Back Of Head Research Articles

From the Editor

So Labor Day is past, and we have begun a new year—new school year, that is, and therefore a time of celebration. Not just as parents whose children are headed back to school, but also the appreciation we get to feel as the summer’s heat subsides and we start looking forward to crisp evenings, steaming cups of coffee, and warm conversation with friends.

Signpost to an Undiscovered Land

“What is the Alexander Technique?” Those of us who have studied or taught this work have all been asked this question and it is not easy to answer. In one sense, the answer is simple enough: the Alexander Technique is a way of learning to move and do things with less tension—we’ve seen the many videos and books that depict the Alexander Technique as a form of movement awareness that addresses the problem of misuse in action. The basic image is familiar to all of us: the student is asked to stand in front of a chair and to sit down. Pointing out how the student pulls his head back and arches his back, the teacher then asks him to pause before sitting down, and shows him how to direct the head and neck in order to reduce the harmful tension. By being shown how to perform the action more efficiently, to use the joints instead of muscle tension, the student learns to perform actions more effortlessly, and to notice the tensions and holdings that interfere with free and easy movement.

Encouraging sustainable health in work environments: Maitland technique for cervicogenic headaches

Background: Cervicogenic headache (CC) affects a large number of workers, causing persistent and debilitating pain in the head, shoulders, and upper back, resulting in high compensation costs. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Maitland technique in reducing cervicogenic headaches among industrial technology workers. Methods: This was a non-experimental, longitudinal cohort study employing a quantitative approach, involving 26 industrial technology workers. An initial and final evaluation of the clinical presentation of cervicogenic headache was conducted, focusing on pain intensity measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS), cervical disability assessed using the neck disability index (NDI), and the impact of headache pain on daily activities measured using the HIT-6 questionnaire. Results: The results revealed a significant decrease in pain intensity, cervical disability, and the impact of headaches, with significant differences observed between the measurements of all variables (p<0.05). Conclusions: The Maitland technique, as a mobilization approach, demonstrated positive effects in reducing the clinical presentation of cervicogenic headaches among industrial technology workers. These effects were evident in terms of pain intensity, cervical disability, and the impact of headaches on daily activities.

Inexperienced water users can “Float to Live” in realistic open water conditions

BackgroundThe RNLI “Float to Live” campaign is based on research conducted in indoor pools with experienced open water swimmers. Study 1 investigated whether the RNLI “Float to Live” guidance would enable less experienced individuals to float in realistic open water conditions. Study 2 examined the separate effects of practice and coaching on floating competence.MethodsStudy 1: Inexperienced water users conducted floats in either still, open fresh (n = 22) or open sea water (n = 13), followed by moving sea (n = 6) or fresh water (n = 5). Participants undertook three 2-min floats in still water wearing swimwear and one clothed float: 1) naïve; 2) following RNLI “Float to live” messaging; 3) individual float coaching; 4) simulated fall wearing summer clothing. In moving sea water, participants undertook two floats equivalent to Floats 3 and 4. In moving fresh water, participants undertook 3 floats: 1) naïve; 2) following “defensive floating” coaching; 3) simulated fall wearing summer clothing. Study 2: Two groups matched for skinfold thickness undertook three 2-min floats in a flume wearing swimwear. PRAC group (n = 12): 1) naïve; 2) following float practice; 3) float coaching; COACH group (n = 11) coaching followed by practice. Floating difficulty, confidence, competence, “efficiency” and perceived exertion were analysed using either a Friedman test or mixed model ANOVA.ResultsIn both fresh water and sea water, participants’ floating competence and confidence increased after viewing the RNLI messaging, it was further improved with individualised float coaching. The additional helpful instructions included: 1) “head back with ears submerged”; 2) “relax”; 3) “breathe normally”; 4) “it is OK if your legs sink”; 5) an accurate description of sculling for “active” floaters that needed it; 6) spread arms and legs for stability. The simulated fall with clothing did not impair floating competence. No difference in floating competence was seen between PRAC and COACH, though confidence may be increased sooner in COACH.ConclusionsThe RNLI float advice can be applied in realistic open water settings by less experienced water users. Additional content could be included to make the messaging even more effective.

The Diagnostic Utility of Cervical Spine Proprioception for Adolescent Concussion.

