10-second Test Research Articles

Classifying Hand Dexterity Impairment in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy With 10-Second Grip and Release Test.

Diagnostic accuracy study with prospectively collected data. This study aimed to establish optimal cutoff values for the 10-second grip and release (10s-G&R) Test to distinguish between mild, moderate, and severe levels of hand dexterity impairment in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). The 10s-G&R test is widely utilized to assess hand function in DCM patients. However, whether this test can effectively distinguish between varying severities of hand dexterity impairment, along with the relevant cutoff values, remains unknown. The authors analyzed hand motion data from 551 consecutively enrolled DCM patients using an artificial intelligent system. In addition, the authors conducted evaluations of functional status, quality of life, and outcome measures. Receiver operating curve analysis was performed to determine cutoff values that differentiate mild, moderate, and severe hand dexterity impairments based on the ability to fasten buttons, as assessed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire Q2-1. The validity of these cutoffs was assessed by comparing G&R parameters, upper limb disability, overall disease severity, and quality of life among patients in different severity groups. The authors identified 16 G&R cycles as the cutoff for moderate hand dexterity impairment and 13 G&R cycles as the cutoff for severe impairment. Patients with severe impairment exhibited significantly worse G&R parameters, more severe upper limb symptoms, greater overall disease severity, and reduced quality of life. Patients completing fewer than 13 G&R cycles within 10 seconds were more likely to have moderate-to-severe DCM, indicating the need for potential surgical intervention. The authors propose classifying mild hand dexterity impairment as 17 to 20 cycles on the 10s-G&R test, moderate as 14 to 16 cycles, and severe as 13 cycles or less. Our study underscores that the 10s-G&R test can serve as an effective supplementary tool within the context of other currently available measurement tools.

Using Electrical Stimulation of the Ulnar Nerve Trunk to Predict Postoperative Improvement in Hand Clumsiness in Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.

A prospective cohort study. To investigate whether the immediate and short-term effects of preoperative electrical peripheral nerve stimulation (ePNS) on performance of the 10-second test could predict the early postoperative outcomes of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Previous studies have shown that early clinical improvement in CSM patients may be because of reversal of spinal cord ischemia after spinal cord compression. We conducted a 10-second test before surgery, after ePNS, and at discharge (one week after surgery) in 44 patients with CSM who underwent C3-C7 laminoplasty and evaluated their correlations. The effects of the procedures (ePNS or operation) and sides (stimulated or nonstimulated side) for the 10-second test were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to measure the relationship between the 10-second test values according to the method (after ePNS vs. surgery). In addition, the Bland-Altman method was used to evaluate the degree of agreement between the 10-second test obtained after ePNS versus shortly after surgery. The preoperative 10-second test showed the most improvement immediately after the administration of ePNS, with a gradual decrease for the first 30 minutes after completion. After the initial 30 minutes, performance decreased rapidly, and by 60 minutes performance essentially returned to baseline. The 10-second post-ePNS had a strong positive correlation with the 10-second test in the early postoperative period (at discharge=one week after surgery). These phenomena were observed with the left hand, the side stimulated with ePNS, as well as the right hand, the side not stimulated. Early postoperative outcomes after CSM surgery may be predicted by the results of preoperative ePNS. Level 3.

High-Dimensional Analysis of Finger Motion and Screening of Cervical Myelopathy With a Noncontact Sensor: Diagnostic Case-Control Study.

