ABSTRACT
This study is an attempt at clarifying the relationships between defined environmental demands, the efficiency of corresponding visuomotor behaviour and the EEG. We made use of a laboratory paradigm which was devised to closely represent a common man-machine system process, i.e, maintaining of a road vehicle on a predetermined track when squally wind is blowing from the flank. The deviation of the ideal track represents the input signal for the component system man, the compensating steering motion its output signal. This performance is modelled by a visuomotor tracking task which has been developed as a means of ascertaining subtle effects of psychotropic drugs and described elsewhere. We found that the higher the efficiency of test performance, the lower was the task-induced modulation of alpha-activity.
Subject(s)
Alpha Rhythm , Psychomotor Performance/physiology , Adult , Electroencephalography , Humans , Male , Task Performance and AnalysisABSTRACT
23 Patients with multiple sclerosis were subjected to a visuomotor tracking test, consisting of subtests of different task difficulty, while being in a state of acute exacerbation and four weeks later, while exhibiting a more or less pronounced clinical remission (Kurtzke DSS 3.9 (+/- 1.4) vs. 3.3 (+/- 1.5); p less than 0.001). Corresponding to this the tracking test performances improved, the difference being significant only with the easiest test run. The tracking performances correlated with the Kurtzke scores, both for the acute state and for the remitted state, the highest correlation showing up for the easiest test run. Hence, the visuomotor tracking test seems to be suited to measure functional deficits and to evaluate the efficiency of therapeutic procedures.
Subject(s)
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/therapeutic use , Eye Movements/drug effects , Multiple Sclerosis/drug therapy , Psychomotor Performance/drug effects , Pursuit, Smooth/drug effects , Adult , Disability Evaluation , Female , Humans , Male , Reaction Time/drug effectsABSTRACT
A Computer-assisted Visuomotor Tracking Device for Selective Objectivation of Central-nervous Drug Effects. In order to overcome the well-known shortcomings of current psychometry especially for the objectivation of the effects of psychotropic drugs, a computer-assisted visuomotor tracking device has been developed. The subjects task is to closely pursue a target signal which moves continuously but at variable speed on a TV-screen by directing a response signal on the screen with a small joystick. In contrast to conventionally used visuomotor tracking tasks the mean efficiency of the performance is measured exactly in bit/s from the difference between target and response signal. First applications showed: The selectivity of the procedure depends decisively on the degree of difficulty of the target signal, i.e., the velocity of the target signal. There is no substantial learning effect with re-tests at a 1-week interval. When testing over longer periods (400 s) a decrement of performance must be taken into consideration.
