Many common movement patterns such as walking, running, and jumping require rhythmic coordination of the arms and legs. In carrying out our daily routine, we often become involved in concurrent cognitive and motor activities, such as talking while walking. When engaging in conversation while walking, it appears that the pace of walking slows, sometimes to the point of stopping, as the conversation becomes conceptually more complex. What happens to the performance of rhythmic movement patterns when attention is taken up by a task that requires mental effort? Recent research suggests that movement becomes less coordinated when one is engaged in a concurrent cognitive activity. Many questions about the precise relationship between cognitive activity and movement coordination remain: When performing dual tasks (i.e., concurrent cognitive and motor activities), does attending to the cognitive task adversely affect performance of movement coordination? Does engagement in cognitive activity have a greater impact on coordination when movement speed is increased and limbs differ in physical characteristics? Does a movement pattern become structurally more complex when an individual is engaged in a concurrent cognitive activity? This research will investigate these and related questions about the influences of cognitive activity on movement coordination. Results will provide information that is foundational to understanding the formation and persistence of human movement patterns. This new knowledge should contribute to the development of methods for improving performance of sport skills, safety in industrial settings, and functional outcomes in rehabilitation.
This POWRE grant will provide Pellecchia the opportunity to develop a new movement science laboratory, learn contemporary methods of analyzing human movement, and conduct research that will advance an integrative theory of human attention and movement coordination. In addition, this award will assist her to mentor students in the application of motor control theory and research methods.
