Left-handed Motion Research Articles

A Novel Approach for Improving Guitarists’ Performance Using Motion Capture and Note Frequency Recognition

New guitarists face multiple problems when first starting out, and these mainly stem from a flood of information that they are presented with. Students also typically struggle with proper pitch frequency recognition and accurate left-hand motion. A variety of relevant solutions have been suggested in the existing literature; however, the majority have ultimately settled on two approaches. The first is finger motion capture, wherein researchers focus on extracting finger positions through analyzing images and videos. The second is note frequency recognition, wherein researchers focus on analyzing notes and frequencies from audio recordings. This paper proposes a novel hybrid solution that includes both finger motion capture and note frequency recognition in order to conduct a full assessment and give feedback on a guitarist’s performance. To classify hand positions, several classification algorithms are tested. The random forest algorithm obtained superior results, with an accuracy of 99% for overall hand movement and an average of 97.5% for the classification of each finger. Meanwhile, two algorithms were tested for note recognition, where the harmonic product spectrum (HPS) approach obtained the highest accuracy of 95%.

Hand Pronation-Supination Movement as a Proxy for Remotely Monitoring Gait and Posture Stability in Parkinson's Disease.

The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) is a subjective Parkinson’s Disease (PD) physician scoring/monitoring system. To date, there is no single upper limb wearable/non-contact system that can be used objectively to assess all UPDRS-III motor system subgroups (i.e., tremor (T), rigidity (R), bradykinesia (B), gait and posture (GP), and bulbar anomalies (BA)). We evaluated the use of a non-contact hand motion tracking system for potential extraction of GP information using forearm pronation–supination (P/S) motion parameters (speed, acceleration, and frequency). Twenty-four patients with idiopathic PD participated, and their UPDRS data were recorded bilaterally by physicians. Pearson’s correlation, regression analyses, and Monte Carlo validation was conducted for all combinations of UPDRS subgroups versus motion parameters. In the 262,125 regression models that were trained and tested, the models within 1% of the lowest error showed that the frequency of P/S contributes to approximately one third of all models; while speed and acceleration also contribute significantly to the prediction of GP from the left-hand motion of right handed patients. In short, the P/S better indicated GP when performed with the non-dominant hand. There was also a significant negative correlation (with medium to large effect size, range: 0.3–0.58) between the P/S speed and the single BA score for both forearms and combined UPDRS score for the dominant hand. This study highlights the potential use of wearable or non-contact systems for forearm P/S to remotely monitor and predict the GP information in PD.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: EEG oscillatory patterns in the different processing phase during motor imagery

Motor imagery refers to the psychological realization of movements without movement or muscle activity; it is a research hotspot in neurophysiology, neuroimaging, neurology, and psychology; and it is used as a neurological rehabilitation of brain-computer interface technology. The foundation is widely studied. The EEG signal has a millisecond time resolution, which can facilitate the acquisition of neural signal changes in the body movement process. This article has selected the finger and thumb index finger movements as the task of motion imaging. Under the guidance of image and video, the characteristics of the brain electrical shock patterns during the finger-to-finger movement, thumb and forefinger pairing and unfolding were studied. The brain electrical signals of 15 healthy subjects were collected during the experiment, and the signals were analyzed for source location and information flow network. The result of source location analysis indicated that the activation of brain regions was mainly in the contra lateral SMA region, PMC region, and M1 region. However, the subjects were right-handed, so the characteristics of contra lateral activation were not obvious in the right-handed motor imaging process. Imagine that the opposite side of the pinching process is more powerful than the imaginary finger and the activation range is wider. The results of dynamic information flow of EEG signals at different stages of motor imaging show obvious contra lateral activation characteristics. The DTF analysis of the left-hand motion imaging finger pair pinching and unfolding shows that the information flow mainly flows from the right side of the brain to the left in the imagination process, while the right-hand motion imaging process is opposite, and the information flow mainly flows from the left side of the brain to the right side. The left hand imagines that the finger-to-pinch process is simpler and the number of connections is smaller than the information flow of the imagined finger deployment process. The right hand imagines that the finger-to-kneading process looks more complex than the imagined finger-expanding process, and the number of connections is more. However, its more connections appear mainly in the occipital region of the visual stimulus, the information flow in the frontal and parietal lobes is simple, and the number of connections is reduced. This article explores the relationship among the different movement phases of hand motion imaging and the change of EEG signals. The results show that the brain oscillation modes are similar and different, and the finger deployment process is used as a follow-up of the finger-to-kneading process. The process of knowing should be relatively simple.

