Submit a preprint

Latest recommendationsrsstwitter

IdTitle * Authors * Abstract * Picture * Thematic fields * RecommenderReviewersSubmission date
Today
article picture

Cumulative evidence synthesis and consideration of "research waste" using Bayesian methods: An example updating a previous meta-analysis of self-talk interventions for sport/motor performance

Bayesian cumulative evidence synthesis and identification of questionable research practices in health & movement science

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO and ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Maik Bieleke and 1 anonymous reviewer

Research is a resource-demanding endeavor that tries to answer questions such as, “Is there an effect?” and “How large or small is this effect?” To answer these questions as precisely as possible, meta-analysis is considered the gold standard. However, the value of meta-analytic conclusions greatly depends on the quality, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of the meta-analyzed studies, while not neglecting older research. Using the established sport psychological intervention strategy of self-talk as an example, Corcoran & Steele demonstrate how Bayesian methods and statistical indicators of questionable research practices can be used to assess these questions [1].

Bayesian methods enable cumulative evidence synthesis by updating prior beliefs (i.e., knowledge from an earlier meta-analysis) with new information (i.e., the studies that have been published on the topic since the earlier meta-analysis had been published) to arrive at a posterior belief - an updated meta-analytic effect size. This approach essentially tells us whether and how much our understanding of an effect has improved as additional evidence has accumulated; as well as the precision with which we are estimating it. Or to put it more bluntly, how much smarter are we now with respect to the effect we are interested in?

Importantly, the credibility of this updated effect depends not only on the newly included studies but also on the reliability of the prior beliefs – that is, the credibility of the effects summarized in the earlier meta-analysis. A set of frequentist and Bayesian statistical approaches have been introduced to assess this (for a tutorial with worked examples, see [2]). For example, methods such as the multilevel precision-effect test (PET) and precision-effect estimate with standard errors (PEESE) [2] can be used to adjust for publication bias in the meta-analyzed studies, providing a more realistic estimation of the effect size for the topic at hand. This would then help to assess the magnitude of the true effect in the absence of any bias favoring the publication of significant results.

Why does it matter for health and movement science?
The replication crisis and evidence of questionable research practices has cast doubts on various findings across disciplines [3–8]. Compared to other disciplines (e.g., psychology [9]), health & movement science has been relatively slow to recognize issues with the potential replicability of findings in the field [10]. Fortunately, this has started to change [10–14]. Research on factors that might negatively affect replicability in health & movement science has revealed evidence for various questionable research practices, such as publication bias [12,13], lack of statistical power [11,13], and indicators of p-hacking [12]. The presence of such practices in original research does not only undermine trustworthiness of individual studies, but also the conclusions drawn from meta-analyses that rely on these studies.

Open Science practices, such as open materials, open data, pre-registration of analyses plans, as well as registered reports are all good steps for improving science in the future [15–17] and might even lead to a ‘credibility revolution’ [18]. However, it is also crucial to evaluate the extent to which an existing body of literature might be affected by questionable research practices and how this might affect conclusions drawn from the research. Using self-talk as an example, Corcoran and Steele demonstrate this approach and provide a primer on how it can be effectively implemented [1]. By adhering to Open Science practices, their materials, data, and analyses are openly accessible. We believe this will facilitate the adoption of Bayesian methods to cumulatively update available evidence, as well as making it easier for fellow researchers to comprehensively and critically assess the literature they want to meta-analyze.      
 