Cervical myelopathy (CM) causes several symptoms such as clumsiness of the hands and often requires surgery. Screening and early diagnosis of CM are important because some patients are unaware of their early symptoms and consult a surgeon only after their condition has become severe. The 10-second hand grip and release test is commonly used to check for the presence of CM. The test is simple but would be more useful for screening if it could objectively evaluate the changes in movement specific to CM. A previous study analyzed finger movements in the 10-second hand grip and release test using the Leap Motion, a noncontact sensor, and a system was developed that can diagnose CM with high sensitivity and specificity using machine learning. However, the previous study had limitations in that the system recorded few parameters and did not differentiate CM from other hand disorders. This study aims to develop a system that can diagnose CM with higher sensitivity and specificity, and distinguish CM from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a common hand disorder. We then validated the system with a modified Leap Motion that can record the joints of each finger. In total, 31, 27, and 29 participants were recruited into the CM, CTS, and control groups, respectively. We developed a system using Leap Motion that recorded 229 parameters of finger movements while participants gripped and released their fingers as rapidly as possible. A support vector machine was used for machine learning to develop the binary classification model and calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). We developed two models, one to diagnose CM among the CM and control groups (CM/control model), and the other to diagnose CM among the CM and non-CM groups (CM/non-CM model). The CM/control model indexes were as follows: sensitivity 74.2%, specificity 89.7%, and AUC 0.82. The CM/non-CM model indexes were as follows: sensitivity 71%, specificity 72.87%, and AUC 0.74. We developed a screening system capable of diagnosing CM with higher sensitivity and specificity. This system can differentiate patients with CM from patients with CTS as well as healthy patients and has the potential to screen for CM in a variety of patients.

Diagnosis and Management of Mild TBI via Eye Tracking

The purpose of this study is to expose the prevalence of mild traumatic brain injuries among high school football players and to explore the possibility of implementing eye tracking performance as an objective way to assess cases of potential concussion. Concussions are one of the most common forms of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Unfortunately, current research suggests that mild TBIs cannot always be accurately diagnosed via routine neurologic examination. Also, most evaluations, such as ImPACT, are survey-style assessments that are time intensive and subjective. Lack of an objective method to rapidly assess concussions on the field raises concern for second-impact syndrome (SIS), which can lead to permanent brain damage or even fatality. This multi-part study included a population of 849 high school athletes in from Lubbock, TX. Student athletes filled out a baseline concussion survey, then assessed their eye tracking performance with the EyeGuide Focus, a 10-second test that involves visually tracking a continuous, figure-8 shape. A vector-based system was used to measure the eye-tracking deviation. Forty-two athletes were recorded with a baseline eye-tracking score, and a subsequent eye-tracking score that was labelled as a suspected concussion by a physician. Of those 42, 17 had a follow-up eye-tracking test 2 weeks later. Test scores labelled with suspected concussion had a significantly higher mean raw score than the baseline score. Higher scores indicate greater vector deviation from accurately tracing the figure-8 with the eyes. The survey results show underdiagnosing of concussions at lower levels of youth sports, which may indicate a lack of resources. As the data shows marked changes between the concussed, baseline, and follow-up scores, eye-tracking promises to be a quick and efficient tool to assess sports-related concussions.

Counter movement jump and sport specific frequency speed of kick test to discriminate between elite and sub-elite kickboxers

Background: Although counter movement jump (CMJ) test has been used for years to measure neuromuscular power, it is unclear what is the sensitivity of CMJ in distinguishing between combat athletes. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the ability of 10-second frequency speed of kick test (FSKT) and CMJ to distinguish between elite and sub-elite kickboxing athletes. Methods: Twenty-four kickboxers voluntarily participated in this study. The inclusion criteria for all participants were to compete in the national championships at least the last three years. Athletes reaching at least a quarter-final were considered as elite (n = 12, age 21.3 ± 1.8 years, body height 176.0 ± 0.6 cm, body mass 70.91 ± 9.1 kg, training experience 7.2 ± 1.8 years) whereas athletes who could not reach the quarter-finals were considered as sub-elite (n = 12, age 20.0 ± 1.6 years, body height 177.0 ± 4.5 cm, body mass 69.05 ± 5.24 kg, training experience 6.21 ± 0.62 years) in the national championship held in the last tournament. Participants performed 10-second FSKT and CMJ test twice. Independent t-test was used to determine whether there were differences between groups and effect size (Cohen's d) was calculated. Additionally, a discriminant function analysis was used to determine which test most accurately distinguished elite and sub-elite kickboxers. Results: Body height, body mass, body mass index, and training experience did not significantly differ between the groups (p > .05), while CMJ (p = .001, d = 1.49) and FSKT (p < .001, d = 2.56) were significantly higher in the elite group than the sub-elite group. According to discriminant function analyses, FSKT correctly classified participation of 91.7% athletes in the elite and sub-elite groups, while CMJ correctly classified 70.8 % of athletes. Conclusions: This study suggested that FSKT can be used to determine successful and non-successful kickboxers since it is more effective at distinguishing the groups than CMJ test.

