Search Results (160)

Background/Objectives: Age-related declines in motor and functional abilities can compromise independence and quality of life in later life. Motor competence (MC) plays an important role in maintaining quality of life and independence. However, few reliable instruments exist to assess MC in this population. The study adapts the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) battery to meet the MC assessment and safety requirements of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Seventy-six community-dwelling, physically active older adults (age = 73.4 ± 7.0 years) enrolled in a multi-phase adaptation process involving expert review, pilot and field testing, and validation of six motor tasks across three MC domains. Adaptations emphasized in the following four stages: accomplishing participant safety, autonomy, and the reliability of MC measurement principles. Results: The adapted version demonstrated very high completion rates, being safe and reliable for accessing MC, showing strong reliability in the manipulative domain. The use of the Challenge by Choice principle improved participant autonomy, confidence, and perceived motor competence. The main alterations to stability and locomotor tasks allow feasibility while maintaining test validity. Adjustments in instructions and practice trials reduced cognitive load and improved performance, addressing age-related perceptual and comprehension challenges. Ball Kicking and Throwing Velocity tests showed high reliability (ICC between 0.828 and 0.925), with minor gender-related differences. Conclusions: The adapted MCA is a safe, feasible, and reliable instrument for assessing MC in community-dwelling older adults. It preserves the conceptual foundations of MC while accommodating age-related MC alterations, offering a valuable resource for research and clinical applications. Full article

Background: Cochlear implants (CIs) are transformative neuroprosthetics that restore speech perception for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss. However, temporal envelope cues are well-represented within the signal processing, while spectral envelope cues are poorly accessed by CI users, resulting in substantial deficits compared to normal-hearing individuals. This profoundly impairs the perception of complex auditory stimuli like music and vocal prosody, significantly impacting users’ quality of life, social engagement, and artistic expression. Methods: This narrative review synthesizes research on CI signal-processing limitations, perceptual and production challenges in music and singing, the role of the auditory–motor feedback loop, and strategies for improvement, including rehabilitation, technology, and the influence of neuroplasticity and sensitive developmental periods. Results: The degraded signal causes marked deficits in pitch, timbre, and vocal emotion perception. Critically, this impoverished input functionally breaks the high-fidelity auditory–motor feedback loop essential for vocal control, transforming it from a precise fine-tuner into a gross error detector sensitive only to massive pitch shifts (~6 semitones). This neurophysiological breakdown directly causes pervasive pitch inaccuracies and melodic distortion in singing. Despite these challenges, improvements are possible through advanced sound-processing strategies, targeted auditory–motor training that leverages neuroplasticity, and capitalizing on sensitive periods for auditory development. Conclusions: The standard CI signal creates a fundamental neurophysiological barrier to singing. Overcoming this requires a paradigm shift toward holistic, patient-centered care that moves beyond speech-centric goals. Integrating personalized, music-based rehabilitation with advanced CI programming is essential for improving vocal production, fostering musical engagement, and ultimately enhancing the overall quality of life for CI users. Full article

Achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) requires a unified framework capable of modeling the full spectrum of intelligent behavior—from logical reasoning and sensory perception to emotional regulation and collective decision-making. This paper proposes Constrained Object Hierarchies (COH), a neuroscience-inspired theoretical model that represents intelligent systems as hierarchical compositions of objects governed by symbolic structure, neural adaptation, and constraint-based control. Each object is formally defined by a 9-tuple structure: $O=(C,A,M,N,E,I,T,G,D)$, encapsulating its Components, Attributes, Methods, Neural components, Embedding, and governing Identity constraints, Trigger constraints, Goal constraints, and Constraint Daemons. To demonstrate the scope and versatility of COH, we formalize nine distinct intelligence types—including computational, perceptual, motor, affective, and embodied intelligence—each with detailed COH parameters and implementation blueprints. To operationalize the framework, we introduce GISMOL, a Python-based toolkit for instantiating COH objects and executing their constraint systems and neural components. GISMOL supports modular development and integration of intelligent agents, enabling a structured methodology for AGI system design. By unifying symbolic and connectionist paradigms within a constraint-governed architecture, COH provides a scalable and explainable foundation for building general purpose intelligent systems. A comprehensive summary of the research contributions is presented right after the introduction. Full article

