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Research Overview
The focus of my research is to study the developmental changes in motor coordination of infants at risk for developmental disorders, for example, infants born preterm and infant siblings of children with autism. We also examine how motor coordination deficits contribute to a child's cognitive and social communication impairments. Infants are observed during different play contexts such as spontaneous play, object play, and social play within the first year of life and follow-up outcomes are obtained in the second year. Infants' patterns of motor coordination are assessed using behavioral coding and quantitative tools such as kinematic and dynamic analyses. Specifically, we study upper-limb and lower-limb coordination of infants' spontaneous limb movements as well as purposeful movements during associative learning, reaching and object exploration, and ambulation. The two overall goals of this work are: a) to provide research evidence to the current practices in the field of early intervention and pediatric rehabilitation, and b) to develop novel techniques for early detection and treatment of at-risk infants.
Another focus of my research is to study the motor coordination of young and older children with developmental disorders such as children born preterm or children with autism. Through this work, we hope to understand the underlying perceptuo-motor processes that lead to fine-motor and gross-motor coordination problems in young and older children. This work would ultimately inform and influence a clinician's assessment and treatment approach to solving motor coordination problems.
Education
Ph.D., University of Delaware, 2005 (Biomechanics and Movement Science)
M.S., University of Mumbai-India, 1999 (Physical Therapy)
B.S., University of Mumbai-India, 1996 (Physical Therapy)
Featured Publications
Lynch A., Lee, H.M., Bhat, A., Galloway, J. C. No Stable Arm Preference during the Pre-reaching Period: A comparison of right and left hand kinematics with and without a toy present (2008), Developmental Psychobiology, 50, 390-398.
Lee H., Bhat A., Galloway J. C., Scholz J. Toy-oriented changes in early arm movements IV. The coordination of hand, shoulder and elbow (2008), Infant Behavior and Development, in press.
Bhat A. and Galloway J. C. “Toy-oriented changes in early arm movements III. Constraints on Joint Kinematics (2007), Infant Behavior and Development, 30(3), 515-22.
Bhat A. and Galloway J. C. “Toy-oriented changes in early arm movements II. Joint Kinematics (2006), Infant Behavior and Development, 30(2), 307-24.
Bhat A., and Galloway J. C. “Toy-oriented changes in early arm movements of young infants I. Hand Kinematics (2006), Infant Behavior and Development, 29(3), 358-372.
Bhat A., Heathcock J., and Galloway J. C. Toy-oriented changes in hand and joint kinematics of early arm movements in young infants (2005), Infant Behavior and Development, 28(4), 445-465.
Heathcock J., Bhat A., Lobo M., and Galloway J. C. Full-term and preterm infant performance in the mobile paradigm: Relative kicking frequency (2005), Physical Therapy, 85(1), 8-18.
Heathcock J., Bhat A., Lobo M., Galloway J. C. Full-term and preterm infant performance in the mobile paradigm: Learning and memory (2004), Physical Therapy, 84(9), 808-821.
Galloway J. C., Bhat A., Heathcock J., and Manal K. Shoulder and elbow joint power differ as a general feature of vertical arm movements (2004), Experimental Brain Research, 157(3), 391-396.
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