Motor Skills

Gender differences have been shown across many domains, and motor skills are no exception. One of the most robust findings is a significant sex difference in throwing accuracy, which reflects the advantage of men in targeting abilities. However, little is known about the basis of this difference. To try to dissect possible mechanisms involved in this difference, here we tested for gender variations in a prism adaptation throwing task. We tested 154 subjects in a visuomotor prism adaptation task that discriminates between motor performance, visuomotor adaptation and negative aftereffects. Our results corroborate men's significant better throwing accuracy, although there were no adaptation differences between genders. In contrast, women showed significant larger negative aftereffects, which could be explained by a larger contribution of spatial alignment. These results suggest that different learning mechanisms, like strategic calibration and spatial alignment, may have different contributions in men and women.

The vast majority of contemporary research on music cognition has focussed on perceptual processes in the listener 1-4 . This is unsurprising and defensible: the musical experience of the listener is at the heart of all musical activity. Without heard experience composition and performance would have no purpose. In addition, the vast majority of the population in contemporary industrialized nations are listeners rather than performers. It makes sense to focus scientific effort on processes that are shared by the majority of a population. Taking into account performers as well as listeners, the core questions for the study of music cognition are: what representational and control processes underlie people's ability to recognize, store, recall, transform and generate musical materials?

Background: Postnatal dexamethasone (DXM) treatment is associated with adverse motor outcome. It is largely unknown as to what extent functional outcome at school age is affected. Aims: Our first aim was to determine motor, cognitive, and behavioural outcome at school age of preterm-born children treated with high-dose DXM for pulmonary problems. Our second aim was to identify DXM-related risk factors for adverse outcome. Study design: In this cohort study, we included 53 very preterm-born children treated with DXM (starting dose 0.5 mg/kg/d) after the first week of life. At the median age of 9 years, we performed a detailed neuropsychological assessment. Results: Compared to the norm population, DXM-treated children scored worse on the Movement-ABC (abnormal fine motor, ball skills and balance: 59%, 47% and 30%, respectively). They more often had total (36%), verbal (32%) and performance IQs (55%) below 85 (P b .001, P = .002, P b .001, respectively). On each of the remaining measures, DXM-treated children scored worse than the norm population, except for verbal long-term memory and verbal recognition memory. DXM-related risk factors were associated with poorer performance. Conclusions: At school age, multiple domains of functional outcome were affected in DXM-treated children. Risk factors related to the use of DXM should be considered as serious potentiaters of adverse outcome in children treated with high-dose DXM. Please cite this article as: Hitzert MM, et al, Functional outcome at school age of preterm-born children treated with high-dose dexamethasone, Early Hum Dev (2014), http://dx.

Survival rate of extremely low gestational age (ELGA) newborns has increased over 80% in the last 15 years, but its consequences on the short-and longer-term developmental competencies may be severe. The aim of this study was to describe growth trajectories of linguistic, motor and cognitive skills among ELGA children, compared to full-term (FT) peers, from the first to the third year of life, a crucial period for development. Growth curve analysis was used to examine individual and group differences in terms of initial status at 12 months and rate of growth through the second and the third year of life with five points of assessment. Twenty-eight monolingual Italian children, of whom 17 were ELGA (mean GA 25.7 weeks) and 11 were FT children, were assessed through the BSID-III at 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months for language skills and at 12, 24 and 30 months for motor and cognitive skills. ELGA children presented significantly lower scores than FT peers in language, motor and cognitive skills and they did not overcome their disadvantage by 3 years, even if their corrected age was taken into account. Concerning growth curves, in motor development a significant increasing divergence was found showing a Matthew effect with the preterm sample falling further behind the FT sample. In linguistic and cognitive development, instead, a stable gap between the two samples was found. In addition, great interindividual differences in rate of change were observed for language development in both samples. Our findings highlight the theoretical and clinical relevance of analyzing, through growth curve analyses, the developmental trajectories of ELGA children in language skills taking into account their inter-individual variability also across motor and cognitive domains.

Twelve children with early intense reading and superior word recognition skills coupled with disordered language and cognitive behavior are described. Cognitive, linguistic, and reading measures evidenced a generalized cognitive deficit in forming superordinate schemata which was not specific to visual or auditory modalities. Positive family histories for reading problems were present for 11 of the 12 children, suggesting a relationship between hyperlexia and dyslexia.