References​
[1] Corcoran H. & Steele, J. Cumulative evidence synthesis and consideration of "research waste" using Bayesian methods: An example updating a previous meta-analysis of self-talk interventions for sport/motor performance. SportRxiv, ver.2, peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Health & Movement Sciences (2024). https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.348
[​2] ​Bartoš, F., Maier, M., Quintana, D. S. & Wagenmakers, E.-J. Adjusting for publication bias in JASP and R: Selection Models, PET-PEESE, and robust bayesian meta-analysis. Adv. Methods Pract. Psychol. Sci. 5, 25152459221109259 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245922110925
[​3] ​Yong, E. Replication studies: Bad copy. Nature 485, 298–300 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/485298a.
[​4] ​Hagger, M. S. et al. A multilab preregistered replication of the ego-depletion effect. Perspect. Psychol. Sci. 11, 546–573 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616652873
[​5] ​Scheel, A. M., Schijen, M. R. M. J. & Lakens, D. An excess of positive results: Comparing the standard psychology literature with registered reports. Adv. Methods Pract. Psychol. Sci. 4, 25152459211007467 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245921100746
[​6] ​Perneger, T. V. & Combescure, C. The distribution of P-values in medical research articles suggested selective reporting associated with statistical significance. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 87, 70–77 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.04.003
[​7] ​Errington, T. M. et al. An open investigation of the reproducibility of cancer biology research. eLife 3, e04333 (2014). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04333
[​8] ​Hoffmann, S. et al. The multiplicity of analysis strategies jeopardizes replicability: lessons learned across disciplines. R. Soc. Open Sci. 8, 201925 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201925
[​9] ​Open Science Collaboration. Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science. Science 349, aac4716 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac4716
[​10] ​Mesquida, C., Murphy, J., Lakens, D. & Warne, J. Replication concerns in sports and exercise science: A narrative review of selected methodological issues in the field. R. Soc. Open Sci. 9, 220946 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220946
[​11] ​Abt, G. et al. Power, precision, and sample size estimation in sport and exercise science research. J. Sports Sci. 38, 1933–1935 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1776002
[​12] ​Borg, D. N., Barnett, A. G., Caldwell, A. R., White, N. M. & Stewart, I. B. The bias for statistical significance in sport and exercise medicine. J. Sci. Med. Sport 26, 164–168 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2023.03.002
[​13] ​Mesquida, C., Murphy, J., Lakens, D. & Warne, J. Publication bias, statistical power and reporting practices in the Journal of Sports Sciences: potential barriers to replicability. J. Sports Sci. 41, 1507–1517 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2023.2269357
[​14] ​Büttner, F., Toomey, E., McClean, S., Roe, M. & Delahunt, E. Are questionable research practices facilitating new discoveries in sport and exercise medicine? The proportion of supported hypotheses is implausibly high. Br. J. Sports Med. 54, 1365–1371 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101863
[​15] ​Chambers, C. D. & Tzavella, L. The past, present and future of Registered Reports. Nat. Hum. Behav. 6, 29–42 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01193-7
[​16] ​Soderberg, C. K. et al. Initial evidence of research quality of registered reports compared with the standard publishing model. Nat. Hum. Behav. 5, 990–997 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01142-4
[​17] ​Wunsch, K., Pixa, N. H. & Utesch, K. Open science in German sport psychology. Z. Für Sportpsychol. 30, 156–166 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1026/1612-5010/a000406
[​18] ​Korbmacher, M. et al. The replication crisis has led to positive structural, procedural, and community changes. Commun. Psychol. 1, 1–13 (2023).​ https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-023-00003-2

Cumulative evidence synthesis and consideration of "research waste" using Bayesian methods: An example updating a previous meta-analysis of self-talk interventions for sport/motor performanceHannah Corcoran, James Steele<p>In the present paper we demonstrate the application of methods for cumulative evidence synthesis including Bayesian meta-analysis, and exploration of questionable research practices such as publication bias or <em>p</em>-hacking, in the sport a...Exercise & Sports Psychology, Meta-Science in Health & MovementWanja Wolff Maik Bieleke, Anonymous2023-11-27 10:06:36 View
Yesterday
article picture

Structural Vulnerability Factors and Gestational Weight Gain: A Scoping Review on the Extent, Range, and Nature of the Literature

Structural vulnerability factors and gestational weight gain in high-income countries

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Kelsey Dancause, Kadia Saint-Onge and 1 anonymous reviewer

This manuscript presents a compelling scoping review examining the structural vulnerability factors associated with gestational weight gain. The topic is highly relevant because excessive gestational weight gain is prospectively associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes and perinatal mortality. 

The authors employed excellent search strategies to address an area that is often overlooked, as structural vulnerability factors are generally understudied or not the primary focus in many existing studies. 

A total of 157 academic articles were included in the scoping review. The authors identified eight frequently studied structural vulnerability factors: race/ethnicity (58% of articles), age (55%), parity (31%), education (28%), income (25%), marital status (18%), immigration (12%), and experiences of abuse (physical, psychological, or sexual) (8%). Most studies were conducted in the United States of America, employed retrospective designs, and examined diverse populations in which a subgroup or the entire sample experienced one or more structural vulnerability factors. 

This work makes a significant contribution to understanding the role of structural vulnerability factors  in gestational weight gain. It highlights the critical impact of systemic inequalities on the health of pregnant women and underscores the importance of addressing these disparities. Furthermore, the manuscript thoughtfully discusses the methodological challenges and limitations in the current literature, particularly in considering interacting structural vulnerability factors and social identities. 

From my perspective, this work provides a more detailed and nuanced analysis of structural vulnerability factors in the context of gestational weight gain than previous reviews. This review will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource for clinicians and researchers, inspiring them to adopt an ‘intersectional lens’ in their future practices and research projects.

