Cognitive Areas Research Articles

Insights on cognitive effects of hippotherapy in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disability in Brazil

Hippotherapy has been used as a rehabilitative treatment in several pathologies, with behavioral and cognitive changes. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the profile of hippotherapy practitioners in Brazil and identify the effects of hippotherapy on the cognitive aspects of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID). Mixed procedures were carried out with professionals and guardians of practitioners present in centers located in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, and application of online questionnaires based on pre-existing assessments. Resulting in a neurological clinical profile of the practitioners and a similarity between the structures and organization of the analyzed riding therapy centers. There were significant responses in the cognitive areas associated with behavior, environmental interaction and empathy of practitioners with ASD and ID. These results indicate that hippotherapy promotes the cognitive development of children with ASD and ID.

Effects of different cognitive functions on acoustic voice parameters in young adults

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different cognitive functions on acoustic voice parameters by recording the use of cognitive functions during extended /a/ phonation in young adults. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted with a total of 31 participants (8 males, 23 females, mean age: 22.3±1.1 years; range, 18 to 30 years) between June 14, 2023 and August 23, 2023. The mean fundamental frequency (F0), jitter (local), jitter (rap), shimmer (local), shimmer dB, and mean harmonics-to-noise ratio values were analyzed as acoustic voice parameters in a total of 186 voice recordings taken in six tasks, including normal and other five tasks (visual attention, language, auditory memory, visual memory, and working memory). Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the acoustic parameters of the six tasks (p<0.001). Shimmer dB showed a statistically significant difference between the auditory memory task and normal state, visual attention and normal state, and working memory and normal state (p<0.05). Conclusion: Different cognitive functions, especially auditory memory, visual attention, and working memory, may have an effect on acoustic voice parameters. Therefore, cognitive functions can be evaluated to identify deficiencies in the relevant cognitive area, and working on these cognitive functions together with voice therapy may shorten the therapy process.

“Is Juvenile Delinquency in Lithuania Increasing because of the Bad Influence of the West”? Punitive Attitudes of the Lithuanian Population towards Juvenile Offenders

This article aims to assess the Lithuanian population’s punitive attitudes towards juvenile delinquents, to discuss them from the perspective of authoritarianism and to connect them to Lithuania’s Communist past. This study was a cross-sectional population-based study, administered in 2021. Multistage stratified sampling techniques were used to create a representative sample of 1,508 Lithuanian residents aged eighteen years and older. A measurement of attitudes was created by the authors based on ideas about the tripartite attitude structure: measuring multiple attributes from the areas of affect (feelings towards juvenile offenders), cognition (explanations of the causes of juvenile offending), and action (measures for reduction of juvenile delinquency). The study revealed that almost half of Lithuanians hold punitive attitudes towards juvenile delinquents. These punitive attitudes correlate with negative feelings towards juvenile delinquents related to common stereotypes and inaccurate explanations of the causes of juvenile delinquency. Punitiveness was also connected with fears of “bad” Western influences, such as the perceived overvaluing of children’s rights and disapproval of violence against children and authoritarian parenting. The question “Is juvenile delinquency in Lithuania increasing because of the bad influence of the West?” divided the Lithuanian population into two almost equal groups: “Pro-Westerners” and “Anti-Westerners.” “Anti-Westerners” were more likely to hold authoritarian views, while “Anti-Western” attitudes were more prevalent among older, less-educated, and lower-income citizens.

AQUATIC FITNESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LEVEL 3, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY - AAEFP

The present work describes the results of the Aquatic Adaptation program for people with Disabilities level 3. The project was applied by the authors in the pool of the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional - APAE Manaus, year 2019. It was idealized and applied, with a descriptive objective, having as instruments of data collection practical evaluation forms, family interview and comparative analysis, followed by data analysis and bibliographic research. As a result, allow us to know and adapt to activities aimed at quality of life, survival in the liquid environment, awareness, safety, attention, concentration, sequences of rules and limits in the cognitive, affective, motor, social areas. strategies of the Aquatic Adequacy programs for people with disabilities level 3, Physical Education and Psychology. The program offered 3 evaluations, being: initial, half-yearly and final at twelve months. It is concluded that the procedures led students to learn new behaviors, overcoming their specific difficulties, enabling new learning, benefiting quality of life, survival in the liquid environment, awareness, safety, attention, concentration, sequences of rules and limits in the cognitive areas, motor and social affective of students with disabilities level 3.

