Neurocognitive performance of badminton players at different competitive levels in visuospatial attention tasks.

Visuospatial attention (VSA) is a cognitive function that enables athletes, particularly those engaged in open-skill sports, to allocate attentional resources efficiently to the appropriate target and in the appropriate direction. Studies have indicated that expert players exhibit superior cognitive performance to that of novices. However, no study has investigated differences in VSA performance among elite, expert, and intermediate badminton players or the potential neurophysiological mechanisms underlying such differences. Accordingly, the present study explored neuropsychological and neurophysiological parameters during VSA tasks among badminton players of varying competitive levels. The study included 54 participants and divided them into three groups according to their competition records: elite (n = 18), expert (n = 18), and intermediate (n = 18). Their neuropsychological performance and brain event-related potentials (ERPs) during the Posner cueing paradigm were collected. Although the three groups did not differ in their accuracy rates, ERP N2 amplitudes, or N2 or P3 latencies, the elite and expert groups exhibited notably faster reaction times and more pronounced P3 amplitudes than did the intermediate group during the cognitive task. However, we did not observe these between-group differences when we controlled for the covariate training years. Additionally, the elite and expert groups exhibited comparable neurocognitive performance. These findings indicate that badminton players' competitive levels influence their VSA. However, the beneficial effects on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performance could stabilize after a certain level of badminton competence is reached. Year of training could also be a major factor influencing badminton players' neurocognitive performance in VSA tasks.

The effects of a magic-based intervention on self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life among community-dwelling older adults: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Magic-based programs have been utilised to enhance well-being across various health aspects. However, there is a lack of studies on whether performing magic tricks can provide mental health benefits for older adults living in the community. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of a magic-based intervention program on self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (QOL), and to examine the relationship between these factors in older adults. METHODS: Thirty-eight participants, aged 60-90 years, were randomly assigned to either a magic intervention group or a control group. The magic intervention program, tailored for older adults, was conducted for 90 min, twice weekly, over 6 weeks. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF scores were measured and analyzed in both groups before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The magic-based intervention significantly increased self-esteem and reduced depressive symptoms in older adults, with large effect sizes. However, no significant impact on QOL was observed. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between the improvement in self-esteem and the reduction in depressive levels. Despite this, a moderate but significant negative correlation was detected between the post-intervention scores of RSE and GDS-15 in the magic intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that the magic intervention program was beneficial in promoting mental health in community-dwelling older adults. Implementing magic programs in communities appears to be an effective approach to enhance self-esteem and alleviate depressive symptoms in the older population.

Effects of Short- and Long-Term Aerobic-Strength Training and Determinants of Walking Speed in the Elderly.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Walking speed (WS) is an objective measure of physical capacity and a modifiable risk factor of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. In this study, we (i) determined effects of 3-month supervised aerobic-strength training on WS, muscle strength, and habitual physical activity; (ii) evaluated capacity of long-term (21 months) training to sustain higher WS; and (iii) identified determinants of WS in the elderly. METHODS: Volunteers (F 48/M 14, 68.4 ± 7.1 years) completed either 3-month aerobic-strength (3 × 1 h/week, n = 48) or stretching (active control, n = 14) intervention (study A). Thirty-one individuals (F 24/M 7) from study A continued in supervised aerobic-strength training (2 × 1 h/week, 21 months) and 6 (F 5/M 1) became nonexercising controls. RESULTS: Three-month aerobic-strength training increased preferred and maximal WS (10-m walk test, p < 0.01), muscle strength (p < 0.01) and torque (p < 0.01) at knee extension, and 24-h habitual physical activity (p < 0.001), while stretching increased only preferred WS (p < 0.03). Effect of training on maximal WS was most prominent in individuals with baseline WS between 1.85 and 2.30 m·s-1. Maximal WS measured before intervention correlated negatively with age (r = -0.339, p = 0.007), but this correlation was weakened by the intervention (r = -0.238, p = 0.06). WS progressively increased within the first 9 months of aerobic-strength training (p < 0.001) and remained elevated during 21-month intervention (p < 0.01). Cerebellar gray matter volume (MRI) was positively associated with maximal (r = 0.54; p < 0.0001) but not preferred WS and explained >26% of its variability, while age had only minor effect. CONCLUSIONS: Supervised aerobic-strength training increased WS, strength, and dynamics of voluntary knee extension as well as habitual physical activity in older individuals. Favorable changes in WS were sustainable over the 21-month period by a lower dose of aerobic-strength training. Training effects on WS were not limited by age, and cerebellar cortex volume was the key determinant of WS.

