Auditory Choice Reaction Time Research Articles

Auditory and visual reaction times among children of chronic smokers and non-smokers: A comparative study

Background: Tobacco consumption is the primary cause for cancers in men and women in India. Second hand smoking also has toxins in the similar concentration affecting children in particular leading to many health-related conditions including neurological disorders. The present study was done with the hypothesis that passive smoking in children causes delay in their reaction time when compared to the children of non-smokers which indicates cognition deficit. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the study are as follows: (1) Comparison of the visual simple reaction time (VSRT) and visual choice reaction time (VCRT) among the children of chronic smokers and non-smokers and (2) to compare the auditory simple reaction time (ASRT) and auditory choice reaction time (ACRT) among the children of chronic smokers and non-smokers. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. After obtaining necessary permission and consents, 30 children aged between 8 and 14 years with exposure to passive smoking as cases and 30 children of non-smoking parents as controls were included in the study. Audio-visual reaction timer was used. Results: Student’s “t” test was used for analysis. Mean value of VSRT showed 248.3 ms among controls and 277.7 ms in cases; VCRT among controls was 277.4 ms and 309.1 ms in cases (P < 0.05). Means of ASRT in controls was 213 ms and 250.4 in cases; ACRT in controls was 244 ms and among cases was 272.4 ms (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Significant delay in VSRT, VCRT, and ASRT was seen among the children exposed to tobacco smoke. ACRT also showed delayed response but not statistically significant.

Detection of Cognitive Impairment by Choice Auditory Reaction Time (ART) and Visual Reaction Time (VRT)s during Acute Mental Stress in Young Hypertensives: A Case Control Study.

Acute stress is known to be associated with both negative and positive influences on cognitive performance. Hypertension is one of the risk factors for lowered cognitive performance. Mental stress testing is easier to administer and can be regulated by the investigator. Mental arithmetic using serial subtraction is the most widely used method to administer stress. Reaction time (RT) is widely used to assess cognitive domains like attention, execution and psychomotor speed. Researchers have shown choice reaction times are delayed in hypertension. It is not known whether acute mental stress improves or deteriorates attention, execution and psychomotor speed in hypertension. We hypothesized in the present study that acute mental stress deteriorates cognitive function in hypertensives without overt cerebrovascular disease or other vascular risk factors. After getting medical ethical clearance from our institution, this case-control study was carried out over eight months (January 2017 to September 2017). 60 subjects between the age group of 35 to 55 years were included in the study. They were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 30 diagnosed cases of hypertension at least two years of duration. Group 2 consisted of 30 sex and age-matched controls. MMSE was performed to assess the cognitive function in these groups. Simple (S) and choice (C) auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time (VRT)s were measured at rest and acute mental stress in these groups to assess cognitive function. Predictive value of VRTC resting and VRTC during acute mental stress among hypertensives for cognitive dysfunction was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. There was significant difference ART and VRT, both simple and choice, in hypertensive and nonhypertensive subjects and these reaction times further increased during mental stress (P<0.001). VRTC can be a predictor of cognitive dysfunction in hypertensives and during acute mental stress. A significant difference in cognitive functions in hypertensive and nonhypertensive subjects exists and this further deteriorates with acute mental stress.

Effect of posture on reaction time: Impact of gender

Background: Reaction time (RT) is a reliable parameter of functional capacity of the central nervous system and a non-invasive method of determining coordination between sensory and motor systems and reflex activity of a person. Some studies show that males have a quick motor activity than females and therefore have a faster RT, while few other studies show variable results. Aim and Objective: The aim of the study was to find out the influence of gender on RT in supine, sitting, and standing postures. Material and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 2 months (August-September 2018) in Medical College, Mumbai, on 60 subjects (30 males and 30 females). Visual choice RTs and auditory choice RTs of participants were measured in supine, sitting, and standing postures. Results: Visual RT (VRT) and auditory RT (ART) were significantly low in supine position as compared to sitting and standing position. Mean VRT and ART were fastest in standing and slowest in supine though without significance. Gender had no effect on postural effects on VRT and ART. Females had significantly higher VRT and ART in all postures as compared with that of males. Conclusion: No statistically significant effect of gender was found on both VRT and ART in different postures, though males had faster VRT and ART than females in all postures for all colors and frequencies with few exceptions, where difference was not significant, though mean values for males were always lower than that for females.

