Nancy Getchell | University of Delaware (original) (raw)

Papers by Nancy Getchell

Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH 17+) assessment provides information about the ... more Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH 17+) assessment provides information about the speed and legibility of handwriting. Handwriting difficulties in general and DASH17+ performance, in particular, are signs of neuromotor difficulties. Individualized interventions can be developed with a better understanding of both the biomechanical and neurological underpinnings of the task. We used a multimodal assessment strategy to deconstruct the product and process of handwriting measures in adults. A total of 23 neurotypical college age adults took part in the study. We combined the standardized norm-referenced test DASH17+ and explored the online process of handwriting using the MovAlyzeR software, and simultaneously explored prefrontal cortex activity, using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), during the task execution. Our research indicated that underlying neural and kinematic mechanisms changed between tasks, within tasks, and even from one trial block to another that are not reflected in the DASH17+ performance assessment alone. Therefore, this multi-modal approach provides a promising method in clinical populations to further investigate any subtle change in handwriting.

To evaluate manual dexterity in clinical settings Purdue Pegboard test (PPT) is widely used and c... more To evaluate manual dexterity in clinical settings Purdue Pegboard test (PPT) is widely used and consists of four uni- and bi-manual sub-tests. The objective of this study is to deep dive into PPT and parse out the cognitive component of the subtests using functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). The prefrontal cortex (PFC) of 16 participants was assessed using fNIRS technique while performing PPT. Repeated measures one-way ANOVA was performed on average ∆HbR and ∆HbO in PFC regions (left DLPFC, left vmPFC, right vmPFC, right DLPFC). A Bonferroni correction was used to account for multiple comparisons. Results from both outcome measures taken together showed that assembly sub-task uses significantly higher resources in the left PFC. The findings can be summarized as follows: PPT measures more than manual dexterity. Subtask complexity affects the cognitive demands in the PFC. The Assembly may be the most sensitive subtest to the changes in PFC activity.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Gait impairment often limits physical activity and negatively impacts quality of life. EMG-Biofee... more Gait impairment often limits physical activity and negatively impacts quality of life. EMG-Biofeedback (EMG-BFB), one of the more effective interventions for improving gait impairment, has been limited to laboratory use due to system costs and technical requirements, and has therefore not been tested on a larger scale. In our research, we aimed to develop and validate a cost-effective, commercially available EMG-BFB device for home- and community-based use. We began by repurposing mTrigger® (mTrigger LLC, Newark, DE, USA), a cost-effective, portable EMG-BFB device, for gait application. This included developing features in the cellphone app such as step feedback, success rate, muscle activity calibration, and cloud integration. Next, we tested the validity and reliability of the mTrigger device in healthy adults by comparing it to a laboratory-grade EMG system. While wearing both devices, 32 adults walked overground and on a treadmill at four speeds (0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 m/s). Sta...

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2019

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018

Journal of Motor Learning and Development

Background: Previous research suggests that children with or at risk of probable developmental co... more Background: Previous research suggests that children with or at risk of probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD) activate different areas of the brain when performing certain motor skills compared with typically developing (TD) children. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to compare prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in TD and pDCD during the completion of manual (three-dimensional [3D]) and computerized versions (two-dimensional) of the Tower of Hanoi (ToH) puzzle. Method: A total of 12 children (TD and pDCD; one female/11 male, , SD ± 1.52 years) performed the two-dimensional and 3D conditions of the ToH disk tasks, with equivalent executive function but different motor requirements, with functional near-infrared spectroscopy to compare PFC activity. Results: Interestingly, brain oxygenation levels were more apparent in the 3D versus two-dimensional ToH. In the 3D, there were large differences between pairs of discordant sibling sets and this was locate...

Neuroergonomics, 2018

Abstract Research in motor learning has shown that the ways in which practices are organized can ... more Abstract Research in motor learning has shown that the ways in which practices are organized can affect the amount of learning that occurs. Blocked practices, in which the same skill is repeated many times before moving to the next skill, leads to better performance during acquisition than random practices, in which skills are interwoven. However, those in the random practice groups perform better than blocked on retention and transfer tests, indicating better motor learning. This effect of random practice has been termed “contextual interference.” Our aim is to examine the neural activation differences in the prefrontal cortex associated with blocked and random practice schedules when learning and performing three different computer mazes.

