Monocular information for perceiving large egocentric distance: A comparison between monocularly blind patients and normally sighted observers.

The debate surrounding the advantages of binocular versus monocular vision has persisted for decades. This study aimed to investigate whether individuals with monocular vision loss could accurately and precisely perceive large egocentric distances in real-world environments, under natural viewing conditions, comparable to those with normal vision. A total of 49 participants took part in the study, divided into three groups based on their viewing conditions. Two experiments were conducted to assess the accuracy and precision of estimating egocentric distances to visual targets and the coordination of actions during blind walking. In Experiment 1, participants were positioned in both a hallway and a large open field, tasked with judging the midpoint of self-to-target distances spanning from 5 to 30 m. Experiment 2 involved a blind walking task, where participants attempted to walk towards the same targets without visual or environmental feedback at an unusually rapid pace. The findings revealed that perceptual accuracy and precision were primarily influenced by the environmental context, motion condition, and target distance, rather than the visual conditions. Surprisingly, individuals with monocular vision loss demonstrated comparable accuracy and precision in perceiving egocentric distances to that of individuals with normal vision.

Visual-motor integration scale for Korean elderly (VMIS-KE) is an effective indicator for cognitive changes in diabetic older adults.

This study aimed to investigate the adequacy of the visual-motor inte-gration (VMI) scale for Korean elderly (VMIS-KE) compared to tradition-al measures, mini-mental state examination of Korean version (MMSE-KC) and Beery VMI for cognitive decline in diabetic older adults. For this explanatory research, data were collected from September 1 to Sep-tember 15, 2013, from 34 diabetic older adults and 31 nondiabetic older adults in Daegu and Gyeongsan of Korea. Mean differences between the two groups were analyzed with SPSS 18.0. The diabetic older adults showed significantly lower scores in the VMIS-KE (t=4.128, P<0.001) and MMSE-KC (t=2.231, P=0.029) compared with the nondiabetic older adults. In all subcategories of VMI-KE, figure cognition (t=5.342, P<0.001), memory (t=3.011, P=0.004) and spatial cognition (t=2.639, P=0.011), there were significant differences whereas no significant difference in the VMI-6th revision (t=0.994, P=0.325). VMIS-KE could be a sensitive indicator to assess cognitive change in older adults with diabetes and health care providers should periodically evaluate vulnerable groups such as them with it.

Utilization of Inertial Measurement Units for Determining the Sequential Chain of Baseball Strike Posture.

The purpose of this study was to employ inertial measurement units (IMU) with an eye-tracking device to investigate different swing strategies between two levels of batters. The participants were 20 healthy males aged 20 to 30 years old, with ten professional and ten amateur batters. Eye gaze position, head, shoulder, trunk, and pelvis angular velocity, and ground reaction forces were recorded. The results showed that professional batters rotated segments more rhythmically and efficiently than the amateur group. Firstly, the professional group spent less time in the preparation stages. Secondly, the maximum angular velocity timing of each segment of the professional group was centralized in the swing cycle. Thirdly, the amateur group had significantly earlier gaze timing of the maximum angular velocity than the professional group. Moreover, the maximum angular velocity timing of the gaze was the earliest parameter among the five segments, and significantly earlier (at least 16.32% of cycle time) than the maximum angular velocity of the head, shoulder, trunk, and pelvis within the amateur group. The visual-motor coordination strategies were different between the two groups, which could successfully be determined by wearable instruments of IMU.

Electromyographic Assessment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk in Male Tennis Players: Which Role for Visual Input? A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury incidence is often underestimated in tennis players, who are considered as subjects conventionally less prone to knee injuries. However, evaluation of the preactivation of knee stabilizer muscles by surface electromyography (sEMG) showed to be a predictive value in the assessment of the risk of ACL injury. Therefore, this proof-of-concept study aimed at evaluating the role of visual input on the thigh muscle preactivation through sEMG to reduce ACL injury risk in tennis players. We recruited male, adult, semiprofessional tennis players from July to August 2020. They were asked to drop with the dominant lower limb from a step, to evaluate-based on dynamic valgus stress-the preactivation time of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and medial hamstrings (MH), through sEMG. To highlight the influence of visual inputs, the athletes performed the test blindfolded and not blindfolded on both clay and grass surfaces. We included 20 semiprofessional male players, with a mean age 20.3 ± 4.8 years; results showed significant early muscle activation when the subject lacked visual input, but also when faced with a less-safe surface such as clay over grass. Considering the posteromedial-anterolateral relationship (MH/RF ratio), tennis players showed a significant higher MH/RF ratio if blindfolded (22.0 vs. 17.0% not blindfolded; p < 0.01) and percentage of falling on clay (17.0% vs. 14.0% in grass; p < 0.01). This proof-of-principle study suggests that in case of absence of visual input or falling on a surface considered unsafe (clay), neuro-activation would tend to protect the anterior stress of the knee. Thus, the sEMG might play a crucial role in planning adequate athletic preparation for semiprofessional male athletes in terms of reduction of ACL injury risk.