Upright Balance Control in Individuals with Cervical Myelopathy Following Cervical Decompression Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study

Patients with cervical myelopathy may manifest impairments in functional activities and balance control caused by compression of the spinal cord. The objective of the current study was to determine long-term changes in the upright balance control of patients with cervical myelopathy who had undergone cervical decompression surgery. This is a prospective cohort study from the preoperative phase to 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postsurgery. Fifty-three patients with cervical myelopathy were recruited for the cervical myelopathy group and 22 age-matched healthy controls were recruited for the control group. Functional assessments including Japanese Orthopedic Association Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire-Lower Extremity Function (JOACMEQ-LEF) and 10-second step test; as well as balance assessments including postural sway (center-of-pressure: COP) were performed for both groups. The JOACMEQ-LEF (p = 0.036) scores of the myelopathy group improved postoperatively, and a significant decrease in COP variables of postural sway was observed. The upright posture was less stable in the myelopathy group than in the control group (p < 0.05) both before and after surgery. The effect size and standard response mean of the COP variables ranged from −0.49 to 0.03 at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postsurgery. The upright balance control had improved significantly 6 months after decompression surgery. However, the balance control of the patients who had undergone decompression surgery remained less stable than that of the age-matched healthy controls. Balance training should be initiated before 6 months postsurgery to accelerate balance control recovery in patients with cervical myelopathy.

Beat the heat! Stop the smoking!

Materials Science Polyurethane foams are widely used in upholstered furniture and mattresses but pose a fire hazard because they can be highly flammable. Flame and heat retardants are used to make these materials safer, but they can have issues regarding cost or toxicity. Fahami et al. show that three common, inexpensive materials can be used to make a flame retardant. Foams were coated with chitosan-stabilized mica and then poly(acrylic acid)-stabilized mica in a layer-by-layer process with repeated cycling to build up thicker coatings to open cell foams. They found that the coated foams resisted dripping when exposed to heat and would self-extinguish during a 10-second torch test. Further, when exposed to a heat test, the coatings reduced the release of volatile components and smoke from the foam. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 12 , 19938 (2020).

Resting-state Amplitude of Low-frequency Fluctuation is a Potentially Useful Prognostic Functional Biomarker in Cervical Myelopathy.