A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE REACTION TIME IN TENSION TYPE HEADACHE.

The study evaluated the visual and auditory reaction time (simple and choice) in tension type headache patients and healthy controls.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Study included 21 Tension type headache (TTH) patients in the age group of 21- 49 years and 21 age and sex matched controls. Simple and choice auditory and visual reaction time was recorded using Medicaid Systems RTM-604. The results were statistically analyzed and were recorded as mean ± standard deviation and Student’s unpaired t-test was applied to check the level of significance.&#x0D; Results: The mean values of simple visual reaction time (VRT) and auditory reaction time (ART) were not significantly different in Tension type headache patients and controls. The visual and auditory choice reaction time was longer in TTH patients as compared to controls although not statistically significant.&#x0D; Conclusion: Cognitive and psychomotor impairment has been reported in headache patients. Our findings also indicate delayed central processing in TTH patients and these findings need to be further validated in larger sample size.&#x0D; Keywords: Simple and choice Reaction time; Tension Type Headache

Comparative Study of Simple Choice Auditory Reaction Time of University Sports and Sedentary Female Students

Simple choice auditory reaction time plays a vital role in daily life including sports. The balanced reaction of both sides of the human helps in achieving the highest movement output. The purpose of the study is to compare simple reaction time between university sports and sedentary female students based on preferred and non-preferred hand. Subjects were selected from Jashore University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh. They were bachelor and master students and were between 19-26 years old. There were 20 students in each group of sports and sedentary female students. Data was collected using the AVR machine. An average of 5 trials was calculated as the time score in millisecond. The result shows that in simple choice auditory reaction time of hands between sports and sedentary female students in the preferred hand, sport female mean = 18.25 ms and SD = 2.07 ms and sedentary female students’ mean = 20.45 ms and SD = 1.67 ms with t(0.05)(38)= -3.695 and p = 0.001.On the other hand, in the non-preferred hand Sport female mean = 20.20 ms and SD = 1.80 ms, and Sedentary female mean = 21.70 ms and SD = 0.98 ms with t(0.05)(38) = -3.382 and p= 0.002. Moreover, in the simple choice auditory reaction time between the preferred and non-preferred hand of sports and sedentary female players’ preferred hand mean = 19.35 ms and SD = 2.167 ms, and non-preferred hand mean = 20.35 ms and SD = 1.616 ms, t(0.05)(39) = -5.639 and p= 0.00. So it is concluded that University sports female students are superior to sedentary female students in simple choice auditory reaction time in both the hands. Further, University female students’ preferred hand is faster in simple choice auditory reaction time than that of non-preferred hand.

Does narrative drive dynamic attention to a prolonged stimulus?

Attention in the “real world” fluctuates over time, but these fluctuations are hard to examine using a timed trial-based experimental paradigm. Here we use film to study attention. To achieve short-term engagement, filmmakers make use of low-level cinematic techniques such as color, movement and sound design to influence attention. To engage audiences over prolonged periods of time, narrative structure is used. In this experiment, participants performed a secondary auditory choice reaction time (RT) task to measure attention while watching a film. In order to explore the role of narrative on attention, we manipulated the order that film segments were presented. The influence of narrative was then compared to the contribution of low-level features (extracted using a computer-based saliency model) in a multiple regression analysis predicting choice RT. The regression model successfully predicted 28% of the variance in choice RT: 13% was due to low-level saliency, and 8% due to the narrative. This study shows the importance of narrative in determining attention and the value of studying attention with a prolonged stimulus such as film.

Effect of Foreperiod Duration and Handedness on Simple and Choice Auditory Reaction Time Among the Older People

Effect of Foreperiod Duration and Handedness on Simple and Choice Auditory Reaction Time Among the Older People

A comparative study of gender difference in reaction time in response to exam stress among first-year medical students