Cervical spine proprioception may be impaired after concussion. Our objective was to determine the diagnostic utility of cervical spine proprioception for adolescent concussion. Cross-sectional. Research laboratory. Adolescents ≤18 days of concussion and uninjured controls. N/A. Head repositioning accuracy (HRA) testing, a measure of cervical spine proprioception. The HRA test involved patients relocating their head back to a neutral starting position with eyes closed after maximal cervical spine flexion, extension, and right and left rotations. The overall HRA error score was the mean error (distance from the starting point to self-reported return to neutral) across 12 trials: 3 trials in each direction. We used t-tests to compare group means and logistic regression (outcome = group, predictor = HRA, covariates) to calculate odds ratios. We used a receiver operator characteristic curve to evaluate area under the curve (AUC) and calculate the optimal HRA cutpoint to distinguish concussion from controls. We enrolled and tested 46 participants with concussion (age = 15.8 ± 1.3 years, 59% female, mean = 11.3 ± 3.3 days postconcussion) and 83 uninjured controls (age = 16.1 ± 1.4 years, 88% female). The concussion group had significantly worse HRA than controls (4.3 ± 1.6 vs 2.9 ± 0.7 degrees, P < 0.001, Cohen d = 1.19). The univariable HRA model AUC was 0.81 (95% CI = 0.73, 0.90). After adjusting for age, sex, and concussion history, the multivariable model AUC improved to 0.85 (95% CI = 0.77, 0.92). The model correctly classified 80% of participants as concussion/control at a 3.5-degree cutpoint. Adolescents with concussion demonstrated worse cervical spine proprioception than uninjured controls. Head repositioning accuracy may offer diagnostic utility for subacute concussion.

Breeding pairs with color aberrations in oriental reed warblers.

In 2017, one pair of Oriental reed warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis) with color aberrations was found in Yongnianwa National Wetland Park, Hebei, China. The female bird exhibited white feathers on the head, neck, and upper back, and the base of the beak was flesh-red in color. The male had a few feathers on the outer edges of the left and right primary wing coverts that were white, which was determined to be leucism after analysis. The breeding pairs laid their first egg on May 29, with a clutch size of four eggs. After an incubation period of 13 days, two chicks hatched on June 13, 2017. The nest was found empty on June 20 when the chicks were 7 days old and before fledging age; therefore, it was presumed that the chicks had been predated. A white parrot egg was added to the nest during the incubation period to test the egg recognition ability of breeding pairs and was successfully rejected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of color aberrations in the Oriental reed warbler, and we found that this color aberrations did not affect some reproductive and antiparasitic behaviors of the birds, but whether it affects their breeding success needs to be further studied.

Operation Procedure and Precautions of Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Therapy in Alzheimer.

Thread-embedding therapy (TEAT) is a treatment that prevents and manages diseases by inserting a biodegradable suture into an acupoint, providing long-lasting stimulation. TEAT is a simple approach that avoids the discomfort of regular acupuncture and provides sustained therapeutic effects. This article discusses the potential impact of TEAT on the learning and memory abilities of rats with Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms. Since chemically induced neuronal degeneration and cognitive impairments in rats does not entirely reflect the true pathological changes observed in Alzheimer's disease. Consequently, our research group has designated these manifestations as Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms. A protocol has been established to outline the selection of acupoints, the operation process, and necessary precautions for the head and lower back. The experiment was conducted on three groups: a control group, a model group, and a TEAT group, each containing 6 rats. To induce Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms, rats were intraperitoneally injected with D-galactose for 7 weeks (49 days). The rats in the TEAT group received acupoint catgut embedding treatment. Following the intervention period, a Morris Water Maze (MWM) was conducted to evaluate the rats' learning and memory. Subsequently, the rats were sacrificed, and their brain tissue was examined. A histological examination was performed to understand the effects of TEAT on the pathology of rats exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. This study suggests that TEAT may improve learning and memory in rats with Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms, indicating a potentially promising new treatment approach for this neurodegenerative condition.