Submaximal Force Steadiness and Accuracy in Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability.

CONTEXT: Patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) have demonstrated sensorimotor impairments. Submaximal force steadiness and accuracy measure sensory, motor, and visual function via a feedback mechanism, which helps researchers and clinicians comprehend the sensorimotor deficits associated with CAI. OBJECTIVE: To determine if participants with CAI experienced deficits in hip and ankle submaximal force steadiness and accuracy compared with healthy control participants. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one patients with CAI and 21 uninjured individuals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and force steadiness and accuracy (10% and 30% of MVIC) of the ankle evertors and invertors and hip abductors were assessed using the central 10 seconds (20%-87% of the total time) of the 3 trials. RESULTS: Relative to the control group, the CAI group demonstrated less accuracy of the invertors (P < .001). Across all motions, the CAI group showed less steadiness (P < .001) and less accuracy (P < .01) than the control group at 10% of MVIC. For MVIC, the CAI group displayed less force output in hip abduction than the uninjured group (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CAI were unable to control ongoing fine force (10% and 30% of MVIC) through a feedback mechanism during an active test. These findings suggested that deficits in sensorimotor control predisposed patients with CAI to injury positions because they had difficulty integrating the peripheral information and correcting their movements in relation to visual information.

The effect of motor control requirements on drivers' eye-gaze pattern during automated driving.

This driving simulator study compared drivers' eye movements during a series of lane-changes, which required different levels of motor control for their execution. Participants completed 12 lane-changing manoeuvres in three drives, categorised by degree of manual engagement with the driving task: Fully Manual Drive, Manual Intervention Required, Fully Automated Drive (Manual drive, Partial automation, Full automation). For Partial automation, drivers resumed control from the automated system and changed lane manually. For Full automation, the automated system managed the lane change, but participants initiated the manoeuvre by pulling the indicator lever. Results were compared to the Manual drive condition, where drivers controlled the vehicle at all times. For each driving condition, lane changing was initiated by drivers, at their discretion, in response to a slow-moving lead vehicle, which entered their lane. Failure to change lane did not result in a collision. To understand how different motor control requirements affected driver visual attention, eye movements to the road centre, and drivers' vertical and horizontal gaze dispersion were compared during different stages of the lane change manoeuvre, for the three drives. Results showed that drivers' attention to the road centre was generally lower for drives with less motor control requirements, especially when they were not engaged in the lane change process. However, as drivers moved closer to the lead vehicle, and prepared to change lane, the pattern of eye movements to the road centre converged, regardless of whether drivers were responsible for the manual control of the lane change. While there were no significant differences in horizontal gaze dispersion between the three drives, vertical dispersion for the two levels of automation was quite different, with higher dispersion during Partial automation, which was due to a higher reliance on the HMI placed in the centre console.

New Mobile Device to Measure Verticality Perception: Results in Young Subjects with Headaches.

The subjective visual vertical (SVV) test has been frequently used to measure vestibular contribution to the perception of verticality. Recently, mobile devices have been used to efficiently perform this measurement. The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of verticality in subjects with migraines and headaches. A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 28 patients with migraine, 74 with tension-type headache (TTH), and 93 healthy subjects. The SVV test was used through a new virtual reality system. The mean absolute error (MAE) of degrees deviation was also measured to qualify subjects as positive when it was greater than 2.5°. No differences in the prevalence of misperception in verticality was found among healthy subjects (31.18%), migraineurs (21.43%), or those with TTH (33.78%) (p = 0.480). The MAE was not significantly different between the three groups (migraine = 1.36°, TTH = 1.61°, and healthy = 1.68°) (F = 1.097, p = 0.336, and η2 = 0.011). The perception of verticality could not be explained by any variable usually related to headaches. No significant differences exist in the vestibular contribution to the perception of verticality between patients with headaches and healthy subjects. New tests measuring visual and somatosensory contribution should be used to analyze the link between the perception of verticality and headaches.

