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Psychological Articles Explaining Brain Coordination  

Article by Ravi verma

A silly little trick has been circulating throughout the cyber worldfor some time, similar to trying to pat your head and rub yourstomach, but this one involves the coordinating movements of yourhands and feet. The foot trick goes something like this: While sittingupright in a chair, lift your right foot off the floor and makeclockwise circles. Then, while making clockwise circles with yourright foot, draw the number 6 in the air with your right hand. Thecatch is to try to keep your right foot moving in a clockwisedirection while drawing the ’6′ in the air. It is very difficult, ifnot impossible for some. So, what’s the deal? Read on. Thispsychological article will explain.

There is a plausible explanation for the challenge to move your footin a clockwise direction while making a counter-clockwise motion withyour hand. The difficulty is not limited to hand/foot coordination.Try this other little muscle coordination test (this one is off thecuff): hold both arms out in front of you, bent at the elbow (handshould be pointed up, palms facing one another). First, move yourright arm in forward circle. Once you have your right arm movingforward, move your left arm in backward circles simultaneously. Canyou do it? Accurately? Keeping your movements in circles? (Yeah,right. No one was looking as you were reading this psychologicalarticle explanation, so who is going to challenge you?)

If you cannot, no matter how hard you try, make your arms and legsmove in opposite directions you are not alone. According to apsychological article by David Rosenbaum, Penn State University,published in November/December Journal of Experimental Psychology,your brain is programmed a certain way. The psychological articleexplains that the brain is the sophisticated wiring that controls ourmuscle movements. Because of how we are programmed, the brainnaturally has more trouble coordinating movements that are indifferent directions, or non-isodirectional. Why? you ask. Give thatquestion some thought. Do you more often need to use your limbs inconjunction with one another or in contradiction to one another? Hereare a few activities that you may have participated in recently, or atleast observed, that will demonstrate coordinated muscle movements: 1)riding a bicycle. Do your legs move in the same direction or oppositedirections? If they moved in opposite directions you would never movefrom square one; 2) swinging a bat. Both arms must move together; 3)folding clothes. The actions are mirror images, but are still in thesame direction. Also, do not confuse ‘opposite’ with ‘alternating’.Although some of our movements may alternate, they are still in thesame direction. It came on our respective mental hard-drives, luckily.

And why does all of this matter? There have been numerouspsychological articles that have reported studies that tested theeffects of stroke on motor coordination. The general consensus is thatnon-isodirectional movements are difficult under normal circumstances.For stroke patients, both isodirectional and non-isodirectionalmovements are compromised not only on the lesioned brain hemispherebut also on the “unaffected” hemisphere. The conclusion is that boththe left and right hemispheres are needed for coordinated musclemovements. When a person suffers a stroke, regardless of the side inwhich the stroke occurred, the synchronization of motor controlmovements is negatively affected.of http://www.BoomerYearbook.com

About the Author

Ravi Verma, proprietor of Up-Front Groups, Guwahati, Assam. Indian author who writes articles on international issues. A content writer for both technical and non-technical articles. Contact:adminravi@gmail.com More details:

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