Reaction time: Does it relate to weight status in children?

The influence of selected anthropometric parameters on psychomotor abilities among professional Rugby Union players

BACKGROUND

One of the most popular varieties of rugby is Rugby Union, in which a team consists of 15 players. Rugby Union is a full-contact sport, and players must demonstrate strength, endurance, speed and agility. During the match, players participate in multiple physical collisions and tackles, short-duration and high-intensity sprinting efforts. In addition, one of the elements affecting the effectiveness of the player's game can be the reaction time of the rugby player to the visual stimulus and the ability to read the game and react to the situations on the pitch. The level of psychomotor abilities of a person or a player practising sports can be influenced by various factors, including age, body height, body weight, type of sport practised or level of training. The study aimed to analyse the psychomotor abilities of professional rugby union players, investigate the relationship between the selected anthropometric characteristics and psychomotor abilities, and compare obtained results with the control group.

METHODS

The study covered 22 players of the Polish National Team (age: 29.3 ± 5.4) and 27 students in the control group (age: 24.3 ± 3.9). The tests were carried out using the Test2Drive computer system of tests. For psychomotor abilities analysis, four tests were used: Simple Reaction Test, Choice Reaction Time Test, Hand-Eye Coordination Test and Spatial Orientation Test. The statistical analysis compares groups using basic statistical measures, and statistically significant differences between groups were checked. In addition, multiple linear regression was used.

RESULTS

The analysis showed statistically significant differences between the groups in the simple reaction time test and the movement time for the test assessing reaction time with choice and eye-hand coordination. Multiple regression analysis conducted for both groups showed a statistically significant influence of some anthropometric parameters on the examined psychomotor abilities. The calculated multiple regression models had a high fit.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis showed that professional Rugby Union players have shorter movement time than the control group. For reaction time, statistically significant differences were observed only for simple reaction time. Moreover, linear regression analysis showed that body height and weight affect the selected psychomotor abilities.

Can a Multidisciplinary Weight Loss Treatment Improve Motor Performance in Children with Obesity? Results from an Observational Study

In the last two decades, the relationship between weight status and children's motor skill competence has been receiving increasing attention, given its possible role in the prevention and treatment of obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a multidisciplinary obesity treatment on motor performance in a sample of Italian children and adolescents. Visual and auditory reaction time (VRT and ART), vertical jump elevation (VJE) and power (VJP), body mass index (BMI) and BMI-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), waist circumference (WC), body composition, dietary habits and physical activity (PA) levels were assessed at baseline and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Significant improvements were observed in BMI-SDS and FFM, diet and PA levels. Adolescents showed significant improvements in VRT and ART. Jump elevation and power increased in both children and adolescent subgroups. Girls exhibited greater changes than boys in both VRT and ART and VJP but lower changes in VJE. VRT improvement was related to age (OR = 0.285, 95%CI 0.098-0.830, p = 0.021) and FFM (OR = 0.255, 95%CI 0.070-0.933, p = 0.039). An increase in VJE was associated with BMI-SDS (OR = 0.158, 95%CI 0.036-0.695, p = 0.015) and with PA level (OR = 19.102, 95%CI 4.442-82.142, p < 0.001); the increase in VJP was related with the increase in PA (OR = 5.564, 95%CI 1.812-17.081, p = 0.003). These findings suggest the possible effects of a multidisciplinary obesity treatment on children's motor competence. Since the improvement in motor skills can increase children's motivation and adherence to weight loss treatment in the long term, these aspects should be further investigated.

Characteristics of the level of psychomotor abilities of female handball players

BACKGROUND

Handball is a high-intensity game, during which players run, change directions with or without the ball, interact with the opponent and make different decisions in both offensive and defensive actions. Players' performance may depend on a number of factors, including explosive force, power, speed and agility. Players' results may be significantly influenced by their, psychomotor abilities. This article presents an analysis of selected psychomotor abilities of female handball players at different level of competition.

METHODS

Test2Drive computer tests were used. The following four tests were used to measure psychomotor abilities: the Simple Reaction Time Test (SIRT), the Choice Reaction Time Test (CHORT), the Hand-Eye Coordination Test and the Spatial Anticipation Test (SPANT). The study covered a group of 118 female handball players (average age 19.6 ± 3.16), playing in the PGNiG Polish Women's Superliga, the Polish 1st Handball League and 2nd the Polish 2nd Handball League, in the playing positions: goalkeepers, centre players, pivot players and wing players. The study also included analyses of the players' body composition and aerobic capacity through the use of the multistage 20-m shuttle run test. In addition, the players' psychomotor abilities were analysed depending on the level of competition and playing position.

