ULM CHED Research Hub
Faculty Mini-grant Proposal
Under $500.00
Project:
Development of computer assisted data-collection apparatus for fine motor skill measures to include
simple and choice reaction time, pursuit rotor, anticipation timing, spatial and temporal accuracy, and
trace movement.
Introduction and Rationale:
A variety of commercial available software packages exist for data acquisition in psychological studies
that typically require keystroke responses to record responses to varied stimuli that may be presented
by computer driven hardware. Unfortunately, no commercially available software exists that allows the
same type of data to be acquired requiring more exacting movement by subjects. For example, E-prime
software (Psychmate) is a powerful, commercially available software program which allows acquisition
of simple and choice reaction times by keystroke response. In order to utilize this type of program to
investigate questions in motor acquisition and motor control, more complex and exacting movements
are required by subjects. As such, while the E-prime software is adaptable to allow a variety of tasks
currently it is not programmed to allow the type of responses that are required for motor studies. This
grant will utilize funding to develop software modifications to allow E-prime to be applied to motor
studies.
Methodology:
Grant funding will be utilized to pay graduate student wages for computer programming to adapt Eprime software to allow an interface to a touch-screen monitor for responses to typical fine motor skill
tests. A graduate student in computer engineering with the appropriate training and experience has
been identified and is available for this project.
Outcomes:
The development of this motor data acquisition system will allow the Human Motion Analysis Lab
(Department of Health and Human Performance) to capture data in fine motor skills. Such capability will
be useful in many current and potential studies. Currently, the department of Health and Human
Performance has ongoing research by three master’s candidates that are examining various aspects of
motor learning or control that would greatly benefit from the ability to gather fine motor skill data in
addition to the ability to gather gross motor skill data currently available in our lab.
Specifically, we are currently examining the impact of the utilization of Wii gaming on the acquisition of
a gross motor skill (dynamic balance) in children. The development of the proposed system would allow
the examination of Wii gaming on fine motor skills as well. We are also currently examining the impact
of simultaneous cognitive and kinesthetic tasks on the control of a gross motor skill (dynamic balance) to
assess the effects of attention. The development of the proposed system would allow the examination
of attention deficits on fine motor skill as well. Additionally, we are examining the biomechanical effects
of hippotherapy on children with cerebral palsy, particularly related to locomotor gait changes pre- and
post-hippotherapy. The development of the proposed system would allow us to examine the effects of
hippotherapy on fine motor skill effects as well.
Budget (either:
We are requesting $591.00 (graduate student wage @$9.10 per hour, 65 hours).