Cervical MRI is the standard diagnostic imaging technique for patients with cervical myelopathy. However, the utility of conventional cervical MRI as a predictive biomarker for surgical recovery remains unclear, partly because of the limited information obtained from this anatomically small area. Brain resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) may help identify candidate predictive biomarkers. Two analytical methods that assess local spontaneous brain activity are widely used for rs-fMRI: functional connectivity between two brain regions and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). In our previous analysis of functional connectivity, we discovered that brain functional connectivity may be a predictive biomarker for neurologic recovery in patients with cervical myelopathy; however, the functional connectivity analysis identified a correlation with only one clinical outcome (the 10-second test). To establish a comprehensive prediction measure, we need to explore other brain biomarkers that can predict recovery of other clinical outcomes in patients with cervical myelopathy. We aimed to (1) elucidate preoperative ALFF alterations in patients with cervical myelopathy and how ALFF changes after surgery, with a focus on postoperative normalization and (2) establish a predictive model using preoperative ALFF by investigating the correlation between preoperative ALFF and postoperative clinical recovery in patients with cervical myelopathy. Between August 2015 and June 2017, we treated 40 patients with cervical myelopathy. Thirty patients met our prespecified inclusion criteria, all were invited to participate, and 28 patients opted to do so (93%; 14 men and 14 women; mean age: 67 years). The 28 patients and 28 age- and sex-matched controls underwent rs-fMRI (twice for patients with cervical myelopathy: before and 6 months after cervical decompression surgery). We analyzed the same study population that was used in our earlier study investigating functional connectivity. Controls had none of the following abnormalities: neck or arm pain, visual or auditory disorders, cognitive disorder, structural brain disorder, a history of brain surgery, mental and neurologic disorders, and medications for the central nervous system. We performed ALFF comparisons between preoperative patients with cervical myelopathy and controls, analyzed postoperative ALFF changes in patients with cervical myelopathy, and performed a correlation analysis between preoperative ALFF and clinical recovery in these patients. Clinical outcomes in the cervical myelopathy group were assessed using the 10-second test, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association upper-extremity motor (JOA-UEM) score, JOA upper-extremity sensory score (JOA-UES), and Japanese Orthopaedic Association Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire for upper-extremity function (JOACMEQ-UEF) score before and 6 months after surgery, which is when we believe these scores generally reach a plateau. A total of 93% of those enrolled (26 of 28 patients) were analyzed both preoperatively and postoperatively; the other two were lost to follow-up. The cervical myelopathy group had an increase in ALFF in the bilateral primary sensorimotor cortices (right, cluster size = 850 voxels, t-value = 6.10; left, cluster size = 370 voxels, t-value = 4.84) and left visual cortex (cluster size = 556 voxels, t-value = 4.21) compared with the control group. The cervical myelopathy group had a decrease in ALFF in the bilateral posterior supramarginal gyrus (right, cluster size = 222 voxels, t-value = 5.09; left, cluster size = 436 voxels, t-value = 5.28). After surgery, the bilateral sensorimotor cortices (right, cluster size = 468 voxels, t-value = 6.74; left, cluster size = 167 voxels, t-value = 5.40) and left visual cortex (cluster size = 3748 voxels, t-value = 6.66) showed decreased ALFF compared with preoperative ALFF, indicating postoperative normalization of spontaneous brain activities in these regions. However, the bilateral posterior supramarginal gyrus did not show an increase in ALFF postoperatively, although ALFF in this region decreased preoperatively. Greater levels of ALFF at the left and right frontal pole and left pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus before surgery in the cervical myelopathy group were correlated with larger improvements in the JOACMEQ-UEF score 6 months after surgery (r = 0.784; p < 0.001, r = 0.734; p < 0.001 and r = 0.770, respectively; p < 0.001). The prediction formula, based on preoperative ALFF values in the left frontal pole, was as follows: the predicted postoperative improvement in the JOACMEQ-UEF score = 34.6 × preoperative ALFF value - 7.0 (r = 0.614; p < 0.001). Our findings suggest that preoperative ALFF may be a biomarker for postoperative recovery in that it predicted postoperative JOACMEQ-UEF scores. To establish a comprehensive prediction measure for neurologic recovery in patients with cervical myelopathy, a multicenter study is underway. Level II, diagnostic study.

Towards prognostic functional brain biomarkers for cervical myelopathy: A resting-state fMRI study

Recently, there has been increasing interest in strategies to predict neurological recovery in cervical myelopathy (CM) based on clinical images of the cervical spine. In this study, we aimed to explore potential preoperative brain biomarkers that can predict postoperative neurological recovery in CM patients by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Twenty-eight patients with CM and 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent rs-fMRI (twice for CM patients, before and six months after surgery). A seed-to-voxel analysis was performed, and the following three statistical analyses were conducted: (i) FC comparisons between preoperative CM and HC; (ii) correlation analysis between preoperative FCs and clinical scores; and (iii) postoperative FC changes in CM. Our analyses identified three FCs between the visual cortex and the right superior frontal gyrus based on the conjunction of the first two analyses [(i) and (ii)]. These FCs may act as potential biomarkers for postoperative gain in the 10-second test and might be sufficient to provide a prediction formula for potential recovery. Our findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the possibility of novel predictive measures for neurological recovery in CM using rs-fMRI.