RESULTS

The analysis of the reaction time and movement time showed statistically significant differences between the results obtained by the female handball players on different levels of competition. Moreover the female players from the Polish Women's Superliga exhibited the fastest reaction times according to the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT. Additionally, on the basis of the linear Pearson correlation coefficient, a statistically significant relationship was determined between the players' psychomotor abilities (movement time in the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT) and elements of their body composition or aerobic capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis showed that the higher the level of competition (leagues), the shorter the female handball players' reaction times. The study also revealed that the players' body mass index and percentage of fat content reassociated with movement times, while their aerobic capacity (measured in the multistage 20-m shuttle run test) had a significant influence on their reaction times. This study shows that reaction time it's one of ability which should be consider to develop in training of female handball players.

Developmental Trajectories of Size Constancy as Implicitly Examined by Simple Reaction Times

It is still unclear whether size constancy is an innate ability or whether it develops with age. As many developmental studies are limited to the child's comprehension of the task instructions, here, an implicit measure of perceived size, namely, simple manual reaction time (RT), was opted for based on the assumption that perceptually bigger objects generate faster detection times. We examined size constancy in children (from 5 to 14 years of age) and adults using a simple RT approach. Participants were presented with pictures of tennis balls on a screen that was physically moved to two viewing distances. Visual stimuli were adjusted in physical size in order to subtend the same visual angle across distances, determining two conditions: a small-near tennis ball vs. a big-far tennis ball. Thanks to size constancy, the two tennis balls were perceived as different even though they were of equal size on the retina. Stimuli were also matched in terms of luminance. Participants were asked to react as fast as possible to the onset of the stimuli. The results show that the RTs reflected the perceived rather than the retinal size of the stimuli across the different age groups, such that participants responded faster to stimuli that were perceived as bigger than those perceived as smaller. Hence, these findings are consistent with the idea that size constancy is already present in early childhood, at least from the age of five, and does not require extensive visual learning.

Is obesity associated with impaired reaction time in youth?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent research demonstrates a significant relationship between weight status and impaired reaction time in young, adult, and elderly individuals. However, most such studies were performed on small samples, used only body mass index as the body obesity index, used simple reaction time, and oftentimes did not consider some potential confounders such as age, socioeconomic status, or physical activity in their studies. The present study explored the relationship between various reaction time tasks and various obesity indices in a sample of youth.

METHODS

Two hundred and thirty-four young males (19-24 years) underwent standard anthropometry, various information processing tasks (e.g., clinical reaction time, simple audio and visual reaction time, and choice reaction time), as well as an inhibitory control task (congruent and incongruent Simon reaction time).

RESULTS

Results revealed no significant relationship between any of the information processing tests and body mass index, nor for fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio after adjustment for potential confounders. A weak positive association was observed only between congruent Simon reaction time (but not incongruent Simon reaction time) and waist circumference in participants (t value = 0.199; Std error = 0.0014; p = 0.047; Cohen's f² = 0.09).

CONCLUSION

Inhibitory control, but not information processing speed, was associated only with waist circumference in apparently healthy young men.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I, experimental study.

Impact of obesity on central processing time rather than overall reaction time in young adult men

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The association between weight status with simple cognitive tasks such as reaction time (RT) may not be observed in young people as cognitive functioning development has reached its peak. In the present study, we aimed to examine the association between overall and central adiposity with overall and central processing of RT in a sample of young adult men with different weight status from Ardabil, Iran.

METHODS

Eighty-six young males between June-July 2018 completed RT tests as well as premotor time (PMT) using surface electromyography changes in isometric contraction response to an audio stimulus.

RESULTS

No significant associations were observed between RT and PMT and different body mass index categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese), as well as fat mass and fat to skeletal muscle mass ratio quartiles (Q). However, participants with greater waist to height ratio (WHtR) had longer PMT (but not RT) than their peers with lower WHtR (Q3 than Q2 and Q1 groups; p < 0.05, d = 1.23). Participants in the skeletal muscle mass quartile Q2 tended to have longer RT than participants in Q3 in an adjusted comparison model (p = 0.05, d = 0.72).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the association between weight status and RT might be elusive in young adults, our results show that higher central adiposity is negatively associated with PMT in young adults. Longitudinal studies are needed to explore the changes in obesity indexes and process speed in longer terms.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I, experimental study.

