Developmental integration of posture and manual control

描述(申请人提供)：儿童通常被描述为有噪音或高度可变的运动系统。尽管姿势系统中的随机噪声可能不利于其他目标导向行为的成功完成，但成年人的文献表明，一定程度的可变性可能是起作用的。具体地说，姿势变化可以是探索性的，提供有关在当前任务限制下采取行动的可能性的信息，并允许个体在面对可能的干扰时保持适应。在发育的不同阶段，姿势变化的作用及其与体力行为的相互作用在很大程度上是未知的。在这个项目中，将评估不同年龄段儿童在执行不同精度的手工任务时的姿势动力学。还将在操纵姿势要求和任务期间提供的视觉信息的情况下进行其他研究。这项拟议的研究结果将为不同年龄段的儿童在操纵任务限制时调节其姿势系统动态的能力提供洞察力。这种能力在正常发育中可能很重要，并可能有助于进一步了解发育协调障碍的发病原因。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Children are typically described as having a noisy or highly variable motor system. Although random noise in the postural system may be detrimental to the successful completion of other goal directed behaviors, literature in adults has shown that some amount of variability may be functional. Specifically, postural variability can be exploratory, providing information about possibilities for action given current task constraints, and allows the individual to be adaptable in the face of possible perturbations. The role of postural variability and its interaction with manual behaviors at different stages of development is largely unknown. In this project the postural dynamics of children in different age groups will be assessed as manual tasks of varying precision are performed. Additional studies will also be performed where the postural requirements and the visual information provided during the task are manipulated. Results of the proposed research will provide insight into the ability of children of different ages to modulate the dynamics of their postural system as task constraints are manipulated. This ability may be important in normal development, and may help further understand the onset of developmental coordination disorders.