Luca Oppici

• von Bechtolsheim, Felix; Bielert, Florian; Schmidt, Sofia; Buck, Nathalie; Bodenstedt, Sebastian & Speidel, Stefanie [Vis alle 16 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2024). Can you feel the force just right? Tactile force feedback for training of minimally invasive surgery—evaluation of vibration feedback for adequate force application. Surgical Endoscopy. ISSN 0930-2794. doi: 10.1007/s00464-024-10919-3.
• O'Callaghan, Laura; Foweather, Lawrence; Crotti, Matteo; Oppici, Luca; Pesce, Caterina & Boddy, Lynne [Vis alle 8 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Associations of physical activity dose and movement quality with executive functions in socioeconomically disadvantaged children aged 5–6 years. Psychology of Sport And Exercise. ISSN 1469-0292. 70. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102546. Vis sammendrag

  Background: Growing up in areas of high deprivation can negatively impact children's movement behaviours and cognitive development. Enhancing the quantity and quality of children's movement experiences is believed to enhance cognitive development. This study investigated the association of three different modes of movement assessment, movement proficiency and divergent movement ability (collectively understood as motor competence) and PA dose with executive function in a low socio-economic demographic. Demographics, motor competence, and a combination of motor competence and physical activity were hypothesized to be significantly predictor of executive functions. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 360 children aged 5–6 years from deprived areas were assessed using three movement assessments: wrist-worn accelerometery for physical activity dose, Test of Gross Motor Development-3 for movement proficiency, and divergent movement assessment. Executive function, including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, was measured using the NIH Toolbox on an iPad. Multiple linear regression models were designed to evaluate the independent and combined association of demographics, movement competence and physical activity variables with executive function. Results: The regression analysis, with demographic factors only, explained 12% of EF variance (r2 = 0.12 95%CI 0.06–0.18). In addition to this demographics the model with divergent movement explained 19% of EF variance (r2 = 0.19 95% CI = 0.12–0.28), the model with movement proficiency explained 16% of EF variance (r2 = 0.16 95% CI = 0.08–0.26) and the model with PA dose explained 13% of EF variance (r2 = 0.13 95% CI = 0.07–0.20). In these models both divergent movement and proficiency were significant predictors, whilst physical activity variables were not. The final models, combining motor competence and physical activity variables, explained 24% and 23% of EF variance (r2 = 0.24 CI = 0.14–0.33 and r2 = 0.23 CI = 0.14–0.32). In these models, motor competence variables were significant predictors, and only vigorous physical activity and Euclidean Norm Minus One emerged as significant PA dose predictors. Discussion: These findings emphasise that motor competence and physical activity variables better predict executive functions when they are combined. When considered individually both motor competence variables were significant predictors of executive function whilst physical activity variables were not. Importantly, among the two movement competence facets, divergent movement assessment exhibited the strongest association with executive function. Future interventions should consider how to facilitate both movement and cognitive development in children. Future interventions should consider both the interplay of movement quality and quantity and the importance of environments that invite children’s exploratory movement behavior.

• Oppici, Luca; Mathias, Brian; Narciss, Susanne & Proske, Antje (2023). Benefits of Enacting and Observing Gestures on Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Behavioral Sciences. ISSN 2076-328X. 13(11). doi: 10.3390/bs13110920.
• Grütters, Kim; Narciss, Susanne; Beaudette, Shawn M. & Oppici, Luca (2023). Reducing Lumbar Flexion in a Repetitive Lifting Task: Comparison of Leukotape and Kinesio Tape and Their Effect on Lumbar Proprioception. Applied Sciences. ISSN 2076-3417. 13(10). doi: 10.3390/app13105908. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Rigid leukotape applied to the skin of the trunk dorsum, superficial to the lumbar paraspinals, has been shown to reduce lumbar flexion in repetitive lifting, with the potential to reduce the risk of injury in jobs requiring the handling of material. It is unclear which mechanism underpins this reduction, and whether a tape with more elastic properties (i.e., kinesio tape) can yield similar results. In this study, twelve participants were randomly allocated into two groups, and practiced a repetitive lifting task with either leukotape or kinesio tape applied to the skin of their trunk dorsum. The participants also performed a sagittal plane repositioning task to assess changes in lumbar proprioception. The results showed a small reduction in lumbar flexion in the kinesio tape group and a moderate reduction in the leukotape group, and suggested a reduction in repositioning errors in the kinesio tape group only. We suggest that leukotape may correct the movement and improve performance during a flexion-based task, while kinesio tape may improve lumbar proprioception and promote learning. These results have implications for the choice and use of wearable textiles aiming to reduce injury risks in the manual handling industry.