Análise da Lateralidade e Destreza Manual em Crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista / Analysis of Laterality and Manual Dexterity in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

RESUMO: Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a lateralidade e a destreza manual em crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA). Do ponto de vista da motricidade humana, a lateralidade contribui para o processo de maturação motora. Figura-se entre as principais características do autismo o atraso nas habilidades motoras grossas e finas, com piora progressiva no quadro. Analisar o nível de lateralidade do indivíduo com TEA torna-se importante por possibilitar uma direção na intervenção motora com o intuito de melhorar a funcionalidade do autista e sua qualidade de vida. A amostra deste estudo foi composta por oito crianças, alunos de uma instituição de ensino pública, do sexo masculino, com idade média de 8,75±1,83 anos e diagnosticadas com TEA com base no DSM-V. Os resultados mostraram que os participantes do estudo parecem apresentar lateralidade destra e, também, melhor desempenho com a mão preferida em uma tarefa de destreza manual. Observou-se que, na tarefa que exigiu maior atenção e destreza, a diferença no desempenho das mãos foi significativa. Já na tarefa com menor demanda atencional e de destreza manual, o desempenho entre as mãos não foi significante, porém foi nesse momento que foram observados os maiores erros na execução. A motivação pode ser uma variável fundamental para o desempenho motor em tarefas que avaliam o tempo de execução. É importante uma maior ênfase no desenvolvimento da motricidade desses indivíduos durante a fase escolar para diminuir as dificuldades motoras e, consequentemente, melhorar a qualidade de vida, sensação de bem-estar, autonomia e interação social.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyze laterality and manual dexterity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). From the point of view of human motor skills, laterality contributes to the motor maturation process. Among the main characteristics of autism is the delay in gross and fine motor skills, with progressive worsening in the condition. Analyzing the level of laterality of the individual with ASD becomes important because it allows a direction in the motor intervention in order to improve the functionality and quality of life of the autistic person. The sample of this study was composed of eight children, students of a public education institution, male, with an average age of 8.75 ± 1.83 years old and diagnosed with ASD based on the DSM-V. The results showed that the study participants seem to have right handedness and also better performance with the preferred hand in a manual dexterity task. It was observed that, in the task that demanded more attention and dexterity, the difference in hand performance was significant. In the task with the lowest attentional demand and manual dexterity, the performance between the hands was not significant; however, it was at that moment that the biggest mistakes in execution were observed. Motivation can be a fundamental variable for motor performance in tasks that assess execution time. It is important to emphasize the development of the motor skills of these individuals during the school phase to reduce motor difficulties and, consequently, improve quality of life, sense of well-being, autonomy and social interaction.

Visual Motor and Executive Functioning in Adult Patients with Primary Generalized Epilepsy: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Epilepsy is a neuropsychological disorder which can lead to various cognitive deficits of varying levels. Primary generalized epilepsy is characterized by bilateral ictal electroencephalography patterns and excessive neural activity found in both hemispheres of the brain. There is dearth of research on primary generalized epilepsy in adult population. The present study investigates the visual motor and executive functioning deficits in patients with primary generalized epilepsy. METHODS: Study was conducted on 30 participants (n=30) divided into target and normal control group. Target group consisted of patients diagnosed with primary generalized epilepsy with minimum 5 years of illness. Bender-Gestalt test (BGT) and Wisconsin's Card Sorting Test (WCST) was administered on both the groups. RESULTS: A significant difference was found between target group and control group's performances on BGT which indicates that visual motor functioning of control group was better than target group. A significant difference in executive functioning was found in performance of epilepsy patients and non-patients on the domains of WCST. CONCLUSIONS: Both executive and visuomotor functioning are significantly affected in patients of primary generalized epilepsy in adult patients.