Two Skilful Iconographic Interpretations of the Biblical Text by Nerio

Nerio’s initial D(e ventre matris mee...) from Gradual D of the Zadar Franciscans has been misinterpreted in scholarly literature, earning the miniaturist a bad reputation as an iconographer. L. Mirković did not recognize that the initial depicts simultaneously two connected events from Luke’s Gospel: Annunciation to Zechariah (Lk 1:5-25) and the Birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:57-66). This article aims to prove the opposite, namely that Nerio was unusually skilled in translating the liturgical text into visual language. This opinion is supported by the analysis of Nerio’s cutting preserved at the British Library, depicting Christ, an apostle, and an executioner taking a sheep to be slaughtered. So far, no correct interpretation of this scene has been offered. The author considers it to be a visual interpretation of the First Response of the nocturnal Mass for Holy Saturday. The citation is taken from Isaiah (53/7) and reads: Sicut ovis ad occisionem ductus est et, dum male tractaretur non aperuit os suum (“He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth”). Nerio wanted to depict Christ’s silence and succeeded in doing so by introducing an apostle into the scene to enter into a dialogue with the executioner, indirectly emphasizing Christ’s silence. Christ seems to distance himself from the event, turning his back to it. Nevertheless, he turns his head back towards the executioner, recognizing his own fate in the sheep and accepting it without a word.

Trauma Profile of Homicide Victims at Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Highlights: Most homicide victims were predominantly in the productive age range of 21-40 years old. Males were more likely to be homicide victims than females. Abstract Introduction: The injuries of homicide victims are clues in forensic medicine to uncover a possible crime. In Indonesia, there are not many studies on trauma profiles, specifically in homicide cases. This study aimed to provide an overview of the trauma profile of homicide victims at Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya. Methods: This was a descriptive study. Secondary data was collected from 34 forensic examination reports at Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya. Data such as age, sex, type of injury, sites of injury, number of injuries, cause of death, and mechanism of death were analyzed statistically. Results: Most victims were between 21 and 30 years old and 31 and 40 years old (26.47%). Sex was dominated by men (76.47%). The most common type of injury was abrasion (25.71%). The most common injury sites were head-neck (34.34%) and chest-upper back (34.34%). The most common number of injuries was ≥10 (44.12%). The most common cause of death was sharp-force trauma (54.54%), and the most common mechanism of death was exsanguination (54.54%). Conclusion: Males predominated in the age ranges of 21 to 30 years old and 31 to 40 years old. The most common type of injury was abrasion. The most common sites of injury were the head, neck, and chest upper back. The most common number of injuries was ≥10. Most victims died of sharp-force trauma. Exsanguination was the most common mechanism of death.

Teres minor deficiency does not predict clinically inferior external rotation after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a 2-year matched cohort study

BackgroundCurrent teaching maintains that reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) is unlikely to restore external rotation (ER) without a functional posterior rotator cuff, specifically the teres minor (TM). This study compared restoration of ER in TM-deficient (TMD) with TM-intact (TMI) shoulders after RTSA. MethodsAll patients who underwent lateralized RTSA using an onlay prosthesis with no adjunct tendon transfers between January 2014 and July 2020 and with 2-year follow-up were identified. Preoperative imaging review identified patients with TMD, and propensity score matching was used to create a control group of equal size. TMD was divided into three subgroups: 1) atrophy; 2) fracture/malunion/nonunion (proximal humerus); and 3) endoprosthesis. Primary outcome measures were active ER range of motion (ROM) measured at the side, ΔER ROM from baseline, ER strength, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons subscore question, “can you reach back of head.” ResultsThirty-nine patients with TMD shoulders (atrophy: n = 15; fracture n = 14; endoprosthesis: n = 10) were matched with 39 patients with TMI shoulders. Although TMD was associated with reduced baseline ER ROM (13.6 vs. 28.8; P = .004), the TMD group achieved greater ΔER ROM 2 years after RTSA (24.6 vs. 10.3; P = .014) and demonstrated comparable 2-year ER ROM (38.6 vs. 40.7; P = .484). The TMD group had a higher rate of ER weakness (12% vs. 0%; P = .044) but no difference in ability to reach back of head (unable: 24% vs. 20%; P = .686) or patient-reported functional scores (2-year American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons: 76.2 vs. 74.8; P = .793). ConclusionThis study suggests that patients with an insufficient or absent teres minor can achieve satisfactory ER ROM and function after lateralized RTSA similar to their TMI peers. Future study will seek to identify muscle activation patterns of the shoulder girdle that allow TMD patients to overcome this insufficiency to perform activities requiring ER.

