scholarly journals Pursuing Artful Movement Science in Music Performance: Single Subject Motor Analysis With Two Elite Pianists

2021 ◽  
pp. 003151252110034
Author(s):  
Craig Turner ◽  
Peter Visentin ◽  
Deanna Oye ◽  
Scott Rathwell ◽  
Gongbing Shan
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Left Shoulder ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Performance Variables ◽  
Motor Behaviors ◽  
Piano Students ◽  
Motor Strategy ◽  
The Right

Piano performance motor learning research requires more “artful” methodologies if it is to meaningfully address music performance as a corporeal art. To date, research has been sparse and it has typically constrained multiple performance variables in order to isolate specific phenomena. This approach has denied the fundamental ethos of music performance which, for elite performers, is an act of interpretation, not mere reproduction. Piano performances are intentionally manipulated for artistic expression. We documented motor movements in the complex task of performance of the first six measures of Chopin’s “Revolutionary” Etude by two anthropometrically different elite pianists. We then discussed their motor strategy selections as influenced by anthropometry and the composer’s musical directives. To quantify the joint angles of the trunk, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, we used a VICON 3 D motion capture system and biomechanical modeling. A Kistler force plate (1 N, Swiss) quantified center of gravity (COG) shifts. Changes in COG and trunk angles had considerable influence on the distal segments of the upper limbs. The shorter pianist used an anticipatory strategy, employing larger shifts in COG and trunk angles to produce dynamic stability as compensation for a smaller stature. Both pianists took advantage of low inertial left shoulder internal rotation and adduction to accommodate large leaps in the music. For the right arm, motor strategizing was confounded by rests in the music. These two cases illustrated, in principle, that expert pianists’ individualized motor behaviors can be explained as compensatory efforts to accommodate both musical goals and anthropometric constraints. Motor learning among piano students can benefit from systematic attention to motor strategies that consider both of these factors.

scholarly journals Generalization of motor learning in psychological space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Poh ◽  
Naser Al-Fawakari ◽  
Rachel Tam ◽  
Jordan A. Taylor ◽  
Samuel D. McDougle
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Visuomotor Adaptation ◽  
Movement Kinematics ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Target Shape ◽  
Motor Behaviors ◽  
Inference Problems ◽  
Similarity Ratings ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTTo generate adaptive movements, we must generalize what we have previously learned to novel situations. The generalization of learned movements has typically been framed as a consequence of neural tuning functions that overlap for similar movement kinematics. However, as is true in many domains of human behavior, situations that require generalization can also be framed as inference problems. Here, we attempt to broaden the scope of theories about motor generalization, hypothesizing that part of the typical motor generalization function can be characterized as a consequence of top-down decisions about different movement contexts. We tested this proposal by having participants make explicit similarity ratings over traditional contextual dimensions (movement directions) and abstract contextual dimensions (target shape), and perform a visuomotor adaptation generalization task where trials varied over those dimensions. We found support for our predictions across five experiments, which revealed a tight link between subjective similarity and motor generalization. Our findings suggest that the generalization of learned motor behaviors is influenced by both low-level kinematic features and high-level inferences.

Turns on the Move

2019 ◽  
pp. 73-76
Author(s):  
K. B. E. E. Eimeleus
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Left Shoulder ◽  
Sudden Stop ◽  
Flat Terrain ◽  
Right Hand ◽  
The World ◽  
The Right

This chapter looks at turns on the move with the right or left shoulder aligned with the corresponding ski. It distinguishes three important techniques that have gained currency in the world of sport. One of them pertains only to running skis while the other two require mountain skis with stable bindings. The first is the method for turning in place, used while descending from a mountain or over flat terrain on running skis, or on any skis that lack a stable binding and have a posterior center of balance. The next is the Christiania turn, which is carried out on the inner ski, that is, on the right ski when the turn is done to the right-hand side. Finally, the Telemark turn allows a skier to make a sudden stop as they are descending.

BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with abnormal interhemispheric transfer of a newly acquired motor skill

2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (10) ◽  
pp. 2094-2102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Morin-Moncet ◽  
Vincent Beaumont ◽  
Louis de Beaumont ◽  
Jean-Francois Lepage ◽  
Hugo Théoret
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Motor Skill ◽  
Interhemispheric Transfer ◽  
Corticospinal Excitability ◽  
Genetic Group ◽  
Val66met Polymorphism ◽  
Genotype Group ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
The Right

Recent data suggest that the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene can alter cortical plasticity within the motor cortex of carriers, which exhibits abnormally low rates of cortical reorganization after repetitive motor tasks. To verify whether long-term retention of a motor skill is also modulated by the presence of the polymorphism, 20 participants (10 Val66Val, 10 Val66Met) were tested twice at a 1-wk interval. During each visit, excitability of the motor cortex was measured by transcranial magnetic stimulations (TMS) before and after performance of a procedural motor learning task (serial reaction time task) designed to study sequence-specific learning of the right hand and sequence-specific transfer from the right to the left hand. Behavioral results showed a motor learning effect that persisted for at least a week and task-related increases in corticospinal excitability identical for both sessions and without distinction for genetic group. Sequence-specific transfer of the motor skill from the right hand to the left hand was greater in session 2 than in session 1 only in the Val66Met genetic group. Further analysis revealed that the sequence-specific transfer occurred equally at both sessions in the Val66Val genotype group. In the Val66Met genotype group, sequence-specific transfer did not occur at session 1 but did at session 2. These data suggest a limited impact of Val66Met polymorphism on the learning and retention of a complex motor skill and its associated changes in corticospinal excitability over time, and a possible modulation of the interhemispheric transfer of procedural learning.

Closing the Loop: From Motor Neuroscience to Neurorehabilitation

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 415-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan T. Roemmich ◽  
Amy J. Bastian
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Neural Control ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Closing The Loop ◽  
Motor Learning And Control ◽  
Human Motor ◽  
Basic Studies ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Control ◽  
Neural Control Of Movement

The fields of human motor control, motor learning, and neurorehabilitation have long been linked by the intuition that understanding how we move (and learn to move) leads to better rehabilitation. In reality, these fields have remained largely separate. Our knowledge of the neural control of movement has expanded, but principles that can directly impact rehabilitation efficacy remain somewhat sparse. This raises two important questions: What can basic studies of motor learning really tell us about rehabilitation, and are we asking the right questions to improve the lives of patients? This review aims to contextualize recent advances in computational and behavioral studies of human motor learning within the framework of neurorehabilitation. We also discuss our views of the current challenges facing rehabilitation and outline potential clinical applications from recent theoretical and basic studies of motor learning and control.

Biomechanics of Regular and Lateral Stair Climbing

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. F. Almashqbeh
Keyword(s):  
Motion Analysis ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Stair Climbing ◽  
Motion Analysis System ◽  
Analysis System ◽  
The Right

The kinematic and kinetic differences between two styles of stair climbing, namely regular stair climbing (RSC) and lateral stair climbing (LSC), was studied. A four-step wooden stair instrumented with two force plates was used as the action platform. The kinematic and kinetic recordings were collected using a 6-camera, 2-force plate commercial three-dimensional motion analysis system. The LSC activity was subdivided into LSCL activity, where the right leg was the leading leg, and LSCT.

Anatomy of Motor Learning. I. Frontal Cortex and Attention to Action

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1313-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jueptner ◽  
K. M. Stephan ◽  
C. D. Frith ◽  
D. J. Brooks ◽  
R.S.J. Frackowiak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Frontal Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Critical Feature ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
New Learning ◽  
The Right

Jueptner, M., K. M. Stephan, C. D. Frith, D. J. Brooks, R.S.J. Frackowiak, and R. E. Passingham. Anatomy of motor learning. I. Frontal cortex and attention to action. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 1313–1324, 1997. We used positron emission tomography to study new learning and automatic performance in normal volunteers. Subjects learned sequences of eight finger movements by trial and error. In a previous experiment we showed that the prefrontal cortex was activated during new learning but not during automatic performance. The aim of the present experiment was to see what areas could be reactivated if the subjects performed the prelearned sequence but were required to pay attention to what they were doing. Scans were carried out under four conditions. In the first the subjects performed a prelearned sequence of eight key presses; this sequence was learned before scanning and was practiced until it had become overlearned, so that the subjects were able to perform it automatically. In the second condition the subjects learned a new sequence during scanning. In a third condition the subjects performed the prelearned sequence, but they were required to attend to what they were doing; they were instructed to think about the next movement. The fourth condition was a baseline condition. As in the earlier study, the dorsal prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate area 32 were activated during new learning, but not during automatic performance. The left dorsal prefrontal cortex and the right anterior cingulate cortex were reactivated when subjects paid attention to the performance of the prelearned sequence compared with automatic performance of the same task. It is suggested that the critical feature was that the subjects were required to attend to the preparation of their responses. However, the dorsal prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex were activated more when the subjects learned a new sequence than they were when subjects simply paid attention to a prelearned sequence. New learning differs from the attention condition in that the subjects generated moves, monitored the outcomes, and remembered the responses that had been successful. All these are nonroutine operations to which the subjects must attend. Further analysis is needed to specify which are the nonroutine operations that require the involvement of the dorsal prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex.

