COORDINATION TRAINING PROGRAM IMPROVES VISUOSPATIAL, ATTENTIVE AND MNEMONIC SKILLS IN ADOLESCENTS

Gianpiero Greco

Abstract


The aim of study was to investigate the effects of a coordinative abilities training program on the visuospatial, attentive and mnemonic skills. Sixty healthy students (14-15 years) were assigned to experimental group (n=30; 15M, 15F) that performed a coordinative training program, or control group (n=30; 15M, 15F) that received a training program designed to improve psycho-physical wellness. At baseline and after 12 weeks, two motor ability tests and a cognitive skills test were administered. After intervention, significant improvements in the Throwing and Catching test (p < 0.001, d = 0.83) and Corsi's block-tapping test (p < 0.001, d = 1.25) were detected only in the experimental group. Findings suggest that a coordinative abilities training program may improve visuospatial, attentive and mnemonic skills in adolescents. Physical education teachers, by a coordinative exercises program, might enhance the academic performances of the students. However, further research is necessary to investigate the effects of physical education interventions on academic achievement.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

DOI

Keywords


physical education; cognitive skills; physical fitness; high school

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ayers, S.F., & Sariscsany, M.J. (2010). Physical Education for Lifelong Fitness: The Physical Best Teacher's Guide (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Budde, H., Voelcker-Rehage, C., Pietraßyk-Kendziorra, S., Ribeiro, P. & Tidow, G. (2008). Acute coordinative exercise improves attentional performance in adolescents. Neuroscience letters, 441(2), 219-23.

Buonaccorsi, A. (2001). Manuale di standardizzazione dei test. CONI Osservatorio Nazionale Capacità Motorie.

Cohen, J. (1992). A Power Primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155-159.

Dajic, S., Kapidic, A., & Kuna, D. (2017). The body height and weight influence on motoric achievements tests performing in basketball for three different ages. Homo Sporticus, 19(1), 23-29.

Dirksen, T., De Lussanet, M., Zentgraf, K., Slupinski, L. & Wagner, H. (2016). Increased Throwing Accuracy Improves Children's Catching Performance in a Ball-Catching Task from the Movement Assessment Battery (MABC-2). Frontiers in Psichology, 7, 1122.

Donati, A., Lai, G., Marcello, F., & Masia, P. (1994). La valutazione nell’avviamento allo sport. Roma: Società Stampa Sportiva. pp. 69-259.

Donnelly, J.E. & Lambourne, K. (2011). Classroom-based physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement. Preventive Medicine, 52, S36–S42.

Donnelly, J.E., Hillman, C.H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J.L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P.D., Lambourne, K. & Szabo-Reed, A.N. (2016). Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children: A Systematic Review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(6), 1197–1222.

Dunsky, A. (2019). The Effect of Balance and Coordination Exercises on Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Mini-Review. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 11, 318.

Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39, 175–191.

Fernandes, J., Arida, R.M., Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2017). Physical exercise as an epigenetic modulator of brain plasticity and cognition. Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews, 80, 443-456.

Fischetti, F., & Greco, G. (2017). Multilateral methods in Physical Education improve physical capacity and motor skills performance of the youth. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 17(Suppl 4), 2161-2168. doi:10.7752/jpes.2017.s4223.

Fischetti, F., Acella, A., Cataldi, S., & Greco, G. (2017). Physical fitness of young Italian students: effectiveness of a 12-week supervised extracurricular training. Italian Journal of Educational Research, 18, 99-113.

Gomez-Pinilla, F. & Hillman, C. (2013). The influence of exercise on cognitive abilities. Comprehensive Physiology, 3(1), 403–28.

Hahn, S. & Buttaccio, D.R. (2017). Aging and guided visual search: the role of visual working memory. Aging Neuropsychology and Cognition, 25(4), 535-549.

Håkansson, K., Ledreux, A., Daffner, K., Terjestam, Y., Bergman, P., Carlsson, R., Kivipelto, M., Winblad, B., Granholm, A., Mohammed, A. & Kadir, H. (2017). BDNF responses in healthy older persons to 35 minutes of physical exercise, cognitive training, and mindfulness: associations with working memory function. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 55, 645–57.

Hötting, K. & Röder, B. (2013). Beneficial effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and cognition. Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews, 37, 2243–57.

Hotting, K., Reich, B., Holzschneider, K., Kauschke, K., Schmidt, T., Reer, R., Braumann, K.M. & Röder, B. (2012) Differential cognitive effects of cycling versus stretching/coordination training in middle-aged adults. Health Psychology, 31, 145–155.

