THE IMPACT OF A PROGRAMMED KINESIOLOGICAL TREATMENT ON NEUROMUSCULAR RESPONSES IN CHILDREN

Abstract

It is known that a decrease in neuromuscular reaction speed affects executive function, leading to poorer planning, goal setting, decision-making,
attention, or reading, and that young children with slow reaction speeds are more likely to have academic difficulties and exhibit symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity. The sample consisted of 110 fifth-grade students from the elementary schools "Knez Ivo od Semberije" and "Sveti Sava" in Bijeljina, aged 10 ± 6 months, both male and female. The first group included 59 students (33 boys and 26 girls) who participated in a programmed kinesiology treatment aimed at improving muscle reaction speed, while the second control group consisted of 51 students (29 boys and 22 girls) who attended physical education classes according to the curriculum set by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska, with a weekly fund of 3 classes. All participants were fifth graders from the mentioned schools in Bijeljina. The following exercises were used to assess muscle reaction speed: Lunge, Isometric single-leg squat, Squat, Isometric squat. Electromyography is an indirect diagnostic procedure for assessing electrical activity generated in muscles by nerve impulses that create an action potential in the membrane of the muscle fiber, either at rest or during activation.The results show that in most analyzed variables, no statistically significant differences were observed. In the variable sEmg Lunge, a statistically significant difference was observed at t = -2.42; p = 0.04. To improve neuromuscular reaction speed, the exercise program must focus on the neuromuscular system. To improve reaction speed, a child must not carry significant amounts of subcutaneous fat.