Morris DM, Uswatte G, Crago JE, Cook EW III, Taub E. The reliability of the Wolf Motor Function Test for assessing upper extremity function after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:750-5. Objective: To examine the reliability of the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) for assessing upper extremity motor function in adults with hemiplegia. Design: Interrater and test-retest reliability. Setting: A clinical research laboratory at a university medical center. Patients: A sample of convenience of 24 subjects with chronic hemiplegia (onset Ͼ1yr), showing moderate motor impairment.

The influence of a person’s brain type and the segmental coordination used in free throw basketball shooting was evaluated by video analysis. Fifteen subjects were classified using a brain typing inventory with 16 categories. Markers were placed on selected joints of the participants who performed 5 free throws, videotaped in the sagittal plane at 60 Hz. Three participants having a brain type on each end of the personality spectrum were selected for film analysis. The shooting coordinate data was analyzed using an Ariel APAS. The time and maximal angular velocities were calculated for selected joints. The order of joint sequencing was determined for the brain types. Subjects who were brain type (BCIL/INTJ) tended to use multiple joint sequencing and those of brain type (FEAR/ESFP) used primarily large segments.

Background Conductive education (CE) is a holistic educational system that uses an active cognitive approach to teach individuals with motor disorders to become more functional participants in daily activities. While CE's popularity continues to grow in North America and Europe, its effectiveness has not been established. The lack of definition of responsive outcome measures for evaluation of CE programmes has limited the interpretability of conclusions from earlier studies evaluating effectiveness. Objective To determine which measures from a core set were most responsive to physical, functional and psychosocial changes associated with a school-based CE programme. Methods This was a one-group before and after data collection design using an 8-month follow-up period. We enrolled a referral sample of nine children with cerebral palsy in Kindergarten or Grade 1 (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels 3, 4 or 5). The study took place within a schoolbased CE programme at a Canadian children's rehabilitation centre. Children participated in a CE fullday class for an entire school year. Physical, functional, psychosocial and participation measures included: Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST),

ABSTRACT Children with motor difficulties are a very varied group. In order to target interventions more effectively researchers have attempted to identify specific sub‐groups; however, attempts to identify sub‐groups and provide interventions accordingly have met with limited success. Currently interventions can be classified into two main types, namely, general abilities and normative functional approaches. The current study outlines the Manchester Motor Skills Programme (MMSP), which adopts a normative functional approach and has been developed jointly by educational psychologists (EPs), specialist teachers and schools. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the MMSP a quasi‐experimental repeated measures study was undertaken involving 24 children. The quasi‐experimental study yielded a medium effect size, which is a promising result for a naturalistic intervention. Methodological limitations and areas of future research are considered and identified.

AC regulation elsewhere within developing neurons. syndrome. While a direct connection between the LIMK-Like the LIMK-1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice, LIMK-2 Ϫ/Ϫ animals are overtly 1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice and human neurological disorders has yet to normal (Takahashi et al., 2002); however, in-depth invesbe established, this report will no doubt lead to studies tigation into neuronal development in these animals readdressing these very concerns. mains unpublished.

Objectives: The aim was to examine interrater reliability of the object control subtest from the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 by live observation in a school field setting. Design: : Reliability Study -cross sectional. Methods: Raters were rated on their ability to agree on (1) the raw total for the six object control skills;

1 2 3 Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of integrative neuromuscular training (INT) during physical education (PE) class on selected measures of health- and skill-related fitness in children. Forty children from two 2nd grade PE classes were cluster randomized into either an INT group (n = 21) or a control (CON) group (n = 19). INT was performed 2×/wk during the first ~15 min of each PE class and consisted of body weight exercises. INT and CON participants were assessed for health- and skill-related fitness before and after 8 wks of PE with or without INT, respectively. A significant interaction of group by time was observed in INT participants with improvements noted in push-ups, curl-ups, long jump, single leg hop, and 0.5 mile (0.8 km) run performance (p < .05). These data indicate that INT is an effective and time-efficient addition to PE as evidenced by improvements in health- and skill-related fitness measures in children.

To explore the association between early computer experience (both accessibility and frequency of use) and cognitive and psychomotor development among young children. The participants were 122 preschool children enrolled in a rural county Head Start program in the United States during 2001-2002. The following tests were administered to the children: the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test; the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, Third Edition Preschool; the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition; and a short form of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence-Revised. Information pertaining to family characteristics and children's early computer experience was collected from parents. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association between early computer experience and cognitive and motor development. Of the participating children, 53% had a computer at home. Among families who had a computer, 83% had children's software on the compu...

