Hand-eye coordination, or eye-hand coordination, is the ability to do activities that require the simultaneous use of our hands and eyes, like an activity that uses the information our eyes perceive (visual spatial perception) to guide our hands to carry out a movement.
Eye-hand coordination is a complex cognitive ability, as it calls for us to unite our visual and motor skills, allowing for the hand to be guided by the visual stimulation our eyes receive. Hand-eye coordination is especially important for normal child development and academic success, but is also an important skill that adults use in countless activities on a daily basis. Most activities that you do in your day-to-day life use some degree of eye-hand coordination, which is why it's important to ensure that it is as developed as possible. Generally speaking, we use visual information to correct a behavior that isn't appropriate for a situation, which is one of the reasons why this cognitive skill is so important.
Remember that hand-eye coordination can work poorly even if the person's eyes and vision aren't affected and if their motor control skills work properly. It is possible for someone with perfect vision to have hand-eye coordination problems that will only be apparent when they have to use both the visual and motor systems together. Any alteration to the visual or motor systems can significantly affect hand-eye coordination, like visual or muscular problems like strabismus (crossed eyes), amblyopia, muscle hypotonia, balance problems, or crossed laterality. Brain damage to the motor areas (or areas related to motor areas), or to perceptive areas may cause eye-hand coordination problems. Poor hand-eye coordination can affect many different activities, which may lead to developmental disorders, learning disorders (problems learning to read and write and play sports), in academics (making mistakes when they take notes, poor hand-writing, poor attention), professional areas (if there are problems typing or assembling objects), and problems with daily activities (from eating to sewing to driving). We use hand-eye coordination almost constantly in our daily lives, and is one of the skills that makes it possible to appropriately fit into our environments on a daily basis. This is why assessing hand-eye coordination and knowing if there is any deficiency can be helpful in a number of different areas. Academic Areas: to know if a child might have trouble doing certain tasks or completing homework, tests, essays, etc. Medical Areas: To know if a patient will be able to drive (or eat) on their own. Professional Areas: To know if an employee will be able to properly and safely perform their job. CogniFit's tasks to assess this cognitive ability are inspired by the classic Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), the Hooper Visual Organization Task (VOT), and the Stroop test. CogniFit is able to get a reliable measurement of the user's neuromuscular abilities with an activity that calls for the user to move their hand in time with the visual stimulus. The user has to carefully control their muscles to carefully follow the stimuli with the right speed and intensity. Aside from measuring hand-eye coordination, it also assesses shifting, divided attention, and updating.
Hand-eye coordination, like our other cognitive skills, can be trained and improved. CogniFit's training programs may help. The science behind CogniFit is neuroplasticity. CogniFit has a battery of exercises designed to improve poor hand-eye coordination and other cognitive functions. The brain and its neurons get stronger and more efficient through use and practice, which is why eye-hand coordination can improve by consistently training the neural connections it uses. The CogniFit team is made up professionals in the field of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis, and is how the personalized cognitive stimulation program was created to meet the needs of each user. This program starts with a comprehensive assessment of hand-eye coordination and other fundamental cognitive functions. With the results from this initial assessment, the personalized cognitive stimulation program will automatically offer a training program to help train the user's weakest cognitive skills. Consistency and adequate training are the essential to a successful visual short-term memory training program. CogniFit has assessments and rehabilitation programs to help optimize this cognitive function. This program only requires 15 minutes a day, two or three times a week.