Laparoscopic Simulation in Reverse and Side Alignment Impact on Forward Alignment Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The influence of visual-spatial discordance during training on laparoscopic skills is poorly understood. It has been proposed that training in visual-spatial discordant situations can improve performance in the forward alignment, which was the basis of our hypothesis. Our study's aim was to conduct a randomized control trial to explore the impact of simulated training in visual-spatial discordant situations on forward alignment performance. METHODS: The participants were 80 medical students who were randomized into four groups. Group A served as the control and performed all peg transfers in the forward alignment. Groups B, C, and D experienced varied rounds of either increasing or decreasing sensorimotor discordance. The students were trained and tested using the peg transfer task used in the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery curriculum. Based on the group, each student performed 10 peg transfer practice rounds in their assigned alignment. After each practice session, each student was tested and scored in forward alignment performance. A baseline test, followed by three practice sessions, and three tests were done. RESULTS: Group A (control) demonstrated a statistically significant overall increase in scoring of 37.1% from baseline when compared to the final test. Groups B, C, and D showed improvements of 3.7%, 27.1%, and 19.3%, respectively, between baseline and the final test, yet none demonstrated consistent linear improvements. On multi-variate analysis, students who practiced in the side or reverse alignment positions scored 25 and 37 points lower, respectively, than students who practiced in the forward alignment. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that training in visual-spatial discordant conditions does not lead to the development of forward alignment laparoscopic skills. This could have important implications when developing future laparoscopic skills training curriculums. To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date assessing the impacts of training in visual-spatial discordance situations on performance in the forward alignment.

Task-specific adaptations of postural sway in sitting infants.

When engaging in manual or visual tasks while sitting, infants modify their postural sway based on concurrent task demands. It remains unclear whether these modulations are sensitive to differences in concurrent task demands (holding a toy vs. looking at a toy being held by someone else), and whether the properties of the support surface impact these adaptations. We investigated infants' ability to modify postural sway when holding a toy or visually attending to a toy someone else was holding while sitting on different support surfaces. Twenty-six independently sitting infants sat on solid and compliant surfaces placed on a force plate while looking at or holding a toy. Measures of postural sway were calculated from the center of pressure data. Visually attending to a toy was associated with less sway and lower sway velocity than when holding a toy. Surprisingly, surface compliance did not affect sway and there were no interaction effects. Whereas sway modulations may facilitate infants' performance on both manual and visual concurrent tasks, the visual task placed more constraints on the postural system leading to greater adaptations in postural sway. These findings provide insights into how infants are allocating attention and coordinating perceptual-motor information in developing sitting skills.

The King-Devick test is a valid and reliable tool for assessing sport-related concussion in Australian football: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Sport-related concussion (SRC) research has focused on impaired oculomotor function. The King-Devick (K-D) test measures oculomotor performance and is reported to identify suboptimal brain function. The use of the K-D test in Australian football (AF), a sport involving body contact and tackling, has not been documented. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability and diagnostic accuracy of the K-D test on a sub-elite AF team. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study METHODS: In total, 22 male players (19.6+2.3 years) were tested and re-tested on the K-D test. Those suspected of having a SRC secondary to a significant head impact were tested. Randomly selected additional players without SRC were assessed for comparison. RESULTS: There were observable learning effects between the first and second baseline testing (48 vs. 46s). The ICC for the first and second baseline tests was 0.91. Post-match test times were longer than the baseline times for players with SRC (n=7) (-1.9s; z=-5.08; p<0.0001). Players tested with no signs of SRC (n=13) had an improvement in time when compared with their baseline score (3.0s; z=-4.38; p<0.0001). The overall sensitivity was 0.98, specificity 0.96, and a kappa of κ=0.94. The positive likelihood ratio was 11.6 and the positive predictive value was 89.0%. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the use of the K-D test due to its test-retest reliability, high sensitivity and specificity, and fast and simple use that is ideal for sports medicine professionals to make quick judgement on management and playability.

Towards unpacking older drivers' visual-motor coordination: A gaze-based integrated driving assessment.

Visual information for a driver is predominant during driving. Linking drivers' visual search patterns with motor behaviour helps understand how drivers perceived spatial and hazardous information to regulate their physical movements. Visual-motor coordination performance can be a sensitive indicator for driver competency assessment. Due to age-related cognitive decline, older drivers are likely inefficient in visual-motor coordination. While poor visual-motor coordination can cause risky behaviour behind the wheel, it is yet challenging to examine it owing to the complexity of driving behaviour. By reviewing how vision guides driving, we proposed a gaze-based integrated driving assessment approach. The empirical data were from 38 older drivers aged 60 to 81 years, who completed an on-road driving assessment recorded by eye tracking and vehicle movement tracking. Their visual search attributes were extracted from eye tracking video frames and linked to vehicle positions. Driving data, drivers' cognitive condition and driving section were encapsulated into an integrated database, allowing interrogating multi-faceted driver-vehicle-environment interactions. Exploratory analysis results show that older drivers' performed different visual search patterns at roundabout and intersection manoeuvres. Older drivers with better executive function skills performed more frequent eye fixations on the curves and inside vehicle features. The investigation of visual-motor coordination performance demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of using the integrated approach in assessing older drivers' performance.

