Abolfazl Shayan; Hamideh Iranmanesh; Mehdi Yazdanpanah; Mohammad Ali Dowlati
Abstract
Introduction: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that is highly expressed in the structures of the central nervous system and affects synaptic plasticity and the acquisition of motor and cognitive skills. This is while val66met polymorphism disrupts the amount and expression of BDNF. ...
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Introduction: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that is highly expressed in the structures of the central nervous system and affects synaptic plasticity and the acquisition of motor and cognitive skills. This is while val66met polymorphism disrupts the amount and expression of BDNF. So, in the present study, the researchers aimed to investigate the effect of polymorphism on the learning of a motor sequence task.Methods: One hundred students from Kashan University (mean age 21.60 ± 2.60) participated in the study. After extraction of Genomic DNA, implementation of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by forwarding primer 5-ACTCTGGAGAGCGTGAAT-3 and reverse primer 5-ATACTGTCACACACGCTG-3, analyzing PCR by 1.5 percent Electrophoresis Gel, and eventually, DNA sequencing by Sequencing Analyzer, 46 participants were identified without the polymorphism and 54 participants were identified met-carriers (affected by the polymorphism). Then, retention, visual-spatial transfer, and motor transfer of the motor sequence task were tested by the Dynamic Arm Movement Task.Results: Results showed people without the polymorphism progressed faster than met-carriers and also performed the task better on the retention test (P=0/001). They were also better than met-carriers in the motor transfer test (P=0/001), but there was no significant difference between the two groups in the visual-spatial transfer test (P=0/176).Conclusion: It seems that met-carriers, in any way, go through the early stages of motor learning, but due to possible problems caused by the polymorphism, they are weak in completing the learning process.
Amine Lashkarizade; Vahid Roohollahi; Mahshid Zarezade; Amin Khodabakhshzade
Abstract
Exercise and physical activity have positive effects on physical and mental performance, but their effect on cognitive function needs to be explained in more detail. This study examined the effect of selected physical activities with different levels of cognitive-motor interaction on the executive functions ...
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Exercise and physical activity have positive effects on physical and mental performance, but their effect on cognitive function needs to be explained in more detail. This study examined the effect of selected physical activities with different levels of cognitive-motor interaction on the executive functions of 76 girls aged 10 to 12 years in Bam city, with mean and standard deviation of body mass index of 18.5 1 1.5 and average intelligence of 10.5 9 9.9. Based on the pre-test score, they were randomly divided into four groups (high cognitive-high motor, low cognitive-high motor, high cognitive-low motor and low cognitive-low motor). The results of covariance analysis showed that high cognitive-motor lifting exercises have a positive effect on attention and memory function of executive functions of 10 to 12-year-old girls and low cognitive-high-motor and low-cognitive-high-motor cognitive exercises have a positive effect on attentional and inhibitory components. There was a significant difference between high-motor, high-motor, low-motor, low-cognitive, high-motor, and low-cognitive-motor cognitive exercises in the attention component, but no significant difference was found in the component of working memory and inhibition. Therefore, based on the results of this research, by designing high-mobility cognitive exercises in the educational environment, it is possible to provide improvement of executive functions. Therefore, it is hoped that researchers will use the results of this research to improve the executive functions of children .
Hamid Salehi; Mahshid Zarezade
Abstract
Fundamental movement skills are observable patterns of motor behaviors including locomotor, manipulative, and stability activities. The aim of this study was to assess the gross motor development and the movement skill proficiency in elementary school children in Tehran city. The test of Gross ...
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Fundamental movement skills are observable patterns of motor behaviors including locomotor, manipulative, and stability activities. The aim of this study was to assess the gross motor development and the movement skill proficiency in elementary school children in Tehran city. The test of Gross Motor Development-2 (Ulrich, 2000) was administered to 712 children aged between 7 and 11. Performance of each 12 gross motor skills was assessed qualitatively. The percentages of poor/professional and nearly professional (advanced) children were reported by gender and age group. The assessments indicated that the highest percentages of advance level for both genders belonged to sliding and running, but these proportions were generally low in other skills. The percentages of advanced boys were statistically more than the percentages of girls in one locomotor skill (leaping) and two object-control skills (kicking and striking). In three object-control skills (dribbling, kicking and throwing), the percentages of the older advanced children were statistically more than younger ones. It was suggested that more attention should be paid to promote movement skill proficiency in elementary schools.
