Motor and Neural Adaptation during an Eight-Week Writing Training with the Non-Preferred Hand

Manuel Bange, Gaëtan André, Diana Henz

2016

Abstract

The ability to adapt to a dynamic environment plays a crucial role in the success of human development. By applying an exploratory longitudinal single case study design to the task of learning to write with the non-preferred hand, we hoped to gather new insights about individual motor and neural adaptation. Previous studies showed that graphomotor skills are governed by nonlinear dynamic coupling of two (nearly) orthogonal oscillators, measured as relative phase (RP). We investigated the development of RP, velocity, and the number of velocity inversions (NIV) of the letter “e” during eight weeks of training. We found individual differences in the time courses of velocity and NIV, suggesting that subjects use different strategies (e.g. different feedback), evaluate constraints differently, and learn with a different pace. All participants exhibited decreasing standard deviation of RP, pointing towards the formation of increasingly stable attractors. This supports the idea that writing can be modelled by updating relative phase, amplitude and frequency on a piecewise manner. Spectral EEG mapping showed increased gamma activity on the whole cortex which indicates the engagement of a wide-spread network during graphomotor learning. Decreased frontal theta activity after the intervention supports the idea that subjects need less attention with higher task familiarity.

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Paper Citation


in Harvard Style

Bange M., André G. and Henz D. (2016). Motor and Neural Adaptation during an Eight-Week Writing Training with the Non-Preferred Hand . In - icSPORTS, ISBN , pages 0-0


in Bibtex Style

@conference{icsports16,
author={Manuel Bange and Gaëtan André and Diana Henz},
title={Motor and Neural Adaptation during an Eight-Week Writing Training with the Non-Preferred Hand},
booktitle={ - icSPORTS,},
year={2016},
pages={},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={},
isbn={},
}


in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - - icSPORTS,
TI - Motor and Neural Adaptation during an Eight-Week Writing Training with the Non-Preferred Hand
SN -
AU - Bange M.
AU - André G.
AU - Henz D.
PY - 2016
SP - 0
EP - 0
DO -