Executive functions, visual-motor coordination, physical fitness and academic achievement: Longitudinal relations in typically developing children.

The present longitudinal study included different school readiness factors measured in kindergarten with the aim to predict later academic achievement in second grade. Based on data of N = 134 children, the predictive power of executive functions, visual-motor coordination and physical fitness on later academic achievement was estimated using a latent variable approach. By entering all three predictors simultaneously into the model to predict later academic achievement, significant effects of executive functions and visual-motor coordination on later academic achievement were found. The influence of physical fitness was found to be substantial but indirect via executive functions. The cognitive stimulation hypothesis as well as the automaticity hypothesis are discussed as an explanation for the reported relations.

Demonstrating Brain-Level Interactions Between Visuospatial Attentional Demands and Working Memory Load While Driving Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Driving is a complex task concurrently drawing on multiple cognitive resources. Yet, there is a lack of studies investigating interactions at the brain-level among different driving subtasks in dual-tasking. This study investigates how visuospatial attentional demands related to increased driving difficulty interacts with different working memory load (WML) levels at the brain level. Using multichannel whole-head high density functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain activation measurements, we aimed to predict driving difficulty level, both separate for each WML level and with a combined model. Participants drove for approximately 60 min on a highway with concurrent traffic in a virtual reality driving simulator. In half of the time, the course led through a construction site with reduced lane width, increasing visuospatial attentional demands. Concurrently, participants performed a modified version of the n-back task with five different WML levels (from 0-back up to 4-back), forcing them to continuously update, memorize, and recall the sequence of the previous 'n' speed signs and adjust their speed accordingly. Using multivariate logistic ridge regression, we were able to correctly predict driving difficulty in 75.0% of the signal samples (1.955 Hz sampling rate) across 15 participants in an out-of-sample cross-validation of classifiers trained on fNIRS data separately for each WML level. There was a significant effect of the WML level on the driving difficulty prediction accuracies [range 62.2-87.1%; χ2(4) = 19.9, p < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis H test] with highest prediction rates at intermediate WML levels. On the contrary, training one classifier on fNIRS data across all WML levels severely degraded prediction performance (mean accuracy of 46.8%). Activation changes in the bilateral dorsal frontal (putative BA46), bilateral inferior parietal (putative BA39), and left superior parietal (putative BA7) areas were most predictive to increased driving difficulty. These discriminative patterns diminished at higher WML levels indicating that visuospatial attentional demands and WML involve interacting underlying brain processes. The changing pattern of driving difficulty related brain areas across WML levels could indicate potential changes in the multitasking strategy with level of WML demand, in line with the multiple resource theory.

Estudo das habilidades de integração viso-motora em uma criança com paralisia cerebral diparética antes e após programa de intervenção interdisciplinar / Study of viso-motor integration skills in a child with diplegic cerebral palsy before and after interdisciplinary intervention program / Estudio de las habilidades de integración visomotora en un niño con parálisis cerebral diparética antes y después del programa de intervención disciplinaria