Background: Different studies conducted worldwide among medical students have reported the prevalence of stress ranging from 27% to 73%. Exam stress acts as an acute stressor which affects cognitive functions. It is found that the exam stress elicits elevated activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and increased release of cortisol. Aims and Objective: The study was planned to investigate gender difference in perceptions of exam stress and reactions to it among first-year medical students. Choice reaction time (CRT) was used to evaluate the cognitive performance of students during stress-free and stress (exam) conditions. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 60 healthy first year MBBS students (30 boys and 30 girls) between the age group of 18 and 20 years. Digital reaction time was used. Randomly occurring visual and auditory CRT tasks were presented to students. First set of readings was taken during stress-free period, and the second and third sets were taken 20 min before first and second terminal practical examination, respectively. Results: The readings were analyzed by unpaired Student’s t-test. Results showed that visual and auditory reaction times were increased in both boys and girls with statistically significant difference between boys and girls in stress (exam) condition, but no difference during stress-free condition. Conclusion: The observation shows that girls tend to perceive more stress than boys which might affect the cognitive functions more, as slower reaction time was observed in girls than boys when they were exposed to stress.

The effects of acute bout of cycling on auditory & visual reaction times

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an acute bout of cycling exercise on auditory choice reaction time, visual choice reaction time, auditory complex choice reaction time and visual complex choice reaction time. 29 subjects were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The subjects of the experimental group carried out a single bout of submaximal cycling exercise. The auditory choice reaction time, visual choice reaction time, auditory complex choice reaction time and visual complex choice reaction times were measured before and after the exercise session. The reaction time tests were taken from the subjects by using Speed Anticipation and Reaction Tester (SART) software. In the control group, the reaction time tests were performed by the subjects with an interval of 30min. In the experimental group, the percentage changes of mean auditory choice and complex choice reaction time values were significantly decreased in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). Although the visual choice and complex choice reaction times were decreased after the exercise, the changes were not significant (P>0.05). An acute bout of cycling exercise improved the speed of auditory and visual reaction times in healthy young females. However, these positive changes were significantly observed only in the auditory reaction time tests in comparison with the control group.

Effect of number of stimuli on auditory reaction time in healthy subjects of Bhavnagar region

Background: Present study aimed to see effect of number of stimuli on auditory reaction time. Reaction is purposeful voluntary response to different stimuli as auditory stimuli. Auditory reaction time is time required to response to auditory stimuli. Materials and Methods: The auditory reaction time was measured by the reaction time instrument in subjects. Simple reaction time and choice reaction time measured. During the reaction time testing, auditory stimuli were given for three times and minimum reaction time was taken as the final reaction time for that sensory modality of that subject. The results were statistically analyzed and were recorded as mean ± standard deviation and Student's paired t-test was applied to check the level of significance. Results and Conclusion: The study shows that simple auditory reaction time is less than choice auditory reaction time. Mental processes are involved in identification of stimulus, response selection, and programming and this takes certain time. Response to stimuli would be faster if number of stimuli is lesser in number. In routine life, many works done on information of auditory stimuli. Person should be careful while driving in talking with others or in mobiles. Training reduces reaction time. In medical examination, there are identification of instruments, graphs, bones, and viva questions as well. Student can practice and decrease mental processing time for identification of all this and can respond quickly.

Reaction time and anticipatory skill of athletes in open and closed skill-dominated sport

In sports, reaction time and anticipatory skill are critical aspects of perceptual abilities. To date, no study has compared reaction time and anticipatory skill of athletes from open and closed skill-dominated sport. Accordingly, the present study investigated whether a difference exists in sensory-cognitive skills between these two different sport domains. Eleven volleyball players and 11 sprinters participated in this experiment. Reaction time and anticipatory skill of both groups were recorded by a custom-made software called SART (speed anticipation and reaction time test). This software consists of six sensory-cognitive tests that evaluate visual choice reaction time, visual complex choice reaction time, auditory choice reaction time, auditory complex choice reaction time, and anticipatory skill of the high speed and low speed of the ball. For each variable, an independent t-test was performed. Results suggested that sprinters were better in both auditory reaction times (P<0.001 for both tests) and volleyball players were better in both anticipatory skill tests (P = 0.007 and P = 0.04 for anticipatory skill of the high speed and low speed of the ball, respectively). However, no significant differences were found in both visual choice reaction time tests (P > 0.05 for both visual reaction time tests). It is concluded that athletes have greater sensory-cognitive skills related to their specific sport domain either open or closed.

