Psychomotor Performance Research Articles

Drug – Alcohol (Ethyl Alcohol) Interactions

Alcohol is the oldest recreational substance, and its consumption is increasing all over the world as it produces a pleasurable effect and also it allows people to relax and unwind. A large number of over the counter and prescription medicine interacts with Alcohol by Pharmacokinetic and/or Pharmacodynamic mechanisms. Alcohol consumption with drugs having CNS depressant property may lead to marked impairment in psychomotor performance and making the person’s injury prone. Alcohol consumption increases the systemic toxicity and organ dysfunction caused by certain drugs. Alcohol consumption may cause unpleasant manifestations with a few drugs/substances (didisulfiram-likeeaction). Alcohol may reduce the therapeutic effect of a few drugs. Awareness about the various interactions of Alcohol with drugs/medicines/food/herbals/occupational agents will ensure the safety of the people consuming Alcohol and may help the physician in clinical decision-making.

Counseling Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Traveling to High Altitude.

Bloch, Konrad E., Talant M. Sooronbaev, Silvia Ulrich, Mona Lichtblau, and Michael Furian. Clinician's corner: counseling patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease traveling to high altitude. High Alt Med Biol. 24:158-166, 2023.-Mountain travel is increasingly popular also among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a highly prevalent condition often associated with cardiovascular and systemic manifestations. Recent studies have shown that nonhypercapnic and only mildly hypoxemic lowlanders with moderate to severe airflow obstruction owing to COPD experience dyspnea, exercise limitation, and sleep disturbances when traveling up to 3,100 m. Altitude-related adverse health effects (ARAHE) in patients with COPD include severe hypoxemia, which may be asymptomatic but expose patients to the risk of excessive systemic and pulmonary hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, and even myocardial or cerebral ischemia. In addition, hypobaric hypoxia may impair postural control, psycho-motor, and cognitive performance in patients with COPD during altitude sojourns. Randomized, placebo-controlled trials have shown that preventive treatment with oxygen at night or with acetazolamide reduces the risk of ARAHE in patients with COPD while preventive dexamethasone treatment improves oxygenation and altitude-induced excessive sleep apnea, and lowers systemic and pulmonary artery pressure. This clinical review provides suggestions for pretravel assessment and preparations and measures during travel that may reduce the risk of ARAHE and contribute to pleasant mountain journeys of patients with COPD.

FORMATION OF SOME PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN ATHLETES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF PROLONGED PHYSICAL LOADS

As a result of experimental studies, data were obtained regarding the individual typological properties of HNA, memory and attention functions, and correlations between them. Under the influence of long-term physical training, young men develop more intensively individual-typological properties of HNA, neurodynamic and psychomotoric functions, which make up the physiological and psychological basis for the success of mastering the skills of sportsmanship.

Cerebellar Effects on Abnormal Psychomotor Function Are Mediated by Processing Speed in Psychosis Spectrum.

Psychomotor disturbance has been identified as a key feature of psychotic disorders, with motor signs observed in upwards of 66% of unmedicated, first-episode patients. Aberrations in the cerebellum have been directly linked to sensorimotor processing deficits including processing speed, which may underly psychomotor disturbance in psychosis, though these brain-behavior-symptom relationships are unclear, in part due to within-diagnosis heterogeneity across these levels of analysis. In 339 psychosis patients (242 schizophrenia-spectrum, 97 bipolar with psychotic features) and 217 controls, we evaluated the relationship between cerebellar grey matter volume in the Yeo sensorimotor network and psychomotor disturbance (mannerisms and posturing, retardation, excitement of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS]), as mediated by processing speed (assessed via the SCIP). Models included intracranial volume, age, sex, and chlorpromazine equivalents as covariates. We observed significant mediation by processing speed, with a small positive effect of the cerebellum on processing speed (ß = 0.172, p = 0.029, d = 0.24) and a medium negative effect of processing speed on psychomotor disturbance (ß = -0.254, p < 0.001, d = 0.60), with acceptable specificity and sensitivity suggesting this model is robust against unmeasured confounding. The current findings suggest a critical role of cerebellar circuitry in a well-established sensorimotor aberration in psychosis (processing speed) and the presentation of related psychomotor phenotypes within psychosis. Establishing such relationships is critical for intervention research, such as TMS. Future work will employ more dimensional measures of psychomotor disturbance and cognitive processes to capture normative and aberrant brain-behavior-symptom relationships and may also determine the magnitude of these relationships within subtypes of psychosis (e.g., disorganized behavior, catatonia).