Cognitive load theory as a framework for simulation-based, ultrasound-guided internal jugular catheterization training: Once is not enough.

The main objective of this study was to use the principles of cognitive load theory to design a curriculum that incorporates a progressive part practice approach to teaching ultrasound-guided (USG) internal jugular catheterization (IJC) to novices. A secondary objective was to compare the technical proficiency of residents trained using this curriculum with the technical proficiency of residents trained with the current local standard of a single simulation session. The experimental group included 16 residents who attended three 2-hour sessions of progressive part practice in a simulation lab. The control group included 46 residents who attended the current local standard of a single 2-hour simulation session just prior to their intensive care unit rotation. Technical proficiency was assessed using hand motion analysis and time to procedure completion. After three sessions, median scores for right hand motion (RHM) (34.5; [27.0-49.0]), left hand motion (LHM) (35.5; [20.0-45.0]), and total time (TT) (117.0 s; [82.7-140.0]) in the experimental group were significantly better than the control group (p<0.001). Results for eight experimental group residents who were assessed for retention at a later date revealed median scores for RHM (45.0; [32.0-58.0]), LHM (33.5; [20.0-63.0]), and TT (150.0 s; [103.0-399.6]), which were significantly better than those of the control group (p=0.01, p<0.01, and p=0.02, respectively). These results support multiple sessions of progressive part practice in a simulation lab as an effective competency-based approach to teaching USG IJC in preparation for the clinical setting.

The Connectivity Between Leap Motion And Android Smartphone For Augmented Reality (AR)-Based Gamelan

The smartphone development today makes the gadget not only used as a communication tool but also as an entertainment tool such as to play games and play music. The development of the smartphone also supports many technologies that can be run on the smartphone itself, such as Augmented Reality (AR), for example. There are some studies evaluated the AR application combined with Leap Motion, but those studies were using the SDK alpha of the Leap Motion Corp. that is now no longer accessible for the developers to use. This research is meant to overcome such a problem. The method proposed in this study is a technique to connect the Leap Motion with Android for Augmented Reality application. This paper also evaluates the technique used to connect the AR technology to Leap Motion so it can be a visual instrument simulation, which applied to the Gamelan traditional music instrument. The experiments resulted in the accuracy rate of the application of 96.43% for right-hand movement and 97.86% for the left-hand motion. The high accuracy result obtained in the research can be a promising result for the future research.

Microanalysis of video from a robotic surgical procedure: implications for observational learning in the robotic environment

Without haptic feedback, robotic surgeons rely on visual processing to interpret the operative field. To provide guidance for teaching in this environment, we analyzed intracorporeal actions and behaviors of a robotic surgeon. Six hours of video were captured by the intracorporeal camera during a robot-assisted lower anterior resection. After complete review, authors reduced the video to a consecutive 35min of highly focused robotic activity and finally, a 2-min clip was subjected to microanalysis. The clip was replayed multiple times (capturing 1, 2, 10, 60 and 120s intervals) and activities were identified, such as right and left hand motion, tissue handling and camera adjustments recorded using a software program. Activity patterns were categorized into two main themes: change in operative focus occurs when there is an inability to obtain adequate tension, and observation of robot-assisted surgery is based on an incomplete visual framework. The surgeon manipulated tissue predominantly using blunt adjustments and rarely grasped it, likely as a way to avoid tissue trauma. A magnified operative field required precise dissection, which occurs robotically with movement of a single instrument against a static field (motionless second robotic arm). This meticulous technique is unlike the bimodal manipulation often used for laparoscopic dissection. Since residents have limited active participation in robotic cases, and therefore, rely heavily on the captured image for skill acquisition, we recommend surgeons to use focus shifts as an opportunity to describe their operative decision-making and highlight instrument manipulations specific to operating with robotic technology.