Crianças com paralisia cerebral a presentam alterações em suas estruturas e funções corporais que, na interação com fatores extrínsecos, podem influenciar a aquisição de noções espaciais e perceptivo-visuais durante o desenvolvimento infantil. Os objetivos deste estudo foram o de elaborar um programa de intervenção para uma criança com paralisia cerebral com atraso nas habilidades de integração viso-motora e analizar o impacto deste programa no desenvolvimento de tais habilidades. Participou uma criança com 5 anos e10 meses de idade, diagnosticada com paralisia cerebral do tipo diparética. Para a coleta de dados foi utilizado o instrumento de avaliação Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery-VMI)e os seus dois testes suplementares padronizados, o teste de percepção visual e o de coordenação motora. A partir dos resultados obtidos na avaliação inicial foie laborado um programa de intervenção com duração de 12 encontros, composto por atividades dirigidas que estimulasse mas aquisições supracitadas. A criança foi avaliada pré e pós intervenção a fim de detectar ocorrência de mudanças nas habilidades estimuladas. A análise de dados foi realizada mediante a pontuação do teste Beery-VMI de acordó com seu manual. Os resultados indicam que ocorreram alterações positivas nas habilidades de percepção visual e de coordenação motora, o que sinaliza para a contribuição do programa de intervenção para o desenvolvimento de habilidades importantes na criança com paralisia cerebral. Os achados apontaram também para possibilidade de estratégias de avaliação e de intervenção da Terapia Ocupacional, em parceria com a Fonoaudiologia, junto a essa população.

Children with cerebral palsy present changes in their structures and body functions that, in interaction with extrinsic factors, can influence the acquisition of spatial and perceptual-visual notions during childhood development. The aims of this study were to elaborate an intervention program for a child with cerebral palsy with delay inviso-motor integration skills and to analyze the impact of this programin the development of such abilities. A child at 5 years and 10 months of age, diagnosed with cerebral palsy of the diplégica type participated this study. The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery-VMI) instrumentand its two standardized supplementary tests, the visual perception test and the motor coordination test were used to collect data. From the results obtained in the initial evaluation, an intervention program was elaborate dwith duration of 12 session, composed of activities directed to stimulate theafore mentioned acquisitions. The child was evaluated before and after intervention in order to detect the occurrence of changes in stimulated abilities. The data analysis was performed using the Beery-VMI test score according to its manual. The results indicate that there have been positive changes in the abilities of visual perception and motor coordination, which signals the contribution of the intervention program to the development of important abilities in children with cerebral palsy. The findings also pointed to the possibilities of strategies of evaluation and intervention of Occupational Therapy, inpartnership with Speech Language Therapy, along with this population.

Los niños con parálisis cerebral tienen cambios en sus estructuras y funciones corporalesque, en interacción con factores extrínsecos pueden influir en la adquisición de conceptosvisuales espaciales y depercepción para el desarrollo infantil. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron desarrollar un programa de intervención para un niño con parálisis cerebra la finales de habilidades de integración visomotora y analizar el impacto de este programa en el desarrollo de estas habilidades. Asistió a un niño de 5 años y 10 meses de edad, con diagnóstico de parálisis cerebral tipodiparética. Para la recolección de datos se utilizó la herramienta de evaluación Beery-Buktenica Prueba del Desarrollo de la Integración Visual-Motor (Beery-VMI) y sus dos pruebas adicionales estandarizados, la prueba de percepción visual y la coordinación motora. Apartir de los resultados obtenidos en la evaluación inicial se elaboró un programa de intervención con duración de 12 sesiones, que consiste en actividades dirigidas que estimulan las adquisiciones anteriores. El niño se evaluó previa y posterior la intervención con el fin de detectar la aparición de cambios en las habilidades estimulados. El análisis de datos se realizó mediante la puntuación de la prueba Beery-VMI acuerdo con su manual. Los resultados indicaron que hubo cambios positivos en las habilidades de percepción visual y la coordinación motora, que apuntaron a la contribución del programa de intervención para el desarrollo de habilidades importantes en niños con parálisis cerebral. Los hallazgos apuntaron también a las posibilidades de las estrategias de evaluación y la intervención de Terapia Ocupacional, en asociación con terapia del habla, con esta población.

Physical Therapy for a Patient with Essential Tremor and Prolonged Deep Brain Stimulation: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence examining the role of physical therapy (PT) to address movement dysfunction for individuals with essential tremor (ET). CASE REPORT: A 61-year-old male with ET and prolonged bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) completed 14 sessions of outpatient PT that emphasized balance, functional movements, and proximal stability training with an integration of principles of body awareness training and visual motor coordination. Improvements were noted in all outcome measures. DISCUSSION: This report describes a novel PT approach that offers a promising means of improving functional mobility and balance while decreasing falls risk in patients with ET.

