What is the visual behaviour and attentional effort of football players in different positions during a real 11v11 game? A pilot study.

Background: Visual perception has been defined as the first step to a football player's decision-making process and it plays an important role in performance in sport. The skill of focussing to prioritize relevant cues has been also considered crucial in sport. This pilot study aims to explore the visual behaviour and attentional effort of three football players (mean age 19 ± 0 years old) in specific-role positions; Right-winger (RW), Centre-Midfielder (CM) and Left-Back (LB), in the five seconds before receiving the ball from their teammate. Methods: Twenty-two male football players performed an 11v11 game, where 24 game sequences (trials) from which 166 fixations were recorded and analysed via the Tobii Pro eye-movement registration glasses and software. The gaze behaviour dependent variables were the mean of fixation duration (FD), time to first fixation (TTF), both measured in milliseconds (ms), and the number of fixations (NF) on eight areas of interest (AOIs). AOIs include teammate with and without the ball, opponent without the ball, space around teammate with and without the ball, space around opponent without the ball, ball and undefined. The mean pupil diameter (PD) correlates to the attentional effort and was measured in millimetres (mm). Results: Descriptive statistics showed nonregular search rate data between the participants in FD, TTF, NF on the AOIs. Mean FD on the ball: (CM, 270 ms), (RW, 570 ms), (CM, 380 ms). They also presented differences in the mean PD during play; (CM: 2.90 mm ± 0.26), (RW: 2.74 mm ± 0.30), (LB 2.77mm ± 0.27). Conclusions: Albeit the sample size was small, the findings demonstrated a promising way to measure the on-field perceptual-cognitive abilities of football players according to their specific positions, since different playing roles revealed to present distinctive visual and attentional patterns. This could potentially assist in tailoring players 'visual and focus training.

Movement Prototypes in a Complex Teamgym Gymnastics Technique on the Vaulting Table and Their Relationship with Judges' Scores.

A successful high-level gymnastics performance is the result of the coordination and inter-relation of body segments to produce movement prototypes. In this context, the exploration of different movement prototypes, as well as their relations with judges' scores, can aid coaches to design better learning and practice methodologies. Therefore, we investigate if there are different movement prototypes of the technique of the handspring tucked somersault with a half twist (HTB) on a mini trampoline with a vaulting table and its relations with judges' scores. We assessed flexion/extension angles of five joints during fifty trials, using an inertial measurement unit system. All trials were scored by international judges for execution. A multivariate time series cluster analysis was performed to identify movement prototypes and their differential association with judges' scores was statistically assessed. Nine different movement prototypes were identified for the HTB technique, with two of them associated with higher scores. Statistically strong associations were found between scores and movement phases one (i.e., from the last step on the carpet to the initial contact of both feet with the mini trampoline), two (i.e., from the initial contact to the take-off on the mini trampoline) and four (i.e., from the initial contact of both hands with the vaulting table to take-off on the vaulting table) and moderate associations with movement phase six (i.e., from the tucked body position to landing with both feet on the landing mat). Our findings suggest (a) the presence of multiple movement prototypes yielding successful scoring and (b) the moderate-to-strong association of movement variations along phases one, two, four and six with judges' scores. We suggest and provide guidelines for coaches to encourage movement variability that can lead their gymnasts to functionally adapt their performance and succeed when facing different constraints.

How Task Constraints Influence the Gaze and Motor Behaviours of Elite-Level Gymnasts.

Perception-action coupling is fundamental to effective motor behaviour in complex sports such as gymnastics. We examined the gaze and motor behaviours of 10 international level gymnasts when performing two skills on the mini-trampoline that matched the performance demands of elite competition. The presence and absence of a vaulting table in each skill served as a task-constraint factor, while we compared super-elite and elite groups. We measured visual search behaviours and kinematic variables during the approach run phase. The presence of a vaulting table influenced gaze behaviour only in the elite gymnasts, who showed significant differences in the time spent fixating on the mini-trampoline, when compared to super-elite gymnasts. Moreover, different approach run characteristics were apparent across the two different gymnastic tasks, irrespective of the level of expertise, and take-off velocity was influenced by the skill being executed across all gymnasts. Task constraints and complexity influence gaze behaviours differed across varying levels of expertise in gymnastics, even within a sample of international level athletes. It appears that the time spent fixating their gazes on the right areas of interest during the approach run is crucial to higher-level performance and therefore higher scores in competition, particularly on the mini-trampoline with vaulting table.

PREPUBERTAL GYNECOMASTIA: A RARE MANIFESTATION OF MYOTONIC DYSTROPHY TYPE 1.

OBJECTIVE: To present a case of bilateral gynecomastia in a prepubertal boy with autism spectrum disorder, diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy type 1. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 12-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder presented at a follow-up visit with bilateral breast growth. There was a family history of gynecomastia, cataracts at a young age, puberty delay, and myotonic dystrophy type 1. The physical examination showed that he had bilateral gynecomastia with external genitalia Tanner stage 1. Neurologic examination was regular, without demonstrable myotonia. The analytical study revealed increased estradiol levels and estradiol/testosterone ratio. After excluding endocrine diseases, the molecular study of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase gene confirmed the diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy type 1. COMMENTS: A diagnosis of prepubertal gynecomastia should include an investigation for possible underlying diseases. This case report highlights the importance of considering the diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 in the presence of endocrine and neurodevelopmental manifestations.

Prepubertal gynecomastia: a rare manifestation of myotonic dystrophy type 1 / Ginecomastia pré-púbere: uma manifestação rara da distrofia miotônica tipo 1

ABSTRACT Objective: To present a case of bilateral gynecomastia in a prepubertal boy with autism spectrum disorder, diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy type 1. Case description: A 12-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder presented at a follow-up visit with bilateral breast growth. There was a family history of gynecomastia, cataracts at a young age, puberty delay, and myotonic dystrophy type 1. The physical examination showed that he had bilateral gynecomastia with external genitalia Tanner stage 1. Neurologic examination was regular, without demonstrable myotonia. The analytical study revealed increased estradiol levels and estradiol/testosterone ratio. After excluding endocrine diseases, the molecular study of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase gene confirmed the diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy type 1. Comments: A diagnosis of prepubertal gynecomastia should include an investigation for possible underlying diseases. This case report highlights the importance of considering the diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 in the presence of endocrine and neurodevelopmental manifestations.

RESUMO Objetivo: Apresentar o caso de um adolescente pré-púbere com ginecomastia bilateral e transtorno do espectro autista, diagnosticado com distrofia miotônica tipo 1. Descrição do caso: Adolescente do sexo masculino de 12 anos, com transtorno do espectro autista, observado em consulta de seguimento por crescimento mamário bilateral. O paciente tinha antecedentes familiares de ginecomastia, catarata em idade jovem, atraso pubertário e distrofia miotônica tipo 1. À observação física, apresentava ginecomastia bilateral estádio 1 de Tanner. O exame neurológico era normal, sem miotonia aparente. O estudo analítico mostrou níveis elevados de estradiol e da relação estradiol/testosterona. Após exclusão de causas endócrinas, o estudo molecular do gene DMPK confirmou o diagnóstico de distrofia miotônica tipo 1. Comentários: Perante um quadro de ginecomastia pré-púbere, deve-se excluir doenças subjacentes. Este caso reforça a importância de considerar o diagnóstico de distrofia miotônica tipo 1 na presença de manifestações endócrinas e do neurodesenvolvimento.