Recent systematic reviews (Wilson et al., 2013, Dev. Med. Child Neurol., 55, 217; Adams et al., 2014, Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev., 47C, 225) suggest that a common underlying problem in developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is the internal modelling deficit. The study presented here is the first to test this hypothesis using a within-subject design, assessing motor imagery, action planning, and rapid online control (ROC) in a sample of children screened rigorously for DCD. Participants were 66 children; 33 children (26 boys and seven girls) aged 6-11 years in the DCD group and 33 controls (gender and age matched). Motor imagery was assessed with the hand rotation task (HRT), action planning with an end-state comfort effect test, and ROC with the double-step pointing task. Results showed that children with DCD were slower and less accurate than controls in the HRT. Reduced forward planning for comfortable end-state was also shown in DCD. Finally, no group differences were found on th...

Brain lateralization is a common term used to describe dominance of one brain hemisphere over another for a specific function. The right hand dominance in writing, controlled by the left hemisphere, is preceded by development of communicative gesticulation and followed by development of speech in the same hemisphere. We assumed that some people are not aware of their own capability of using the other hand for tasks involving fine motor sequential movements. To prove this hypothesis, the participants were asked to perform one trained task (writing) and one less-trained task (drawing) with a dominant and a non-dominant hand. The final sample was comprised of 1189 children from 14 elementary schools and 8 high schools in the Osijek area, of which 685 elementary school children were attending 1st to 4th grade and 504 high school children were attending 3rd and 4th grade. The participants were asked to write two words, draw a specific object (a vase with flowers) and fill out a questionn...

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have difficulty controlling and coordinating voluntary muscle, which results in poor selective control of muscle activity. Children with spastic CP completed ankle selective motor control exercises using a virtual reality (VR) exercise system and conventional (Conv) exercises. Ankle movements were recorded with an electrogoniometer. Children and their parents were asked to comment on their interest in the exercise programs. Greater fun and enjoyment were expressed during the VR exercises. Children completed more repetitions of the Conv exercises, but the range of motion and hold time in the stretched position were greater during VR exercises. These data suggest that using VR to elicit or guide exercise may improve exercise compliance and enhance exercise effectiveness.

This study examined how young healthy adults learn stilt walking. Ten healthy male university students attended
two sessions of testing held on two consecutive days. In each session participants performed three blocks of 10 stiltwalking
trials. Angular movements of head and trunk and the spatial and temporal gait parameters were recorded.
When walking on stilts young adults improved their gait velocity through modifications of step parameters while
maintaining trunk movements close to that observed during normal over-ground walking. Participants improved
their performance by increasing their step frequency and step length and reducing the double support percentage
of the gait cycle. Stilts are often used for drywall installation, painting over-the-head areas and raising workers
above the ground without the burden of erecting scaffolding. This research examines the locomotor adaptation
as young healthy adults learn the complex motor task of stilt walking; a task that is frequently used in the
construction industry.

The aim was to study long-term effects on motor skills and school performance of increased physical education (PE). All pupils born 1990-1992 from one school were included in a longitudinal study over nine years. An intervention group (n = 129) achieved daily PE (5 ¥ 45 min/week) and if needed one extra lesson of adapted motor training. The control group (n = 91) had PE two lessons/week. Motor skills were evaluated by the Motor Skills Development as Ground for Learning observation checklist and school achievements by marks in Swedish, English, Mathematics, and PE and proportion of pupils who qualified for upper secondary school. In school year 9 there were motor skills deficits in 7% of pupils in the intervention group compared to 47% in the control group (P < 0.001), 96% of the pupils in the intervention group compared to 89% in the control group (P < 0.05) qualified for upper secondary school. The sum of evaluated marks was higher among boys in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The sum of marks was also higher in pupils with no motor skills deficit than among pupils with motor skills deficits (P < 0.01), as was the proportion of pupils who qualified for upper secondary school (97% vs 81%, P < 0.001). Daily PE and adapted motor skills training during the compulsory school years is a feasible way to improve not only motor skills but also school performance and the proportion of pupils who qualify for upper secondary school.