As cities worldwide strive to promote healthy and sustainable non-motorized transport, the equity of dockless bike-sharing has become a central issue in urban transport planning. This study investigates the relationship between human-scale urban environmental perceptions and the equity of bike-sharing usage within 15-minute cycling catchments of metro stations. Using Shenzhen, China, as a case study, we integrated bike-share trip records from August 2021 (around 43 million trips), population grid data, and Baidu Street View images analyzed with deep learning models. The study first quantified the spatial inequality of bike-sharing usage within each metro catchment area using a per capita trip Gini coefficient. Subsequently, we assessed the correlation between these equity metrics and human-scale urban qualities quantified from street-level imagery. The findings reveal significant intra-catchment usage disparities, with some central urban station areas showing relatively equitable bike-sharing distribution (Gini as low as 0.37), while others, particularly on the urban fringe, exhibit highly inequitable patterns (Gini as high as 0.93). Spearman correlation analysis showed that catchments perceived as “livelier” and more “interesting” had significantly lower Gini coefficients, whereas other perceptual factors such as safety, beauty and wealth showed no significant linear relationship with equity. A Random Forest model further indicated that “liveliness” and “lack of boredom” are the strongest predictors of usage equity, highlighting the critical role of vibrant street environments in promoting equitable access. These findings bridge the fields of transportation equity and urban governance, suggesting that improving the human-scale environment around transit hubs, thereby making streets more engaging, safe, and pleasant, could foster more inclusive and equitable use of bike-sharing. Full article

Background: Sports vision training improves perceptual–motor skills crucial for performance and injury prevention. Despite proven benefits, little is known about its perception and use among coaches in Portugal. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by active coaches from various sports, gathering sociodemographic data, awareness of visual training, perceived importance of ten visual skills, and implementation in training plans. Statistical analyses included descriptive tests to summarize sample characteristics, t-tests and two-way ANOVA to compare perceived importance of visual skills across sex and sport modalities, Spearman correlations to assess associations with age, and Firth-corrected logistic regression to identify predictors of incorporating visual training into practice plans. Results: Among 155 participants (88.5% men; mean age 36.9 ± 11.8 years), 73.2% reported incorporating visual training, with no association with self-reported knowledge (p = 0.413). Regarding perceived importance, reaction time was rated highest (1.20 ± 0.44), followed by hand–eye/body coordination (1.61 ± 0.71) and anticipation (1.34 ± 0.55). Age negatively correlated with importance given to visual memory, peripheral vision, concentration, depth perception, coordination, and moving-object recognition (p < 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed age (OR = 1.05; p = 0.0206) and volleyball (OR = 2.45; p = 0.031) positively associated with implementation, while higher perceived importance for visual concentration was negatively associated (OR = 0.54; p = 0.0176). Conclusions: Visual training implementation is high but not always linked to formal knowledge. Adoption is influenced by sport and demographics, and the counterintuitive role of visual concentration underscores the need for tailored educational programs to enhance performance and reduce injury risk. Full article

Background: Time perception (TP) is increasingly recognized as a key cognitive domain in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), yet existing studies are scarce, heterogeneous, and methodologically limited. Objective: To synthesize empirical evidence on TP in pediatric CP, distinguishing perceptual timing deficits from motor-based impairments and outlining putative cognitive mechanisms. Methods: Following PRISMA where appropriate, we systematically searched Scopus, Embase, and PubMed Central for studies on TP in individuals with CP under 18 years. Four studies met inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was appraised with STROBE, AXIS, and RoB 2. Results: Available evidence suggests that TP difficulties in CP are not solely due to motor dysfunction but also reflect broader cognitive–perceptual challenges. Studies using low-motor-demand tasks sometimes report intact TP, whereas tasks requiring overt movement often confound perceptual timing with execution demands. Intervention findings are mixed: time-related supports show promising but inconsistent effects on everyday time processing, while motor-focused timing training demonstrates limited impact on TP itself. However, conclusions are constrained by the small number of studies and variability in samples, tasks, and outcomes. Conclusions: TP should be considered a distinct, clinically relevant construct in pediatric CP. Future work should employ motor-minimal paradigms, report standardized CP classifications, and adopt longitudinal designs to isolate TP deficits and guide targeted interventions. Clarifying TP profiles may improve cognitive characterization and rehabilitation planning in CP. Full article