• Oppici, Luca; Stell, Frederike Marie; Utesch, Till; Woods, Carl T.; Foweather, Lawrence & Rudd, James Robert (2022). A Skill Acquisition Perspective on the Impact of Exergaming Technology on Foundational Movement Skill Development in Children 3–12 Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine - Open. ISSN 2198-9761. 8. doi: 10.1186/s40798-022-00534-8. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Background: Sedentary, digital screen time in children represents a major concern due to its detrimental effect on children’s development. Nowadays, however, advances in technology allow children to actively interact with a digital screen using their whole body (e.g., exergaming), providing potential for movement learning. Exergaming technology may prove valuable in supporting children’s development of foundational movement skills (FMS). Objective: To examine the impact of exergaming technology on the development of FMS in children 3–12 years through a skill acquisition lens. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus databases were searched between 2007 and 2022. Studies were eligible if they conducted an exergaming intervention to improve FMS in typically developing children aged three to twelve with a control group, using a baseline and post-intervention assessment design. FMS outcomes were pooled with a random effects model. Results: Nine trials (4 RCTs, 2 cluster RCTs and 3 non-randomized trials) of varying methodological quality (2 had low, 6 had some concerns, and 1 had a high risk of bias) were included, with a total of 783 participants. FMS outcome measures across studies comprised object control skills, locomotor skills, coordination, agility, balance and balance-related skills. The meta-analysis included showed a small positive effect in favor of the exergaming intervention (r = 0.24 [95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.36]). Conclusion: Our results indicate that screen-based technology that requires an active engagement of the child can promote the development of FMS. Considering that FMS are the foundation of a child’s physical, mental, health and academic development, this finding could lead to a reshaping of the perception of digital screen-based technology and the role this should play in children’s lives. We speculate that the observed benefits most likely depend upon the quality of information–movement coupling specificity and the motor learning strategies built into the exergame and/or the intervention design. We do not believe this is dependent on the type of FMS being performed or the amount of practice. We recommend therefore that future research should examine how practitioners (school teachers, coaches and parents) can facilitate the interaction between a child and exergaming technology.

• Oppici, Luca; Grütters, Kim; Bechtolsheim, Felix & Speidel, Stefanie (2022). How does the modality of delivering force feedback influence the performance and learning of surgical suturing skills? We don’t know, but we better find out! A review. Surgical Endoscopy. ISSN 0930-2794. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09740-7. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Background: Force feedback is a critical element for performing and learning surgical suturing skill. Force feedback is impoverished or not present at all in non-open surgery (i.e., in simulation, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgery), but it can be augmented using different modalities. This rapid, systematic review examines how the modality of delivering force feedback influences the performance and learning of surgical suturing skills. Methods: An electronic search was performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase databases to identify relevant articles. The results were synthesized using vote counting based on direction of effect. Results: A total of nine studies of medium-to-low quality were included. The synthesis of results suggests that the visual modality could be more beneficial than the tactile and auditory modalities in improving force control and that auditory and tactile modalities could be more beneficial than the visual modality in improving suturing performance. Results are mixed and unclear with regards to how modality affects the reduction of force magnitude and unclear when unimodal was compared to multimodal feedback. The studies have a general low level of evidence. Conclusion: The low number of studies with low methodological quality and low level of evidence (most were proof of concept) prevents us from drawing any meaningful conclusion and as such it is currently unknown whether and how force feedback modality influences surgical suturing skill. Speculatively, the visual modality may be more beneficial for improving the control of exerted force, while auditory and tactile modalities may be more effective in improving the overall suturing performance. We consider the issue of feedback modality to be highly relevant in this field, and we encourage future research to conduct further investigation integrating principles from learning psychology and neuroscience: identify feedback goal, context, and skill level and then design and compare feedback modalities accordingly.

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