Validity and reliability of a 10-second foot-tap test in older adults

The purposes of this study were to: (1) compare differences in foot-tap speed between younger and older adults; (2) examine the relationship between foot-tap time and foot-activated reaction time (RT); and (3) assess test-retest reliability of the foot-tap test. Number of Subjects: 115 adults (F=70, M4=5) were recruited from local schools and churches; the sample included 72 young adults (18-64 yo) and 43 older adults (65-92 yo). Subjects with known cognitive, visual, or lower extremity motor deficits were excluded. Methods: After signing an informed consent, subjects were seated at a table where they performed a computerized reaction time test by depressing a foot pedal when a stoplight changed colour. SRTs for 5 trials were averaged for each foot. Subjects then performed the foot-tap test using an electronic tapping device (Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles, CA) which recorded the number of foot taps performed during a 10-sec interval. The subjects’ dominant foot was tested first, followed by a test of the non-dominant foot, and a repeat test of the dominant foot (to assess reliability). A 1-min rest was provided between tests. An independent t-test compared the mean number of foot-taps (on each foot) between age groups, and a paired t-test compared the number of foot-taps between subjects’ dominant and non-dominant feet. A Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between SRT and number of foot-taps, and an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3,1) and Limits of Agreement (LOA) graph were used to assess test-retest reliability. All data were analyzed at the .05 alpha level using SPSS 23 statistical software. Results: The mean number of foot taps differed significantly (p≤.001) between age groups with younger subjects averaging 41.45 (±10.91) taps with the dominant foot and 40.65 (±11.44) taps with the non-dominant foot. Older subjects averaged 28.29 (±10.21) taps with the dominant foot and 26.81 (±11.20) with the non-dominant foot. A mean difference of ≈ 3 taps was found between the dominant and non-dominant feet across all subjects (t=4.616, p≤.001). A moderate, inverse correlation (r=-.451,p=.001) was found between SRT and number of foot taps on the dominant foot. A significant correlation was found between the 2 foot-tap tests performed with the dominant foot (ICC=.793, p≤.001). Conclusions: Younger adults averaged 13 to 14 more foot-taps during the 10-sec test than older adults. Additionally, all subjects demonstrated slightly more foot taps using their dominant foot. Faster reaction times were moderately associated with a higher number of foot taps, and test-retest reliability of the foot-tap test was acceptable. Clinical Relevance: This study demonstrates the moderate effect that normal aging has on foot-tap speed and provides normal values that clinicians may use as a reference when testing individuals with various neurological pathologies. However, the moderate correlation found between reaction time and foot taps suggests that these tests do not necessarily measure the same psychomotor attribute.

Physiological Correlates of Cycling Performance in Amateur Mountain Bikers

Research background and hypothesis. Aerobic fitness of high-performance mountain bikers explains about 40% of variance in performance. This suggests that other factors such as anaerobic power and capacity as well as technical abilities need to be considered in the physiological assessment (Impellizzeri et al., 2005 a). We found a lot studies investigating track and road cyclists, but there are no studies concerning the relationship between physiological tests and cycling performance in Lithuanian mountain bikers. The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological correlates of cycling performance in amateur mountain bikers. Research methods. Fifteen Lithuanian mountain bikers participated in the study. The 10-second test was performed to estimate special alactic anaerobic power output, whereas ae 30-second Wingate test was performed to estimate composite alactic anaerobic glycolytic power output. For the evaluation of the aerobic capacity, a progressive incremental laboratory cycling test to exhaustion was performed. Research results. We found a significant negative correlation between cycling performance and alactic anaerobic relative peak power output (r = –0.534, p &lt; 0.05) and lactate concentration after the progressive incremental cycling test to exhaustion (r = –0.625, p &lt; 0.05). However, we did not find a significant correlation between cycling performance and VO 2 max (r = –0.024, p &gt; 0.05) and composite alactic anaerobic glycolytic power output (r = –0.269, p &gt; 0.05). Discussion and conclusions. Our findings suggest that alactic anaerobic power output and active glycolysis play a very important role in off-road cycling performance. This is essential because of the fast starting phase of the race and steep climbs.Keywords: mountain bike, cycling, performance, power output, maximal oxygen uptake.