Reaction Times of Preschool Children on the Ruler Drop Test: A Cross-Sectional Study With Reference Values

Reaction time (RT) tasks assess several brain functions, and a slow RT can be due to various brain diseases, disorders, and acquired conditions. This study examined age and gender differences in RTs of Spanish preschool children on the ruler drop test (RDT) and presents norm-referenced results. Participants were 3,741 children (1,845 girls and 1,896 boys; mean [M] age = 55.93, standard deviation [ SD] = 11.14 months; M body mass index = 15.94, SD = 1.91 kg/m²), selected from 51 schools in southern Spain. We measured RT with the RDT, and we collected both right- and left-hand data. We expressed normative mean RDT values of both hands according to gender and age in percentiles. Based on mean RDT scores, girls exhibited a poorer performance than boys aged 4 years ( p = .032, Cohen's d = - 0.122) and 5 years ( p = .001, Cohen's d = -0.194). For the whole group, RDT performance was faster with increased age, from the age of five years.

Central or overall obesity: which one is a better predictor of depressive symptoms in children, adolescents, and youths?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Despite the strong effect of central obesity on individuals' physical health outcomes, there is little evidence underlying the relationship between central obesity and mental disorders such as depression, especially in children, adolescents, and youths of the developing countries. This study explores the relationship between depressive symptoms (DS) with central and overall obesity in a sample of Iranian children, adolescents, and youths.

METHODS

One thousand and fifty-two male participants ranging from 7 to 24 years old underwent standard anthropometry, and filled the DS questionnaire.

RESULTS

Having controlled the potential confounders (e.g., age, socioeconomic status, pubertal maturation status, and physical activity), we found waist circumference (WC) significantly related to DS in the children (standardized β = 0.14; P < 0.05) and adolescents (standardized β = 0.13; P < 0.05). No significant relationship was observed between WC and DS in the youths (standardized β = 0.09; P = 0.22). In addition, no significant relationship was observed between DS and the percentage of fat in the sampled children (standardized β = 0.085; P = 0.13), adolescents (standardized β = 0.10; P = 0.10), and youths (standardized β = -0.02; P = 0.75).

CONCLUSION

Central obesity (but not overall obesity) was a significant predictor of DS in the children and adolescents (7-18 years). However, DS in the youths (19-24 years) were not significantly associated with both the central and overall body obesity indices.

Simple reaction time and obesity in children: whether there is a relationship?

OBJECTIVE

Reaction time (RT) testing is one of the oldest diagnostic methods used in modern psychology, and is known as simple and sensitive cognitive test. It has been recently reported that RT is related to obesity in young, adult and elderly individuals. However, most of the studies included small sample of participants, used just body mass index (BMI) as body obesity index, and did not consider some potential confounders such as age, socioeconomic status and physical activity in their studies. Furthermore, there is little and contradictory results for children. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between RT and weight status in a sample of children.

METHODS

Three hundred and fifty four 9-12 year old schoolboys underwent standard anthropometry, and various simple RT tests.

RESULTS

After controlling for potential confounders no significant relationship was observed between audio-RT (RTA) and clinical RT (RTclin) with BMI, %fat, waist circumference (WC) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) (P > 0.05). But, significant relationship (β = 0.18; P = 0.02) was observed between visual-RT (RTV) and %fat (but not BMI, WC and WHtR).

CONCLUSIONS

Among the various simple RT tasks and central and total body obesity indices, just significant relationship was observed between %fat and RTV in the schoolboys. According to the results, it is concluded that RT impairment due to obesity may less be observed, or may not be observed for some types of RT tasks and obesity indices during childhood.

Reaction time norms as measured by ruler drop method in school-going South Asian children: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to estimate normative range for reaction time using ruler drop method for school-going South Asian children between 6 and 12 years of age. A cross-sectional study was used to evaluate the reaction time for 204 children. Normal values for each age group were obtained. The results of multiple linear regressions showed a decrease in the reaction time values with age, and a significant change occurring between six and eight years of age. No difference in reaction time was obtained between boys and girls. Ruler drop method is an easy to use test and the results of this study provide a normative data for age groups 6-12 years ranging from 214.2ms to 248.8ms. These values can serve as a reference to screen children with delayed reaction time.