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Pain-induced Impact on Movement: Motor Coordination Variability and Accuracy-based Skill
Hasan Arieh1, Behrouz Abdoli1, Alireza Farsi1
1Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Science in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience
|December 2, 2022
Summary
Pain did not significantly impact throwing accuracy or coordination variability in a study of young adults. Further research is needed to confirm these findings on motor function under pain conditions.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Motor Control
- Pain Research
Background:
- Pain can arise from nerve/muscle lesions or impact kinematic patterns post-injury.
- Pain is a significant cause of disability, often leading to impaired movement and altered motor control.
- Movement variability is crucial in motor learning and performance, with pain potentially altering coordination patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of induced pain on coordination variability and throwing accuracy.
- To understand how pain influences motor control and skill execution in young adults.
Main Methods:
- 30 participants (18-25 years) practiced a throwing task.
- Participants were divided into local pain, remote pain, and control groups for testing.
- Testing occurred 24 hours and 1 week after skill acquisition and pain induction.
Main Results:
- Throwing accuracy was not significantly affected by pain (P=0.456).
- Movement variability in shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints during acceleration and deceleration phases showed no significant differences between pain and control groups.
- Specific P-values for variability in different joint combinations and phases were reported (e.g., P=0.518, P=0.399).
Conclusions:
- Coordination variability and throwing accuracy remained similar in groups experiencing pain compared to the control group.
- Additional research is recommended to validate these findings on motor function during pain.
- Pain's influence on motor performance requires further investigation, particularly concerning compensatory movement strategies.