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Application of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging or diffusion tensor imaging to quantify the severity of cervical spondylotic myelopathy and to assess postoperative neurologic recovery

Background ContextSurgical outcome and the severity of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) are unpredictable and cannot be estimated by conventional anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The utility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to quantify the severity of CSM and to assess postoperative neurologic recovery has been investigated. However, whether conventional DTI should be applied in a clinical setting remains controversial. Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) is a recently introduced model-based diffusion-weighted MRI technique that quantifies specific microstructural features related directly to neuronal morphology. However, there are as yet few clinical applications of NODDI reported. Indeed, there are no reports to indicate NODDI is useful for diagnosing CSM. Study DesignThis is a retrospective cohort study using consecutive patients. PurposeThe objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of NODDI and conventional DTI for detecting changes in the spinal cord microstructure. In particular, this study aimed to quantify the preoperative severity of CSM and to assess postoperative neurologic recovery from this myelopathy. Patient SampleWe included 27 consecutive patients with a nontraumatic cervical lesion from CSM who underwent laminoplasty at a single institution between April 2012 and April 2015. The patients underwent MRI before and approximately 2 weeks after surgery. Outcome MeasuresIn addition to conventional DTI metrics, we evaluated the intracellular volume fraction (ICVF) and the orientation dispersion index (ODI), which are metrics derived from NODDI. The 10-second grip and release test and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association scoring system were used before and 1 year after surgery to assess neurologic outcome. Materials and MethodsNeurite orientation dispersion and density imaging and conventional DTI values were measured at the C2–C3 intervertebral level (control value) and at the most compressed levels (C3–C7 intervertebral levels) were measured. The changes in these values pre- and postoperative were demonstrated. Correlations between NODDI and conventional DTI values and clinical outcome were determined. ResultsPreoperative fractional anisotropy was significantly correlated with the severity of neural damage, but not with postoperative neurologic recovery. No significant correlation could be found between the preoperative ICVF, the ODI, the apparent diffusion coefficient, and the severity of the preoperative neurologic dysfunction. Preoperative ICVF was most strongly correlated with the severity of neurologic dysfunction and postoperative neurologic recovery. ConclusionsConventional DTI may be applied clinically to assess the severity of myelopathy. Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging may be more valuable than conventional DTI to predict outcome following surgery in patients with CSM.

Relation between Maximal Anaerobic Power Output and Tests on Rowing Ergometer

SummaryAim of this study was to compare relation between maximal anaerobic power output and 2,000 m test on rowing ergometer and relation between 6,000 m test and 2,000 m on rowing ergometer. It can be assumed that 2,000 m performance on rowing ergometer will significantly correlate with maximal anaerobic power output and 6,000 m performance. A group of 9 welltrained rowers (age: 18.3 years ± 2.8 years, sport age: 4.9 years ± 3.7 years, weight: 78.9 kg ± 12.2 kg, height: 182.3 cm ± 7.6 cm) performed three tests in 1 week to determine maximal anaerobic power, 6,000 m and 2,000 m performance on Concept 2 model D rowing ergometer. A value of simple maximal stroke out of 10-second all-out test with drag factor set to 200 was taken as a measure of maximal anaerobic power. Drag factor for 6,000 m and 2,000 m test was set individually. Average power during these tests was record. Research showed that both maximal anaerobic power and 6,000 m test correlated with 2,000 m test on rowing ergometer significantly (rmap= 0.93 p &lt; 0.01, r6k= 0.95 p &lt; 0.01). Maximal anaerobic power and 6,000 m tests seem to be good predictors for 2,000 m score on rowing ergometer. However, maximal anaerobic power test can be used to monitor rowing performance during specific training cycle instead of longer and more demanding 6,000 m test.