Reference
Labonté JM, Dumas A, Clark E, Savard C, Fournier K, O’Connor S, Morisset AS, Fontaine-Bisson B (2024) Structural vulnerability factors and gestational weight gain: a scoping review on the extent, range, and nature of the literature. Research Square, ver.4, peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Health & Movement Sciences. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3060015/v4
Structural Vulnerability Factors and Gestational Weight Gain: A Scoping Review on the Extent, Range, and Nature of the LiteratureJocelyne M. Labonté, Alex Dumas, Emily Clark, Claudia Savard, Karine Fournier, Sarah O'Connor, Anne-Sophie Morisset, Bénédicte Fontaine-Bisson<p><strong>Background:</strong> Inadequate and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) are rising epidemiological health concerns, affecting a substantial proportion of pregnant women in high-income countries and contributing to a multitude of adv...Health & DiseasePaquito Bernard2024-05-03 23:40:07 View
17 Nov 2024
article picture

Change in exercise capacity, physical activity and motivation for physical activity at 12 months after a cardiac rehabilitation program in coronary heart disease patients: a prospective, monocentric and observational study

A prospective observational study examining changes in exercise capacity, physical activity, and motivation for physical activity 12 months after a cardiac rehabilitation programme in patients with coronary heart disease

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Géraldine Escriva-Boulley, Baraa Al-Khazraji and 1 anonymous reviewer

Exercise capacity is recognised as a strong predictor of mortality and cardiovascular morbidity in both healthy individuals and patients with coronary heart disease (Novaković et al., 2022). Accordingly, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is recommended as an effective secondary preventive intervention (Task Force Members et al., 2016; Anderson et al., 2016). While earlier studies generally focused on changes in exercise capacity during or immediately after rehabilitation (Uddin et al., 2016), recent research has emphasised the importance of physical activity trajectories on mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (Gonzalez-Jaramillo et al., 2022). This highlights the need to understand changes in exercise capacity and physical activity following the rehabilitation phase.

This study specifically explored changes in exercise capacity (assessed using the six-minute walking test) and physical activity (assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form) one year after a cardiac rehabilitation programme in patients with coronary heart disease. Additionally, the authors examined changes in motivation for physical activity over the 12 months following rehabilitation.

Within the limitations of its observational and monocentric nature, the study presents important findings that can inform future research, generate hypotheses, and guide the design of targeted trials aimed at improving or maintaining exercise capacity and physical activity levels after rehabilitation. The exploration of potential barriers to physical activity 12 months after rehabilitation could inform strategies to increase participation in physical activity post-rehabilitation, thereby improving survival (Moholdt et al., 2018).

This study is well-conducted and clearly presented. The authors' interpretation is balanced and consistent with the study's design and analysis. As noted by one of the reviewers, retention in cardiac rehabilitation studies is challenging, and the authors have done a commendable job in retaining participants. They have also addressed all the reviewers' concerns properly and accurately. I am pleased to recommend this preprint.

References
- Novaković M, Novak T, Vižintin Cuderman T, Krevel B, Tasič J, Rajkovič U, Fras Z, Jug B. Exercise capacity improvement after cardiac rehabilitation following myocardial infarction and its association with long-term cardiovascular events. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2022;21(1):76-84. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvab015
- Task Force Members, Piepoli MF, Hoes AW, et al. 2016 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: The Sixth Joint Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and Other Societies on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice (constituted by representatives of 10 societies and by invited experts): Developed with the special contribution of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation (EACPR). Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2016;23(11):NP1-NP96. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487316653709
- Anderson L, Oldridge N, Thompson DR, et al. Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation for Coronary Heart Disease: Cochrane Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016;67(1):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.10.044
- Uddin J, Zwisler AD, Lewinter C, et al. Predictors of exercise capacity following exercise-based rehabilitation in patients with coronary heart disease and heart failure: A meta-regression analysis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2016;23(7):683-693. https://doi.org/10.1177/204748731560431
- Gonzalez-Jaramillo N, Wilhelm M, Arango-Rivas AM, Gonzalez-Jaramillo V, Mesa-Vieira C, Minder B, Franco OH, Bano A. Systematic review of physical activity trajectories and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79:1690-1700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.036
- Moholdt T, Lavie CJ, Nauman J. Sustained physical activity, not weight loss, associated with improved survival in coronary heart disease [published correction appears in J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;71(13):1499. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.03.013]. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018;71(10):1094-1101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.01.011​​​​
- Da Ros Vettoretto P, Bouffart AA, Gourronc Y, Baron AC, Gaumé M, Congnard F, Noury-Desvaux B, de Müllenheim PY (2024) Change in exercise capacity, physical activity and motivation for physical activity at 12 months after a cardiac rehabilitation program in coronary heart disease patients: a prospective, monocentric and observational study. HAL, ver.3, peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Health & Movement Sciences. https://hal.science/hal-04510104v3  
Change in exercise capacity, physical activity and motivation for physical activity at 12 months after a cardiac rehabilitation program in coronary heart disease patients: a prospective, monocentric and observational studyPaul Da Ros Vettoretto, Anne-Armelle Bouffart, Youna Gourronc, Anne-Charlotte Baron, Marie Gaumé, Florian Congnard, Bénédicte Noury-Desvaux, Pierre-Yves de Müllenheim<p>Exercise capacity (EC) and physical activity (PA) are relevant predictors of mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) but the CHD-specific long-term trajectories of these outcomes after a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program are n...Health & Disease, Physical Activity, RehabilitationFranco Milko Impellizzeri2024-03-22 10:59:07 View
25 Oct 2024
article picture