Huebner, L., Godde, B. & Voelcker-Rehage, C. (2017). Association of acute exercise and fine motor learning in older adults. Innovation in Aging, 1, 1158–9.

Jonasson, L.S., Nyberg, L., Kramer, A.F., Lundquist, A., Riklund, K. & Boraxbekk, C.J. (2017). Aerobic exercise intervention, cognitive performance, and brain structure: results from the physical influences on brain in aging (PHIBRA) study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 18, 336.

Kessels, R. P., Van Zandvoort, M. J., Postma, A., Kappelle, L. J., & De Haan, E. H. (2000). The Corsi block-tapping task: standardization and normative data. Applied neuropsychology, 7(4), 252-258.

Kopp B. (2012). A simple hypothesis of executive function. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 159.

Kwok, T.C.Y., Lam, K., Wong, P., Chau, W.W., Yuen, K.S.L., Ting, K.T., Chung, E.W.K, Li, J.C.Y. & Ho, F.k.y. (2011) Effectiveness of coordination exercise in improving cognitive function in older adults: a prospective study. Clinical Intervetions in Aging, 6, 261-267.

Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., Kamijo, K., Brand, S. & Puhse, U, (2018). The effects of a school-based exercise program on neurophysiological indices of working memory operation in adolescents. Journal of Science and Medicine Sport, 21(8), 833-838.

Muiños, M. & Ballesteros, S. (2014). Peripheral vision and perceptual asymmetries in young and older martial arts athletes and nonathletes. Attention Perception & Psychophysics, 76, 2465–76.

Muiños, M. & Ballesteros, S. (2018). Does physical exercise improve perceptual skills and visuospatial attention in older adults? A review. European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 15, 2.

Niemann, C., Godde, B. & Voelcker-Rehage, C. (2016). Senior dance experience, cognitive performance, and brain volume in older women. Neural plasticity, 1–10.

Phillips, C., Baktir, M.A., Srivatsan, M. & Salehi, A. (2014). Neuroprotective effects of physical activity on the brain: a closer look at trophic factor signaling. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 8, 170.

Planinsec, J., (2002). Relations between motor and cognitive dimensions of preschool girls and boys. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 94(2), 415–423.

Rehfeld, K., Müller, P., Aye, N., Schmicker, M., Dordevic, M., Kaufmann, J., Hökelmann, A. & Müller, N.G. (2017). Dancing or fitness sport? The effects of two training programs on hippocampal plasticity and balance abilities in healthy seniors. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 305.

Rogge, A. K., Röder, B., Zech, A., Nagel, V., Hollander, K., Braumann, K. M. & Hotting, K. (2017). Balance training improves memory and spatial cognition in healthy adults. Scientific Reports, 7, 5661.

Roth, D.L., Goode, K.T., Clay, O.J. & Ball, K. (2003). Association of physical activity and visual attention in older adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 15, 534–47.

Shephard, R.J. (1997). Curricular physical activity and academic performance. Pediatric Exercise Science, 9, 113-126.

Shephard, R.J., LaVallee, H., Voile, M., LaBarre, R., & Beaucage. (1994). Academic skills and required physical education: The Trios Rivieres experience. CAHPER Research Supplement, 1, 1-12.

Tomporowski, P.D., Lambourne, K., Okumura, M.S. (2011). Physical activity interventions and children's mental function: an introduction and overview. Preventive Medicine, 1, S3-9.

Tremblay, M.S., Inman, J.W., & Williams, D. (2000). The relationship between physical activity, self-esteem, and academic achievement in 12-year-old children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 12, 312-323.

Uhrich, T.A. & Swalm, R.L. (2007). A pilot study of a possible effect from a motor task on reading performance. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 104(3):1035-41.

Vincent, W., & Weir, J. P. (2012). Statistics in Kinesiology (4th Ed). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Voelcker-Rehage, C., Godde, B., & Staudinger, U. M. (2011). Cardiovascular and coordination training differentially improve cognitive performance and neural processing in older adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5, 26.

Yu-Jung J.T., Tai Ting, C. & Tsung-Min, H. (2013). The impacts of coordinative exercise on executive function in kindergarten children: An ERP study. Experimental Brain Research, 225, 187-196.

Yu-Kai, C., Yu-Jung J.T., Tai Ting, C. & Tsung-Min, H. (2013). The impacts of coordinative exercise on executive function in kindergarten children: An ERP study. Experimental Brain Research, 225, 187-196.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2020 Gianpiero Greco

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2020 - 2023. European Journal of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Studies (ISSN 2668-9758, ISSN-l 2668-9758) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library. All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and standards formulated by Budapest Open Access Initiative (2002), the Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing (2003) and Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003) and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Copyrights of the published research works are retained by authors.