Innovation in Aging

Digital health games offer one innovative approach to engage older adults to support healthy agin... more Digital health games offer one innovative approach to engage older adults to support healthy aging. Multiple reviews have described the positive impact of health games. Limited research has examined multi-focus health games implemented in senior centers. Informed by healthy aging theory and community-engaged methods, our multi-disciplinary team developed/refined an educational exergame with a combined focus on educating about healthy lifestyle behaviors (i.e., physical activity, healthy eating), stimulating cognitive functioning, and engaging movement to support healthy aging. A pilot study (Nf13; mean age = 78, 100% female) examined team gameplay (4 sessions in two weeks) in a senior center. Teams (2–3 members) worked together to answer knowledge, trivia, and cognitive challenge questions and competed for the highest score. A post-gameplay survey asked about acceptability, usability (i.e., adapted System Usability Scale), and perceived game impact. Preliminary results suggest team ...

Journal of Motor Learning and Development, Aug 1, 2020

In Part I of this series (Whitall et al., this issue), we looked back at the 20 th century and re... more In Part I of this series (Whitall et al., this issue), we looked back at the 20 th century and reexamined the history of Motor Development research described in Clark & Whitall's 1989 paper "What is Motor Development? The Lessons of History". We now move to the 21 st Century, where the trajectories of developmental research have evolved in focus, branched in scope, and diverged into three new areas. These have progressed to be independent research areas, co-existing in time. We posit that the research focus on dynamical systems at the end of the 20 th century has evolved into a Developmental Systems approach in the 21 st century. Additionally, the focus on brain imaging and the neural basis of movement have resulted in a new approach, which we entitled, Developmental Motor Neuroscience. Finally, as the worldwide obesity epidemic identified in the 1990's threatened to become a public health crisis, researchers in the field responded by examining the role of motor development in physical activity and health-related outcomes; this research area, we refer to as the Developmental Health approach. The glue that holds these research areas together is their focus on movement behavior as it changes across the lifespan.

Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 2016

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in cognitive process related to executive fun... more The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in cognitive process related to executive function, but is also active during resting states. Quantifying prefrontal cortex activity during resting states provides a baseline for interpreting task-induced brain activity. Researchers commonly use resting conditions where participants are prompted to stare at a screen (eyes open) or close their eyes (eyes closed). Are these two conditions equivalent representations of a baseline resting state? Further, does prefrontal cortex activity during these conditions change as a function of development? The aim of this study was to examine differences in prefrontal cortex activity between eyes open and eyes closed conditions during resting states in children and adults to provide a rationale of proper selection of baseline condition in future research. Thirty-six participants in 3 age groups were recruited in this study including twenty-four adults, five 12-15 years old children, and seven 8-11 years old children. Relative changes in concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin (Δoxy-Hb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (Δdeoxy-Hb) were obtained by using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO) conditions, 3 minutes each. Contrasts were tested to compare the differences of Δoxy-Hb and Δdeoxy-Hb between eyes open and eyes closed conditions. The EC condition had significantly higher Δoxy-Hb than EO when all groups were combined (t (17.268) = 3.021, p = .008, Cohen's d = −0.72). When comparing Δoxy-Hb between eyes conditions within each group, the younger group had significantly higher Δoxy-Hb in EC than EO (t (9.459) = 2.734, p = 0.022, Cohen's d = −1.46). Based on these results, the EO condition may be a better baseline condition, particularly in studies with younger children, since it has less activity in the PFC that could interfere with interpretations of task-induced activity.

Motor Control, 2010

The third in a series of studies investigating the development of multilimb coordination in child... more The third in a series of studies investigating the development of multilimb coordination in children, this study investigates the ability to period correct, or resynchronize limbs after a temporal perturbation. Participants performed single (clap, walk) and dual (simultaneously clap and walk) motor tasks to a metronome, which was randomly perturbed (either increase or decrease in speed). In the walk/metronome coupling, a significant interaction existed in relative phase error between age group and cycle with less relative phase error on the third and forth cycle with increased age. In the clap/metronome, a main effect existed for cycle (increasing with cycle) and age (decreasing with age), but no interactions existed. Neither task (single or dual) nor direction of perturbation (speed increase/decrease) had a statistical effect. The results suggested that developmental trajectories may exist in period correction processes; further research examining continuous data over longer collection periods should be performed to confirm this finding.