Effects of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise combined with resistance training on neurocognitive performance in obese women.

Background/Objectives: To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous studies conducted on the long-term effects of an exercise intervention on deficits in inhibitory control in obese individuals. The aim of this study was thus to examine the effect of 12 weeks of a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise on behavioral and cognitive electrophysiological performance involving cognitive interference inhibition in obese individuals. Methods: Thirty-two qualified healthy obese women were randomly divided into either an exercise group (EG, age: 34.76 ± 5.52 years old; BMI: 29.35 ± 3.52 kg/m2) or a control group (CG, age: 33.84 ± 7.05 years old; BMI: 29.61 ± 4.31 kg/m2). All participants performed the Stroop task, with electrophysiological signals being collected simultaneously before and after a 12-week intervention. The estimated V̇O2max, muscular strength, and body fat percentage (measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were also assessed within one week before and after the intervention. Participants in the EG group engaged in 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise combined with resistance exercise, 5 sessions per week for 12 weeks, while the participants in the CG group maintained their regular lifestyle without engaging in any type of exercise. Results: The results revealed that although a 12-week exercise intervention did not enhance the behavioral indices [e.g., accuracy rates (ARs) and reaction times (RTs)] in the EG group, significantly shorter N2 and P3 latencies and greater P2 and P3 amplitudes were observed. Furthermore, the fat percentage distribution (e.g. total body fat %, trunk fat %, and leg fat %) and level of physical fitness (e.g. estimated V̇O2max and muscular strength) in the EG group were significantly improved. The changes prior to and after the intervention in the P3 amplitude and trunk fat percentage were significantly negatively correlated in the EG group (r = -0.521, p = 0.039). Conclusions: These findings suggested that 12 weeks of aerobic exercise combined with resistance exercise in obese women affects cognitive function broadly, but not specifically in terms of inhibitory control. The percentage of decreased trunk fat may play a potential facilitating role in inhibition processing in obesity.

Wrist proprioceptive acuity is linked to fine motor function in children undergoing piano training.

Playing the piano involves rapid and precise upper limb movements, which require seamless integration of the proprioceptive and motor systems. In this study, we comprehensively assessed active and passive proprioception and different domains of motor function in young pianists, aiming to understand how their proprioceptive and motor functions are improved. Fifty-seven participants, including seventeen 11- to 12-yr-old (young) pianists, 20 children, and 20 adults, were included. The children in the pianist group had received piano training for 6 yr, whereas the children and adults in the control groups had no previous experience with instrumental training. All participants performed a psychophysical discrimination threshold hunting task and an ipsilateral joint position reproduction task, both of which measured the position sense acuity of the wrist. Their motor function was evaluated by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition. The results revealed that the young pianists showed a significantly lower position sense discrimination threshold (31%) and fewer joint position reproduction errors (49%) than the nontrained children. Second, a higher level of manual dexterity, but not of ball skills or balance, was found in the young pianist group. Third, a higher proprioceptive acuity (i.e., decreased position sense discrimination threshold) significantly correlated with higher manual dexterity. This study documents that a high wrist position sense is a common characteristic among young pianists. The increased upper limb position sense acuity is correlated with better manual dexterity, suggesting that piano practice may benefit untrained fine motor skills in children.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We document that improved proprioceptive acuity is a common feature in young pianists. This proprioceptive improvement is associated with both proprioceptive processing and proprioceptive-motor integration. Higher wrist proprioceptive acuity in young pianists is linked to enhanced manual dexterity, which suggests that intensive piano training may improve untrained fine motor skills.

