Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

2024

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biomedical Engineering

First Advisor

Lisa MacFadden

Abstract

Motor learning is a set of complex processes aimed at learning and refining new skills by practicing them. There are three proposed stages of motor learning: cognitive, associative, and autonomous. While all stages are crucial, research suggests that the cognitive stage holds particular significance, laying the foundational groundwork for effective skill acquisition. Although research has explored many innovative ways to facilitate motor memory, to our knowledge, none has explored the optimization of motor skill learning through manipulating the focus of attention using bilateral stimulation. Therefore, this study explored the effects of bilateral stimulation on squat skill acquisition. Nineteen (19) subjects, ten males (33 ± 12.62 years of age, 1.77 ± 0.06 meters, 82.09 ± 14.69 kilograms) and nine females (28 ± 12.89 years of age, 1.65 ± 0.05 meters, 66.66 ± 12.52 kilograms) were randomized into three groups, control, tactile bilateral stimulation, and auditory bilateral stimulation. Subjects were asked to perform three sets of five squats at four different time points: baseline, training, immediate retention, and 24-hour retention, under one of three conditions: no stimuli, tactile stimuli, or auditory stimuli. Biomechanics data was captured using an open-source markerless motion capture app, OpenCap. There were no significant differences in pelvis height between the time points or across groups. However, percentage changes in the pelvis height suggest an improvement in squat depth in the auditory and control groups across the time points. Graphical data from the joint kinematics also showed an upward trend in the mean knee, ankle, and hip flexion angles for the auditory group. Although the kinematic data did not yield significant results, these findings offer valuable insights for future research on the potential influence auditory bilateral stimulation has on motor learning and skill retention

Subject Categories

Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering | Other Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

Keywords

Biomedical engineering, Biomechanics

Number of Pages

40

Publisher

University of South Dakota

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