The cerebellum

The cerebellum, that stripey 'little brain', sits at the back of your head, under your visual cortex, and contains more than half of the neurons in your entire nervous system. The cerebellum is highly conserved across vertebrates, and its evolutionary expansion has tended to proceed in concert with expansion of cerebral cortex. The crystalline neuronal architecture of the cerebellar cortex was first described by Cajal a century ago, and its functional connectivity was elucidated in exquisite anatomical and physiological detail by the mid-20th century. The ability to clearly identify molecularly distinct cerebellar cell types that constitute discrete circuit elements is perhaps unparalleled among brain areas, even within the context of modern circuit neuroscience. Although traditionally thought of as primarily a motor structure, the cerebellum is highly interconnected with diverse brain areas and, as I will explain in this Primer, is well-poised to influence a wide range of motor and cognitive functions.

Development of a Restraint System for Rear-Facing Car Seats

In self-driving vehicles, passengers can set their seats in an unconventional seating position, such as rear-facing. Sitting in such an orientation can increase the risk of whiplash in the head-and-neck system in a frontal impact, as frontal crashes usually have higher severities compared with rear-end crashes. This paper shows that a forward-facing front seat optimised for rear-impact protection needs to be redesigned to be used as a rear-facing seat. In the second and main part of this paper, a restraint system for rear-facing car seats is developed, and frontal impact simulations with 64 km/h of delta-V are used to evaluate its performance. The designed seating system comprises two rigid torso plates, a fixed recliner and an energy absorber under the seat pan. Without using the developed restraint system, the 50th percentile male human model is exposed to neck shear forces exceeding 600 N. With the developed restraint system, neck shear forces are less than 350 N in frontal impacts with 64 km/h of delta-V. Apart from whiplash, the risk of head, chest, lower extremity and lower back injuries are also evaluated. The results confirm that the developed restraint system successfully protects the occupant since all assessment criteria values are lower than the injury assessment reference values.

Wotan’s Biopunk: The Grim(m) German God and His English Bloodsport in Sarban’s The Sound of His Horn

Abstract The essay analyzes Sarban’s 1952 novel The Sound of His Horn, one of the first alternate histories to depict a victorious Third Reich. The depiction of the latter is a strange mixture. On the one hand, the novel is a product of its day by presenting a regressive, resolutely anti-modern Nazi Germany headed back into a barbarian past. On the other hand, it anticipates later depictions (both in the alternate history genre as well as in historiography proper) by highlighting the constitutive role of technology and the regime’s inner divisions. The latter results in narrowing the gap between the (British) observer and his (German) environment. I argue that this narrowing can be traced by analyzing both the chief villain Hackelnberg, a figure borrowed from German folklore that Jacob Grimm associated with the Germanic god Wotan, and the key motif of hunting. Second, the narrowing is structurally embedded in the novel by virtue of the fact that the counterfactual Nazi domain is confined to a nested narrative. It may be a mere projection, in which case Hackelnberg’s deadly hunts and English bloodsports are not that far apart.

Diversity Index and Phenotypic Character Analysis for Important Qualitative Traits of Sunflower [Helianthus annuus L] Genotypes in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oilseed crop. It is grown for vegetable and industrial oils in the world. Sunflower oil is considered to be of supreme quality. The Production, productivity and area coverage of sunflower in Ethiopia is low and below the world average due to different reasons. Sunflower can contribute a big share in improving local edible oil production due to its short interval for maturity, high oil contents, better fitting in the cropping pattern, tolerance to drought and its high yield potential. Therefore, this study was conducted to quantify genetic variability of fourteen qualitative traits using Shannon-waver diversity index. A total of 220 genotypes including checks varieties were evaluated in 2020/21 main cropping season at Holeta, Ethiopia. Alpha lattice design was used with two replications and eleven blocks were nested within a replication. Based on fourteen qualitative traits significant variability or dissimilarity was observed among Sunflower genotypes. Analysis of Shannon-waver diversity index shows that H' values ranges from ~0.075 for leaf arrangement to ~0.99 for bract shape at the back of sunflower head. This shows that there is considerable diversity among the studied genotypes for the qualitative traits which can have good indications and amplification during selections of genotypes in sunflower improvement either ornamental type, confectionery or oil type sunflower.