Role of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Healing of Femoral Bone Defect in Rat Model: Behavioral Psychomotor Performance, Oxidative-inflammatory Markers, Osteoblast Markers and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growth Factors.

Role of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Healing of Femoral Bone Defect in Rat Model: Behavioral Psychomotor Performance, Oxidative-inflammatory Markers, Osteoblast Markers and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growth Factors.

Research on driving behavior characteristics of older drivers based on drivers’ behavior graphs analysis

Considerable evidence suggests that the decline in physiological abilities prevalent in older drivers leads to a reduction in the visual and psychomotor functions required for safe driving. The purpose of this study is to further investigate the differences in driving behavior between older and younger drivers and to describe the change process of driving behavior. In this study, 19 younger and older drivers each were recruited for a driving simulation experiment that included five scenarios. Driving operation data, eye movement data, and physiological data of drivers in five conflict scenarios were collected. The differences in driving behaviors between the two groups were also compared and analyzed, on which the thresholds of different driving behavior nodes were determined and driving behavior graphs were established. The results show that the eye movement nodes of older drivers appear later in five scenarios, the operational nodes of older people appear later in two steering scenarios, and are closer to those of younger drivers in three straight ahead scenarios, indicating that older drivers were later in observing and collecting traffic information, and later in applying brakes and steering to avoid conflicts when steering. The study provides a reference for the analysis of driving behavior and driving safety of older people.

10-min exposure to a 2.5% hypercapnic environment increases cerebral blood blow but does not impact executive function

Space travel and exploration are associated with increased ambient CO2 (i.e., a hypercapnic environment). Some work reported that the physiological changes (e.g., increased cerebral blood flow [CBF]) associated with a chronic hypercapnic environment contributes to a “space fog” that adversely impacts cognition and psychomotor performance, whereas other work reported no change or a positive change. Here, we employed the antisaccade task to evaluate whether transient exposure to a hypercapnic environment influences top-down executive function (EF). Antisaccades require a goal-directed eye movement mirror-symmetrical to a target and are an ideal tool for identifying subtle EF changes. Healthy young adults (aged 19–25 years) performed blocks of antisaccade trials prior to (i.e., pre-intervention), during (i.e., concurrent) and after (i.e., post-intervention) 10-min of breathing factional inspired CO2 (FiCO2) of 2.5% (i.e., hypercapnic condition) and during a normocapnic (i.e., control) condition. In both conditions, CBF, ventilatory and cardiorespiratory responses were measured. Results showed that the hypercapnic condition increased CBF, ventilation and end-tidal CO2 and thus demonstrated an expected physiological adaptation to increased FiCO2. Notably, however, null hypothesis and equivalence tests indicated that concurrent and post-intervention antisaccade reaction times were refractory to the hypercapnic environment; that is, transient exposure to a FiCO2 of 2.5% did not produce a real-time or lingering influence on an oculomotor-based measure of EF. Accordingly, results provide a framework that – in part – establishes the FiCO2 percentage and timeline by which high-level EF can be maintained. Future work will explore CBF and EF dynamics during chronic hypercapnic exposure as more direct proxy for the challenges of space flight and exploration.

Interrelation of the Psychomotor System and the Cognitive Relational Process on Academic Performance in People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous specific feature of neurodevelopment, whose general characteristics are defined by two basic dimensions: 1) deficits of communication and social interaction and 2) restrictive and stereotyped behaviours. Both dimensions are complemented by empirical evidence of the highly significant relationships of a predictive kind with the psychomotor functioning, which becomes most evident over development. Just, this research tries to answer to the following general goals: 1) examine the application of specific programs relating to development of basic psychomotor skills in students with several levels of ASD, age and sex, and 2) delimit the incidence of cognitive relationships between the concepts and learning categories. A total of 99 students have participated in this study, distributed according to ASD level, age and sex. Data have been analysed through the Univariate ANOVA Between-Subjects Effects Test. Results show that both the intersection of psychomotor and cognitive variables (critical sig: .00), as well variables separately (psychomotricity: .00, and relationship: .00), significantly affect to academic performance of students with ASD. Therefore, it can be concluded that relational cognitive components and psychomotor development are essential to facilitate the development of learning in people with ASD, whose R2 of explicative variance is significantly high: .913, being the adjusted R2 level: 86.3%. The influence of the fixed variables interactions: ASD level, age and sex have also been studied.