Gait & Posture, Apr 1, 2013

Objective quantitative evaluation of motor skill development is of increasing importance to caref... more Objective quantitative evaluation of motor skill development is of increasing importance to carefully drive physical exercise programs in childhood. Running is a fundamental motor skill humans adopt to accomplish locomotion, which is linked to physical activity levels, although the assessment is traditionally carried out using qualitative evaluation tests. The present study aimed at investigating the feasibility of using inertial sensors to quantify developmental differences in the running pattern of young children. Qualitative and quantitative assessment tools were adopted to identify a skill-sensitive set of biomechanical parameters for running and to further our understanding of the factors that determine progression to skilled running performance. Running performances of 54 children between the ages of 2 and 12 years were submitted to both qualitative and quantitative analysis, the former using sequences of developmental level, the latter estimating temporal and kinematic parameters from inertial sensor measurements. Discriminant analysis with running developmental level as dependent variable allowed to identify a set of temporal and kinematic parameters, within those obtained with the sensor, that best classified children into the qualitative developmental levels (accuracy higher than 67%). Multivariate analysis of variance with the quantitative parameters as dependent variables allowed to identify whether and which specific parameters or parameter subsets were differentially sensitive to specific transitions between contiguous developmental levels. The findings showed that different sets of temporal and kinematic parameters are able to tap all steps of the transitional process in running skill described through qualitative observation and can be prospectively used for applied diagnostic and sport training purposes.

Human Movement Science, Apr 1, 2008

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have sensory processing deficits; how do ... more Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have sensory processing deficits; how do these influence the interface between sensory input and motor performance? Previously, we found that children with DCD were less able to organize and maintain a gross motor coordination task in time to an auditory cue, particularly at higher frequencies (Whitall et al., 2006). In the present study, we examine the same task (clapping in-phase to marching on a platform) under conditions involving the removal of vision and hearing. Eleven children with DCD (m = 7.21, SD = 0.52 years), 7 typically developing (TD) children (m = 6.95 +/−0.72 years), and ten adults performed continuous clapping while marching under four conditions: with vision and hearing, without vision, without hearing and without both. Results showed no significant condition effects for any measure taken. The DCD group was more variable in phasing their claps and footfalls than both the adult group and the TD group. There were also significant group effects for inter-clap interval coefficient of variation and interfootfall interval coefficient of variation, with the DCD group being the most variable for both measures. Coherence analysis between limb combinations (e.g., left arm-right arm, right arm-left leg) revealed that the adults exhibited significantly greater coherence for each combination than both of the children's groups. The TD group showed significantly greater coherence than the DCD group for every limb combination except foot-foot and left hand-right foot. Measures of approximate entropy indicated that adults differed from children both with and without DCD in the structure of the variability across a trial with adults showing more complexity. Children with DCD are able to accomplish a self-initiated gross-motor coordination task but with increased variability for most but not all measures compared to typically developing children. The availability of visual and/or auditory information does not play a significant role in stabilizing temporal coordination of this task, suggesting that these are not salient sources of information for this particular task.