H - 60 Navigating Cultural and Medical Factors in Pediatric Neuropsychological Assessment: a Case Study.

The current case study focuses on a neurodevelopmental evaluation for a child with a complex medical history, suspected genetic disorder, and significant developmental delays within the context of cultural diversity, linguistic barriers, and interpretation services. Patient is a 4-year-old male of Oromo decent who is exposed to both Oromo and English. Medical background is significant for congenital glaucoma and global developmental delay. He is nonverbal and uses few gestures to communicate. He presented with spastic motor movements and dysmorphic facial features. There is no history of genetic testing nor consults with neurology. Developmentally appropriate measure of neurocognitive functioning was administered with the use of an Oromo interpreter. Results revealed impaired performance within the areas of cognition, language, and motor functioning. Cognitive abilities measured similar to a 26-month-old. The patient's social communication and emotional reciprocity varied; there was consideration of an autism spectrum disorder. Diagnostic challenges included medical complexity (i.e., vision differences with eye contact and visual referencing, motor functioning), unanswered diagnostic questions (i.e., underlying genetic or neurological condition), and cultural considerations. The evaluation yielded diagnoses of a global developmental delay and unspecified neurodevelopmental disorder. Recommendations included referrals to neurology, genetics, care coordination, and outpatient therapies. Given the complexity of phenotypical behavioral manifestations of genetic disorders and cultural differences in terms of appropriate social behaviors convolute behaviors observed during the evaluation. The case study brings to light the consideration of cultural differences when interpreting behaviors as well as the value of a multidisciplinary approach to neuropsychological evaluation for diagnostic clarification.

A - 94 A Case of New Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus (NORSE) Associated with COVID-19.

New Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus (NORSE) is a rare condition of prolonged medication-refractory seizures potentially due to elevated inflammatory molecules in the brain. NORSE can be triggered by a viral infection and is a documented neurologic consequence of COVID-19. A 74-year-old, left-handed, Hispanic male was in his usual state of health until experiencing 1-2weeks of speech decline, which culminated in an episode of altered mental status (disorientation and mumbling speech). He presented to the Emergency Department with drowsiness and complaints of a "funny feeling" on the left side of his head. Upon arrival, he was found to be COVID-19 positive and hyperglycemic with normal CT, MRI, lumbar puncture, and bloodwork. An EEG showed "focal temporal activity" and he was diagnosed with non-convulsant status epilepticus. Hospitalization and medical sedation lasted 2months followed by 8months of inpatient rehabilitation. The patient was discharged shortly before presenting for neuropsychological evaluation. Neuropsychological evaluation showed weaknesses in learning and free recall, visuospatial skills (due to disorganization and poor attention to details), processing speed, and executive functioning. The patient reported elevated anxiety symptoms. Collateral report indicated severe declines in executive organizational abilities, as well as mild memory and divided attention declines. Results suggest frontal cortical and subcortical impairments affecting multiple areas of cognition and functional decline consistent with a diagnosis of major neurocognitive disorder. Similar to the literature, status epilepticus was attributed to inflammatory meningoencephalitis triggered by the prior COVID-19 infection. Interdisciplinary care was an integral factor in this case.

