Background. Adults benefit more from external focus than internal focus when performing motor skills. Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of internal and external focus of attention on dart throwing performance in children with and without developmental coordination disorder. Methods. Twenty men, 20 normal boys and 20 boys with developmental coordination disorder were selected by Motor Observation Questionnaire for Teachers. The task was to throw the darts to the target which was performed in two experimental conditions including internal (related to the movements of the fingers and arm) and external (related to target and dart's course) focus of attention. Results. The results of ANOVA with repeated measures indicated that along with Constrained Action Hypothesis, adults performed better in condition of external focus of attention. However, for normal children, the use of internal focus of attention was more effective and in children with developmental coordination disorder, no significant difference between two conditions was found. Conclusion. According to results of this study, therapists and coaches should adjust their methods and instructions based on age, experience and developmental conditions of individuals.

Introduction. The risk of falling and its subsequent injuries increases with aging. Impaired balance and gait are important contributing factors to the increased risk of falling. A wide range of methods was examined to improve balance, but these interventions might produce small effects or be inapplicable for this population. The current study aimed at investigating the effect of motor imaginary (MI) training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the cerebellum on balance in middle-aged women with high fall risk. Methods. Thirty subjects aged 40-65 years old were divided into two groups including intervention ( n = 15 ) and sham control ( n = 15 ). The participants completed a 4-week program 3 times per week. The intervention group performed MI training combined with tDCS over the cerebellum, and the control group performed MI training combined with sham tDCS over the cerebellum. Static and dynamic balance were measured at baseline and after completing the 4-week program using balance error scoring system (BESS) and Y balance testing, respectively. Result. A one-way analysis of covariance and paired t -tests were used to analyze the data. Significant improvement was observed in both balance tests in the intervention group after the implementation of the 4-week intervention program compared to the control group. The within-group analysis showed that both static and dynamic balance improved significantly from the baseline values only in the intervention group ( p < 0.05 ) and not in the control group ( p > 0.05 ). Conclusion. The results of the study indicate that MI training combined with tDCS over the cerebellum can lead to balance improvement in middle-aged women with high fall risk.

Objective: Knee brace is one of the lower limb abnormalities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of knee kinematical parameters on the development of knee Genu Varum. Methods: This study’s statistical sample was 32 taekwondo practitioners with red and black belts of sports clubs in the northeast of Tehran, determined using G-Power software and in two groups of 16 people in terms of gender, age, and membership in the field. The 8-week training intervention, which included 3session of 1-hour training sessions emphasizing performing the techniques of up-chulogi and yup-chaggy, was performed for the experimental group. The control group did not have any specific activity during this period. Knee kinematic indices include naval drop size tests, tibial torsion, Q angle, androgen enterogen, internal and external hip rotation, and knee hyperextension in the two groups of healthy and injured in pre and posttest was evaluated. The data were statistically analyzed using descriptive analysis using t-test and SPSS V. 23 software. Results: According to the study results, a significant positive relationship was observed between the variables of the selected technique of up-chology and the technique of up-chugi on the incidence of knee Genu Varum. Also, there was a significant difference between the indices of naval drop (P=0.003), torsion (P=0.006), Q angle (P=0.005) and knee hyperextension (P=0.001) in pre-test to post-test results. Conclusion: The selected exercises have increased the distance between the knees and functional disorders. Because the braced knee may play a role in influencing athletes’ negative performance and injury in training and competition, it is necessary to consider it in studies related to the prevention of potential injuries.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effect of corrective exercise and corrective games on upper crossed syndrome in female students. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study performed with the pre-test and post-test method. The study sample consisted of 60 people who were selected purposely, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and the rate of the disorder. In the study sample, the mean±SD of age, height, and weight were 14.16±1.08 years, 133.49±5.59 cm, and 44.73±8.24 kg, respectively. The study samples were randomly assigned into three groups: corrective exercises group (n=20), corrective games group (n=20), and control group (n=20). Students with upper extremity syndrome were first identified through checkered screening and the New York test. Then, the subjects of both intervention groups performed the selected training programs for eight weeks, based on the defined protocols. Finally, the one-way ANOVA, paired t-test, and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to compare the between-group differences. Also, the significance level was considered as P<0.05. Results: After eight weeks of exercise, the intra-group changes in head forward, kyphosis, and shoulder angle were significant in the corrective exercises group (P=0.001) and the corrective games group (P=0.001). Also, the three study groups significantly differed in frontal angle, kyphosis, and shoulder angle (P=0.001). Conclusion: According to the findings, the corrective exercises and corrective games can effectively reduce the angle of head forward, kyphosis, and shoulder in affected persons. Therefore, researchers and specialists should plan these programs. Moreover, it is recommended to use the corrective exercises used in this study with the mentioned principles and have direct and accurate supervision of their implementation to ensure the correctness of the movements.

This case-control study aimed at comparing the kyphosis angle, position of the shoulder, the strength of rotator cuff muscles, and the range of shoulder motions in volleyball players with and without impingement syndrome. Methods: The participants were 22 male professional volleyball players with at least 5 years of training experience. Eleven volleyball players with impingement syndrome and eleven without impingement syndrome were selected from accessible gyms by simple non-probabilistic sampling. The research tools were a flexible ruler, a measuring tape, a goniometer, a pull-up bar, a dynamometer, and tests to measure the distance between spinal midline and the shoulder, kyphosis angle, flexibility, range of motion, and isometric strength of the shoulder girdle muscles in abduction, adduction, flexion, extension, horizontal adduction, and horizontal abduction. Data were analyzed using SPSS V. 19 software and the Shapiro-Wilk test and independent t-test. Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of kyphosis angle, the distance between spinal midline and the shoulder, range of motion of the glenohumeral joint in abduction, and isometric strength of the shoulder girdle muscles in abduction, flexion, and extension (P<0.01). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of flexibility of the shoulder when lying on the abdomen with arms stretched out in front, endurance in the strength of the shoulder girdle muscles, and isometric strength of the shoulder girdle muscles in adduction, horizontal adduction, and horizontal abduction (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that angle of kyphosis, scapula distance to spine, range of motion of the shoulder, factor profile of a range of motion, and isometric muscle strength of shoulder girdle altered in people with shoulder impingement syndrome, and dysfunctions in these factors may result in shoulder impingement syndrome and athlete performance inefficiency.