The Impact of Acute Mild Normobaric Hypoxia and a Single Bout of Exercise to Volitional Exhaustion on Cognitive Performance in Endurance and Strength-Trained Athletes: The role of BDNF, EP-1, Catecholamines and Lactate.

The aim of the study was to examine whether a single bout of exercise to volitional exhaustion, performed under moderate normobaric hypoxia (H), would affect psychomotor performance (PP) in differently trained athletes. For this purpose, ten strength-trained (S) athletes, ten endurance-trained (E) athletes and ten healthy men leading a sedentary lifestyle as a control (C) group performed voluntarily two graded exercise tests until volitional exhaustion (EVE) under normoxia (N) and H (FiO2 = 14.7%). We measured the peripheral level of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), choice reaction time (CRT) and the number of correct reactions (NCR) as indices of PP. Psychomotor tests were performed at rest, immediately after the EVE and 3 minutes after the EVE. Venous blood samples were collected at rest, immediately after cessation of each EVE, and 1 h after each EVE. The results showed that the EVE significantly (p < 0.05) impaired CRT under N and H, and NCR under H only in the E group. The higher WRmax in the E compared to the S and C groups was associated with a significant (p < 0.005) increase in adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA). There were no significant differences between conditions (N vs. H) in the BDNF at rest and after exercise. The EVE impaired cognitive function only in the E group; higher involvement of the sympathetic nervous system, A and NA may also play a role in this phenomenon. Therefore, it can be concluded that exposure to H did not have a negative impact on CRT or NCR. Moreover, BDNF did not improve cognitive function.

Brain endurance training improves shot speed and accuracy in grassroots padel players.

Evidence that mental fatigue impairs sport performance has created a demand for countermeasures. We examined the effects of brain endurance training, a form of fatigue-inoculation, on shot performance in grassroots padel players. A pre-, mid- and post-test design, with participants randomized to brain endurance training (n = 30) or control (n = 31) groups. During testing, participants completed a Padel Stroke Performance Test, before and after a demanding 30-min cognitive task (Stroop). Training comprised 3 sessions/week for 6 weeks. In each training session, participants completed 10-min warm-up, 15-min technical drills, 15-min tactical drills, and 20-min simulated games. These physical activities were intermixed with short 4-min periods of Stroop (brain endurance training group) or rest (control group) totaling 20-min. Performance was measured by shot speed and accuracy of padel strokes. Mental fatigue indices were measured before and after the Stroop task using a visual analog scale rating, a psychomotor vigilance task, and a go/no-go task. During testing, the 30-min Stroop task elicited a state of mental fatigue, confirmed by higher subjective ratings, slower responses during the psychomotor vigilance task, and slower saccade latencies during the go/no go task. Compared to pre-testing, in mid- and post-testing, the brain endurance training group hit progressively faster and more accurate padel shots after the Stroop task compared to controls. Brain endurance training enhanced skill-based psychomotor performance when fatigued compared to standard padel training. Brain endurance training is a countermeasure that promotes mental fatigue durability.

DS19 Characterizing ergonomics in dermatology surgical practice: results of an online questionnaire distributed by the British Society for Dermatological Surgery