Pilot Study For The Reliability Of The 10-second Foot Tapping Test (FTT)

The ability to produce and sustain rapid and repetitive movements is a vital aspect of almost any act of daily living (ADL). Without such ability, seemingly simple tasks such as walking would be all but impossible. Though commonly overlooked, the ability to rapidly and repetitively dorsi and plantar flex the foot is a crucial constituent of proper gait. So to that end, researchers have identified a means of assessing a person’s ability to rapidly and repetitively dorsi and plantar flex the foot known as the 10-second foot-tapping test (FTT). Using the FTT, researchers have demonstrated that there is a marked decrease in foot tapping speed in clinical populations; e.g. stroke, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cervical myelopathy, and Parkinson’s disease; as well as degradations with age regardless of disease. It is hypothesized that this decline in foot tapping speed is attributed to changes taking place in the motor neurons responsible for the contraction of the muscles of the lower limbs. Despite showing a diminished foot tapping speed with disease and age, very little is known about the reliability of the FTT. PURPOSE: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability and inter rater reliability measures of the FTT using video playback of the test. METHODS: Nine subjects were recruited for this study. Over the course of two visits, foot-tapping speed for each leg was measured using the FTT. During each visit the number of foot taps performed in 10 seconds was tested twice for each leg, yielding 4 tests per leg per subject over the course of two days. Each trial was video recorded and slowed down at varying speeds so as to allow each of the three raters to easily distinguish and count the individual foot taps, creating a total of 216 individual leg-test counts for analysis. RESULTS: The FTT was found to have high interrater reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha: 0.971) and immediate test-retest reliability (Pearson R Correlation: 0.918). DISCUSSION: This study indicates that the FTT exhibits high test-retest and interrater reliability using video analysis. However, going forward, more research must be done on the reliability of the FTT using “live” counting, across the many apparent variations in test administration methods, and of course within a larger and more diverse group of subjects.

Effect of sensorimotor stimulation on chronic stroke patients' upper extremity function: a preliminary study.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive sensorimotor stimulation program on the motor function of chronic hemiparetic patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were three chronic stroke patients whose sensory function was intact, who had Mini-Mental State Examination − Korean version scores of more than 26, and manual muscle test scores of more than fair for affected shoulder and elbow. The research design was an A-B single subject experimental design. The intervention consisted of 4 baselines phase sessions, and 12 sensorimotor stimulation phase sessions. The sensory and motor stimulation was performed for 30 minutes per session. The efficacy of the program was evaluated by the Box and Block test, and the 10-second test. [Results] Box and Block test and 10-second test scores of each subject improved after the 8 weeks intervention. [Conclusion] The intensive sensorimotor stimulation program for the upper extremity may be an efficacious method for improving the function of the affected limb of chronic stroke patients.

Third-body Wear Damage Produced in CoCr Surfaces by Hydroxyapatite and Alumina Ceramic Debris: A 10-cycle Metal-on-Metal Simulator Study

Ceramic particles are believed to be particularly abrasive due to their extreme hardness. Ceramic debris has been reported in retrieved total hip arthroplasty (THA) due to chipping and fracture of alumina components or by flaking of hydroxyapatite from implant coatings. However there appears to be no abrasion ranking of such particle behavior. The hypotheses in this study were, i) alumina particles would create large scratches in CoCr surfaces and ii) hydroxyapatite would produce very mild scratching comparable to bone-cement particles. Hydroxyapatite beads came in two types of commercial powders while the flakes were scraped from retrieved femoral stems. Alumina beads came in two commercial powders and flakes were retrieved from a fractured ceramic head. Particle morphologies were determined by SEM and CoCr surface damage by interferometry and SEM. Six 38-mm MOM were mounted inverted in a hip simulator and run with ceramic particles inserted for a 10-second test. Surface-roughness ranking after 10-second abrasion test revealed that bone cement and hydroxyapatite produced least damage to CoCr surfaces while alumina produced the most. Alumina increased surface roughness 19-fold greater than either hydroxyapatite or bone-cement particles. The alumina debris produced numerous scratches typically 20-80 µm wide with some up to 140µm wide. Surprisingly the alumina beads and flakes were pulverized within the 10-second test interval and remained adherent to the CoCr surfaces. Additionally, the hydroxyapatite although also a ceramic had no more effect on CoCr than the bone-cement debris. Use of well-characterized and commercially available alumina and hydroxyapatite powders appeared advantageous for abrasion tests. These new data indicated that such ceramic powders have merit.