Functional reorganization of intranetwork and internetwork connectivity in patients with Ménière’s disease

Ménière’s disease (MD) is associated with functional reorganization not only in the auditory or sensory cortex but also in other control and cognitive areas. In this study, we examined intranetwork and internetwork connectivity differences between 55 MD patients and 70 healthy controls (HC) in 9 well-defined resting-state networks. Functional connectivity degree was lower in MD compared to HC in 19 brain areas involved in the somatomotor, auditory, ventral attention, default mode, limbic, and deep gray matter networks. In addition, we observed lower intranetwork connectivity in the auditory, ventral attention, and limbic networks, as well as lower internetwork connectivity between the somatomotor and limbic networks, and between the auditory and somatomotor, deep gray matter, and ventral attention networks, and between the deep gray matter and default mode network. Furthermore, we identified 81 pairs of brain areas with significant differences in functional connectivity between MD patients and HC at the edge level. Notably, the left amygdala’s functional connectivity degree was positively correlated with MD’s disease stage, and the ventral attention network’s intranetwork connectivity was positively correlated with the healthy side vestibular ratio. Our findings suggest that these functional network reorganization alterations may serve as potential biomarkers for predicting clinical progression, evaluating disease severity, and gaining a better understanding of MD’s pathophysiology. Large-scale network studies using neuroimaging techniques can provide additional insights into the underlying mechanisms of MD.

Guided psychotherapy combined with innovation and entrepreneurship training for college students: relationship embedding analysis framework

BackgroundAnxiety disorder (AD) is considered one of the most difficult mental disorders to treat. The important factors causing this disease are negative self-awareness and excessive attention to negative emotional stimuli, which are related to excessive activity in the emotion generating brain area and cognitive control brain area imbalance. This study uses guided psychotherapy combined with innovation and entrepreneurship training for college students to intervene in their employment anxiety.Subjects and Methods74 individuals with high anxiety traits with a total score of over 63 (N=65) were screened among college students. Anxiety students were randomly divided into a conventional group and an experimental group. Leibowitz Anxiety Scale (LAS) was used. The conventional group of 37 people used normal guided psychotherapy, while the experimental group used guided psychotherapy combined with innovation and entrepreneurship training for college students to intervene in their employment anxiety.ResultsBefore the intervention, there was no significant difference in the scores of LAS, Shyness Scale, Self Rating Depression Scale, Fear Negation Scale, Self Efficacy Scale, and Trust Scale between the two groups. After the intervention, the scores of the experimental group were lower than those of the conventional group. The LAS scale scores of the experimental group significantly decreased.ConclusionsGuided psychotherapy combined with innovation and entrepreneurship training for college students can effectively alleviate students’ employment anxiety, and the guidance effect on anxiety is more sustainable compared to conventional methods.AcknowledgementResearch and Practice of Digital Resource Construction for the Academic Guidance of Master of Statistics in Tianjin University of Commerce in 2022 Graduate Education and Teaching Reform Research Project. (No.23YJSJG0104).

The problem of loss of integrity of modern philosophical and scientific knowledge

The article deals with the actual problem of social development, the development of sciences and, in general, the development of human civilization – a gradual departure from reliance on a system of established generally accepted ideas and, as a result, the loss of the integrity of philosophical and scientific knowledge. The ability of various models to reliably describe areas of cognition that are outside the area on the basis of knowledge about which these models are formed is considered. The general theory of systems is considered, the central idea of which is the existence of isomorphism of forms and laws in various subject areas and at various levels of the universe, through which the integrity of the world is manifested. The necessity of relying on a system of generally accepted ideas about nature, society, ethics and aesthetics is justified, even if these ideas are not indisputable and final. The necessity of returning philosophy to the leading role in cognition is stated, since only philosophy is able to ensure the integrity of the knowledge system. It is stated that such a property is possessed by models that are able to fit into a holistic picture of the world. The idea is put forward that the General theory of systems can become the basis for building a holistic picture of the world. To do this, it should be expanded by defining the methodology of formation and describing particular manifestations of isomorphism, as well as supplemented with an ontological part containing an explanation of the genesis of isomorphism.