Implicit learning describes learning from experience that is not available to conscious awareness. The question of whether some individuals are better implicit learners than others has suggested and may contribute to difference in performance among experts. Across four experiments, adult participants completed the Serial Interception Sequence Learning (SISL) task across multiple parallel learning assessment forms. Previously, SISL sequence-specific performance has been shown to resist explicit knowledge influence, allowing for repeated reassessments of implicit learning with novel statistical structure. Our findings indicate that group-level sequence-specific performance occurred robustly in each reassessment; however, participants who exhibited more sequence-specific performance on one assessment did not exhibit better performance on parallel assessments, indicating no rank-order stability in learning. In all four experiments, with two to twelve reassessments of learning, no participants exhibited consistently better sequence learning rates than the other participants, indicating no evidence for a better ability in implicit learning. Measurements of other cognitive constructs, such as processing speed collected in parallel, exhibited robust individual differences. In Experiment 4, a general battery of cognitive measurements showed typical individual differences in measures of working memory, processing speed, and personality, but none correlated with implicit learning ability. We hypothesize that implicit learning arises from a general process of neuroplasticity reorganizing functions during practice and that our findings suggest that this process occurs at a basically similar rate across all people. Everybody learns from practice implicitly, but results suggest that the learning rate does not vary substantially across this sample. Full article

Approach or avoidance behaviors toward appetitive stimuli, such as alcohol and food, reflect the engagement of motivational states that are fundamental to adaptation of human behavior. Investigating early motor or neural responses to these stimuli provides valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of these behaviors. This study employed an integrative approach combining postural and electrophysiological measures to explore the impact of alcohol consumption levels on early postural and neural responses to visual alcohol and food stimuli. The objective was to identify early automatic markers of approach or avoidance, and to examine correlations between motor and neural responses. Forty-six participants were divided into two groups (“Low” and “High”) according to their level of alcohol consumption (AUDIT scores). They were exposed to images of alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, and appetitive or neutral foods. Postural responses were recorded using a force platform, and brain activity was measured via EEG. Displacement of the center of pressure along the anteroposterior axis, as well as the P100 and N100 components, were analyzed. “High” participants exhibited greater anterior postural displacement in response to alcohol during the first two seconds of stimulus exposure. In contrast, “Low” participants showed early avoidance responses. Significant correlations were found between event-related potential (ERP) wave latencies and postural displacement during the first second of exposure to alcohol-related stimuli. AUDIT scores were also positively correlated with early postural displacement and N100 latency following the viewing of alcoholic beverage images. Early perceptual and motor responses are modulated by alcohol consumption habits. These findings support the value of integrative EEG–posture approaches for identifying implicit motivational markers. Full article

Visual snow and its syndrome represent a relatively new and enigmatic neurological condition affecting the human sensory, motor, and perceptual systems. In this narrative review, first an overview of the condition and its basic characteristics and demographics are presented. Then, the six therapeutic approaches that have been attempted over the past decade are detailed by a simple discussion of the problem with the patient, medications, special chromatic tints, oculomotor training, visual noise adaptation, and environmental changes, which have met with varying degrees of success. Thus far, chromatic tints and oculomotor training appear to be the most successful. Full article

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) serve a critical role in complex systems operations, guiding operator response during normal and emergency scenarios. This study compares 29 SOPs (517 steps) across three domains with varying operator selection rigor: airline operations, Habitable Airlock (HAL) operations, and semi-autonomous vehicles. Using the extended Procedure Representation Language (e-PRL) framework, each step was decomposed into perceptual, cognitive, and motor components, enabling quantitative analysis of step types, memory demands, and training requirements. Monte Carlo simulations compared Time on Procedure against the Allowable Operational Time Window to predict failure rates. The analysis revealed three universal vulnerabilities: verification steps missing following waiting requirements (70% in airline operations, 58% in HAL operations, and 25% in autonomous vehicle procedures), ambiguous perceptual cues (15–48% of steps), and excessive memory demands (highest in HAL procedures at 71% average recall score). Procedure failure probabilities varied significantly (5.72% to 63.47% across domains), with autonomous vehicle procedures showing the greatest variability despite minimal operator selection. Counterintuitively, Habitable Airlock procedures requiring the most selective operators had the highest memory demands, suggesting that rigorous operator selection may compensate for procedure design deficiencies. These findings establish that procedure design approaches vary by domain based on assumptions about operator capabilities rather than universal human factors principles. Full article

