Smits-Engelsman Bouwien C M, Sugden David, Duysens Jacques
Motor Control Lab, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium.
Hum Mov Sci. 2006 Feb;25(1):37-49. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2005.12.002. Epub 2006 Jan 25.
Cyclic tasks are performed better than discrete tasks in adults but it is unknown whether this advantage is present in children as well. Three age groups of participants (6, 8, and 10 years old) executed cyclic and discrete aiming movements to two differently sized target using a Fitts task to examine the developmental effects on speed/accuracy trade-off. Children showed the same advantage of cyclic over discrete movements as previously demonstrated for adults but at a slower speed. The slope of the speed accuracy trade-off was similar in the three age groups in the cyclic as compared to the discrete control mode, suggesting that children learn both tasks equally well in this age range. The index of performance (IP) increased with age but not differently for the two control modes. Children showed clear differences between the kinematics of discrete and cyclic movements and these differences were similar to those seen in adults. Cyclic movements were faster, had higher IP, showed fewer changes in velocity and were more ballistic. Thus movement execution was different between the two tasks, consistent with the hypothesis that cyclic tasks make use of neural oscillators. The slower movement speed in young children is consistent with their limited ability to use open loop control.
在成年人中，循环任务的执行效果优于离散任务，但尚不清楚这种优势在儿童中是否也存在。三组不同年龄的参与者（6岁、8岁和10岁）使用菲茨任务对两个不同大小的目标执行循环和离散瞄准动作，以检验对速度/准确性权衡的发育影响。儿童表现出与之前在成年人中所证明的相同的循环运动优于离散运动的优势，但速度较慢。与离散控制模式相比，循环模式下三个年龄组的速度准确性权衡斜率相似，这表明儿童在这个年龄范围内对两项任务的学习效果相同。性能指标（IP）随年龄增长而增加，但两种控制模式下并无差异。儿童在离散运动和循环运动的运动学方面表现出明显差异，这些差异与在成年人中观察到的相似。循环运动更快，IP更高，速度变化更少，更具弹道性。因此，两项任务的运动执行情况不同，这与循环任务利用神经振荡器的假设一致。幼儿较慢的运动速度与他们使用开环控制的能力有限相一致。