Recovery of motor function after stroke involves relearning motor skills and is mediated by neuroplasticity. Recent research has focused on developing rehabilitation strategies that facilitate such neuroplasticity to maximize functional outcome poststroke. Although many molecular signaling pathways are involved, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has emerged as a key facilitator of neuroplasticity involved in motor learning and rehabilitation after stroke. Thus, rehabilitation strategies that optimize BDNF effects on neuroplasticity may be especially effective for improving motor function poststroke. Two potential poststroke rehabilitation strategies that consider the importance of BDNF are the use of aerobic exercise to enhance brain function and the incorporation of genetic information to individualize therapy. Converging evidence demonstrates that aerobic exercise increases BDNF production and consequently enhances learning and memory processes. Nevertheless, a common genetic variant reduces activity-dependent secretion of the BDNF protein. Thus, BDNF gene variation may affect response to motor rehabilitation training and potentially modulate the effects of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity. This perspective article discusses evidence that aerobic exercise promotes neuroplasticity by increasing BDNF production and considers how aerobic exercise may facilitate the acquisition and retention of motor skills for poststroke rehabilitation. Next, the impact of the BDNF gene val66met polymorphism on motor learning and response to rehabilitation is explored. It is concluded that the effects of aerobic exercise on BDNF and motor learning may be better exploited if aerobic exercise is paired more closely in time with motor training. Additionally, information about BDNF genotype could provide insight into the type and magnitude of effects that aerobic exercise may have across individuals and potentially help guide an individualized prescription of aerobic exercise to enhance motor rehabilitation poststroke.

The rotorod test, in which animals walk on a rotating drum, is widely used to assess motor status in laboratory rodents. Performance is measured by the duration that an animal stays up on the drum as a function of drum speed. Here we report that the task provides a rich source of information about qualitative aspects of walking movements. Because movements are performed in a fixed location, they can readily be examined using high-speed video recording methods. The present study was undertaken to examine the potential of the rotorod to reveal qualitative changes in the walking movements of hemi-Parkinson analogue rats, produced by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the right nigrostriatal bundle to deplete nigrostriatal dopamine (DA). Beginning on the day following surgery and then periodically over the next two months, the rats were filmed from frontal, lateral, and posterior views as they walked on the rotorod. Behavior was analyzed by frame-by-frame replay of the video records. Rating scales of stepping behavior indicated that the hemi-Parkinson rats were chronically impaired in their posture and in the use of the limbs contralateral to the DA-depletion. The contralateral limbs not only displayed postural and movement abnormalities, they participated less in initiating and sustaining propulsion than did the ipsilateral limbs. These findings not only reveal new deficits secondary to unilateral DA-depletion, but also show that the rotorod can provide a robust tool for the qualitative analysis of movement.

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to compare the motor performance of physically well-recovered men with traumatic brain injury with that of healthy men. Design: Cross-sectional study in a national rehabilitation centre. Methods: Static and dynamic balance, agility and rhythm co-ordination of men with traumatic brain injury (n /34) and healthy controls (n /36) were assessed. Between-group differences in dynamic balance and agility were analysed by analysis of covariance and differences in static balance and rhythm co-ordination by logistic regression analysis. Cut-off points for clinical screening were determined by receiver operating characteristics analyses. Results: Men with traumatic brain injury had impaired balance and agility compared with healthy men and in a rhythm co-ordination test they had difficulties in starting and sustaining simultaneous rhythmical movements of hands and feet. In receiver operating characteristics analyses a running figure-of-eight test (agility), tandem walking forwards (dynamic balance) and rhythm co-ordination test with fast tempo were found the most sensitive and specific for distinguishing between men with traumatic brain injury and the healthy men. Conclusions: The impairments in motor performance of physically well-recovered patients with traumatic brain injury were obvious. The results of this study extend the knowledge of problems in motor performance among patients with traumatic brain injury and provide further information for clinical rehabilitation. (MMSE; normal /24/30), which is a widely used method for assessing cognitive status in adults, testing orientation, attention, immediate and short-term recall, language, and ability to follow simple verbal and written commands (12); and they were able (iv ) to maintain initial test positions; (v ) to perform a 2 km Walk Test developed at UKK Institute (13); and (vi ) to run a short distance. In addition, for the subjects with TBI, more than one year should have passed since the J