Feedback-driven adaptation of gravity-related sensorimotor control to an upside-down posture

An inverse gravity experiment supports the theory of an internal gravity model in the central nervous system

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Jan Hondzinski and 3 anonymous reviewers

The study by Barbusse et al. (2024) investigated how motor control of arm movements is affected by reversed gravity. It is commonly assumed that the central nervous system contains an internal gravity model, and that this model is used to optimize movements to minimize effort under the influence of gravity (e.g., Berret et al., 2008). Previously, the effect of decreased and increased gravity was investigated, and it was shown that people were able to adapt to this novel environment in a matter of minutes or days (e.g., Gaveau et al., 2011). Therefore, the authors investigated the effect of inverse gravity on motor control of arm movements.

In this study, an experiment was performed in which participants were placed in an inversion table and asked to perform as many pointing movements with their shoulder as possible in 12 blocks. In each block, the inversion table was placed either in the head-up or head-down position, and the position was switched every 35 seconds, starting from the head-up position. After 4 blocks, a 90 second break was taken. It was found that movement duration and amplitude did not significantly differ between both orientations. An analysis of the difference in time to peak acceleration, time to peak velocity, and time to peak deceleration between upward and downward movements revealed no significant difference for the peak acceleration, while for the peak velocity, the time difference was significantly smaller in the head-down than the head-up position, and for the peak deceleration, the time difference changed in the head-down position with the number of blocks, reaching a value more similar to the head-up (baseline) position.

The time to peak acceleration did not reverse for the head-down position, which showed that the central nervous system is not able to take advantage of gravity when it is placed in a head-down position, since it does not take advantage of the “free” acceleration provided by gravity. A longer exposure to inverse gravity might allow the body to adapt and re-optimize its internal gravity model to the new situation. The time difference was significantly different for the deceleration, but not for acceleration, which indicates that the movement was adapted mainly by feedback control, but that feedforward control remained largely the same. This further supports the conclusion that the central nervous system had not yet adapted its internal gravity model, and that re-optimization starts with adapting feedback control (Izawa et al., 2008). An important limitation is the discomfort that is experienced in the head-down position, which not only changes gravity, but also created negative physiological responses.

References

Denis Barbusse, Sarah Amoura, Jérémie Gaveau, Olivier White (2024) Feedback-driven adaptation of gravity-related sensorimotor control to an upside-down posture. OSF preprints, ver.3 peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Health & Movement Sciences. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D9JPF.

Berret B, Darlot C, Jean F, Pozzo T, Papaxanthis C, Gauthier JP (2008) The inactivation principle: mathematical solutions minimizing the absolute work and biological implications for the planning of arm movements. PLoS computational biology, 4, e1000194. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000194

Gaveau J, Paizis C, Berret B, Pozzo T, Papaxanthis C (2011) Sensorimotor adaptation of point-to-point arm movements after spaceflight: the role of internal representation of gravity force in trajectory planning. Journal of Neurophysiology, 106, 620–629. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00081.2011

Izawa J, Rane T, Donchin O, Shadmehr R (2008) Motor adaptation as a process of reoptimization. The Journal of Neuroscience: The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 28, 2883–2891. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5359-07.2008

Feedback-driven adaptation of gravity-related sensorimotor control to an upside-down postureDenis Barbusse, Sarah Amoura, Jérémie Gaveau, Olivier White<p>The ability to move is a vital and essential feature of human existence. &nbsp;We are experts at producing a variety of movements and have refined their control through evolution. As gravity is a major feature of our every-day environment, we h...Biomechanics, Sensorimotor ControlAnne KoelewijnAnonymous, Anonymous2023-12-14 11:47:30 View
23 Sep 2024
article picture

Development and validation of the Value of Physical Effort (VoPE) scale

Capturing Individual Differences in the Valuation of Physical Effort

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Silvio Maltagliati and Erik Bijleveld
Physical effort has long been viewed as an aversive experience that people generally seek to avoid, giving rise to the so-called "law of least effort," which posits that, other things being equal, people tend to minimize effort when engaging in goal-directed tasks. This principle has recently been applied to physical activity behavior (Cheval & Boisgontier, 2021). 
 