Fueling Ambitions: The Dynamic Interplay of Personality, Cognitive, and Self-Efficacy in Fostering STEM Interest among Malaysian Secondary School Students

STEM education is an important element in today's education, especially in the career field of the future, making expertise in STEM a priority in the career market. Together with the development of science and technology, which is within the framework of the industrial revolution 4.0, STEM makes education a priority for society and the country. However, the declining participation of STEM education makes it difficult to implement some policies and strategies set by the government. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of psychological education in the areas of personality, cognition and self-efficacy on STEM career interest of students. This study can add value to the elements of psychological education and open a new dimension to increase students' interest and inclination towards the field of STEM education in school.

The Pattern of Relationships Between School Size, School Culture, and Teachers' Organizational Commitment and Students' Academic

The main goal of schools is to establish students in cognitive, affective and physical areas. In general, the academic success of the students is taken into consideration as the cognitive domain output. This research sought to figure out whether there was a connection between the size of the school, the teachers' organizational commitment, the school culture, and the students' academic success. Additionally, it aims to figure out the impact of school culture, instructors' organizational commitment, and school size on secondary and highschool students' academic progress. The relational survey model was used to run the research. A total of 445 secondary and high school teachers made up the research's sample. The Teacher Information Form, Organizational Culture Scale, and Organizational Commitment Scale were used to gather data. The average scores on the High School Pass Test (HSPT [LGS]) for secondary school students and the Basic Talent Exam (BTE [TYT]) for high school students were used to measure academic success. The student size of the schools for which data was collected was taken as the size of the school. The data were analyzed by performing correlation and regression analysis. According to the findings, it has been determined that there is a significant relationship between school culture and teachers' organizational commitment, school size and academic success of students in different directions and levels. While teachers' organizational commitment is positively affected by the school culture, it is negatively affected by the size of the school. Although the effect of teachers' organizational commitment on students' academic success is positive, it is at a low level. School culture, teachers' organizational commitment and school size together significantly predict the academic success of students.

Lilin Aromaterapi Bunga Telang (Clitoria Ternatea L.) untuk Pemberdayaan Kewirausahaan Sosial sebagai UMKM Masyarakat di Kelurahan Kapias Pulau Buaya Kecamatan Teluk Nibung Kota Tanjung Balai

Scented candles can be alternative treatments using vapor from essential oils of various kinds of plants that can be inhaled to calm various conditions. Generally aromatherapy is done for the purpose of increasing mood, altering cognitive areas, and also can be used as an additional drug. The study aims to make a ready scented candle of sunflowers (Clitoria ternatea L.) for empowerment of social entrepreneurship as part of Kapias Pulau Buaya Village community and into an effort to improve the economy of local entrepreneurs. Research methods used for socialization and monitoring methods performed in the hall of the Al-Islamiyah mosque in August 2023. Studies show that these telase-scented candles are in solid form, light blue, aromatherapy is typical, and a percentage of the public's enthusiasm for understanding materials during aromatherapy training by 95%, with a 100% percentage of whole societies getting motivated to practice in the manufacture of scent candles, and 70% of society is motivated to become entrepreneurs.

Proposal of Pedagogical Medical Record Under the Perspective of the Individualized Education Plan (IPE)

Individualized Educational Plan (PEI) is characterized by being an instrument that mediates learning, allowing a systematic evaluation of teaching. From this perspective, based on the Operationalized Portage Inventory – IPO – and the PEI, the creation of the Individualized Educational Repository was inspired, a digital folder shared between the teacher, family and other professionals involved with the learning of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). in Early Childhood Education, creating a place to record the collection of evaluated items and integration of monitored data, in the short, medium and long term. That said, this article aims to describe a proposal for a pedagogical record, under the bias of the PEI, using bibliographical research as a methodology, based on the theoretical assumptions of Vygotsky (2008); Tannús-Valadão (2018); Glat, Vianna, Redig (2012), among others. It is hoped that the implementation of this tool will provide teachers with a differentiated and continuous way of monitoring learning, contemplating the evaluation of the areas of socialization, language, cognition, self-care and motor development, for children from 0 to 6 years old.