The Montessori method was originally developed from an examination of children with cognitive disabilities. Numerous studies have explored the application of Montessori principles with typically developing children and adolescents across different educational settings. However, despite its original interest in children with cognitive disabilities, there has been a limited number of systematic reviews specifically addressing its impact on these children. We conducted a systematic review of quantitative research based on a search of the literature on the effects of the Montessori educational approach in teaching academic and non-academic skills to children and young people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and autism. A search was conducted of seven bibliographic databases: Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Ebscohost, Proquest, and Scopus, until 31 October 2024. We identified 7165 reports, 3 of which meet the inclusion criteria for the review. The selected studies reported improvements in the areas investigated, including motor skills, perceptual abilities, cognitive development, and self-care, confirming the effectiveness of the Montessori methodology. Although there are few experimental studies available, these findings provide valuable operational insights. They suggest that we can return to the roots of the method, which was originally designed for children with mental disorders. An experimental approach to this time-honored method could enhance its application in neurodevelopmental disorders, maximizing autonomy and inclusion while improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Full article

Muscle–joint flexibility is defined as the ability of a muscle to stretch in a controlled manner, allowing a wide range of movement at the joints. While numerous methodologies exist for improving flexibility, few studies have investigated the role of athletes’ perceptual processes and awareness related to their own body and movement control during such training. In this pilot study, we explored how two different training protocols—static and dynamic stretching (control group, CON) and multi-joint resistance training (experimental group, EXP)—influence both flexibility and psychophysical awareness, understood as a multidimensional construct involving perceived flexibility improvements, self-assessed control over exercise execution, and cognitive-emotional responses such as engagement, motivation, and satisfaction during physical effort. The study involved 24 male amateur track-and-field athletes (mean age 23 ± 2.5 years), randomized into two equal groups. Over 12 weeks, both groups trained three times per week. Flexibility was assessed using the Sit and Reach Test at three time points (pre-, mid-, and post-intervention). A 2 × 3 mixed ANOVA revealed a significant group × time interaction (F = 20.17, p < 0.001), with the EXP group showing greater improvements than the CON group. In the EXP group, Sit and Reach scores increased from pre = 28.55 cm (SD = 4.91) to mid = 29.39 cm (SD = 4.67) and post = 29.48 cm (SD = 4.91), with a significant difference between pre and post (p = 0.01; d = 0.35). The CON group showed minimal changes, with scores of pre = 28.66 cm (SD = 4.92), mid = 28.76 cm (SD = 5.03), and post = 28.84 cm (SD = 5.10), and no significant difference between pre and post (p = 0.20; d = 0.04). Psychophysical awareness was assessed using a custom questionnaire structured on a 5-point Likert scale, with items addressing perception of flexibility, motor control, and exercise-related bodily sensations. The questionnaire showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.92). Within the EXP group, psychophysical awareness increased significantly (from 3.50 to 4.17; p = 0.01; d = 0.38), while no significant change occurred in the CON group (p = 0.16). Post-hoc power analysis confirmed small to moderate effect sizes within the EXP group, although between-group differences lacked sufficient statistical power. These results suggest that resistance training may improve flexibility and concurrently enhance athletes’ psychophysical self-awareness more effectively than traditional stretching. Such findings offer practical implications for coaches seeking to optimize flexibility training by integrating alternative methods that promote both physical and perceptual adaptations. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Motor Speech Hierarchy (MSH) Probe Words (PWs) have yet to be validated as effective in discriminating between children with impaired and children with typically developing speech motor control. This preliminary study first examined the effectiveness of the mandibular control subtest of the MSH-PWs in distinguishing between typically developing (TD) and speech sound-disordered (SSD) children aged between 3 years 0 months and 3 years 6 months. Secondly, we compared automatically derived kinematic measures of jaw range and control with MSH-PW consensus scoring to assist in identifying deficits in mandibular control. Methods: Forty-one children with TD speech and 13 with SSD produced the 10 words of the mandibular stage of the MSH-PWs. A consensus team of speech pathologists observed video recordings of the words to score motor speech control and phonetic accuracy, as detailed in the MSH-PW scoring criteria. Specific measures of jaw and lip movements during speech were also extracted to derive the objective measurements, with agreement between the perceptual and objective measures of jaw range and jaw control evaluated. Results: A significant difference between TD and SSD groups was found for jaw range (p = 0.006), voicing transitions (p = 0.004) and total mandibular scores (p = 0.015). SSD and TD group discrimination was significant (at alpha = 0.01) with a balanced classification accuracy of 0.79. Initial analysis indicates objective kinematic measures using facial tracking show good agreement with perceptual judgements of jaw range and jaw control. Conclusions: The preliminary data indicate the MSH-PWs can discriminate TD speech from SSD at the level of mandibular control and can be used by clinicians to assess motor speech control. Further investigation of objective measures to support perceptual scoring is indicated. Full article