Key research themes
1. How do angle and velocity affect the biomechanics and injury risk in sideward change of direction movements?
This research area investigates the biomechanical demands and injury risk factors associated with sideward movements involving changes of direction (COD) at different angles and approach velocities. It matters because optimizing performance and reducing injuries in multidirectional sports depend on understanding how these variables influence joint loading, ground reaction forces, muscle activation, and technical execution during sideward maneuvers.
2. What neural mechanisms and hemispheric lateralization underpin motor lateralization and sideward movement control in vertebrates?
This theme explores brain hemispheric specialization and its expression in lateralized motor behaviors related to sideward movements. Understanding hemispheric dominance, lateralized righting responses, limb preference, and proprioceptive acuity enriches knowledge about motor control lateralization across species and provides insight into how these processes relate to movement asymmetries and affective states.
3. How do visual and somatosensory cues integrate to support perception and control of sideward movement during self-motion?
Research in this theme examines multisensory integration mechanisms, particularly optical flow in peripheral and central vision and proprioceptive inputs, that enable individuals to parse environmental object motion from self-motion. This is critical for safely navigating and adjusting sideward movements in dynamic contexts.
4. How do mechanical perturbations and force asymmetries affect coordination and control in bimanual and sideward movements?
This theme focuses on how external force fields and bodily asymmetries modulate stability, phase deviation, and variability during coordinated movements, including sideward and cross-limb motor tasks. Understanding these dynamics helps in modeling motor coordination under asymmetric load conditions relevant for rehabilitation and robotics.
5. What perceptual distortions and lateralized preferences affect sideward movement perception and execution?
This area investigates how perceptual illusions, directional biases (linked to handedness or reading habits), and limb preferences influence perception and execution of sideward movements. These insights have implications for interpreting motor asymmetries and designing interventions aimed at improving sideward movement accuracy.