Performance Variables and Professional Experience in Simulated Laparoscopy: A Two-Group Learning Curve Study

Virtual reality simulators are increasingly used in laparoscopy training. Such simulators allow objective assessment of performance. However, both low-level variables and overall scores generated by the simulator can be hard to interpret. We present a method to generate intermediate performance variables and show how the resulting variables can be used to investigate the development of laparoscopic skills. A beginner group (n = 16) and a group with intermediate laparoscopic experience (n = 9) participated in a 5-session, basic skills training course hosted by the Department of Technical Medicine at the University of Twente. Multiple simulator-generated variables were aggregated into 4 performance variables: duration, left-hand motion, right-hand motion, and damage. Differences in performance were analyzed in relation to proficiency values. Damage performance differentiated the most between groups and proficiency values; motion performance variables differentiated the least. The more experienced group outperformed the beginner group at damage by the end of the course. Differentiating between duration, left-hand motion, right-hand motion, and damage is a useful way to investigate laparoscopic performance development. Different performance variables follow different trajectories toward expertise. Valid and reliable clinical damage parameters are needed to investigate the relation of real-world damage to simulator damage.

アルツハイマー病の重症度と手指機能に関する研究―簡易上肢機能検査による下位項目の検討を通して―

The purpose of this study was to analyze the levels of recognition and hand functions of the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF). Forty subjects with AD (AD group) and 20 without AD (control group) in a facility for elderly health care services participated in this study. The AD group consisted of 20 subjects with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 1 and 20 other subjects with CDR2. The results were as follows: Time required for full motion of right hand dexterity was significantly longer in both the CDR1 and CDR2 groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Time required for the control group and CDR1 group were significantly shorter for motion of right hand dexterity compared to the left hand. No significant difference was observed between the times of right and left hand dexterity among subjects of CDR2. The disparity of right-left hand dexterity decreased in the order of control, CDR1 and CDR2. The correlations between the sub-items for CDR scale and the right-left hand disparity were significant in "memory" and "judgment". The right-left hand disparity decreased with the shortened time for left hand motion, as the "memory" or "judgment" scores increased. These findings suggest that right hand dexterity speed in patients in the mild AD stage was low when their dominant hand superiority declined. Moreover the decline of dominant hand superiority correlated with the recognition of memory and judgment.

Coerced training of the nondominant hand resulting in cortical reorganization: a high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

The authors investigated brain strategies associated with hand use in an attempt to clarify genetic and nongenetic factors influencing handedness by using high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging. Three groups of patients were studied. The first two groups comprised individuals in whom handedness developed spontaneously (right-handed and left-handed groups). The third group comprised individuals who were coercively trained to use the right hand and developed mixed handedness, referred to here as trained ambidexterity. All trained ambidextrous volunteers were certain that they were innately left-handed, but due to social pressure had modified their preferred hand use for certain tasks common to the right hand. Although right-handed and left-handed volunteers displayed virtually identical cortical activation, involving homologous cortex primarily located contralateral to the hand motion, trained ambidextrous volunteers exhibited a clearly unique activation pattern. During right-handed motion, motor areas in both hemispheres were activated in these volunteers. During left-handed motion, the right supplemental motor area and the right intermediate zone of the anterior cerebellar lobe were activated significantly more frequently than observed in naturally right-handed or left-handed volunteers. The results provide strong evidence that cortical organization of spontaneously developed right- and left-handedness involves homologous cortex primarily located contralateral to the hand motion, and this organization is likely to be prenatally determined. By contrast, coerced training of the nondominant hand during the early stages of an individual's development results in mixed handedness (trained ambidexterity), indicating cortical reorganization.

