ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Early detection of decline in neurobehavioral (NB) performance requires reliable methods of testing. Although NB tests have been shown to be consistent and reliable in Western countries, there has been limited research in Asian populations. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of NB tests in a Thai adult population and examine the impact of demographic data on NB tests. The aspects of the tests chosen were memory, attention, hand-eye coordination, motor speed, and dexterity. Methods: The three NB tests used were digit span, Purdue Pegboard, and visual-motor integration. All three were administered to a population of 30 Thai adults. Results: The outcomes of all Pearson's correlation coefficient tests (r) were positive and greater than 0.60, and subtest-retest reliability correlation coefficients ranged from 0.63 (p<0.001) to 0.81 (p<0.001). Interestingly, the outcomes of all of these tests were not affected by demographic data, with the exception of the Purdue Pegboard test, in which performance on the preferred hand and both hands assessment was weakly associated with age (β=-0.09, p<0.001 and β=-0.08, p<0.05, respectively). Conclusions: NB tests have adequate reliability and are useful for the evaluation of clinical memory, attention, hand-eye coordination, motor speed, and dexterity in Thai adults. These tests were not affected by demographic data. However, further studies to measure the validity of the digit span, Purdue Pegboard, and visual-motor integration tests are needed.
RESUMO A detecção precoce do declínio no desempenho neurocomportamental (NC) requer métodos confiáveis de teste. Embora os testes NC tenham se mostrado consistentes e confiáveis em países ocidentais, as pesquisas em populações asiáticas ainda são limitadas. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a confiabilidade de teste-reteste dos testes NC em uma população adulta tailandesa e o impacto dos dados demográficos nos testes NC. Os aspectos dos testes escolhidos foram memória, atenção, coordenação óculo-manual, velocidade motora e destreza. Métodos: Os três testes RC utilizados foram o digit span, o Purdue Pegboard e a integração visomotora. Todos os três foram usados em uma população de 30 adultos tailandeses. Resultados: Os resultados de todos os testes de coeficiente de correlação de Pearson (r) foram positivos e superiores a 0,60, e os coeficientes de correlação de confiabilidade subteste-reteste variaram de 0,63 (p<0,001) a 0,81 (p<0,001). Curiosamente, os resultados de todos esses testes não foram afetados pelos dados demográficos, com exceção do teste Purdue Pegboard, no qual o desempenho na mão preferida e a avaliação de ambas as mãos foi fracamente associado à idade (β=-0,09, p<0,001 e β=-0,08, p<0,05, respectivamente). Conclusão: Os testes NC apresentam confiabilidade adequada e são úteis para avaliação da memória clínica, atenção, coordenação óculo-manual, velocidade motora e destreza em adultos tailandeses. Esses testes não foram afetados por dados demográficos. No entanto, são necessários mais estudos para medir a validade dos testes de digit span, Purdue Pegboard e IVM.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adult , Mental Status and Dementia Tests , Mental DisordersABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the level of aerobic capacity using maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) in the fifth-year medical students at Chiang Mai University. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This was a retrospective study in which data were collected from the database of the fifth-year medical students who attended the rehabilitation medicine course at Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University between January 2003 and December 2004. The level of aerobic capacity was evaluated by maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), which was calculated using sub-maximal exercise test on a bicycle ergometer (Astrand-Rhyming test). RESULTS: During two-year period, 226 medical students performed 226 Astrand-Rhyming submaximal cycle ergometer tests. The mean age was 22.3 +/- 0.7 years (range 21-26 years) and average body weight was 56.8 +/- 11.9 kg (range 30-125 kg). The number of male and female students was comparable (male 44.7% and female 55.3%). Average VO2max of the students was 38.1 +/- 8.6 ml/kg/min (range 18.5-76.7 ml/kg/min) and there was no statistical significance between sex (VO2max of male = 38.4 +/- 7.6 and female = 37.9 +/- 9.4 ml/kg/min, p 0.636). When standard VO2max value of Thai people was compared, 39.4% was categorized in low health fitness group, 40.7% was in health fitness group, and only 19.9% was in high health fitness group. However, 65% of the fifth-year medical students exercised 0-1 sessions per week (group 1), 24.3% exercised 2-4 sessions per week (group 2) and only 10. 7% exercised >4 sessions per week or everyday (group 3). Mean VO2max in group 2 (40.3 +/- 9.1 ml/kg/min) and 3 (43.2 +/- 8.4 ml/kg/min) are more than group 1 (36.5 +/- 8.4 ml/kg/min) significantly (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively) but there was no significant difference between group 2 and 3 (p = 0.16). The two most popular exercises were jogging and aerobic dance, 48.7% and 31.9% respectively. There was no significant difference of VO2max between methods ofexercise (p = 0.132) and between the single and combination of exercises (38.9 +/- 9.3 and 37.9 +/- 7.4 ml/kg/min respectively, p = 0.4). CONCLUSION: VO2max in most of the medical students was in poor to average range when compared to the standard value of Thai population. This information should prompt medical educators to address this problem, consider promoting exercise and corporate physical fitness into the medical school curriculum.