MAIN MOVI-LAB’s RESEARCH INTERESTS:

MOTOR CONTROL AND BIOMECHANICS 

 

The MOVI-LAB’s research focus is to contribute to understanding neuromotor mechanisms underlying how human movements are planned and controlled throughout the aging cycle. In particular, our research team concentrates on the interaction of the neural system, sensory information and mechanical system in daily movements, such as locomotion and postural task, and sports performance, such as soccer kicking movement and posture in skillful movements.

Our research approach consists of a combination of experimental studies, clinical studies, and exercise and training interventions in daily life behavioral. The studies aimed at unraveling the interplay between organismic, task-related, and environmental constraints examining human movement in neurologically healthy individuals (e.g. athletes,  and physically active and sedentary young and old adults) and people with movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis). We tackle these problems from a multi-disciplinary perspective translating our findings outside the laboratory context. The MOVI-LAB’s main research topics are:

 

1) Movement disorders and motor control
The research approach consists of a combination of experimental, clinical and interventional studies aimed at understanding the neuromotor mechanisms underlying how human movements, specially gait and posture, are planned and controlled in people with movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, etc. A series of studies has been developed seeking to understand the mechanisms of movement, sensory information influence and neural control in individuals with movement disorders, included or not in a physical activity program.

Current research projects:
– Effect of medication, dual tasking and asymmetry on the cortical brain activity during gait in older people with Parkinson’s disease
– Effect of difficulty and domain of dual task on elderly people with Parkinson’s disease: analysis of the activity of the cerebral cortex and the spatiotemporal parameters during locomotion 
– The behavior of levodopa action on locomotion in older people with Parkinson’s disease
– Gait initiation and Parkinson’s disease: influence of obstacle, cognitive task and sensory information
– Challenges encountered during complex walking tasks in people with Parkinson’s disease: Manipulating obstacle characteristics and configuration

 

2) Biomechanics, motor control and athletic performance
The best performance in sports is the dream of all athletes. To improve the performance is necessary for a detailed analysis of the movement. Therefore, the aim of this project is to analyze the performance of the athletes in different sports from the point of view of biomechanics and motor control. For this, a series of studies has been developed seeking to answer questions related to the human movement applied to sports.

Current research projects:
– Influence of sleep quality, post-activation potentiation and cold-water immersion on kicking mechanics and performance in young soccer players
– Visual cues and kicking performance in futsal: effect of time for decision making and fatigue

 

3) Impact of muscle fatigue on mechanics and motor control of walking and posture
The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of muscle fatigue on mechanics and motor control of walking and posture in different environments. Series of fatigue and walking and posture experiments addressed the effect of leg muscle fatigue on walking and postural control in different environments, the impact of age and movement disorders on gait adjustments and postural control with muscle fatigue, and effects of fatigue in task-specific muscle groups on mechanics and control of gait during stepping down and challenging postures.

Current research projects:
– Effects of muscle fatigue on postural control in people with multiple sclerosis
– Effects of age and fatigue on gait