Subtle visuomotor difficulties in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease (Pre-AD) present nonimpaired cognition, as measured by standard neuropsychological tests. However, detecting subtle difficulties in cognitive functions may be necessary for an early diagnosis and intervention. OBJECTIVES: A new computer-based visuomotor coordination task (VMC) was developed to investigate the possible presence of early visuomotor difficulties in Pre-AD individuals. Associations between VMC task performance and AD biomarkers were studied. The influence of ApoE status on participants' performance was addressed, as well as the relationship between performance and subjective cognitive decline (SCD). METHODS: Sixty-six cognitively normal (CN) elders (19 Pre-AD and 47 control participants [CTR]) and 15 patients with AD performed the VMC task, which consisted in executing visually guided goal-directed movements that required the coordination of the visual and motor systems. All participants underwent ApoE analysis and lumbar puncture. CN participants also completed an extensive standard neuropsychological battery. RESULTS: Despite presenting normal cognition in standard tests, Pre-AD participants exhibited higher response times (RTs) to complete the VMC task than CTR (p < .01). Besides, patients with AD showed higher RTs than CTR (p < .001) and Pre-AD (p < .05), and more errors than CTR (p < .005). RTs in ApoE4 carriers were higher than that observed in ApoE4 noncarriers (p < .01). In CN individuals, RTs were related to amyloid ß-protein 42 (AB42) biomarker (p < .01) and informant-rated SCD (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The VMC task is able to discriminate Pre-AD from CTR individuals. Moreover, VMC results are associated with AB42 levels in CN individuals, suggesting that visuomotor dysfunction may be a sensitive marker of Pre-AD.

Effect of prematurity and low birth weight in visual abilities and school performance.

BACKGROUND: Prematurity and low birth weight are known risk factors for cognitive and developmental impairments, and school failure. Visual perceptual and visual motor skills seem to be among the most affected cognitive domains in these children. AIMS: To assess the influence of prematurity and low birth weight in visual cognitive skills and school performance. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study, which included 80 boys and girls in an age range from 5 to 13. Subjects were grouped by gestational age at birth (preterm, <37 weeks; term, 37-42 weeks) and birth weight (small for gestational age (SGA), <10th centile; appropriate weight for gestational age (AGA), ≥10th centile). Each child underwent full ophthalmologic assessment and standardized testing of visual cognitive abilities (Test of Visual Perceptual Skills and Test of Visual Analysis Skills). Parents completed a questionnaire on school performance in children. RESULTS: Figure-ground skill and visual motor integration were significantly decreased in the preterm birth group, compared with term control subjects (figure-ground: 45.7 vs 66.5, p=0.012; visual motor integration, TVAS: (9.9 vs 11.8, p=0.018), while outcomes of visual memory (29.0 vs 47.7, p=0.012), form constancy (33.3 vs 52.8, p=0.019), figure-ground (37.4 vs 65.6, p=0.001), and visual closure (43.7 vs 62.6 p=0.016) testing were lower in the SGA (vs AGA) group. Visual cognitive difficulties corresponded with worse performance in mathematics (r=0.414, p=0.004) and reading (r=0.343, p=0.018). CONCLUSION: Specific patterns of visual perceptual and visual motor deficits are displayed by children born preterm or SGA, which hinder mathematics and reading performance.

Evaluation of the King-Devick test as a concussion screening tool in high school football players.

OBJECTIVE: Concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury, and results from impact or impulsive forces to the head, neck or face. Due to the variability and subtlety of symptoms, concussions may go unrecognized or be ignored, especially with the pressure placed on athletes to return to competition. The King-Devick (KD) test, an oculomotor test originally designed for reading evaluation, was recently validated as a concussion screening tool in collegiate athletes. A prospective study was performed using high school football players in an attempt to study the KD as a concussion screening tool in this younger population. METHODS: 343 athletes from four local high school football teams were recruited to participate. These athletes were given baseline KD tests prior to competition. Individual demographic information was collected on the subjects. Standard team protocol was employed to determine if a concussion had occurred during competition. Immediately after diagnosis, the KD test was re-administered to the concussed athlete for comparison to baseline. Post-season testing was also performed in non-concussed individuals. RESULTS: Of the 343 athletes, nine were diagnosed with concussions. In all concussed players, cumulative read times for the KD test were significantly increased (p<0.001). Post-season testing of non-concussed athletes revealed minimal change in read times relative to baseline. Univariate analysis revealed that history of concussion was the only demographic factor predictive of concussion in this cohort. CONCLUSION: The KD test is an accurate and easily administered sideline screening tool for concussion in adolescent football players.