Solutions of the Ortvay Rudolf International Competition in Physics: Can One See One’s Own Back Around a Black Hole? (1991/12 Problem)

This paper is the fifth in a series of published solutions1–4 discussing problems of the Ortvay Rudolf international competition. The problem treated below is an exercise in general relativity and geometrical optics. Specifically, we check and interpret an often-heard statement, roughly of the form: “If you were to orbit a black hole around its photon sphere, you would see the back of your own head”. As the calculation involves general relativity, the full treatment of the problem as given in this article is appropriate for university students in advanced classes. However, by omitting the relativistic calculations and only referring to the results, one can easily formulate the problem as an exercise in geometric optics in a way that could be appropriate for introductionary level.

Biological Applications of Colloidal Nano Crystals Using the MOORA Method

Introduction: Nano crystals are collections of molecule that may be put together to generate crystalline forms of drugs that are covered in a thin layer of surfactant. Quantum dots offer a wide range of uses in biology imaging, bioengineering, and environmental research, but less so in biomedicine for drug delivery. Nano crystals are created as nano absences, which are tiny medication particles. For medications that are weakly soluble, nano crystal is a commercially feasible formulation. A flexible and all-purpose manufacturing technique for nano crystalline is wet milling. Several delivery methods have been devised using nano crystalline structures. The crystals hair remover uses micro innovation to cause hairs to gather and separate from the flesh when it is gently massaged into the skin. Refillable and rechargeable-free for years of use. Skin, arms, limbs, chest, head back are all safe places to apply Crystal Hair Extractor. Research significance: A nonmaterial is a chemical particle made up of atoms in a mono or poly-crystalline form and having at least one length more than 100 micrometers. It is based on classical dots, which are nano particles. Organic nano crystal ferri hydrites have been identified as the basic core of ferritin in biology and are significant elements of many ecosystems. They are produced on CWP substrates by detonation. Methodology: Alternative: Conduction band offset, capacitive density, band gap, and dynamic constant. Evaluation Preference: Si3N4, Al2O3, ZrO, HfO2, Ta2O5. Result: “from the result it is seen that ZrO and is got the first rank whereas is the Si3N4 got is having the lowest rank”. Conclusion: “The value of the dataset for nano crystals in MOORA shows that it results in ZrO and top ranking”.

Use of prostaglandin E1 analog (misoprostol) to aid cervical dilation in birth induction (a case report)

The cervix is a barrier between the environment and the uterus, composed of longitudinal folds that continue along the uterine folds. Cervical dilation is associated with increased synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Dilatation may fail due to congenital malformations or adhesions of the cervix caused, for example, by previous dystocia or by failure of any mechanisms that regulate cervical relaxation including a reduction in collagen and glycosaminoglycans and an increase in water content and metalloproteinases. Labor induction often requires the ripening of the cervix mechanically or pharmacologically. Oxytocin success may be reduced if the cervix is not favorable or responsive. Misoprostol, a synthetic prostaglandin E1 analog, is widely used in reproduction in cases of oviduct obstruction. It also promotes cervical softening by the dissolution of extracellular collagen. A 17-year-old mixed-breed mare from a private farm in the Middle East presented with abdominal discomfort and signs of imminent delivery, 10th months after embryo transfer. A slight thickening of the uterus-placental junction (7.12mm) was observed during transrectal ultrasound evaluation, but there was no placental detachment. On transabdominal imaging, the absence of a fetal heartbeat, fetal movements, and torsion of the umbilical cord were observed. Imaging evaluations were performed with an ultrasound machine DCS - MyLab™25 GOLD, 5Hzfrequency. Hematological analysis of the mare showed results within normal ranges. Flunixin Meglumine (10mL i.v., Finadyne, 50mg/mL, MSD) was administered before the abortion procedure. After confirmation of fetal death and dystocia in the mare, the cervix dilation process began with a local application of 1mg of misoprostol 200mcg diluted in lubricating gel and mechanical massage. Then, intravenous oxytocin (Syntocin, 10UI/mL, Illium) was started gradually every 5 minutes (5IU, 5IU, 10IU, 10IU). Mild sedation and analgesia was achieved with detomidine (0.6mL i.v., Dormiun V, 10mg/mL, Agener Uniao) and butorphanol (1mL i.v., Torbugesic, 14,58mg/mL, Zoetis). The mare showed signs of delivery before the mechanical rupture of the allantochorion. The position of the fetus (head back and right shoulder flexion) was corrected transvaginally by mechanical maneuver. After removing the fetus, 5 mg of dinoprost (i.m., Lutalyse, 6.71mg/mL, Zoetis) was administered to aid uterine contractility and clearance. The placenta did not have macroscopic changes. The fetus showed an absence of the right posterior limb's first, second, and third phalanges. During fetal necropsy, no other changes were observed. Uterine lavage was performed 24h and 48h after the procedure, using Ringer Lactate Solution (LRS), with 10% iodine (20mL/5L LRS) followed by 20IU oxytocin every eight hours for two consecutive days.

