Neuromotor behavior and exercise

The international conference of the Society for the Neural Control of Movement took place from 15-19 April in Dubrovnik, Croatia. A total of 520 scientists from all over the world presented their research findings in the field of neuromotor control in presentations, panel discussions and poster sessions. This year, the Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise Department of the University of Münster was represented by Lena Kopnarski. She presented her research in one of the poster sessions entitled "The influence of object weight on handover actions in young and old adults".
 

Prof. Michael Brach and Ellen Bentlage from the Movement Science department, as well as Prof. Claudia Voelcker-Rehage and Piesie Asuako Gyimah from the Neuromotor Behaviour and Exercise department attended the self-organised PhysAgeNet event at the Lithuanian Sport University. They contributed in various roles over four days to the workshops and the PhysAgeNet/EGRAPA scientific conference on the topic of “Evidence-based physical activity in old age”. Further information: here and here

Researchers from the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences provided insights into this at the third symposium on individualization hosted by the JICE Institute, which is supported by Bielefeld University and the University of Münster. In this interview, Münster sports scientist Professor Dr Claudia Voelcker-Rehage and Bielefeld economist Dr. Niels Boissonnet explain what makes the institute’s interdisciplinary approach so valuable for their research. They explain how the focus on individualization enables innovations in a wide range of areas—from optimizing performance in sport to ethical questions of resource distribution. Read the full interview.

Handover actions refer to the transfer of an object from one person to another. In a recently published study by our research group, it was shown that people observe the movements of their partners in handover actions. In this task, for example, receivers pay attention to the velocity of the giver in order to obtain information about the handover object. We were able to show that receivers are able to estimate the weight of objects by observing the giver's kinematics. You can find the article in full length here.

Robert Stojan recently presented the 'Parkinson Vibrating Socks' project (funded by InterregVI) to an audience of numerous members of the Parkinson Forum Kreis Steinfurt e.V.. The project is centred on cross-border cooperation between universities, clinics and companies in Germany and the Netherlands. The aim of the project is the scientifically supported development of a vibrotactile cueing system for people with Parkinson's disease who suffer from the symptom of freezing of the gait. The cueing system is intended to improve the mobility and quality of life of affected people. Further information about the project and the opportunity to participate in studies can be found on our homepage.


 

Today (1st March 2024) is the official launch of the EU-funded doctoral network TReND, coordinated by the Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise at the University of Münster. Within this network, 12 doctoral students at 8 participating institutions across Europe will conduct research to transfer fundamental knowledge about motor control and motor learning to clinical applications. The goal is to promote the rehabilitation of neurological diseases. Further information about the network can be found here.

We warmly welcome Stefan Maas, who joins our team in the Neuromotor and Training department to do his PhD in the "Parkinson Vibrating Socks" project. Having already gained valuable experience as a student assistant in the "Joint Action" project for three years, Stefan is now continuing his scientific journey with us. His previous work on the Joint Action project and his Master of Education provide a solid foundation for his success in our research project."

From January 15th to 19th, 2024, Dr. Julian Rudisch, PD Dr. Dieter Kutz, and Prof. Dr. Claudia Voelcker-Rehage were invited to the 12th Annual Winter Academy of the Department of Movement and Training Science at the University of Bern in Blatten-Belalp, Switzerland. The event was held under the motto "Sensorimotor Uncertainty and Functional Variability." The hosting colleagues from Bern, Damian Beck, Dr. Stephan Zahno, and Prof. Dr. Ernst-Joachim Hossner, are partners in the EU-funded MSCA Doctoral Network TReND, which officially launches on March 1st, 2024. The meeting was therefore utilized to engage in intensive discussions about the fundamental theoretical understanding of dealing with sensorimotor uncertainty and the relevance of functional variability for motor control in neuromotor disorders.