Population Study nature publishing group Background: Using a large population-based sample, this study aims to verify whether televiewing at 29 mo, a common early childhood pastime, is prospectively associated with school readiness at 65 mo. Methods: Participants are a prospective longitudinal cohort of 991 girls and 1,006 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development with parent-reported data on weekly hours of televiewing at 29 mo of age. We conducted a series of ordinary least-squares regressions in which children's scores on direct child assessments of vocabulary, mathematical knowledge, and motor skills, as well as kindergarten teacher reports of socioemotional functioning, were linearly regressed on early televiewing. results: Every SD increase (1.2 h) in daily televiewing at 29 mo predicted decreases in receptive vocabulary, number knowledge scores, classroom engagement, and gross motor locomotion scores, as well as increases in the frequency of victimization by classmates. conclusion: Increases in total time watching television at 29 mo were associated with subsequent decreases in vocabulary and math skills, classroom engagement (which is largely determined by attention skills), victimization by classmates, and physical prowess at kindergarten. These prospective associations, independent of key potential confounders, suggest the need for better parental awareness and compliance with existing viewing recommendations put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Marcelino, RO, Sampaio, JE, and Mesquita, IM. Attack and serve performances according to the match period and quality of opposition in elite volleyball matches. J Strength Cond Res 26(12): 3385-3391, 2012-The purpose of this study was to examine attack and serve performances in the beginning and end of the initial and final sets of volleyball matches according to the quality of opposition. Six hundred rallies from the Men's World Cup 2007 were selectively sampled from a total of 5,117 rallies observed using video match analysis. Rally-by-rally double moving averages of serve and attack efficacy were plotted by 4 different match periods (first 15 rallies of the initial set; first 15 rallies of the final set; last 15 rallies of the initial set; and last 15 rallies of the final set). Approximate entropy values were calculated to analyze the amount of data randomness. The results were examined according to the quality of opposition in 2 types of games: higher level (HIGH) including the first 4 ranked teams and lower level (LOW) composed of the last 5 ranked teams. The results suggested that volleyball matches presented different profiles depending on the match period. Considering the teams' level, a greater adaptation was found within the HIGH 3 HIGH matches according to the match period and a more strategic use of the serve and attack tactics taking into account the type of the set (initial or final set) and the period (beginning or end of the set). The findings emphasize the need for coaches and players to perceive the most important points at the end of the set and to manage their effort throughout the match attempting to reach this period in optimal condition. Therefore, it might be beneficial to coaches to stress the need to perform at the highest level, particularly at the end of the training drills that simulate competition scenarios. Figure 3. Variation rally by rally (double 2-point moving average) and approximate entropy (ApEn) of serve efficacy by match period (first and last 15 rallies of the initial and final game sets) in LOW 3 LOW matches.

Proper assessment of disabilities is essential for rehabilitation of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the disabilities in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and correlate them with impairment. Thirty-one patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy of age four years and above were studied. The motor functions were evaluated using total motor score, upper and lower extremity function grades and timed function tests. Disability was quanti ed with Barthel index. The mean scores of motor scales were: total motor score ¡52 § 7.8, total functional grade ¡4.4 § 1.9 and timed function score ¡12.5 § 5.8. Barthel index scores ranged from 45-95 with a mean of 70.8 § 12.7. Motor scales correlated with each other and with Barthel index. Thirty children had disabilities in multiple spheres of life, which were signi cantly in uenced by the motor power. Barthel index was useful in identifying and quantifying speci c areas of disabilities in these children. Evaluation of disabilities using speci c measures may be crucial for planning comprehensive management.

Tony Catanese MI'sych. Psychologist. Monash hlcdical C:cntre, Clayton: Victoria, Australia. "Ci),,cspotmr.rrcc lojirsl orrtbor at Ilcpart nicn t ()1-<:h i Id Development and Rehabilitation. Royal Children's Hospital. Flemingron Kmd, P;trhiIIe, Victoria 3052. Australia.

Mice are becoming increasingly popular to model neurological disease and motor system dysfunction. For evaluation of discrete, chronic motor impairments, skilled limb movements represent a valuable extension of standard mouse test batteries. This study introduces an efficient and sensitive test strategy for comprehensive assessment of skilled fore-and hind-limb stepping in mice. Adult C57BL/6 mice were trained and video-recorded in two walking tasks, the widely used rotorod test and a new ladder rung task. The animals then received a unilateral ischemic lesion in the motor cortex forelimb and hind limb area and were video-recorded on days 12 and 26 post-lesion. Forelimb and hind limb stepping movements were rated using a combination of endpoint measures and qualitative assessment. The results showed that while animals maintained a weight-supported gait, posture and stepping movements were abnormal at both post-operative intervals. The rotorod analysis revealed stepping deficits in both forelimbs that led to adoption of compensatory movement strategies. The ladder rung task revealed stepping errors in ipsi-and contralateral fore-and hind-limbs. The findings demonstrate that this test strategy provides comprehensive assessment of motor impairments in mice and that qualitative movement analysis is a valuable tool for elaborating subtle motor disturbances.

