial sensor was used to collect three-dimensional angular velocity. The entropy results indicated a change that occurs between the ages of 7 and 8 years old. It was observed that 6-years-old children, compared to other age groups, had lower entropy values, suggesting that they were more predictable when performing the FTT. The 8-years-old children seemed to have the highest entropy values, which might indicate that these children were less predictable (4). These findings suggest a transition to the third childhood, where significant changes occur in the nervous system during development. Entropy appears to be highly sensitive to these changes.
- Predictability and complexity of fine and gross motor skills in fibromyalgia patients: a pilot studyPublication . Brígida, Nancy; Catela, David; Mercê, Cristiana; Branco, Marco A. C.Background: Fine and gross motor tasks are usually used to evaluate behavioral dysfunctions and can be applied to diseases of the central nervous system, such as fibromyalgia (FM). Non-linear measures have allowed for deeper motor control analysis, focusing on the process and on the quality of movement. Therefore, to assess uncertainty, irregularity, and structural richness of a time series, different algorithms of entropy can be computed. The aim of this study was to (i) verify the single-scale and multiscale entropy values in fine and gross motor movements and (ii) to verify whether fine and gross motor tasks are sensitive to characterizing FM patients. Methods: The sample consisted of 20 females (46.2 ± 12.8 years) divided in two groups, an experimental group with 10 FM subjects and a control group with 10 subjects without FM. Inertial sensors were used to collect the finger tapping test (FTT), walking, and sit-and-stand task data. Results: Regarding fine motor skills, patients with FM showed a loss of structural richness (complexity), but they had information processing with greater control in the FTT, probably to simplify task execution and for correction of the movement. On the other hand, people without FM seemed to have more automatic control of the movement when performed with the preferred hand and exhibited similar difficulties to the FM group when performed with the non-preferred hand. Gross motor tasks showed similar entropy values for both groups. Conclusions: The results show that FM patients have movement controls primarily at the level of the motor cortex, whereas people without FM perform movement at the medullary level, especially in fine motor tasks, indicating that the FTT is sensitive to the presence of FM, especially when performed with the preferred hand.
- Análise da motricidade fina através do teste de batidas do dedo com crianças dos 6 aos 9 anos de idadePublication . Rafael, D.; Catela, David; Olhos, B.; Oliveira, J.; Gonçalves, M.; Brígida, Nancy; Mercê, Cristiana; Branco, Marco A. C.A motricidade fina pode ser caracterizada como uma componente fundamental para a execução de diversas atividades importantes para a autonomia da criança, no seu dia-a-dia. O teste de batidas do dedo é usualmente utilizado para avaliar a motricidade fina ou destreza manual. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar o desenvolvimento e maturação da motricidade fina em crianças entre os 6 e os 9 anos. Foi aplicando o teste de batidas do dedo a 60 crianças (M=8,141±1,064), 6 tentativas durante 10 segundos. Os dados foram recolhidos através de um sensor inercial (MEMS) e posteriormente tratados em SPSS. Verificou-se que as crianças de 6 anos parecem já demonstrar uma capacidade de diferenciação entre mão preferida e não-preferida, e que existiu um aumento gradual no número de batidas de ano para ano, podendo significar uma mudança significativa no processo de desenvolvimento e maturação da motricidade fina. A aplicação do FTT em crianças poderá ser útil para avaliar o desenvolvimento e maturação da motricidade fina bem como a preferência manual das crianças.