The suitable tests measure the accuracy of the movements implemented by the regulation of the nervous system. These include: 1. Computerized tests: 2 hand coordination (Liener, K. & Raatz, J.) Measuring range: the test examines the visuomotor ability (eye-hand, hand-hand coordination). It focuses on two abilities: the sensorimotor coordination between the eye and hand and the left and right hand coordination. The test analyses the motor response speed, accuracy and coordination of the hands during small precise movements. 2. B19 double labyrinth test (Bonnardel, R.) Measuring range: the test measures the hand-eye coordination ability during a pre-set speed test. It analyzes the motor response speed, accuracy and hand coordination. During the test, the participant has to follow circles on the line with two control buttons. The left button controls the left circle, the right button the right circle. They have to ensure that the circles don’t touch the corners of the track. More of the test: http://schuhfried.com/viennatestsystem10/test-test-sets/all-tests-from-a-z/test/b19-double-labyrinth-test/ 3. SMK sensomotor coordination (Bauer, H. Guttmann, G. Leodolter, M&Leodolter, U.) Measurement range: the test measures the eye-hand, hand-hand and eye-hand-leg coordination. The necessary time to the individual’s coordination is determined by the received information and the feedback. The test examines two dimensions: the anticipation coordination ability and the reactive coordination ability. More of the test: http:/www.schuhfried.com/viennatestsystem10/tests-test-sets/all-tests-from-a-z/ 4. Point tracking test: Tools: computer and special computer program. Implementation: in front of the subject, a moving dot appears on the screen which changes its direction or speed or both according to the predetermined method set out in the program. The test subject has to follow the dot with a movable arrow (using a mouse). Rating: the computer evaluates the amount of time when the relation between the arrow and the dot is interrupted. 5. Page test (Eurofit test): “On an adjustable table two circles are drawn by a felt tip pen or chalk, 20 cm in diameter. The center point of the two circles is 80 cm apart and the center point between the two circles is marked (by a 10x20 cm rectangle, as originally described). The subject is positioned comfortably, with legs set apart a little, with his less skillful hand placed centered between the two circles at the height of the abdomen and the other hand in the circle on the same side. At “ready, set go” he should touch each circle alternately back and forth 25 times as quickly as possible. The hand placed in the middle cannot move. The touches are counted aloud by a testing person (in cycles, i.e. 1 back and forth touch). The subject can try the test, plus 2 valid attempts can be made, the better result counts. A rest must be given between the two tries. Rating: at least tenth of a second accuracy, in seconds.” Further reading, interests: http://www.nye.hu/fileadmin/dokumentumok/atfk/tematikak/TESTNEVELES_TANSZEK/szakaly_zsolt_csatolhato_dok/EUROFIT%20tesztrendszer.pdf 6. Sport stacking, in Hungarian Sport Poha-Rak Bob Fox invented the Speed Stacks (Sport Poha-Rak) in the 1980s but it spread internationally in 1998, when he was invited to hold a lecture in Texas. Further reading, interests: (http://www.speedstacks.com/instructors/resources/history/) In Hungary it is a relatively new skill-development program which can be performed well individually or in a team. Its goal is to stack and organize special plastic cups in order, in the shortest possible time. The participants build different pyramids in a predetermined order in competition with time or other participants. The pyramids consist of three, six or ten cups. Further reading, interests: (http://speedstacks.ucoz.hu/Referencia/Speed_Stacks_cikk_TF_2011.pdf). The program is independent from abilities and training and keeps the participants fit physically and mentally. The alternate use of both hands improves the connection between the brain hemispheres and crossing the center line builds new connections (bridges) between the brain cells. Like all sports, its primary goal is to develop a healthy and well-rounded personality. “The Speed Stack is a movement activity that combines fast movement and quick thinking therefore improves the speed coordination ability. It helps the development of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills and effectively improves the hand-eye joint movement (Murray and colleagues, 2004: Hart and colleagues, 2006).” Source: (http://speedstacks.ucoz.hu/Referencia/Speed_Stacks_cikk_TF_2011.pdf). Video materials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TDYEZaYBuw http://youtube.com/watch?v=-3rVwB8Nsro music and rhythm (video material): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmSbXsFE318 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ylaOg_UO_A The advantages of the device:
Picture source:http://www.sikerado.hu/magyarorszagon/2012/11/10Sport_Poharak_Vilagnap |