292 Frailty at the front door team compliance with the 4Ms of the international healthcare improvement age-friendly healthcare system

Abstract Background Age-friendly health systems entail assessing the 4Ms (1) what Matters to you (2) Mood and Mental state (3) Medication review and (4) Mobility and functional assessment. This study aimed to measure Frailty at the Front Door team compliance with the 4Ms. Methods An abbreviated ‘4MsComprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was designed. Members of an interdisciplinary team, including geriatric medicine doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapist and dietitian completed CGAs for older patients. Data from scanned CGAs (compliance rate approximately 30%) between January–December 2022 was entered onto Excel by trained administrators. Compliance with the 4Msassessment was retrospectively assessed. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results 588 CGAs were scanned. 96 excluded due to incomplete data (n = 93), or age under 65 years (n = 3). 493 CGAs included. Mean (SD) age was 83 (7.8) years. Female:Male ratio was 1.4:1. Mean (SD) CFS was 5 (1.2). 83% (n = 412) answered ‘what matters to you’. No answer recorded in 16% (n = 81). Common themes were; home (20%), family/friends/pets (18%), functional independence (7%), health (6%), and miscellaneous (40%). 100% had a 4AT documented, mean (SD) 4AT of 2 (2.9). The presence/absence of dementia was recorded in 73% (n = 364). 80% (n = 395) recorded presence/absence of depression. 11% (n = 57) had current or previous depression. 87% (n = 450) had a medication screen +/− review performed. 27% (n = 126) of presentations were related directly to either medications or falls. 96% (n = 473) had a mobility/functional assessment recorded.. Conclusion There was 83% or greater compliance across all areas of the 4Ms Cognition, mobility and functional status demonstrated the highest compliance rates. Data capture was incomplete due to the inefficiency of scanning CGAs onto a database. Incorporating age-friendly systems into FFD practice is feasible. Future steps will be to accredit the Emergency Department as an age-friendly healthcare system.

Estimulación cognitiva en el desarrollo psicomotriz de escolares

Introducción Much has been discussed about cognitive stimulation and psychomotor development in schoolchildren, being one of the fundamental pillars in the evolution of infants, it is closely related to the maturation of the cognitive area through the perception of stimuli. In the bibliographic review of national and international university repositories, several research precedents were identified. For Mendoza Cordero (2019) the stimulation of psychomotor and cognitive development in preschool is done through play, the importance of the development of play and cognitive strategies, which added to the pedagogical theories of learning seek the strengthening of psychomotor development at the preschool level, a study by Cervantes Rivas (2018) determined that early stimulation in psychomotor development in children from 12 to 36 months, improves skills such as: concentration, sensitivity, language and memory, which help the infant to integral development. Objetivos To determine the incidence of cognitive stimulation in the psychomotor development of elementary school children in elementary General Basic Education. Método The analytical method was applied for the respective theoretical foundation, the hypothetical-deductive method was based on the theoretical-practical content, field research and the comparative method were used to obtain the results. The sample with which the research was carried out consisted of 30 male and female students; the test called “Psychomotor skills evaluation scale in preschool was used as an instrument, which was applied personally in an educational institution; the results were obtained with the SPSS 25 program for statistical analysis. Principales resultados The statistical analysis determined the dimensions of psychomotor development PRE AND POST intervention, where a significant improvement was observed after the intervention. In the highest percentage we found locomotion action (1.26); body scheme in itself (1.17); balance (1.11), while at a medium level we found leg coordination actions (1.03); arm coordination (0.94) and in a lower percentage position actions (0.63) and hand coordination (0.56). The difference between the initial level in psychomotor development and after an intervention based on cognitive stimulation was analyzed, which determined the existence of significant differences at a level of P≤0.05 between the results by dimensions of psychomotor development PRE and POST intervention periods. Conclusiones The initial level of psychomotor development was assessed in the study sample in the physical education class, and it was evidenced, that most of the study sample was at a normal level of development and only two members at a good level, as for the locomotion and body scheme tests were at a good level, balance, position, arm and hand coordination were at a medium level and the leg coordination test at a low level. The level of psychomotor development after an intervention based on cognitive stimulation was evaluated, it was evidenced that most of the study sample was at a good level in the following tests