However, beyond this general view of physical effort as an aversive experience to be avoided, substantial individual differences in the valuation of physical effort have been observed. This suggests that some individuals may actually evaluate physical effort positively. Contrary to the law of least effort, these individuals may prefer behavioral alternatives that require more effort, all else being equal (Inzlicht et al., 2018). Until the development of the Physical Effort Scale (Cheval et al., 2024) and the present work by Bieleke et al. (2024), no formal scale existed to capture such individual differences in the valuation of physical effort. The primary goal of the present study was to design, develop, and validate such a scale.
 
To achieve this goal, the authors conducted three independent studies (total N = 1,364) to establish the psychometric properties of the Value of Physical Effort (VoPE) scale (Bieleke et al., 2024). Across these studies, using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs and a variety of statistical techniques (e.g., psychometric network analysis, elastic net regression), results indicated that the VoPE scale has robust associations with physical activity behaviors, strong test-retest reliability, and captures unique variance in predicting exercise behaviors. Taken together, these findings suggest that the VoPE scale is a valid and reliable measure of individual differences in the valuation of physical effort.
 
References

Bieleke M, Stähler J, Wolff W, Schüler J. Development and validation of the Value of Physical Effort (VoPE) scale.PsyArXiv. 2023, version 5. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/pqw26. Peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Health and Movement Sciences. https://doi.org/10.24072/pci.healthmovsci.100115

Cheval B, Boisgontier MP. The theory of effort minimization in physical activity. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2021;49(3):168-178. https://doi.org/10.1249/JES.0000000000000252

Cheval B, Maltagliati S, Courvoisier DS, Marcora S, Boisgontier MP.Development and validation of the physical effort scale (PES). Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2024;72:102607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102607

Inzlicht M, Shenhav A, Olivola CY. The effort paradox: effort is both costly and valued. Trends Cogn Sci. 2018;22(4):337-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.01.007
Development and validation of the Value of Physical Effort (VoPE) scaleMaik Bieleke, Johanna Stähler, Wanja Wolff, Julia Schüler<p>Physical effort has instrumental value because it helps people attain their goals. Growing evidence suggests that people might also experience the exertion of effort itself as valuable. To test this idea, we developed and examined the 4-item Va...Exercise & Sports Psychology, Physical ActivityBoris Cheval Erik Bijleveld, Silvio Maltagliati2024-04-10 11:44:26 View
30 Aug 2024
article picture

Comparing arm to whole-body motor control disambiguates age-related deterioration from compensation

Aging of upper-limb and whole-body movement efficiency

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Florian Monjo, Pierre Morel, Zack van Allen and 1 anonymous reviewer

This study by Mathieu et al. (2024) builds on previous computational research showing that human arm movements use gravity to save energy and be more efficient (Berret et al., 2008; Crevecoeur et al., 2009; Gaveau et al., 2014, 2021), as well as on experimental research showing that kinematic and electromyographic markers are directly related to this energetic efficiency (Gaveau et al., 2016). 
 
The primary objective of this study by Mathieu et al. (2024) was to compare the effect of age on movement efficiency in an upper limb task and three whole-body tasks. These two types of tasks are often studied independently in the literature. Therefore, testing them in the same study allows the generalizability of the effect of age on movement efficiency to be examined. Electromyographic and kinematic patterns were compared in younger (n = 20) and older adults (n = 24), and movement efficiency was assessed using an index based on the activity of antigravity muscles. Results suggest that the effect of age is dependent on the type of movement. Specifically, older adults used gravity less than younger adults when performing whole-body movements, whereas no such age effect was evidenced when performing arm movements. The authors interpret this effect as an adaptation of whole-body movement strategies that compensates for age-related changes in body structures and functions to stabilize postural balance.
 