Feasibility of Smartphone-Based Badminton Footwork Performance Assessment System.

Footwork is the most fundamental skill in badminton, involving the ability of acceleration or deceleration and changing directions on the court, which is related to accurate shots and better game performance. The footwork performance in-field is commonly assessed using the total finished time, but does not provide any information in each direction. With the higher usage of the smartphones, utilizing their built-in inertial sensors to assess footwork performance in-field might be possible by providing information about body acceleration in each direction. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a smartphone-based measurement system on badminton six-point footwork. The body acceleration during the six-point footwork was recorded using a smartphone fixed at the belly button and a self-developed application in thirty badminton players. The mean and maximum of the acceleration resultant for each direction of the footwork were calculated. The participants were classified into either the faster or slower group based on the finished duration of footwork. Badminton players who finished the footwork faster demonstrated a greater mean and maximum acceleration compared to those who finished slower in most directions except for the frontcourt directions. The current study found that using a smartphone's built-in accelerometer to evaluate badminton footwork is feasible.

Differences in neurocognitive performance and metabolic and inflammatory indices in male adults with obesity as a function of regular exercise.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Does regular exercise have benefits with regard to the neurocognitive problems related to obesity and are regular-exercise-induced neurocognitive changes associated with changes in the levels of metabolic/inflammatory biomarkers? What is the main finding and its importance? Although obese individuals with regular exercise showed higher C-reactive protein levels as compared to the healthy-weight individuals, only the obese individuals with a sedentary lifestyle showed deviant neurocognitive performance and higher metabolic and tumour necrosis factor-α levels. The P3 amplitude was correlated with the levels of leptin in the obese individuals with regular activity, implicating that the potential mechanism of neurocognitive facilitation as a result of regular exercise could be reduced serum leptin levels. ABSTRACT: Obesity has been shown to be highly associated with deterioration in executive functions, elevated energy metabolic indices and low-grade systemic inflammation. Exercise has the capacity to reduce these negative phenomena. This work examined the effect of regular exercise on neurocognitive deficits and metabolic/inflammatory markers in obesity. Fifty-four participants were divided into three groups: healthy-weight (HW), obesity with regular exercise (ORE) and obesity with sedentary lifestyle (OSL), according to their BMI and frequency of exercise. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was applied to assess the whole-body composition of the participants. The assessment included neurocognitive measures during the Posner paradigm test and fasting blood measurements. Relative to the HW group, only the OSL group showed significantly longer reaction times and smaller P3 amplitudes, even when controlling for the cardiorespiratory fitness co-variable. Although the OSL group exhibited a greater N2 amplitude than the HW group, when controlling for cardiorespiratory fitness the difference between the two groups disappeared. The OSL group showed greater levels of metabolic indices (i.e. leptin, insulin and glucose) than the HW group. The three groups had comparable interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 levels. However, the ORE and OSL groups showed higher levels of C-reactive protein than the HW group. The OSL group exhibited higher tumour necrosis factor-α levels than the HW and ORE groups. P3 amplitude was negatively correlated with the levels of leptin in the ORE group. Individuals with obesity can still obtain advantages with regard to neurocognitive and metabolic/inflammatory indices through engaging in regular exercise, possibly due to reduced serum leptin levels.