A systematic review of the effects of non-pharmacological interventions in people with dementia and cognitive impairment

Abstract Background: Age-related cognitive decline, reducing a person’s abilities in areas of cognition, such as attention, memory, language, or visuospatial ability increasingly gains importance, as the human lifespan increases. When cognitive decline is pathologic and a form of dementia is diagnosed, interventions seek to recognize and counteract typical pathological patterns. On the one hand, pharmacological approaches, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are proven go-to solutions but are increasingly complemented by therapeutic and non-pharmacological interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, physical and cognitive stimulation, psychosocial interventions, and in recent years even virtual-reality based interventions. Objective: Furthermore, as the objective of the study was to specifically analyze dementia in a certain age group, namely patients over 63 years, studies looking primarily at younger patients were excluded. As dementia has progressive characteristics, the studies were then grouped by diagnosis and the stage of progression, and the results were analyzed according to the reported effectiveness of the non-pharmacological interventions applied. Methods: For this review, three literature databases, namely PubMed, SCOPUS, and ERIC were scanned using a Boolean search with keywords related to different types of dementia, such as Huntington’s, Parkison’s, or vascular dementia. Following the approach outlined in the PRISMA statement, a multi-step process was then executed, reducing the 412 studies by deduplicating them, removing case studies, meta-studies, and, studies suffering from deficiencies, such as lacking a sufficient description of the non-pharmacological intervention applied. Results: Of the 412 studies encountered, only 11 (n = 1353 people) were found to be suitable for inclusion after removing meta-studies, and studies with an unsuitable population, or a lack of information regarding the chosen therapeutic approach. case studies or had an insufficient amount of information regarding the chosen sample. The reviewed studies indicated that physical stimulation had positive effects on cardiovascular disease in patients with dementia and positively correlated with an improvement of executive functions. Another important finding was psychosocial intervention, consisting of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and cognitive rehabilitation improves general cognition, while no consistent results were obtained regarding the effects on specific areas of cognition. For both types of interventions, physical and mental stimulation, the length of the intervention positively correlated with the improvement of the scores. Regarding scores related to quality of life, measured for patients and caregivers alike, cognitive and occupational therapies were found to be a useful tool. Keywords: Dementia, Non-pharmacological intervention, Cognitive impairment, Cognitive rehabilitation, Systematic review, PRISMA statement.

K-드라마를 통한 ‘Big C·Little c’ 통합 교수·학습 방안

In this article, a study was conducted on the topic of promoting learners’ empathy through historical facts and Korean daily life in the drama Mr. Sunshine. In this study, a teaching and learning method was proposed to connect the love story of a man and a woman set in the flowering period of Korea to Iksun-dong, a place that Koreans encounter in their daily lives.
 The theoretical foundation for how to connect daily life and history was found in the discussion of ‘Big C and Little c’, which has been going on for more than 70 years. The legitimacy of these two areas to be discussed together in Korean cultural education was examined and the specific areas were presented.
 With the goal of personal growth of learners through Korean cultural education, the areas of cultural education was divided into cognitive, definitional, and behavioral areas according to Stern’s classification. The cognitive domain was divided into Big C and Little c, and history was placed in Big C and everyday culture in Little c. To make Korean culture education meaningful to learners, empathy and experiential activities were placed in the definitional domain, considering learners’ personal connections.

Sex-related differences in upper limb motor function in healthy subjects and multiple sclerosis patients: a multiparametric MRI study.