These findings contribute to the literature on postural control and how it differs from movement control that does not include the constraint of maintaining body balance, i.e., avoiding falls. Specifically, these results suggest that our brain implements a movement strategy specific to movements that require body balance, and that the efficiency of this strategy is affected by age. Further research would help to determine whether this efficiency, although altered, remains optimal throughout the age-related decline of body systems, or whether priorities change across aging, with stability and fall avoidance becoming more valued than energetic efficiency.​
 
References
- Berret, B., Darlot, C., Jean, F., Pozzo, T., Papaxanthis, C., & Gauthier, J. P. (2008). The inactivation principle: mathematical solutions minimizing the absolute work and biological implications for the planning of arm movements. PLoS Computational Biology, 4(10), e1000194. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000194
- Crevecoeur, F., Thonnard, J. L., & Lefèvre, P. (2009). Optimal integration of gravity in trajectory planning of vertical pointing movements. Journal of Neurophysiology, 102(2), 786–796. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00113.2009
- Gaveau, J., Berret, B., Angelaki, D. E., & Papaxanthis, C. (2016). Direction-dependent arm kinematics reveal optimal integration of gravity cues. eLife, 5, e16394. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16394
- Gaveau, J., Grospretre, S., Berret, B., Angelaki, D. E., & Papaxanthis, C. (2021). A cross-species neural integration of gravity for motor optimization. Science Advances, 7(15), eabf7800. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf7800
- Mathieu, R., Chambellant, F., Thomas, E., Papaxanthis, C., Hilt, P., Manckoundia, P., Mourey, F., & Gaveau J. (20024). Comparing arm to whole-body motor control disambiguates age-related deterioration from compensation. bioRxiv, version 5. Peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Health and Movement Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.16.576683

Comparing arm to whole-body motor control disambiguates age-related deterioration from compensationRobin Mathieu, Florian Chambellant, Elizabeth Thomas, Charalambos Papaxanthis, Pauline Hilt, Patrick Manckoundia, France Mourey, Jeremie Gaveau<p>As the global population ages, it is crucial to understand sensorimotor compensation mechanisms. These mechanisms are thought to enable older adults to remain in good physical health, but despite important research efforts, they remain essentia...Biomechanics, Sensorimotor ControlMatthieu Boisgontier2024-02-19 10:41:33 View
05 Jul 2024
article picture

On the specifics of valuing effort: a developmental and a formalized perspective on preferences for mental and physical effort

Is effort evaluation domain-specific or general?

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by James Steele, Ines Pfeffer and 1 anonymous reviewer

The law of least effort suggests that, certis paribus, people tend to exert as little effort as possible when engaged in a goal-directed task (Cheval & Boisgontier, 2021). At the same time, however, large interindividual differences in the processing of effort have been observed, suggesting that effort per se can sometimes be valued positively (Inzlicht et al., 2018).  However, until the present study by Wolff et al. (2024), all previous studies had largely ignored whether these individual differences in the valuation of effort might depend on the context (mental versus physical), i.e., in layman's terms, we do not know whether people value any effort or whether these preferences are specific to the mental and/or physical domain. The aim of the present study (Wolff et al., 2024) was to answer this question on the basis of two independent studies.

Study 1 (N = 39) used a binary decision task to measure preferences for allocating mental versus physical effort and showed that people differ markedly in their preferred allocation of effort. Crucially, a disposition to value mental effort (as assessed by the Need for Cognition Scale) was associated with a higher preference for mental effort, whereas a disposition to value physical effort (as assessed by the recently developed Value of Physical Effort Scale) was associated with a preference for physical effort.

Study 2 (N = 300 students) confirmed the robustness of the findings and showed that the tendency to value mental effort was associated with better grades in math (but showed no evidence of such an association in sport), whereas the tendency to value physical effort was associated with better grades in sport (but showed no evidence of such an association in math). Furthermore, the study extended these findings by showing that valuing physical effort was associated with less boredom in sports, whereas valuing mental effort was associated with less boredom in math.

In summary, the results of this research provide the first evidence suggesting that the valuation of effort is domain-specific rather than general. This finding paves the way for future research aimed at improving our understanding of the valuation of physical or mental effort. This article makes an important contribution to the knowledge of the key issues surrounding whether effort valuation is domain-specific or general.

Since all reviewers have indicated that they are satisfied with the authors' revision, which accurately and comprehensively addresses the reviewers' and my comments, it is my pleasure to recommend this preprint.

 
References

Cheval B, Boisgontier MP. The theory of effort minimization in physical activity. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2021;49(3):168-178. https://doi.org/10.1249/JES.0000000000000252

Inzlicht M, Shenhav A, Olivola CY. The effort paradox: effort is both costly and valued. Trends Cogn Sci. 2018;22(4):337-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.01.007

Wolff W, Stähler J, Schüler J, Bieleke M. On the specifics of valuing effort: a developmental and a formalized perspective on preferences for mental and physical effort. PsyArXiv, version 3. Peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Health and Movement Sciences. 
https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ycvxw
On the specifics of valuing effort: a developmental and a formalized perspective on preferences for mental and physical effortWanja Wolff, Johanna Stähler, Julia Schüler, Maik Bieleke<p>Effort is instrumental for goal pursuit. But its exertion is aversive and people tend to invest as little effort as possible. Contrary to this principle of least effort, research shows that effort is sometimes treated as if it was valuable in i...Exercise & Sports Psychology, Physical EducationBoris Cheval2023-09-06 09:05:07 View
15 Jun 2024
article picture

Kinesiophobia and physical activity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Evidence of the Association between Kinesiophobia and Physical Inactivity

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Paquito Bernard and 1 anonymous reviewer

This article (Goubran et al., 2024) presents a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis examining the relationship between kinesiophobia and physical activity. The inclusion of multiple health conditions and diverse measures of physical activity and kinesiophobia provides a broad perspective on the issue. 

