Exploring the field application of combined cognitive-motor program with mild cognitive impairment elderly patients

Development of the Movement Pattern Observation Tool (MPOT)-An Observational Tool to Measure Limb Movements during Elementary School Recess

BACKGROUND

The US Center for Disease Control estimates that only 24% of American elementary-aged children participate in the recommended 60 min of daily physical activity. As activity levels decline, elementary schools should consider increasing movement opportunities. Activity-driven school days, where children can move their limbs freely, may increase memory retention performance, behavioral impulse control, as well as bone density, and muscle strength. Unstructured, outdoor play (recess) may provide an opportunity for the brain, bone, and muscle-stimulating limb movements to be utilized. To date, no research has focused on whether the modern child actively uses limb movements during recess, nor to what degree. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable assessment tool (Movement Pattern Observation Tool, MPOT) to observe and record limb movements (unilateral, bilateral, and contralateral movements) of elementary children during recess, defined in this study as unstructured, outdoor play.

METHODS

Three observers used the MPOT to complete thirty-five observations at one elementary school during kindergarten through fifth-grade recess breaks.

RESULTS

Interrater reliability approached excellent, being that excellent is above 0.90. The ICC of the master observer and observer 3 value was 0.898 (95% CI 0.757-0.957), and the ICC of the master observer and observer 2 was 0.885 (95% CI 0.599-0.967), p < 0.03.

CONCLUSION

Inter-rater reliability was achieved through a three-phase process. This reliable recess observation tool will contribute to the body of research linking recess to physical and cognitive health.

Dance on the Brain: Enhancing Intra- and Inter-Brain Synchrony

Dance has traditionally been viewed from a Eurocentric perspective as a mode of self-expression that involves the human body moving through space, performed for the purposes of art, and viewed by an audience. In this Hypothesis and Theory article, we synthesize findings from anthropology, sociology, psychology, dance pedagogy, and neuroscience to propose The Synchronicity Hypothesis of Dance, which states that humans dance to enhance both intra- and inter-brain synchrony. We outline a neurocentric definition of dance, which suggests that dance involves neurobehavioral processes in seven distinct areas including sensory, motor, cognitive, social, emotional, rhythmic, and creative. We explore The Synchronicity Hypothesis of Dance through several avenues. First, we examine evolutionary theories of dance, which suggest that dance drives interpersonal coordination. Second, we examine fundamental movement patterns, which emerge throughout development and are omnipresent across cultures of the world. Third, we examine how each of the seven neurobehaviors increases intra- and inter-brain synchrony. Fourth, we examine the neuroimaging literature on dance to identify the brain regions most involved in and affected by dance. The findings presented here support our hypothesis that we engage in dance for the purpose of intrinsic reward, which as a result of dance-induced increases in neural synchrony, leads to enhanced interpersonal coordination. This hypothesis suggests that dance may be helpful to repattern oscillatory activity, leading to clinical improvements in autism spectrum disorder and other disorders with oscillatory activity impairments. Finally, we offer suggestions for future directions and discuss the idea that our consciousness can be redefined not just as an individual process but as a shared experience that we can positively influence by dancing together.

An exploration of the knowledge structure in studies on old people physical activities in Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation: by semantic network analysis

Physical activity, a key component of maintaining health, is becoming an essential alternative in reducing medical expenses for the old people. This research was intended to analyze 51 research papers published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation (JER) through semantic network analysis. The subjects of the study were the keywords that the authors of each paper used in journal search sites from 2013 to 2019. The present researcher analyzed the frequency, density, and centrality of the keywords of the indicators through semantic network analysis and then visualized them on the basis of findings using UCINET6 and the NetDraw program. Also, the researcher classified the hidden clusters by CONCOR (Convergence of iterated Correlations) analysis, which is a kind of cluster analysis. As a result, it was found that the keyword with the highest frequency was “exercise,” followed by “cognition, “physicalactivity,” “old-women,” “Korean,” “fall,” and “training.” It was also found that most of the high-frequency keywords, such as “exercise,” “cognition,” “old-women,” “program” and “depression” had high centrality. These keywords were classified into four clusters: (a) mental health research, (b) physical health research, (c) social behavior research, and (d) leisure efficacy research. This suggests that the old people-related research papers published in the JER have derived effective methods of maintaining physical and mental health using scientific exercise programs, and especially address the effects of exercise intervention for old women.

Design and Validation of Rule-Based Expert System by Using Kinect V2 for Real-Time Athlete Support

In sports and rehabilitation processes where isotonic movements such as bodybuilding are performed, it is vital for individuals to be able to correct the wrong movements instantly by monitoring the trainings simultaneously, and to be able to train healthily and away from the risks of injury. For this purpose, we designed a new real-time athlete support system using Kinect V2 and Expert System. Lateral raise (LR) and dumbbell shoulder press (DSP) movements were selected as examples to be modeled in the system. Kinect V2 was used to obtain angle and distance changes in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle during movements in these movement models designed. For the rule base of Expert System developed according to these models, a 28-state rule table was designed, and 12 main rules were determined that could be used for both actions. In the sample trainings, it was observed that the decisions made by the system had 89% accuracy in DSP training and 82% accuracy in LR training. In addition, the developed system has been tested by 10 participants (25.8 ± 5.47 years; 74.69 ± 14.81 kg; 173.5 ± 9.52 cm) in DSP and LR training for four weeks. At the end of this period and according to the results of paired t-test analysis (p < 0.05) starting from the first week, it was observed that the participants trained more accurately and that they enhanced their motions by 58.08 ± 11.32% in LR training and 54.84 ± 12.72% in DSP training.

Effects of gaze stability exercises on cognitive function, dynamic postural ability, balance confidence, and subjective health status in old people with mild cognitive impairment

The purpose of this study was to determine whether gaze stability exercises would result in improvements of cognitive function, balance ability and subjective health status in old people with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Old people with MCI (n=9) and healthy old people (n=9) performed gaze stability exercises for 4 weeks. Pre and post Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for cognitive function, Timed Up and Go test for dynamic postural ability, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence for balance confidence and subjective health status were measured in both groups. After participating in gaze stability exercises, all outcome measures were significantly improved in MCI group and normal group also improved significantly in all outcome measures with the exception of balance confidence. In addition, there were significant differences in cognitive function and balance confidence between the two groups, and more improvements in MCI group. These results provide evidence that gaze stability exercises is beneficial to improve cognitive function as well as balance ability which affected on quality of life in old people with and without MCI.