ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of cueing on the performance of untrained and trained complex motor responses. Healthy adults responded to a visual target by performing four sequential movements (complex response) or a single movement (simple response) of their middle finger. A visual cue preceded the target by an interval of 300, 1000, or 2000 ms. In Experiment 1, the complex and simple responses were not previously trained. During the testing session, the complex response pattern varied on a trial-by-trial basis following the indication provided by the visual cue. In Experiment 2, the complex response and the simple response were extensively trained beforehand. During the testing session, the trained complex response pattern was performed in all trials. The latency of the untrained and trained complex responses decreased from the short to the medium and long cue-target intervals. The latency of the complex response was longer than that of the simple response, except in the case of the trained responses and the long cue-target interval. These results suggest that the preparation of untrained complex responses cannot be completed in advance, this being possible, however, for trained complex responses when enough time is available. The duration of the 1st submovement, 1st pause and 2nd submovement of the untrained and the trained complex responses increased from the short to the long cue-target interval, suggesting that there is an increase of online programming of the response possibly related to the degree of certainty about the moment of target appearance.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Cues , Conditioning, Psychological/physiology , Movement/physiology , Photic Stimulation/methods , Reaction Time/physiologyABSTRACT
INTRODUÇÃO: A capacidade de o indivíduo realizar duas tarefas ao mesmo tempo é um pré-requisito para uma vida normal. Em circunstâncias normais, a realização concomitante de tarefas motoras e cognitivas é comum. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o desempenho de pacientes com Doença de Parkinson na realização de dupla tarefa motora-cognitiva. MÉTODO: Dois grupos foram estudados. Um grupo foi composto por 10 indivíduos saudáveis e o outro por 10 pacientes com diagnóstico de Doença de Parkinson, ambos com idades entre 47 e 75 anos, pareados em relação ao gênero e idade. Foi solicitado que vestissem uma camisa de botões o mais rapidamente possível de forma isolada (tarefa simples) e enquanto verbalizavam nomes próprios femininos (dupla tarefa), em ordem aleatória. Cada tarefa foi repetida três vezes. O tempo de movimento e os erros cometidos foram analisados. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes levaram mais tempo para completar ambas as tarefas (p= 0,006) quando comparados aos indivíduos saudáveis. Ambos os grupos cometeram mais erros na dupla tarefa (p= 0,03). Houve uma redução no tempo de movimento com a repetição da tarefa (p= 0,039). CONCLUSÕES: Estes resultados sugerem que indivíduos com Doença de Parkinson apresentam um prejuízo no desempenho motor em relação ao grupo controle, no entanto, o custo para o desempenho desta tarefa independe da interferência motora-cogntiva e a possibilidade de melhora do desempenho com a prática é real.
INTRODUCTION: A capacity to perform two tasks at the same time is a prerequisite for an individual to have a normal life. Under normal circumstances, performing motor and cognitive tasks concomitantly is common. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was investigate the motor-cognitive dual task performance in Parkinson's disease patients. METHOD: Two groups were studied. One group was composed by 10 healthy individuals and the other by 10 patients with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. In both groups, the ages were between 47 and 75 years and the individuals were paired in relation to gender and age. They were asked to put on a button-up shirt as fast as possible as a single task and also while saying girls' names in random order (dual task). Each task was repeated three times. The movement time and errors committed were analyzed. RESULTS: The patients took more time to complete both tasks (p= 0.006) in relation to the healthy group. Both groups committed more errors in the dual task (p= 0.03). There was a reduction in the movement time with the repetition of the task (p= 0.039) for both groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that individuals with Parkinson's disease present a loss in motor performance in relation to healthy individuals. However, the cost of performing the task is independent of motor-cognitive interference and the possibility of performance's improvement with practice is real.
Subject(s)
Parkinson Disease , Psychomotor Performance , Task Performance and AnalysisABSTRACT
O comprometimento cognitivo e uma deficiencia comum apos o Acidente Vascular Encefalico (AVE). Investigamos se ha correlacao entre o nivel cognitivo e a independencia funcional dos individuos vitimas de AVE. Dezessete pacientes cronicos com diagnostico de AVE isquemico foram estudados. O Miniexame do Estado Mental (MEEM) e o Indice de Barthel foram utilizados para avaliar a funcao cognitiva e a independencia funcional dos pacientes, respectivamente. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos a analise de variancia (PROC GLM, General Linear Model); a media de idade comparada pelo teste de Tukey e a analise de regressao multivariada foram verificadas pelo procedimento REG do SAS(statistical Analysis System). A analisede regressao que relacionou o Indice de Barthel com MEEM, a idade e o tempo de lesao nao demonstrou significancia em termos de idade (p=0,4) e tempo de lesao (p=0,5), mas mostrou alta significancia com o MEEM (p=0,001). Foi feita nova analise de regressao correlacionando o Indice de Barthel apontuacao do MEEM, que evidenciou correlacao positiva entre esses fatores(p<0,001). Nossos resultados sugerem que a habilidade cognitiva esta altamente correlacionada ao prognostico de independencia funcional em pacientes com AVE. Essa corelacao deve ser considerada ao estimarmos a recuperacao desses individuos em reabilitacao