Difference In Spatial Accuracy Research Articles

Neuromuscular variability and spatial accuracy in children and older adults

Our ability to control movements is influenced by the developmental status of the neuromuscular system. Consequently, movement control improves from childhood to early adulthood but gradually declines thereafter. However, no study has compared movement accuracy between children and older adults. The purpose of this study was to compare endpoint accuracy during a fast goal-directed movement task in children and older adults. Ten pre-adolescent children (9.7 ± 0.67 yrs) and 19 older adults (71.95 ± 6.99 yrs) attempted to accurately match a peak displacement of the foot to a target (9° in 180 ms) with a dorsiflexion movement. We recorded electromyographic activity from the tibialis anterior (agonist) and soleus (antagonist) muscles. We quantified position error (i.e. spatial accuracy) as well as the coordination, magnitude, and variability of the antagonistic muscles. Children exhibited greater position error than older adults (36.4 ± 13.4% vs. 27.0 ± 9.8%). This age-related difference in spatial accuracy, was related to a more variable activation of the agonist muscle (R2: 0.358; P < 0.01). These results suggest that an immature neuromuscular system, compared to an aged one, affects the generation and refinement of the motor plan which increases the variability in the neural drive to the muscle and reduces spatial accuracy in children.

Sex differences in spatial accuracy relate to the neural activation of antagonistic muscles in young adults.

Sex is an important physiological variable of behavior, but its effect on motor control remains poorly understood. Some evidence suggests that women exhibit greater variability during constant contractions and poorer accuracy during goal-directed tasks. However, it remains unclear whether motor output variability or altered muscle activation impairs accuracy in women. Here, we examine sex differences in endpoint accuracy during ankle goal-directed movements and the activity of the antagonistic muscles. Ten women (23.1±5.1years) and 10 men (23±3.7years) aimed to match a target (9° in 180ms) with ankle dorsiflexion. Participants performed 50 trials and we recorded the endpoint accuracy and the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the primary agonist (Tibialis Anterior; TA) and antagonist (Soleus; SOL) muscles. Women exhibited greater spatial inaccuracy (Position error: t=-2.65, P=0.016) but not temporal inaccuracy relative to men. The motor output variability was similar for the two sexes (P>0.2). The spatial inaccuracy in women was related to greater variability in the coordination of the antagonistic muscles (R 2 0.19, P=0.03). These findings suggest that women are spatially less accurate than men during fast goal-directed movements likely due to an altered activation of the antagonistic muscles.

Optimizing geometric accuracy of four-dimensional CT scans acquired using the wall- and couch-mounted Varian® Real-time Position Management™ camera systems.

The aim of this study was to identify sources of anatomical misrepresentation owing to the location of camera mounting, tumour motion velocity and image processing artefacts in order to optimize the four-dimensional CT (4DCT) scan protocol and improve geometrical-temporal accuracy. A phantom with an imaging insert was driven with a sinusoidal superior-inferior motion of varying amplitude and period for 4DCT scanning. The length of a high-density cube within the insert was measured using treatment planning software to determine the accuracy of its spatial representation. Scan parameters were varied, including the tube rotation period and the cine time between reconstructed images. A CT image quality phantom was used to measure various image quality signatures under the scan parameters tested. No significant difference in spatial accuracy was found for 4DCT scans carried out using the wall- or couch-mounted camera for sinusoidal target motion. Greater spatial accuracy was found for 4DCT scans carried out using a tube rotation speed of 0.5 s rather than 1.0 s. The reduction in image quality when using a faster rotation speed was not enough to require an increase in patient dose. The 4DCT accuracy may be increased by optimizing scan parameters, including choosing faster tube rotation speeds. Peak misidentification in the recorded breathing trace may lead to spatial artefacts, and this risk can be reduced by using a couch-mounted infrared camera. This study explicitly shows that 4DCT scan accuracy is improved by scanning with a faster CT tube rotation speed.

In pursuit of scientific excellence: sex matters

In pursuit of scientific excellence: sex matters

Static characterization of a dual sensor flow imaging system

A dual sensor flow imaging system based on electrical capacitance and gamma-ray tomography has been developed and tested at the Department of Physics, University of Bergen, Norway. The capacitance tomograph utilizes an eight-electrode sensor set-up, whilst the gamma-ray tomograph is configured in a setting of five radiation sources versus a total of 85 compact gamma-ray semiconductor detectors. The data acquisition system is based on transputer technology, whereas the reconstruction and image presentation processing system can be either a transputer-based network or a conventional state of the art processing engine. This paper presents the work that has been performed in relation to the static phantom characterization of the imaging system. The objective of the work has been to quantitatively evaluate the static imaging performance of the tomography system with respect to relative parameter and relative spatial measurement errors. The work shows that the dual sensor imaging system is feasible for acquisition of two and three phase tomograms, and accurate acquisition of process parameters. The difference in spatial accuracy of the soft field sensor tomograms (capacitance) from that of the hard field sensor tomograms (gamma-ray) is clearly demonstrated.

Hand Preference, Practice Order, and Spatial Assimilations in Rapid Bimanual Movement

When subjects make rapid bimanual aiming movements over different distances, spatial assimilations are shown; the shorter distance limb overshoots when paired with a longer distance limb. Recent research has also shown spatial assimilations to be greater in the nonpreferred left limb of right-handed subjects, but it is not known whether the increased spatial assimilations represent a handedness effect or one of hemispheric lateralization of motor control. To determine the nature of the asymmetric effect, left- (n = 32) and right- (n = 60) handed subjects part practiced, then whole practiced, short (20 degrees ) and long 60 degrees ) reversal movements. During whole practice, both groups showed spatial assimilations in the shorter distance limb, particularly when the left limb performed the short movement. This asymmetry was greatest for right-handed subjects, but left-handed subjects showed smaller, but systematic effects, providing moderate support for the hypothesis that the asymmetric effect is due to hemispheric lateralization of motor control. All interlimb differences in spatial accuracy for the short and long movements were eliminated with practice, however, suggesting the asymmetric effect was temporary as well. In addition, subjects who part practiced the long movement just prior to whole practice showed greater overshooting in the short distance limb compared with subjects who followed the other practice order throughout whole practice and the no-KR retention trials. Such findings suggest that the part-practice order of bimanual tasks can directionally bias whole-task performance.

The effects of movement distance and movement time on visual feedback processing in aimed hand movements

An experiment is reported that manipulated movement distance, movement time and the availability of vision (Light-On versus Light-Off) on the accuracy of aimed hand movements. There was a constant difference in spatial accuracy between Light-On and Light-off conditions as a function of distance when the duration of the movement was 200 msec; when the duration of the aimed hand movement was 400 or 600 msec the difference in spatial accuracy between Light-On and Light-Off conditions increased as distance increased. These results were taken as support for a two-process model of visual feedback processing in aimed hand movements, and provide converging evidence for the rapid visual feedback processing results of Zelaznik, Hawkins, and Kisselburgh (1983).