Abstract Ergonomics is the study of the interaction between humans and their working environment. By evaluating workplace ergonomics, we can reduce the potential for injury and ill health and improve performance and productivity. Poor postures can contribute to surgical fatigue and introduce errors due to impaired psychomotor performance. Furthermore, it reduces physician wellbeing and career longevity. A US study in 2010 reported that &amp;gt; 90% of Mohs surgeons suffered from musculoskeletal injury at work. No study of ergonomics in dermatological surgery has been undertaken outside of the USA. We aimed to characterize the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries and ergonomic practices among dermatological surgeons in the UK and Ireland. An online questionnaire consisting of 17 questions was circulated via the British Society for Dermatological Surgery in January 2023. There were 74 responders from the UK and Ireland. Forty per cent were consultant dermatologists and Mohs surgeons, 27% were consultant dermatologists, 15% were registrars, 7% were Mohs fellows, and 11% were of other groups. The mode age range was 45–49 years (23%) followed closely by 40–44 years (22%). Forty-seven per cent were female and 51% were male. The mode number of hours operating per week was ∼4–8 h (28%; range from ∼4 h or less to ∼40 h or more). Seventy-six per cent operated standing, while 22% shifted between sitting and standing. Regarding pain directly related to undertaking surgery, 34% experienced neck pain ‘sometimes’, with 16% reporting pain ‘often’ and ‘always’. Forty-three per cent experienced lower back pain ‘sometimes’, with 11% reporting lower back pain ‘often’ and 22% reporting back pain ‘never’. Thirty-eight per cent reported stiffness related to undertaking surgery ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’, while 43% reported ‘never’ experiencing stiffness. Nineteen per cent wore loupes while operating, with 71% of this group reporting that loupes made their posture ‘much better or better’. Most respondents began to have symptoms after 5 years of operating. Over a third of respondents had physiotherapy for their pain. Forty-nine per cent of respondents felt more pain on days they operated. Seventy-eight per cent of respondents had no formal education on ergonomics at their institution. These results highlight that chronic pain is prevalent among dermatological surgeons in the UK and Ireland. Modification of footwear, table height, operating position, lighting and surgical instruments may all improve ergonomics. Surgeons should also be mindful of their posture, hold instruments lightly, take microbreaks, stretch during their surgical day and aim to maintain fitness outside of work. Ergonomics training should be incorporated formally into educational meeting updates, and consideration of formal guidelines from associated physician bodies should be prioritized in order to protect the health and wellbeing of dermatological surgeons and prevent musculoskeletal injury, early burnout and retirement.

The role of individual neuronutrients in optimizing nutritional therapy for neurological patients

Neurodietology is a multidisciplinary science based on knowledge of neuroscience and dietology and aiming to optimize the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases through qualitative and quantitative modulation of the composition of diets, alimentary prevention of diseases of the nervous system, when the latter is possible, as well as optimization of psychomotor and intellectual functions. It should be noted that neurodietology and approaches to the choice of therapeutic nutrition every year occupy an increasingly strong position in world clinical medicine. The variability of nutritional approaches to the practical treatment of neurological pathology in patients reflects the versatility of modern neurodietology. Therefore, it is no coincidence that childhood neurodietology has been widely used in Russia, which cannot be said about nutritional approaches in the treatment of adult patients of this profile. In addition, violations of the nutritional status and the lack of its timely correction reduce the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures – the most important link in the complex treatment of neurological patients, prevention of disability and increasing social adaptation. If it is impossible to provide an adequate level of intake of nutrients and energy in the standard way, it is necessary to prescribe nutritional support in a timely manner using specialized food products, including biologically active food supplements.

Attenuated post-movement beta rebound reflects psychomotor alterations in major depressive disorder during a simple visuomotor task: a MEG study

BackgroundPsychomotor alterations are a common symptom in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The primary motor cortex (M1) plays a vital role in the mechanism of psychomotor alterations. Post-movement beta rebound (PMBR) in the sensorimotor cortex is abnormal in patients with motor abnormalities. However, the changes in M1 beta rebound in patients with MDD remain unclear. This study aimed to primarily explore the relationship between psychomotor alterations and PMBR in MDD.MethodsOne hundred thirty-two subjects were enrolled in the study, comprising 65 healthy controls (HCs) and 67 MDD patients. All participants performed a simple right-hand visuomotor task during MEG scanning. PMBR was measured in the left M1 at the source reconstruction level with the time–frequency analysis method. Retardation factor scores and neurocognitive test performance, including the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), the Making Test Part A (TMT-A), and the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), were used to measure psychomotor functions. Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess relationships between PMBR and psychomotor alterations in MDD.ResultsThe MDD group showed worse neurocognitive performance than the HC group in all three neurocognitive tests. The PMBR was diminished in patients with MDD compared to HCs. In a group of MDD patients, the reduced PMBR was negatively correlated with retardation factor scores. Further, there was a positive correlation between the PMBR and DSST scores. PMBR is negatively associated with the TMT-A scores.ConclusionOur findings suggested that the attenuated PMBR in M1 could illustrate the psychomotor disturbance in MDD, possibly contributing to clinical psychomotor symptoms and deficits of cognitive functions.