Response selection and execution in patients with Parkinson's disease

Different studies report diverse, sometimes conflicting findings, regarding the ability of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients to benefit from advanced cuing in choice reaction time (RT). Thus, conclusions about the changed state of underlying processes such as set formation, motor programming and motor initiation are not certain. In the present study, visual choice RT testing that utilized brief (100 ms) color signals (red/blue), was followed by auditory choice reaction time (CRT) testing with brief (100 ms) low/high pitch sound stimuli. Response consisted of either index or middle finger flexion. The signals were then combined so that the color stimuli cued the sound stimuli with an 800-ms interstimuli interval. Cuing validity was reduced from 100% during training to 76% during final testing. In addition, the same sound stimuli were presented randomly, without visual cuing, in which case response should have been suppressed. Tested subjects include 19 moderate PD patients, 21 elderly controls and 20 young controls. The patients did not differ from the controls in error rate but were slower to respond, except under 100% congruent cuing, indicating that their extended RT in CRT results from slowed stimulus–response linking and not from impaired motor initiation/execution. In the final condition patients showed no perseverance and demonstrated normal speed of set shifting in incongruent trials.

Sensorimotor Variables and Forced Expiratory Volume as Correlates of Speed, Accuracy, and Variability in Reaction Time Performance in Late Adulthood

The relationship between performance on measures of sensorimotor and physiological function and performance on measures of reaction time (RT) was investigated using an individual differences approach. Older participants showed greater intra-individual variability on the RT measures. They were also slower on measures of four choice visual RT but not on measures of three choice auditory RT. Sensorimotor and physiological variables explained nearly all the age differences in performance on the RT tasks and showed similar patterns of relationships with measures of speed, accuracy, and intra-individual variability. The results support a common factor interpretation of the relationships among these variables in old age.

Sequential effects in auditory choice reaction time tasks.

This paper concerns sequential effects in choice reaction time tasks. Performance in two interleaved auditory tasks was examined, and two general types of sequential effects were revealed. First, a response repetition effect occurred: Subjects were facilitated in responding when both the stimulus and the response were immediately repeated. Generally, it appeared that subjects were operating according to the bypass rule--that is, repeat the response if the stimulus or some aspect thereof is repeated from the preceding trial; otherwise, change the response. In addition, the experiment also revealed a second type of sequential effect, known as a task-switching effect Subjects were overall slower to respond when the task changed between adjacent trials than when there was no task change. A final result was that subjects were markedly impaired when the stimulus changed but the same response had to be repeated. This finding has been reported elsewhere when purely visual tasks have been used. Hence, it seems that particular difficulties arise, in such sequential testing situations, when type-distinct stimuli are grouped into the same response categories.

Variance results for random walk models of choice reaction time

Approximate expressions for the conditional reaction time variances in general random walk models based on Wald's (1947) approximation are first derived, and then the corresponding exact results for a model assuming a Laplacean density of step sizes are derived. The results are applied to auditory choice reaction time data obtained by Green et al. (1983), and approximate and exact results are compared. The paper concludes with a discussion of whether the predictions, which are the first relevant results on conditional first passage time variances, increase the identifiability and the power of tests of the general random walk model.

A Controlled Crossover Trial of Fenfluramine in Autism

We report a 12 month double-blind randomized crossover trial of fenfluramine in 20 children with the syndrome of autism. On active drug most of the children lost weight and blood serotonin levels fell by an average of 60%. There was a fall in urinary dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) levels and increased excretion of homovanillic acid (HVA). Some of the children showed improvement in tests of cognitive and language function, although the results did not achieve overall statistical significance. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were obtained in seven subjects on an auditory choice reaction time task. Side effects of the drug included irritability and lethargy. Fenfluramine may have a limited place in the management of some patients with autistic disorder.

Event-related potentials and monoamines in autistic children on a clinical trial of fenfluramine

