THE INTERACTION BETWEEN STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE PARAMETERS AND GENERAL AND SPECIFIC COGNITIVE SKILLS IN MOTOR ACTIVITIES IN PREADOLESCENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeag.70.sp.iss.2.41Keywords:
Static balance, IQ, attention, visual memory, working memoryAbstract
Introduction: Balance and cognitive abilities share common neural structures and processing areas, especially within the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. Objective: The objective was to analyze the relationship between general and specific cognitive skills related to motor activities and balance in preadolescents. Material and Methods: This research included children aged 10-13 years (N=116) from a middle school in Iași, Romania. The subjects performed static balance tests on a force plate and a dynamic balance test. The cognitive skills specific to motor activities were evaluated using the Witty Sem device, while general cognitive skills were assessed using the Raven Progressive Matrices. Results: A series of good correlations were observed between the parameters of static balance and the results of attention, working memory, visual memory, and IQ tests. After linear regression, some static balance parameters and the force applied on the support leg explained over 30% of the variance in cognitive abilities. Discussion: The findings of this research are consistent with previous studies highlighting the interdependence between balance control and cognitive functions, particularly in relation to executive abilities and processing speed. Conclusions: The correlations obtained support the hypothesis that both balance and cognition rely on shared neural mechanisms located in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. Also, the identified associations between applied force and IQ could represent an additional research topic, as we have not found studies in the specialized literature that investigate this link.
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