A note on the release and tracking of a rehabilitated pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps)

A stranded, rehabilitated 220cm female pygmy sperm whale was radiotracked from 31 May-4 June 1994 after its release in the Gulf Stream off Cape Canaveral, Florida. The whale moved directly off the continental shelf and headed northward within a corridor bounded by the shelf break and the eastern edge of the Gulf Stream. It moved offshore up to 32 n.miles from the shelf break during the late afternoons and nights and headed back toward the shelf break during the day. The average travelling speed was 3.0kts, and ranged from 0-6kts. Speeds were greatest offshore of the shelf break (4.7kts), where the speed of the Gulf Stream was the greatest, and both travelling speeds and Gulf Stream speeds decreased with distance offshore. The whale did not appear, however, to be drifting passively with the current. Diving duration varied significantly with light levels. The whale made long dives ( &gt; 8min) at night and on overcast days when squid are known to be closer to the surface. During clear days, the whale’s dives were significantly shorter, typically less than five minutes (n = 841). Although these results come from only a single, rehabilitated animal, the four days of data provided the first information on pygmy sperm whale movements and diving behaviour at sea: how its behaviour was influenced by time of day, oceanographic features, and environmental conditions, and how the whale’s surfacing behaviour could allow survey estimates to be adjusted for diving whales missed along the trackline.

Cerebral salt wasting syndrome: A case report

Introduction: The development of extracellular volume reduction due to decreased renal sodium transport in individuals with the intracranial illness and normal adrenal and thyroid function is known as a cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS). Complications of cerebral salt-wasting syndrome include symptomatic hyponatremia and dehydration. We reported and discussed the diagnostic approach and the management of a 66-year-old woman who experienced severe hyponatremia with a history of head trauma and was treated at Udayana University Hospital. Case Description: A 66-year-old female patient complained of decreased consciousness. According to family information, the patient complained of having decreased consciousness one hour before admission and was accompanied by vomiting one time. Two weeks before admission, the patient had fallen, and the back of the patient's head had hit the table. The patient also had time to experience stiffness in the right and left hands and stomping. Urine collected 24 hours as much as 3880 ml on the first day of treatment. Conclusion: In cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS) the management mainly focuses on the correction of intravascular volume depletion using 0.9% sodium chloride and hyponatremia, as well as on the replacement of ongoing urinary sodium loss, usually with iv hypertonic saline solutions, Fludrocortisone/mineralocorticoid that directly acts on the renal tubules to increase sodium reabsorption showed a favorable response in CSWS.

Pausing and reorienting behaviors enhance the performance of a spatial working memory task

During spatial working memory tasks, animals need to retain information about a previous trial in order to successfully select their next trajectory. Specifically, the delayed non-match to position task requires rats to follow a cued sample trajectory, then select the opposite route after a delay period. When faced with this choice, rats will occasionally exhibit complex behaviors, such as pausing and sweeping their head back and forth. These behaviors, called vicarious trial and error (VTE), are thought to be a behavioral manifestation of deliberation. However, we identified similarly complex behaviors during sample-phase traversals, despite the fact that these laps do not require a decision. First, we identified that these behaviors occurred more often after incorrect trials than before them, indicating that rats are retaining information between trials. Next, we determined that these pause-and-reorient (PAR) behaviors increased the likelihood of the next choice being selected correctly, suggesting that these behaviors assist the rat in successful task performance. Finally, we identified similarities between PARs and choice-phase VTEs, suggesting that VTEs may not only be reflective of deliberation, but may also contribute to a strategy for successful performance of spatial working memory tasks.