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Mar 1, 2006

Sports Medicine, Aug 31, 2021

Introduction In 2008, a conceptual model explaining the role of motor competence (MC) in children... more Introduction In 2008, a conceptual model explaining the role of motor competence (MC) in children's physical activity (PA), weight status, perceived MC and health-related fitness was published. Objective The purpose of the current review was to systematically compile mediation, longitudinal and experimental evidence in support of this conceptual model. Methods This systematic review (registered with PROSPERO on 28 April 2020) was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Separate searches were undertaken for each pathway of interest (final search 8 November 2019) using CINAHL Complete, ERIC, Medline (OVID), PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and SportDiscus. Potential articles were initially identified through abstract and title checking (N = 585) then screened further and combined into one review (n = 152), with 43 articles identified for extraction. Studies needed to be original and peer reviewed, include typically developing children and adolescents first assessed between 2 and 18 years and objective assessment of gross MC and at least one other variable (i.e., PA, weight status, perceived MC, health-related fitness). PA included sport participation, but sport-specific samples were excluded. Longitudinal or experimental designs and cross-sectional mediated models were sought. Strength of evidence was calculated for each pathway in both directions for each domain (i.e., skill composite, object control and locomotor/coordination/stability) by dividing the proportion of studies indicating a significantly positive pathway in the hypothesised direction by the total associations examined for that pathway. Classifications were no association (0-33%), indeterminate/inconsistent (34-59%), or a positive '+' or negative ' − ' association (≥ 60%). The latter category was classified as strong evidence (i.e., ++or −−) when four or more studies found an association. If the total number of studies in a domain of interest was three or fewer, this was considered insufficient evidence to make a determination. Results There was strong evidence in both directions for a negative association between MC and weight status. There was strong positive evidence for a pathway from MC to fitness and indeterminate evidence for the reverse. There was indeterminate evidence for a pathway from MC to PA and no evidence for the reverse pathway. There was insufficient evidence for the MC to perceived MC pathway. There was strong positive evidence for the fitness-mediated MC/PA pathway in both directions. There was indeterminate evidence for the perceived MC-mediated pathway from PA to MC and no evidence for the reverse. Conclusion Bidirectional longitudinal associations of MC with weight status are consistent with the model authored by Stodden et al. (Quest 2008;60(2):290-306, 2008). However, to test the whole model, the field needs robust longitudinal studies across childhood and adolescence that include all variables in the model, have multiple time points and account for potential confounding factors. Furthermore, experimental studies that examine change in MC relative to change in the other constructs are needed. Trial Registrations PROSPERO ID# CRD42020155799. Extended author information available on the last page of the article Inclusion Exclusion Step 1: Assess study meets following initial criteria Human studies Animal studies Original, peer-reviewed research Abstracts, reviews, protocols, commentaries, methods/validity studies Published in English or languages of the author group: Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish Published in a language the author group could not read Age ≥ 2 and ≤ 18 years Infants or aged > 18 years Typically developing Non-typically developing Non-special population (except if it is a tracking study that has typically developing children and analysis has been done on this group). Children from low socioeconomic areas are included Special population (e.g., disability, cancer, athletes, obese) without a comparator group Step 2: Assess variables relevant to Stodden et al. [2] model Measure of gross MC (assessed objectively not via self-report) that can include fundamental motor/movement skills, motor coordination or other goal-directed movement. Combined measures that include fine and gross motor skills can be included if relationships with two or more gross motor skills can be extracted

Kinesiology review, Nov 1, 2015

Motor skill competence has been associated with physical activity level, fitness, and other relev... more Motor skill competence has been associated with physical activity level, fitness, and other relevant health-related characteristics. Recent research has focused on understanding these relationships in children and adolescents, but little is known about subsequent years. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between fundamental motor skill (FMS) ability and body mass index (BMI) in young adults. Method: Participants, 40 men and 40 women (M age = 19.25 yr, SD = 2.48), were assessed for BMI and motor competence with 10 fundamental motor skills (FMSs) using the Test for Fundamental Motor Skills in Adults (TFMSA). Results: BMI was negatively associated with total motor ability (r =-.257; p = .02) and object control skills (r =-.251; p = .02); the relationship with locomotor skills was marginally insignificant (r =-.204; p = .07). In regard to individual skills, a significant negative association was found for running, jumping, striking, and kicking (ps < .05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that BMI and gender predicted 42% of the variance in total FMS score; gender was the only significant predictor. Conclusion: Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that young adults with higher FMS ability are more likely to have lower BMI scores.

Developmental Psychology, 1989

This article proposed that a continuous variable, whole body stiffness, may cause the discontinuo... more This article proposed that a continuous variable, whole body stiffness, may cause the discontinuous or qualitative change that occurs between two specific developmental levels within the developmental sequence for hopping. Ss were 7 children who hopped at Level 2 on one leg and Level 3 on the other. Force and cinematographic data were collected; from these data, measures of both estimated average and instantaneous whole body stiffness were calculated and compared across developmental levels. Both instantaneous and estimated average whole body stiffness showed dramatic reductions between developmental Levels 2 and 3. It was proposed that stiffness may be a key parameter controlled by the central nervous system as children hop. Children at early developmental levels set this parameter too high. At some critical value of stiffness, in order to continue locomotion, the movement must reorganize, which in turn, lowers the stiffness setting. Data for this study were collected by Nancy Getchell for her master's thesis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, under the direction of Mary Ann Roberton. We wish to thank Jill Conrad and Lolas Halverson for their help with data collection.