Neurocognitive performances of visuospatial attention and the correlations with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in adults with obesity.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Obesity is linked to cognitive deficits, elevated energy metabolic indices and low-grade systemic inflammation. Do the relationships between neurocognitive performance and the biochemical markers (e.g. energy metabolic indices and inflammatory cytokines) occur independently of factors known to be associated with neurocognitive dysfunction (i.e. cardiorespiratory fitness) in young adults? What is the main finding and its importance? Young obese adults showed poorer neuropsychological performances, aberrant neural activity and higher C-reactive protein and energy metabolic indices. The higher leptin and C-reactive protein concentrations showed a significant negative association with lower P3 amplitudes. However, leptin was the sole predictive factor, implicating hyperleptinaemia in the altered neurocognitive function observed in obesity. The present study was designed to explore the neurophysiological mechanism of visuospatial attention deficits in obese adults and to examine the relationships between neurocognitive (neuropsychological and neurophysiological) performances and the biochemical markers. Thirty obese adults and 30 healthy-weight control subjects, categorized by body mass index and percentage fat as measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, provided a fasting blood sample and performed a visuospatial attention protocol with concomitant electrophysiological recording. The obese group showed slower reaction times and smaller P3 amplitudes when performing the cognitive task. Even when controlling for the covariable of cardiorespiratory fitness, the results remained. In addition, the serum concentrations of insulin, glucose, leptin and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in the obese group relative to the control group, but not those of interleukin-6, interleukin-1ß and tumour necrosis factor-α. Partial correlations adjusting for cardiorespiratory fitness showed that leptin and C-reactive protein concentrations in the obese group were negatively associated with poorer neurophysiological (i.e. P3 amplitude) performance. However, the regression analysis showed that leptin was the sole predictor of P3 amplitude in the obese group. These findings indicate that the individuals with obesity exhibited neurocognitive deficits when performing the visuospatial attention task, and serum leptin concentrations could be one of the influential factors.

Electrochromism and Nonvolatile Memory Device Derived from Triphenylamine-Based Polyimides with Pendant Viologen Units.

Three novel solution-processable polyimides containing triphenylamine and pendant viologen moieties are prepared from the newly synthesized diamine and three commercially available dianhydrides. The thermally stable polyimide with strong donor-acceptor charge-transfer possesses write-once read-many-times memory behavior with excellent operation stability. The obtained multicolored electrochromic polymer films reveal ambipolar electrochemical behavior with high optical transmittance contrast of coloration changed from transmissive neutral state to the cyan/magenta/yellow redox states, implying great potential for application in smart window and displays.

Neural Oscillation Reveals Deficits in Visuospatial Working Memory in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder.

The electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations associated with visuospatial working memory (VSWM) were examined in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD; 10-11 years; N = 29) and typically developing (TD) children (10-11 years; N = 29). Behaviorally, DCD showed poorer VSWM than TD, which coincided with the diminished ability of DCD in modulating neural oscillations. Furthermore, prestimulus oscillatory alpha activity was correlated with VSWM performance. The results suggest that children with DCD might have a reduced ability to encode and recognize new information, and in particular have difficulty in maintaining task-relevant information, resulting in poorer VSWM. This study thus concludes that changes in oscillatory EEG activity reflect some of the problems leading to cognitive deficits in DCD.

Effects of acute aerobic exercise on a task-switching protocol and brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations in young adults with different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness.

What is the central question of this study? Neurocognitive functions can be enhanced by acute aerobic exercise, which could be associated with changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations. We aimed to explore acute exercise-induced changes in BDNF concentrations, neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances when individuals with different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness performed a cognitive task. What is the main finding and its importance? Only young adults with higher cardiorespiratory fitness could attain switching cost and neurophysiological benefits via acute aerobic exercise. The mechanisms might be fitness dependent. Although acute aerobic exercise could enhance serum BDNF concentrations, changes in peripheral BDNF concentrations could not be the potential factor involved in the beneficial effects on neurocognitive performance. This study investigated the effects of acute aerobic exercise on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances in young adults with different cardiorespiratory fitness levels when performing a task-switching protocol and explored the potential associations between acute aerobic exercise-induced changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations and various neurocognitive outcomes. Sixty young adults were categorized into one control group (i.e. non-exercise-intervention; n = 20) and two exercise-intervention (EI) groups [i.e. higher (EIH , n = 20) and lower (EIL , n = 20) cardiorespiratory fitness] according to their maximal oxygen consumption. At baseline and after either an acute bout of 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or a control period, the neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances and serum BDNF concentrations were measured when the participants performed a task-switching protocol involving executive control and greater demands on working memory. The results revealed that although acute aerobic exercise decreased reaction times across three (i.e. pure, switching and non-switching) conditions in both EI groups, only the EIH group showed a smaller switching cost and larger P3 amplitudes after acute exercise, supporting the view that the mechanisms of neural functioning that underlie the effects of such exercise may be fitness dependent. In addition, serum BDNF concentrations were elevated after acute exercise for both EI groups, but there were no significant correlations between the changes in BDNF concentrations and changes in neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances for either group, suggesting that serum BDNF could not be the potential factor involved in the beneficial effects on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performances seen in young adults after acute aerobic exercise.