随意運動と脳機能の画像化 機能的ＭＲＩを中心に健常者および脳血管障害患者での知見について

Functional imaging of the brain is of great value in investigating the mechanisms of motor control and reorganization of motor function after brain damage. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is one of the newer imaging techniques developed. The image contrast of fMRI is generated mainly by regional changes in levels of deoxy-hemoglobin associated with activated neural function. In contrast to positron emission tomography (PET), fMRI allows the study of single subjects without radiation risk and produces images with higher spatial resolution. Moreover, it can be conducted repeatedly. Brain activation observed in studies using fMRI and other techniques such as PET and single photon emission computed tomography depends on various attributes of motor tasks including the rate of performance; the body parts involved; the muscle force exerted; the amplitude during the motor tasks; the method for pacing (externally cued or self-paced) or starting the motions; and the complexity of the task. All of these attributes must be considered to reliably evaluate the results of functional imaging. Although SMC (sensorimotor cortex) activation is generally lateralized, some functional imaging studies showed the activation in ipsilateral SMC with movement of a unilateral hand. This was most pronounced in left hand motion of right-handers and depended on the task complexity. In contrast to the ipsilateral cortical activation, investigators have not yet reached a consensus on the asymmetry in contralateral SMC activation between right- and left-hand motions. The underlying mechanisms of the recovery of motor function following stroke are poorly understood. Some studies with fMRI have investigated the functional reorganization and showed that paretic hand movement produced extended activation in the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex. This result indicated that the preexisting uncrossed motor pathway might be one of the important components of motor recovery after stroke. Other cortical areas such as the inferior parietal lobe and secondary motor areas have also been suggested to be involved in motor recovery. One study demonstrated that the peri-infarct area played a role in the reorganization of the cortical motor map.

Patterns and paschen-back analogue in the stark-effect for neon

While the Stark-effect has not been studied so extensively as the Zeeman-effect, either in the experiments or in their interpretations, many of the more prominent features have been observed and have received adequate explanation on the quantum theory. Among these may be mentioned the patterns characteristic of the different series in the singlet system of parhelium. The variety of observed patterns in the Stark-effect, as contrasted with the normal Zeeman-effect found for all series of this system, arises from a differential action of the external electric field on the initial and final states, and a breaking down of the usual selection rule for the azimuthal quantum number. Some simplification is brought about, however, by the fact that only the absolute value of the quantum number m has any meaning in the interpretation of these photographs, since the action of the field is the same for right or left-handed motion of the outer electron in its orbit. This results in asymmetrical patterns for all the lines. The number of components observed in the patterns of individual lines of parhelium is in accord with the theoretical view that the vector j (here equal to l ) is resolved along the direction of the applied field to give the integral m values ranging from - j to + j , and that the usual selection rule holds for m . The displacements and intensities are in excellent agreement with the theoretical calculations based on the perturbation theory of quantum mechanics. The spacing of the sub-levels identified by ± m in the initial state is decidedly irregular in the Stark-effect as compared with the normal Zeeman-effect, where the displacements are proportional to m . The Zeeman order of the levels is usually reversed, in fact, and the spacing is uneven. Displacements in the final state are theoretically very small, and have not been observed with certainty. In the Stark-effect for orthohelium (triplet system) the same group of patterns was observed. An explanation of these observations, which is slightly less satisfactory than that obtained with parhelium, has been made by similar methods, neglecting the electron spin. Thus the m values were again given ranges determined in each case by the l of the outer electron, and not by the j for the whole atom. Most of the plates failed to reveal any of the fine structure of the normal orthohelium spectrum.