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized wit... more Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized with deficits in social communication, repetitive behavioral patterns, and, frequently, movement dysfunction. Researchers have linked some of these issues to atypical prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. However, it is unclear if what role (if any) the PFC plays in motor dysfunction seen in this population. In the current study, we use functional near infrared spectroscopy to compare prefrontal cortex oxygenation in boys with (n = 10) and without (n = 10) ASD, as they performed two tasks with similar movement requirements but varying levels of executive function (a computer-based Tower of Hanoi (TOH) disk-transfer task and a self-paced tapping task). Participants with ASD used significantly more moves than typically developing (TD) participants on the three-disk level (P = .012). 70% of TD and 33% of ASD participants completed the four-disk level and did not differ in number of moves. Number of taps did not differ between groups (TD: 216.7 ± 73.4; ASD: 206.3 ± 69.0). A significant interaction between group and task was found in Δdeoxy-Hb (P = .005). There was no interaction between group and task in Δoxy-Hb. Our results indicate that the ASD group used a different strategy to solve the TOH task. Furthermore, the lower performance scores in the cognitive task combined with different oxygenation measures suggest they had difficulty in organizing and planning during the TOH task.

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 2014

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effect of auditory pacing on period stahilit... more The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effect of auditory pacing on period stahility and temporal consistency of a dual motor task in children with and without dyslexia and with varying amounts of motor deficiency. Fifty-four children were divided into groups based on dyslexia diagnosis and score on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (Movement ABC-2). Participants performed a dual motor task (clapping while walking) at a self-determined pace in a pretest block, practiced 4 blocks of 4 trials with a metronome pacing signal, and finished with a posttest hlock without auditory pacing. Measures of period stability (interclap/interheel strike intervals across trial blocks) and temporal consistency (coefficient of variation of period with trials) were taken. The results suggest that auditory pacing may improve period stability across groups, but does not appear to impact temporal consistency. Weak support existed for a general impairment of motor function in children diagnosed with dyslexia.

Journal of physical education, recreation & dance, 2008

JOPERD • Volume 79 No. 1 • January 2008 A ccording to the United States Census Bureau (2004), nea... more JOPERD • Volume 79 No. 1 • January 2008 A ccording to the United States Census Bureau (2004), nearly 36 million people are at least 65 years of age. Furthermore, this number of aging Americans continues to grow. The leading edge of the “baby boomer” cohort turned 60 in 2006; by 2030, about one in fi ve Americans will be aged 65 or over as the baby boomers transition into older adulthood (Himes, 2001). This change in age demographics makes it essential for us to understand the unique gerontological health risks and concerns that exist for this aging population. Associated with these risks are health-related expenses, which are high and continue to escalate. Putting aside the staggering societal cost of Medicare and Medicaid—much of which is directed toward seniors—individuals ages 65 to 69 years old spent 5,864in2004,those75to79spent5,864 in 2004, those 75 to 79 spent 5,864in2004,those75to79spent9,414, and those over the age of 85 spent $16,564 on out-of-pocket health care per year (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 2004). When facing expenses such as these, older adults would do well to look for ways in which to curb healthcare spending. One potential solution to the rising healthcare costs for the aging population may come from increasing physical activity levels. Research suggests that physical activity participation has great potential to help decrease healthcare spending by improving overall health (Pate et al., 1995). For some age-related health risks, such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, physical activity provides a proven, non-drug intervention that improves health (Blair et al., 1995; Gregg, Pereira, & Casperson, 2000). Yet, previous studies have determined that older adults tend to drop out of physical activity programs (e.g., Dishman & Sallis, 1994). This article provides a practical, comprehensive overview of the critical yet often overlooked relationship between aging and physical activity. The article will fi rst review the types of physical activity that have worked in previous research (from both a physiological and adherence standpoint) and subsequently offer some tools with which individuals can improve existing programs or develop successful new ones. This should assist older adults as well as practitioners interested in working with them to create programs that are motivating and fun, and, most important, that lead to improvements in physical health and mental well-being.