Introduction: Electronic interactive learning environments can enhance the learning experience and may prove beneficial in basic life support (BLS) training. As part of the European Union funded project "JUST-in-time health emergency interventions-training of non-professionals by virtual reality and advanced IT tools", an innovative interactive CD-ROM on BLS and other emergency medicine topics was developed. We hypothesised that individuals without previous BLS training could learn CPR techniques from this CD. Methods: Sixty-two students were randomised into a group studying the JUST CD in a computer class room for up to 60 min, and a control group who did not receive any training (serving as a reference). CD users also completed a satisfaction questionnaire immediately after studying the CD. The BLS skills of both groups were assessed in a mock BLS scenario on a training manikin. BLS performance was video recorded and analysed. Results: After studying the CD for a mean period of 42 min, users of the CD had better assessment skills and were more likely to show a positive helping attitude, but chest compression and breathing techniques were ineffective. Most users rated the CD as very good and a positive learning tool. Conclusion: Individuals without prior BLS training showed improved behaviour and assessment skills after exposure to the CD, but motor skill acquisition requires alternative learning strategies.

The time of occurrence of eye, head, and arm movements directed at the same visual target was measured in five human subjects. The latency of activation of the corresponding neck and arm muscles was also measured. It appears that although the overt movements are sequentially ordered (starting with the eye movement, then the head and finally the arm) the EMG discharges are synchronous with respect to the eye movement onset. In addition, eye movement latency appears definitely (though weakly) correlated with either neck or arm EMG latencies. Neck and arm EMG latencies are also mutually correlated. These results indicate a clustering of segmental motor programs for target oriented actions.

Autism symptoms, including impairments in language development, social interactions, and motor skills, have been difficult to model in rodents. Since children exposed in utero to sodium valproate (VPA) demonstrate behavioral and neuroanatomical abnormalities similar to those seen in autism, the neurodevelopmental effects of this antiepileptic agent were examined in mice following its pre-or postnatal administration. Exposed pups were evaluated in a battery of neurodevelopmental procedures designed to assess VPA-induced retardation (wherein a behavior fails to mature on schedule), regression (wherein a behavior does mature on time but then deteriorates), or intrusions (wherein normal behaviors are overshadowed by stereotypic or self-injurious behaviors). The resulting observations were interpreted in the context of this new strategy to model autism.

Previous findings suggest that planning an action "backward-primes" perceptual dimension related to this action: planning a grasp facilitates the processing of visual size information, while planning a reach facilitates the processing of location information. Here we show that dimensional priming of perception through action occurs even in the absence of active action planning. Subjects watched video clips showing a grasping or reaching action before detecting size-or location-defined deviants in visual stimulus sequences. Size deviants were detected faster after seeing a grasp and location deviants were detected faster after seeing a reach. This supports the assumption that perceptual codes and action plans share a common representational medium, and that "attention to action" controls "attention to stimuli".

Background: Construct validity for the pediatric laparoscopic surgery (PLS) simulator has been established through a scoring system based on time and precision. We describe the development and initial validation of motion analysis to teach and assess skills related to pediatric minimal access surgery (MAS). Methods: Participants were asked to perform a standardized intracorporeal suturing task. They were classified as novices, intermediates, and experts. Motion in the four degrees of freedom available during traditional MAS (PITCH, YAW, ROLL and SURGE) was assessed using range, velocity, and acceleration. Results: Analysis of motion allowed discrimination between the 75 participants according to level of expertise. The most discriminating motion parameter was the acceleration in performing the ROLL (pronation/ supination) with values of 30 ± 27 for novices, 15 ± 5 for intermediates, and 3.7 ± 3 for experts (p b 0.001). Conclusions: Tracking and analyzing the motion of instruments within the PLS simulator allow discrimination between novices, intermediates, and experts, thus establishing construct validity. Further development may establish motion analysis as a useful "real time" modality to teach and assess MAS skills.