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Spatial Skills (spatial + skill)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	33%

Selected Abstracts

Using a cross section to train veterinary students to visualize anatomical structures in three dimensions,

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 1 2002
Judy Provo
A cross section was used to enhance three-dimensional knowledge of anatomy of the canine head. All veterinary students in two successive classes (n,=,124) dissected the head; experimental groups also identified structures on a cross section of the head. A test assessing spatial knowledge of the head generated 10 dependent variables from two administrations. The test had content validity and statistically significant interrater and test,retest reliability. A live-dog examination generated one additional dependent variable. Analysis of covariance controlling for performance on course examinations and quizzes revealed no treatment effect. Including spatial skill as a third covariate revealed a statistically significant effect of spatial skill on three dependent variables. Men initially had greater spatial skill than women, but spatial skills were equal after 8 months. A qualitative analysis showed the positive impact of this experience on participants. Suggestions for improvement and future research are discussed. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 10,34, 2002 [source]

Cognitive visual dysfunctions in preterm children with periventricular leukomalacia

DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2009
ELISA FAZZI MD PHD
Aim, Cognitive visual dysfunctions (CVDs) reflect an impairment of the capacity to process visual information. The question of whether CVDs might be classifiable according to the nature and distribution of the underlying brain damage is an intriguing one in child neuropsychology. Method, We studied 22 children born preterm (12 males, 10 females; mean age at examination 8y, range 6,15y; mean gestational age 30wks, range 28,36wks) with periventricular leukomalacia, spastic diplegia, normal intelligence (mean Full-scale IQ 84; mean Verbal IQ 97; mean Performance IQ 74), and normal visual acuity, focusing on higher visual functions. Brain magnetic resonance images (MRI) were analysed to establish the presence of lesions along the primary optic pathway, in the occipitoparietal and occipitotemporal regions. Results, Most children displayed an uneven cognitive profile, with deficits in visual object recognition, visual imagery, visual,spatial skills, and visual memory, and sparing of visual associative abilities, non-verbal intelligence, and face and letter recognition. Conventional brain MRI did not document major alterations of parietal and temporal white matter, or cortical alteration of areas involved in visual associative functions. Interpretation, We suggest a widespread involvement of higher visual processing systems, involving both the ventral and dorsal streams, in preterm children with periventricular leukomalacia. The lack of major alterations on conventional MRI does not exclude the possibility of malfunctioning of higher visual processing systems, expressing itself through discrete CVDs. Possible mechanisms underlying these neuropsychological deficits are discussed. [source]

Using a cross section to train veterinary students to visualize anatomical structures in three dimensions,

Cognitive Efficiency in Stimulant Abusers With and Without Alcohol Dependence

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2003
Andrea Lawton-Craddock
Background: Although previous studies have found stimulant (i.e., cocaine, methamphetamine) abusers and alcoholics to have neuropsychological deficits, research examining which cognitive abilities are most affected by concurrent exposure to these substances is lacking. To address this issue, detoxified men and women who met criteria for dependence of (a) alcohol only (ALC) (n= 15); (b) stimulants only (STIM) (n= 15); and (c) both alcohol and stimulants (A/STIM) (n= 15) were compared with age- and education-matched community controls (n= 15). Methods: Tasks that measured visual spatial skills, problem-solving and abstraction, short-term memory, cognitive flexibility, and gross motor speed were administered to participants. For each test, both speed and accuracy were assessed and an efficiency ratio (accuracy/time) was derived. Based on an average of these efficiency ratios, an overall performance index of cognitive efficiency was obtained. Results: Overall, controls performed more efficiently than all other groups. However, they were statistically significantly better only in relation to the A/STIM and STIM groups (p < 0.01). Individual comparisons revealed that the ALC group performed significantly better than the STIM group, although the ALC group did not differ from either the control or A/STIM groups (p, 0.05). This pattern of results was relatively consistent across the individual subtests of problem-solving/abstraction, short-term memory, and cognitive flexibility. Conclusions: As expected, substance abuse was associated with cognitive inefficiency. More importantly, these findings suggest that the cognitive effects of chronic stimulant abuse are not additive with those of alcohol abuse. That is, singly addicted stimulant abusers demonstrated similar or greater neurocognitive impairments than individuals who abuse alcohol and stimulants concurrently. The reason for this pattern is speculative but may be attributed to alcohol's opposing actions on cerebrovascular effects brought on by stimulant abuse. [source]

Training metric accuracy in distance estimation skill: pictures versus words

APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
Gary L. Allen
Training metric accuracy in distance estimation skill for distances up to 300,m was done using three different feedback methods: Direct verbal feedback in the field, indirect visual feedback consisting of presentation of labelled markers in the field, and indirect visual feedback consisting of presentation of labelled markers in pictorial depictions of the field. Results from Experiment 1 showed that all three feedback methods resulted in rapid acquisition of skill in estimating perceived distance from a stationary viewpoint and that the skill transferred to a new field setting. Results from Experiment 2 replicated these results for the estimation of traversed distance along routes. These findings have important implications for the use of pictorial presentations, including virtual reality technology, to train generalizable spatial skills. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]