Physical Activity Is Associated With Greater Visuospatial Cognitive Functioning Regardless of the Level of Cognitive Load in Elderly Adults.

The study aimed to investigate the effects of regular physical activity on visuospatial cognition in elderly adults, and to further understand the potential neural mechanisms underpinning such effects. We assessed 24 physically active elderly adults and 24 sedentary counterparts using behavioral and neuroelectric measures during a visuospatial cognitive task with different levels of cognitive load. The results showed that the active group had higher behavioral accuracy along with greater P3 amplitudes, regardless of the level of cognitive load. Moreover, the correlation results revealed that physical activity levels were positively associated with accuracy performance in both conditions, while being correlated with frontal P3 amplitudes in the high cognitively demanding condition. However, no significant effects were observed in terms of P3 latency and contingent negative variation. These findings suggest that regular physical activity might be part of an effective lifestyle to attenuate the trajectory of age-related cognitive declines, thus increasing the likelihood of individuals becoming high-functioning older adults.

The relationship between aerobic fitness and neural oscillations during visuo-spatial attention in young adults.

While the cognitive benefits of aerobic fitness have been widely investigated, current findings in young adults remain unclear. Specifically, little is known about how these effects are reflected in the time-frequency domain. This study thus assessed the relationship between aerobic fitness and neural oscillations during visuo-spatial attention. A between-subjects design that included 20 participants with higher aerobic fitness (age = 21.95 ± 2.24 years; VO2max = 58.98 ± 6.94 ml/kg/min) and 20 age- and gender-matched lower aerobic fitness participants (age = 23.25 ± 2.07 years; VO2max = 35.87 ± 3.41 ml/kg/min) was used to examine the fitness-related differences in performance and neuroelectric indexes during a Posner visuo-spatial attention paradigm. The results demonstrated that high-fitness participants, in comparison with their low-fitness counterparts, showed faster reaction times as well as greater modulation of oscillatory theta and beta power during target processing, regardless of cue types. Moreover, the neurocognitive correlation showed that higher theta power was related to better task performance. Collectively, these findings suggest that aerobic fitness is associated with general enhanced attentional control in relation to visuo-spatial processing, as evidenced through greater motor preparation and in particular the up-regulation of attentional processing in healthy young adults. The present study may contribute to current knowledge by revealing the relationship between aerobic fitness and modulation of brain oscillations.

Postural Control of Anteroposterior and Mediolateral Sway in Children With Probable Developmental Coordination Disorder.

PURPOSE: To examine postural control of anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral sway of children with probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD) and children with typical development (TD). METHODS: Forty-eight children (24 in each group) aged 11 to 12 years performed an aiming task, maintaining a laser beam within targets placed in 2 locations (front/side). Precision was compromised primarily by the control of mediolateral sway for the front target and by the control of AP sway for the side target. The task was performed with large and small targets. RESULTS: In the side target condition, only (1) the TD group showed reduced AP sway in response to reduced target size, whereas the pDCD group increased AP sway, and (2) aiming performance for reduced target sizes deteriorated to a greater degree in the pDCD group than in the TD group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest children with pDCD have specific deficits in controlling AP sway.

The association of physical activity to neural adaptability during visuo-spatial processing in healthy elderly adults: A multiscale entropy analysis.

