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Faculty & Staff |
Barbara Hart, Ph.D. Associate Professor 
Interests and Expertise
Motor Control Research conducted in the Neuromechanics Laboratory is directed toward understanding the mechanisms which underlie the control of goal-directed voluntary movement. The relative contributions of environmental constraints and performers' sensory and motor capabilities are assessed in various movement tasks and with participants of differing age and health status. A long standing theme in my research is the consequence of aging on motor performance. A representative series of studies, funded by NIH/National Institutes on Aging, focused on age-related changes in spinal and supraspinal contributions to sensorimotor control of precision grip. Participants in their 20s, 40s, and 70s were assessed for differences in tactile sensory status, as well as muscle contractile force regulation, to determine the relative contributions of each component to the control of manual activity. Basic issues related to the level of the nervous system most affected by the aging process also were addressed in this investigation through the examination of voluntary and involuntary responses to task conditions . A secondary line of inquiry addresses the understanding of components of balance control is older adults and in athletes. These populations are at risk for injury related to falls or balance disturbances during performance. Ongoing studies involve the development of multidimensional screening tasks that will identify individuals at risk and permit assessment of performance change over time. Anticipated applications of our findings will be risk reduction exercise intervention programs. Recent Publications
Selected Publications
Coventry, E., O'Connor, K.M., Hart, B.A., Earl, J.E. and Ebersole, K.T. (2006). The effect of lower extremity fatigue on shock attenuation during single-leg landing. Clinical Biomechanics, 21, 1090-1097.
O'Connor, K.M., Coventry, E., Hart, B.A., Earl, J.E., & Ebersole, K.T. (2005). The effect of lower extremity fatigue on shock attenuation during landing. International Society of Biomechanics.
Mrotek, L.A., Hart, B.A., Schot, P.K., and Fennigkoh, L. (2004) Grip responses to object load perturbations are stimulus and phase sensitive. Experimental Brain Research, 155, 413-42.
Schot, P.K., Hart, B.A., Mueller, M. (2002). Within-participant variation in landing kinetics: Movement behavior trait or transient? Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 73,450-456.
Hart, B.A., Schot, P.K., Mrotek, L.A., Fueger, P.T., & Jones, S.L. (2002). Holding on and letting go: Control challenges among three adult age groups. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 24, S67.
Mrotek, L.A., Hart, B.A., Schot, P.K., & Fennigkoh. (2001). Grip force response to object load changes during a precision grip-lift task. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 27.
Hart, B.A., Mrotek, L.A., Fueger, P.T., & Schot, P.K. (2000). Age differences in maximum grasp force and force rate. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32(5) Supplement. S244.
Schot, P.K, Hart, B.A., Hasbrook, C.A. Mrotek, L.A., & Poole, S. M. (2000). Simultaneous statistical detection of group and variable individual response patterns. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32(5) Supplement. S193.
Fueger, P.T., A.M. Davis, B.A. Hart, A.C. Snyder, & S. D. McCole (2000). Blood glucose decreases with exercise in acute hyperglycemic insulin-dependent diabetics. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32(5) Supplement. S177. (abstract)
Hart, B.A., Fueger, P.T., & Mrotek, L.A. (1999) Age-related differences in sensory and mechanical predictors of manual dexterity. Progress in Motor Control - II Structure-Function Relations in Voluntary Movement. 87.
Hart, B.A., Walton, T.M., Schot, P.K., & Meyer, B.B. (1999). Dynamics of reach and grasp associated with age, vision and tactile sensibility. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 21, S54.
Zalewski, K., Smith, P., Hart, B., Schot, P., & Endejan, M. (1999). Modeling skill acquisition using time series analysis. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science.
Fennigkoh, L., Garg, A., & Hart, B. (1998). Mediating effects of wrist reaction torque on grip force production. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 23 (4), 293-306.
Schneider, W.E., Hart, B.A., & Schot, P.K. (1998) Contributions of sensory and motor status to pinch force control in three age groups. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 20.
Schuh, M.G., Hart, B.A., & Schot, P.K. (1998) Age group differences in kinematic and temporal features of a kick response task. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 20, S110.
Hart, B.A. (1997). Age-related performance variability in manual tasks. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 19, 520.
Griffin, S.R., Hart, B.A., & Schot, P.K. (1996). The effects of decreased afferent input on grip/lift force coordinator. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 18, 534.
Hart, B.A., & Endejan, M.A. (1994). Skill acquisition patterns in a modified Stroop task performed by young (20-29 yrs), middle aged (40-49 yrs) and older (60-69 yrs) adults. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 16, S64.
Hart, B.A., & Abbs, J.H. (1992). Voluntary and automatic components of precision grip force regulation in aging. Psychology of Motor Behavior and Sport, 93.
Hart, B.A. (1992). Aging and flexibility. In F.J. Landy (P.I.) Alternatives to Chronological Age in Determining Standards of Suitability for Public Safety Jobs. Vol I: Technical Report, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 65-70.
Hart, B.A., & Abbs, J.H. (1990). Load sensitive regulation of precision grip: Differences in young and old subjects. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 16, 892.
Speaker Topics
Physical Activity and Aging
Physical Activity and Aging Education
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Exercise Science, 1980
M.S., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Exercise Science, 1978
M.S., Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, Human Movement, 1969
B.S., State University of New York at Cortland, Physical Education, 1968
Department
Human Movement Sciences
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Room
Enderis Hall, Room 421
Phone
(414) 229-5678
Fax(414) 229-2619
E-mail
hart@uwm.edu |
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