We investigated sex-related differences in upper limb motor performance tested with the 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) in healthy controls (HC) and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their MRI substrates. We enrolled 94 HC and 133 MS patients, who underwent neurological examination, 9HPT and brain 3T MRI, with sequences for regional grey matter volume (GMV), white matter (WM) fractional anisotropy (FA) and resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Associations between MRI variables and 9HPT performance were analyzed with general linear models. 9HPT performance was better in HC vs MS patients, and in female vs male HC. Regional GMV analysis showed: associations between better 9HPT performance and higher GMV in motor and cognitive cortical areas in HC, with stronger positive correlations in females vs males. In MS, worse 9HPT performance correlated with lower volume in motor and cognitive areas. Sex-related differences were minimal and mostly found in cerebellar areas. WM FA analysis disclosed neither associations with 9HPT performance in HC, nor sex-related differences in MS. RS FC analysis showed: in the sensorimotor network, stronger associations of RS FC with 9HPT performance in female vs male HC and no sex-related differences in MS; in the cerebellar network, no sex-related differences in HC but stronger negative correlation in left cerebellum in male vs female MS patients. Sex influences 9HPT performance in HC, mainly through differences in volume and RS FC of motor and cognitive areas. Sex-related effects on motor performance become secondary but still present in MS.

Characteristics of brain activation in high-level football players at different stages of decision-making tasks off the ball: an fMRI study.

This study aimed to examine the neural mechanisms underlying the decision-making process of off-ball movements among high-level football players and ordinary college students, as well as the effect of long-term skill training on these neural mechanisms using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The study recruited 20 professional college football players as the expert group (EG) and 20 novice football players with no background in sports-related disciplines as the novice group (NG). The participants performed the motor video observation and button-decision-making tasks, and fMRI data were acquired, pre-processed, and analyzed. During the decision-making process regarding running without the ball, whole-brain fMRI scans were conducted on both the EG and NG. The analysis of these scans revealed noteworthy disparities in brain activity between the two groups. These disparities were observed during tasks involving motor video observation and button-based decision-making. According to the behavioral data, the EG made more correct decisions than the NG (p < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference in their reaction speed (p > 0.05). During video observation, both the EG and NG exhibited simultaneous activation in the frontoparietal cognitive area, primary somatosensory cortex, visual cortex, and insula. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of activated brain regions [false discovery rate (FDR) corrected to p < 0.05]. Regarding button-press decisions, the areas of the brain that were commonly activated in both the NG and EG were primarily located in the frontoparietal cognitive area, temporal cortex, and cuneus cortex. Notably, the left superior temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus exhibited greater activation in the NG compared to those in the EG (FDR corrected to p < 0.05). This study demonstrated that during motor video observation, the EG's sports experience and professional knowledge can help them achieve better visual information processing strategies in specific areas of sports. During button decision-making, the EG was more economical, whereas the NG required more brain function activity to process visual information, confirming the "neural efficiency" hypothesis.

Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Child Development: An Integrative Literature Review

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the possibilities of generating stimulating spaces for children’s development, as all the systems with which a child interacts during this phase were affected. Objective: To identify the existing scientific evidence about the effects on child development in children aged less than 5 years old that were living with their parents while the social distancing measures adopted due to COVID-19 were in force. Method: An integrative review guided by the framework proposed by Whittemore and Knafl and the PRISMA statement, to consult the following databases: Medline, ScienceDirect, Scopus and SciELO, with a search performed in English using these descriptors: “child development,” “growth and development,” “parenting,” “teleworking,” “infant care,” “home nursing,” “social isolation,” “coronavirus infections,” and “COVID-19.” The eligibility criteria were as follows: quantitative or qualitative studies that addressed the direct effects of the pandemic on children aged less than 5 years old; in turn, the exclusion criteria corresponded to articles with a population comprised of children with diagnosed developmental disorders or disabilities. Results: A total of 17 articles were included, whose findings were classified into the following categories: Exposure to risk stimuli, Deprivation of stimuli, and Exposure to protective stimuli. It is revealed that parental stress, absence of games and lower exposure to interactions that promote development are connected to changes in cognitive, emotional, and learning processing, in addition to exerting a negative impact on motor and language development. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that social distancing can be the main cause for the onset of delays in child development, in its motor, language, cognitive, and socioemotional areas.