Kinesiophobia (i.e., an excessive, irrational, and debilitating fear of movement) is thought to contribute to negative affective associations towards physical activity and avoidance behaviors, leading to decreased engagement in physical activity. Thus, the relationship between kinesiophobia and physical activity merits further investigation, particularly in health conditions where physical activity has a preventative and/or therapeutic role. 

The results of this meta-analysis (k = 83, n = 12,278) indicate a small-to-moderate negative correlation between kinesiophobia and physical activity (r = −0.19; 95% CI: −0.26 to −0.13; I2 = 85.5%; p < 0.0001.) Substantial heterogeneity and publication bias were noted, but p-curve analysis suggested true effects. Notably, this finding was consistent across studies using both self-report and objective device-based measures, and there was no evidence of a moderating effect of different measurement instruments or physical activity outcomes. 

Subgroup analyses revealed that the negative association between kinesiophobia and physical activity is significant in patients with cardiac, rheumatologic, neurologic, or pulmonary conditions but not in those with chronic or acute pain. This latter finding underscores the need to distinguish kinesiophobia from pain. Understanding that the fear of pain, injury, or aggravating an underlying condition, rather than actual pain, is associated with physical inactivity is important to consider when developing interventions to promote physical activity. Tailored interventions that address kinesiophobia specific to different health conditions could enhance physical activity levels and improve health outcomes. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying kinesiophobia and evaluate the efficacy of targeted interventions to mitigate its impact. 

This article makes an important contribution to our understanding of the relationship between kinesiophobia and physical activity. It provides evidence that fear of movement can be a barrier to physical activity in certain health conditions and highlights the need for condition-specific approaches to address this issue. This work is highly relevant for clinicians, researchers, and public health policymakers aiming to improve physical activity levels and overall health outcomes in a variety of populations.

 

References

Goubran, M., Farajzadeh, A., Lahart, I.M., Bilodeau, M. & Boisgontier, M.P. (2024). Physical activity and kinesiophobia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. MedRxiv, version. 3 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Health and Movement Science. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.17.23294240

Kinesiophobia and physical activity: A systematic review and meta-analysisGoubran M, Farajzadeh A, Lahart IM, Bilodeau M, Boisgontier MP<p><strong>Objective. </strong>Physical activity contributes to the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of multiple diseases. However, in some patients, an excessive, irrational, and debilitating fear of movement (i.e., kinesiophobia) is t...Exercise & Sports Psychology, Health & Disease, Physical Activity, RehabilitationJasmin Hutchinson Paquito Bernard2023-08-21 07:07:46 View
06 Mar 2024
article picture

Not fleeting but lasting: Limited influence of aging on implicit adaptative motor learning and its short-term retention

Does aging affect implicit motor adaptation?

Recommended by based on reviews by Kevin Trewartha and Marit Ruitenberg
Motor adaptation to environmental perturbations (such as visuomotor rotations and force fields) is thought to be achieved through the interaction of  implicit and explicit processes [1]. However, the extent to which these processes are affected by aging is unclear, partly because of differences in experimental protocols. In this paper, Hermans et al. [2] address the question of whether the implicit component of learning is affected in older adults. 
 
Using a force-field adaptation paradigm, the authors examine implicit adaptation and spontaneous recovery in healthy young and older adults. Overall, the authors found that both total adaptation and implicit adaptation was not affected in older adults. They also found evidence that spontaneous recovery was associated with implicit adaptation, but was not affected in older adults. 
 
These results are noteworthy because they challenge some prior work in the field [3], but are also consistent with results from other experimental paradigms [4]. A main strength of the current paper is the rigor applied to testing this question. The authors provide robust, converging evidence from multiple analyses and statistical methods, and control for confounds both statistically and experimentally.
 
Readers might want to note that this is a ‘conceptual’ replication of the previous study [3], and there are some potentially important differences in experimental details, which are clearly outlined. The sensitivity of the findings to such experimental parameters needs further testing. More broadly, these results highlight the need for greater understanding of how age differences observed in other motor learning tasks [5] are reflective of deficits in learning mechanisms.
 