Hemispheric Differences in the Relationship Between Corticomotor Excitability Changes Following a Fine-Motor Task and Motor Learning

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 1570-1578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael I. Garry ◽  
Gary Kamen ◽  
Michael A. Nordstrom
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Motor Performance ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Hemispheric Differences ◽  
Corticomotor Excitability ◽  
Hand Muscles ◽  
Right Hand ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
The Right ◽  
Intrinsic Hand Muscles

Motor performance induces a postexercise increase in corticomotor excitability that may be associated with motor learning. We investigated whether there are hemispheric differences in the extent and/or time course of changes in corticomotor excitability following a manipulation task (Purdue pegboard) and their relationship with motor performance. Single- and paired-pulse (3 ms) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to assess task-induced facilitation of the muscle evoked potential (MEP) and intracortical inhibition (ICI) for three intrinsic hand muscles acting on digits 1, 2, and 5. Fifteen right-handed subjects performed three 30-s pegboard trials with left or right hand in separate sessions. TMS was applied to contralateral motor cortex before and after performance. Number of pegs placed was higher with the right hand, and performance improved (motor learning) with both hands over the three trials. MEP facilitation following performance was short-lasting (<15 min), selective for muscles engaged in gripping the pegs, and of similar magnitude in left and right hands. ICI was reduced immediately following performance with the right hand, but not the left. The extent of MEP facilitation was positively correlated with motor learning for the right hand only. We conclude that the pegboard task induces a selective, short-lasting change in excitability of corticospinal neurons controlling intrinsic hand muscles engaged in the task. Only left hemisphere changes were related to motor learning. This asymmetry may reflect different behavioral strategies for performance improvement with left and right upper limb in this task or hemispheric differences in the control of skilled hand movements.

scholarly journals Variability of Neutral-Position Casting of the Foot

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivienne Chuter ◽  
Craig Payne ◽  
Kathryn Miller
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Plane ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Neutral Position ◽  
Foot Orthoses ◽  
Experienced Clinician ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Wide Variability ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Right ◽  
Relationship Of

Neutral-position casting of the foot is used for the manufacture of functional foot orthoses, and an accurate cast is widely assumed to be a prerequisite for a good orthotic device. The primary aim of this study was to determine the variability of casting between inexperienced and experienced clinicians and the variability of one experienced clinician taking multiple casts. Ten inexperienced and ten experienced clinicians took a cast of the right foot of a single subject, and a single experienced clinician took ten casts of the same foot. The frontal plane forefoot-to-rearfoot relationship of each cast was determined, and no difference was found in the mean and variances among the three groups. The range of the forefoot-to-rearfoot relationship across all groups was from 10.0° everted to 6.5° inverted, indicating that there is a wide range in neutral-position casting of the foot. As outcome studies have reported the successful outcomes of functional foot orthoses, this wide variability may not necessarily be a problem. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 93(1): 1-5, 2003)

scholarly journals Novel treatments for expressive aprosodia: A phase I investigation of cognitive linguistic and imitative interventions

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 786-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN C. ROSENBEK ◽  
GREGORY P. CRUCIAN ◽  
SUSAN A. LEON ◽  
BETHANY HIEBER ◽  
AMY D. RODRIGUEZ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase I ◽  
Treatment Effect ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Emotional Communication ◽  
Emotional Prosody ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Cognitive Linguistic ◽  
The Right

This study investigated two mechanism-based treatments for expressive aprosodia, a disturbance in emotional prosody thought to be governed by the right hemisphere. The 3 participants all suffered right CVA's resulting in expressive aprosodia. Presence of expressive aprosodia was determined by performance on two batteries of emotional communication. A single subject ABAC design was employed in which two treatments, one imitative and one cognitive linguistic, were assigned in random order. All participants in this study were randomly assigned to begin with the cognitive linguistic treatment. Probes of treated and untreated emotions were completed during baseline and therapy phases. Probe items were judged by a reliable, trained rater blind to time of testing. Visual and statistical analyses were completed. These analyses confirmed that both treatments were active. For example, effect size calculations confirmed modest to substantial treatment effects for both treatments in all 3 patients. Replication to increase confidence about treatment effect and enhance understanding of the neuromechanisms underlying aprosodia is underway. (JINS, 2004, 10, 786–793.)

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