Relationships between Physical Fitness Components among Slovak High School Students

Abstract Introduction. The purpose of the study was to assess physical fitness based on using FITNESSGRAM test battery in Slovak high school students. Material and methods. The reference sample consisted of 1,016 high school students from schools located in the Prešov self-governing region. Students were tested for physical fitness components using selected Fitnessgram test items. In addition, students performed 20-meter endurance shuttle run to determine their level of cardiorespiratory fitness and 10-second jumping test on a jumping ergometer to determine their lower-body explosive power. Results. Results of one-way ANOVA showed significant differences for curl-up test (p = .012) between 15-year-old boys and 18-year-old boys. There were no differences between boys living in rural areas and their age-matched counterparts living in urban areas. Contrary to boys, girls from rural areas had higher level of abdominal strength (p = .046; d = .19). In the 20-meter endurance shuttle run, boys averaged 448.87 meters more than girls. Conclusions. This study enables to create norm-referenced standards, which through their content will to a great extent indicate the measures of physical fitness.

Rett Syndrome: Recognition of Facial Expression and Its Relation to Scanning Patterns

BackgroundRett syndrome is a severely disabling neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene. Very little is known about its cognitive phenotype and nothing about recognition of emotional expression, a key factor for social interaction and communication. Using eye tracking technology, a technique uniquely suited for studying cognition in this disorder, we examined this ability here. MethodsRett syndrome female patients (n = 37; 2-31 years) and a typically developing age- and gender-matched comparison group (n = 34; 2-30 years) were assessed on recognition of three basic emotions (happy, sad, and fear) using six visual paired-comparison problems. Each problem consisted of a 10-second familiarization, in which two identical faces posing one emotion were presented, followed by a 10-second test, in which the familiar emotion was paired with a novel one posed by the same model. Recognition was inferred from preferential looking to the novel target on test. During familiarization, attention was measured by total looking time, number and/or length of fixations, and gaze dispersion across three key facial features (eyes, nose, and mouth). ResultsIndividuals with Rett syndrome had difficulty recognizing most emotional expressions, unlike the typically developing comparison group. Also, their scanpaths were atypical—less looking, fewer and/or longer fixations, and less time devoted to all facial features (48% versus 72%), particularly the mouth. Significant correlations between looking to critical features and recognition underscored the importance of scanning. ConclusionsOur results suggest that individuals with Rett syndrome have difficulty reading emotional expressions and that these problems are linked to atypicalities in scanning.

10-Second Step Test for Quantitative Evaluation of the Severity of Thoracic Compressive Myelopathy

A clinical and cohort study. To evaluate the efficacy of the 10-second step test as a measure of the severity of thoracic compressive myelopathy. Objective measurement is essential for determining the severity of thoracic compressive myelopathy. Some useful measurements for cervical myelopathy have been identified; however, few reports have addressed the measurement of severity of thoracic myelopathy. Twenty-five presurgical patients with thoracic compressive myelopathy were included. Patients with cervical myelopathy and concomitant lumbar canal stenosis were excluded from this analysis. The subjects included 14 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 58.8 years (range, 36-81). The 10-second step test was performed, and the number of steps in 10 seconds was recorded. The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score for thoracic myelopathy, which was adapted from the JOA score for cervical myelopathy, was also used for assessment. The average 10-second step test score in all patients was 9.6 ± 1.3 before surgery, which significantly correlated with the total JOA score (r = 0.69, P < 0.01) and its lower extremity motor function score (r = 0.92, P < 0.01). They were retested 12 months after surgery, but the postoperative scores for 5 patients were not available. The average preoperative 10-second step test score of the remaining 20 patients was 9.5 ± 1.5, which significantly improved to 15.1 ± 1.2 12 months after surgery. The step test score in those 20 patients significantly correlated with the total JOA score and lower extremity motor function score before and after surgery (P < 0.01). The 10-second step test reflected the severity of thoracic compressive myelopathy. Moreover, this test was useful for evaluating surgical outcome in patients with thoracic compressive myelopathy.