Physical activity has been shown to benefit brain and cognition in late adulthood. However, this effect is still unexplored in terms of brain signal complexity, which reflects the level of neural adaptability and efficiency during cognitive processing that cannot be acquired via averaged neuroelectric signals. Here we employed multiscale entropy analysis (MSE) of electroencephalography (EEG), a new approach that conveys important information related to the temporal dynamics of brain signal complexity across multiple time scales, to reveal the association of physical activity with neural adaptability and efficiency in elderly adults. A between-subjects design that included 24 participants (aged 66.63±1.31years; female=12) with high physical activity and 24 age- and gender-matched low physical activity participants (aged 67.29±1.20years) was conducted to examine differences related to physical activity in performance and MSE of EEG signals during a visuo-spatial cognition task. We observed that physically active elderly adults had better accuracy on both visuo-spatial attention and working memory conditions relative to their sedentary counterparts. Additionally, these physically active elderly adults displayed greater MSE values at larger time scales at the Fz electrode in both attention and memory conditions. The results suggest that physical activity may be beneficial for adaptability of brain systems in tasks involving visuo-spatial information. MSE thus might be a promising approach to test the effects of the benefits of exercise on cognition.

Fatigue Affects Body Acceleration During Vertical Jumping and Agility Tasks in Elite Young Badminton Players.

BACKGROUND: Badminton is a sport demanding both high aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels, and fatigue can significantly impact game performance. However, relevant studies are limited, and none have employed a wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) to investigate the effects of fatigue on athletic performance in the field. HYPOTHESIS: Overall performance and body acceleration in both time and frequency domains during the fundamental badminton skills of vertical jumping and changes of direction will be affected by fatigue. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: A total of 38 young badminton players competing at the Division I level participated. Body accelerations while performing vertical jump and agility-T tests before and immediately after undergoing a fatigue protocol were measured by an IMU, positioned at the L4 to L5 level. RESULTS: Jumping height decreased significantly by 4 cm (P < 0.01) after fatigue with greater downward acceleration (1.03 m/s2, P < 0.05) during the squatting subphase. Finishing time increased significantly by 50 ms only during the 10-m side-shuffling of the agility-T test (P = 0.02) after fatigue with greater peak and mean accelerations (3.83 m/s2, P = 0.04; 0.43 m/s2, P < 0.01), and higher median and mean frequency (0.38 Hz, P = 0.04, 0.11 Hz, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study using a wearable IMU demonstrates the effects of fatigue on body acceleration in badminton players. The frequency-domain analysis further indicated that fatigue might lead to loss of voluntary control of active muscles and increased impacts on the passive elastic elements. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings imply that fatigue can lead to diminished athletic performance and highlight the potential for an increased risk of sports injuries. Consequently, maintaining precision in monitoring fatigue is crucial for elite young badminton players.

Distinct effects of long-term Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise interventions on motor and neurocognitive performance in early-stage Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by movement disorders and probable cognitive impairment. Exercise plays an important role in PD management, and recent studies have reported improvement in motor symptoms and cognitive function following aerobic and Tai Chi Chuan exercise. AIM: To explore the different effects of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise on the clinical motor status and neurocognitive performance of patients with early-stage PD. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Parkinson's Disease Center at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and National Cheng Kung University Hospital. POPULATION: Patients with idiopathic PD. METHODS: Fifty-six patients with PD were recruited and divided into three groups: aerobic exercise (AE, N.=14), Tai Chi Chuan exercise (TE, N.=16), and control (CG, N.=13). Before and after a 12-week intervention period, we used unified Parkinson's disease rating scale Part III (UPDRS-III) scores and neuropsychological (e.g., accuracy rates [ARs] and reaction times [RTs]) and neurophysiological (e.g., event-related potential [ERP] N2 and P3 latencies and amplitudes) parameters to respectively assess the patients' clinical motor symptoms and neurocognitive performance when performing a working memory (WM) task. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, UPDRS-III scores were significantly lower in the AE and TE groups after the intervention period, whereas those for the CG group were higher. In terms of the neurocognitive parameters, when performing the WM task after the intervention period, the AE group exhibited significantly faster RTs and larger ERP P3 amplitudes, the TE group exhibited an improvement only in ERP P3 amplitude, and the CG group exhibited a significantly reduced ERP P3 amplitude. However, neither the TE nor the AE group exhibited improved ARs and ERP N2 performance. CONCLUSIONS: The present study supported the distinct effectiveness of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise for improving motor symptoms and providing neurocognitive benefits in PD patients. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: These results have important implications regarding the use of these exercise interventions for managing PD, particularly in the early stages.