In a double blind, crossover study of the response of autistic subjects to fenfluramine, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 7 subjects on an attention-demanding auditory choice reaction time task (ACRT). ACRT, IQ and biochemical measures were taken after 5 months placebo and 5 months fenfluramine treatment. After fenfluramine treatment blood serotonin levels fell, urinary catecholamine levels fell and the HVA/DA ratio rose. IQ and ACRT performance improved. On the ACRT subjects were asked to press a button to a rate target (500 H Z, P = 0.14) and to ignore higher pitched rare (2000 H Z, P = 0.14) and frequent non-targets (1000 H Z). After fenfluramine treatment N1 latencies increased. The scalp distribution of ERP maxima changes slightly with treatment. P3 maxima elicited by rare non-targets were recorded more rostrally after fenfluramine treatment. After rare non-targets N1 amplitudes at F Z decreased but P3 amplitudes at P Z increased. Early negativity after the rare non-target (particularly on the right side) was negatively correlated with the HVA/DA ratio. Subtraction of the P3 component elicited in a passive condition where no response was required from the active condition showed that P3 positivity to targets was halved with treatment. (In contrast Nd increased on fenfluramine treatment). Overall, N1 and P3 components showed greatest responsivenes to rare non-targets on fenfluramine. N1 but not P3 changes may represent slight improvement of attention-related function with treatment. Small changes in ERP latency and distribution, associated with the neuroleptic action of fenfluramine may be partly responsible for a mild improvement of IQ and ACRT performance on medication.

Event-related potentials in autistic and healthy children on an auditory choice reaction time task

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from midline (Fz, Cz, Pz) and lateral sites (F 3, F 4, P 3, P 4) in autistic children ( n = 7) and age-matched controls ( n = 9) on an auditory choice reaction time task. Subjects were asked to press a button to an infrequent target (500 Hz, P = 0.14) and to ignore higher pitched infrequent (2000 Hz, P = 0.14) and frequent (1000 Hz) non-targets. Autistic subjects made twice as many errors of omission as controls and showed a higher criterion (beta) for targets. Maximum ERP peak amplitudes showed a more varied scalp distribution in the autistic group. N1 latencies were consistently shorter in the autistic group and in 3 subjects the target P3 latencies were markedly longer than for the controls. Compared to controls, the N1 amplitude of the autistic response was larger to the rare stimuli (particularly to non-targets). The amplitude of the P3 component was smaller in the autistic group (particularly to the target). The stimuli were also presented in a passive condition requiring no response. After subtraction of the waveform obtained in the passive condition from that obtained in the active condition or subtraction of the waveform elicited by the rare non-target from that elicited by the target, N1 target amplitude was larger in control than in autistic children. Autistic subjects showed more early negativity to the rare non-target at left frontal and a larger P3 to the target at right parietal sites. ERPs of autistic children are more responsive to stimulus features (e.g. high/rare non-target tone) and less responsive to their associations or meaningfulness (e.g. target P3). Attention-related ERPs of autistic children show signs of precocious (right dominance for P3) and delayed development (P3 not maximal at parietal sites).

Phasic heart rate responses and cardiac cycle time in auditory choice reaction time

This study investigated the cardiovascular-behavioral interaction under short and long stimulus interval conditions. In addition, the cardiovascular-behavioral interaction was studied as affected by cardiac cycle duration. Fourteen subjects performed a choice reaction time (RT) task employing a mixed speed-accuracy tradeoff design in which reactions were paced to coincide with a signal that occurs randomly at either 200 or 500 msec after the reaction stimulus. The preparatory interval between a warning stimulus and a lead-reaction stimulus complex was also varied (2 vs. 4.5 sec). Anticipatory deceleration ocurred within the 4.5 sec interval but not in the 2 sec interval. The depth of anticipatory deceleration did not discriminate between fast and slow reactions; but an earlier shift from deceleration to acceleration was associated with fast reactions. The effect of stimulus timing relative to the R-wave of the electrocardiogram was also analysed. Meaningful stimuli tended to produce cardiac slowing as previously described in the literature. Early occurring stimuli prolong the cycle of their occurrence more than late occurring stimuli. The latter prolong the subsequent cycle. Cardiac cycle time effects were absent for unattended stimuli. The results of anticipatory deceleration suggested that the depth of deceleration was regulated by time-uncertainty and speed-accuracy criterion.

Fuzzy clustering of EEG signal and vigilance performance.

An automatic method for classification of EEG data, based upon segmentation of the signal using the autoregressive model and decision making in fuzzy environment, is described. The classification is applied to explore the relations between EEG states during waking, and vigilance performance studied through auditory choice reaction time. The average auditory choice reaction time measured during occurrences of "alpha" segments was significantly shorter than that measured during occurrences of "nonalpha" signal segments. A significant negative correlation was also found between the segments auditory choice reaction time and the segments spectral power in the alpha or beta frequency band.