References
1.     Taylor, J. A., & Ivry, R. B. (2011). Flexible cognitive strategies during motor learning. PLoS computational biology, 7(3), e1001096. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1001096
2.     Hermans, P., Vandevoorde, K., & Orban de Xivry, J. J. (2024). Not fleeting but lasting: Limited influence of aging on implicit adaptative motor learning and its short-term retention. bioRxiv, ver.2, peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Health & Movement Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.30.555501
3.     Trewartha, K. M., Garcia, A., Wolpert, D. M., & Flanagan, J. R. (2014). Fast but fleeting: adaptive motor learning processes associated with aging and cognitive decline. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 34(40), 13411–13421. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1489-14.2014
4.     Vandevoorde, K., & Orban de Xivry, J. J. (2019). Internal model recalibration does not deteriorate with age while motor adaptation does. Neurobiology of aging, 80, 138–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.03.020
5.     Voelcker-Rehage, C. (2008). Motor-skill learning in older adults—a review of studies on age-related differences. European review of aging and physical activity 5, 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11556-008-0030-9
 
Not fleeting but lasting: Limited influence of aging on implicit adaptative motor learning and its short-term retentionPauline Hermans, Koen Vandevoorde, Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry<p>In motor adaptation, learning is thought to rely on a combination of several processes. Two of these are implicit learning (incidental updating of the sensory prediction error) and explicit learning (intentional adjustment to reduce target erro...Sensorimotor ControlRajiv Ranganathan Marit Ruitenberg, Kevin Trewartha2023-09-02 13:23:44 View
18 Feb 2024
article picture

Interlimb coordination in Parkinson’s Disease is minimally affected by a visuospatial dual task

A recommendation of ‘Interlimb coordination in Parkinson’s Disease is minimally affected by a visuospatial dual task’

Recommended by ORCID_LOGO based on reviews by Nicholas D'Cruz and 1 anonymous reviewer

Effective gait fundamentally requires spatial and temporal coordination of upper and lower limbs. Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often exhibit impaired coordination, leading to adverse events such as freezing of gait and falls (Plotnik et al. 2008). Despite their significance, the current literature lacks depth in our understanding of this characteristic, especially their adaptation to changing task demands and symptom laterality. Exploring these relationships may provide new insights into PD gait and facilitate the evaluation of potential treatments. With these objectives in mind, the present study conducted by Hill & Nantel (2024) includes 17 participants with mild to moderate PD and focuses on coordination within and between the more and less affected sides during both single and dual gait tasks. In the study, spatial coordination, assessed by range of motion, range of motion variability, and peak flexion for the shoulder and hip joints, was examined alongside temporal coordination, which was evaluated using the phase coordination index and variability of continuous relative phase.

Their analysis reveals that, due to dual tasking, only the shoulder range of motion and peak flexion decreased within the least affected side, adding to the existing knowledge on arm swing impairments in early-stage PD (Navarro-López et al. 2022). However, no significant difference was observed between the more and less affected sides. Hip range of motion showed dual task-related differences between sides, while lower intralimb phase variability did not. The primary strength of the article lies in its attempt to systematically explore these differences in PD. As the authors pointed out, to interpret the clinical significance of these differences as well as the null findings on temporal coordination, it may be necessary to include a healthy control group or other comparison groups, such as individuals with severe PD. When interpreting these results, readers may also pay attention to the methodological choices, such as the patient-reported most affected side and the choice of dual task. Overall, the study will be of interest to researchers studying intra- and inter-limb coordination during gait in PD.   

References

Plotnik, M., & Hausdorff, J. M. (2008). The role of gait rhythmicity and bilateral coordination of stepping in the pathophysiology of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Movement disorders: official journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 23(S2), S444-S450. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.21984 

Hill, A., & Nantel, J. (2024). Interlimb coordination in Parkinson’s Disease is minimally affected by a visuospatial dual task. bioRxiv, ver. 3 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Health and Movement Science. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.15.500215 

Navarro-Lopez, V., Fernandez-Vazquez, D., Molina-Rueda, F., Cuesta-Gomez, A., Garcia-Prados, P., del-Valle-Gratacos, M., & Carratala-Tejada, M. (2022). Arm-swing kinematics in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gait & Posture, 98, 85-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.08.017 

Interlimb coordination in Parkinson’s Disease is minimally affected by a visuospatial dual taskAllen Hill, Julie Nantel<p style="text-align: justify;">Parkinson’s disease (PD) leads to reduced spatial and temporal interlimb coordination during gait as well as reduced coordination in the upper or lower limbs. Multi-tasking when walking is common during real-world a...Biomechanics, Health & Disease, Sensorimotor ControlDeepak Ravi2023-10-13 21:54:15 View