Acute resistance exercise combined with whole body vibration and blood flow restriction: Molecular and neurocognitive effects in late-middle-aged and older adults.

Limited research exists regarding the effects of resistance exercise (RE) combined with whole body vibration (WBV), blood flow restriction (BFR), or both on the neuropsychological performance of working memory (WM) in late-middle-aged and older adults and regarding the physiological mechanisms underlying this effect. This study thus explored the acute molecular and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying WM performance following RE combined with WBV, BFR, or both. Sixty-six participants were randomly assigned into a WBV, BFR, or WBV + BFR group. Before and after the participants engaged in a single bout of isometric RE combined with WBV, BFR, or both, this study gathered data on several neurocognitive measures of WM performance, namely, accuracy rate (AR), reaction time (RT), and brain event-related potential (specifically P3 latency and amplitude), and data on biochemical indices, such as the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), norepinephrine (NE), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Although none of the RE modalities significantly affected RTs and P3 latencies, ARs and P3 amplitudes significantly improved in the WBV and WBV + BFR groups. The WBV + BFR group exhibited greater improvements than the WBV group did. Following acute RE combined with WBV, BFR, or both, IGF-1 and NE levels significantly increased in all groups, whereas BDNF levels did not change. Crucially, only the changes in NE levels were significantly correlated with improvements in ARs in the WBV + BFR and WBV groups. The findings suggest that combining acute RE with WBV, BFR, or both could distinctively mitigate neurocognitive decline in late-middle-aged and older adults.

The relationships between motor skills and executive functions in children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

To date, information on associations between motor skills and executive functions (EF) in autistic children is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare motor skills and EF performance between autistic children and typically developing (TD) children and to examine the relationships between motor skills and EF in these two groups. Forty-eight autistic children and 48 TD children aged 6 to 12 years were recruited for this study. Motor skills were measured with the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2). EF was assessed with the Stroop Color and Word Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), and the Test of Attentional Performance: Go/No-go test. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare the BOT-2 scores and EF measures between autistic children and TD children. Pearson product-moment correlation and regressions were conducted to assess the relationships between the BOT-2 scores and the EF measures for each group. Results showed that autistic children scored significantly lower than TD children on all four BOT-2 composite scores and a total motor composite. Autistic children also demonstrated significantly lower levels of performance on all EF measures than TD children. Further, autistic children showed more significant associations between motor skills and EF than TD children, particularly pronounced in the domains of fine manual control and manual coordination to cognitive flexibility, as well as manual coordination and inhibitory control. Continued development of motor skills and EF in autistic children is important. The relationships between motor skills and EF were significant among autistic children, suggesting future research on promoting EF through motor skill interventions in autistic children is required.

Motion sense sensitivity of the ankle is abnormal and correlated with motor performance in children with and without a probable developmental coordination disorder.

This study systematically examined ankle motion sense sensitivity and its relation to motor functions in children with and without a probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD). Seventy-two children aged 10-11 years were recruited, including thirty-six children with pDCD and 36 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. Children placed their dominant foot on a passive ankle motion apparatus that induced plantar flexion of the ankle under nine constant velocities ranging between 0.15 and 1.35°/s. The adjusted movement detection time (ADT) to passive ankle motion was obtained to measure ankle motion sense sensitivity. The results showed that, in comparison to that in the TD group, ankle ADT was significantly increased by 22-59% for the range of velocities in the pDCD group. A correlation analysis showed that mean ADTs were significantly correlated with the manual dexterity (r = -0.33, p = 0.005) and balance (r = -0.24, p = 0.046) scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) in the combined group. Similar correlations were found between the ADTs and the manual dexterity (r = -0.37, p = 0.028) and total motor (r = -0.34, p = 0.047) scores in the TD group. This study documents that ankle motion sense sensitivity to passive foot motion is reduced and is likely to contribute to poor motor performance in children with and without pDCD.