Combined altitude depleted oxygen vis-à-vis hypobaric hypoxia: Efficacy in hypoxia indoctrination

Introduction: The Combined Altitude and Depleted Oxygen (CADO), as an alternate method for hypoxia indoctrination, has the dual advantages of exposing to an altitude less than the threshold for decompression sickness, a known risk in training using Hypobaric Hypoxia (HH) while accounting for the pressure changes due to altitude, a limitation of using normobaric hypoxia. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of CADO in hypoxia indoctrination by comparing it with the time-tested gold standard method of HH. Material and Methods: Forty subjects were exposed to both CADO and HH, simulating 25,000 ft for a maximum period of 5 min. CADO was achieved by combining exposure to an altitude of 10,000 ft in the hypobaric chamber and breathing a hypoxic gas mixture of 10.3% oxygen and 89.7% nitrogen. Physiological parameters (oxygen saturation, heart rate, and respiratory rate) and psychomotor performance (dual task test component of pSuMEDhA) were compared between the two exposures. The incidence and severity of subjective symptoms were also compared at the end of exposures. Results: No significant difference was observed in the physiological parameters and psychomotor performance during the two exposures. Out of the 24 common symptoms of hypoxia assessed, there was a higher incidence of 20 symptoms in subjects exposed to HH compared to CADO. The severity of 15 symptoms was also found to be significantly greater (P &lt; 0.05) in subjects exposed to HH. Conclusion: The similarity of physiological changes in CADO and HH shows the potential application of CADO as a tool for hypoxia demonstration. However, in view of decreased incidence and severity of subjective symptoms in CADO compared to HH, CADO cannot be considered equivalent to the gold standard (HH) for hypoxia indoctrination for high-risk individuals, namely, aircrew and combat free fall personnel. CADO as a modality can be used as a tool for hypoxia demonstration for persons not involved in flying duties and for high-altitude research.

Holding your liquor: Comparison of alcohol-induced psychomotor impairment in drinkers with and without alcohol use disorder.

Behavioral tolerance to alcohol underscores the widely accepted notion that individuals who regularly drink alcohol become less sensitive to its impairing effects. However, previous research assessing alcohol-induced impairment in humans has primarily focused on social drinkers. This has limited our understanding of the nature and extent of behavioral tolerance among heavier drinkers, such as those with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Data from three cohorts of the Chicago Social Drinking Project were evaluated to examine the acute effects of alcohol on psychomotor performance across the breath alcohol curve in light drinkers (LDs; n = 86), heavy drinkers (HDs; n = 208), and individuals with AUD (AUDs; n = 103). Before and at several intervals after ingesting either alcohol (0.8 g/kg, peak BrAC = 0.09 g/dL) or placebo in two random-order laboratory sessions, participants completed a test of fine motor coordination (Grooved Pegboard), a test of perceptual-motor processing(Digit Symbol Substitution Task), and a self-reported survey of perceived impairment. Sixty individuals with AUD completed a third session with a very high dose of alcohol (1.2 g/kg, peak BrAC = 0.13 g/dL). The AUD and HD groups, relative to the LD group, perceived less impairment and demonstrated greater behavioral tolerance to an intoxicating dose of alcohol, exhibited by reduced peak impairment and a quicker return to baseline performance on psychomotor measures. Among individuals with AUD who consumed the very high dose, impairment was more than double that following the usual high dose, and it exceeded the impairment among LDs following the usual high dose. In this sample of young adult drinkers, relative to the LD group, those with heavier drinking patterns (AUD and HD groups) showed greater behavioral tolerance to 0.8 g/kg alcohol, a dose typically associated with a binge drinking episode. However, when challenged with a very high alcohol dose commensurate with high-intensity drinking, individuals with AUD showed substantial psychomotor impairment.

Does Occupational Lead Exposure Affect the Relationship Between Neurobehavioral Characteristics and Productivity?

Background &amp; Aims: Lead (Pb) may cause cognitive impairments in both recent acute and chronic exposures. In this study, the effect of Pb exposure on the relationship between neurobehavioral characteristics and productivity was evaluated among battery manufacturing workers. Materials and Methods: In general, 179 production workers and 179 office workers participated in this cross-sectional study. Venous blood sampling was used to measure the level of Pb in the blood. Psychomotor performance and intellectual functioning were measured using the digit symbol substitution test and the Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised, respectively. Finally, productivity was assessed using a health and work performance questionnaire. Results: Exposed workers had a significantly higher level of Pb, while a lower level of intellectual functioning and psychomotor performance than non-exposed workers. The results of linear regression indicated that the increase in the blood level of Pb was accompanied by a significant decrease in the positive effects of intellectual functioning on productivity. However, exposure to Pb had no effect on the relationship between psychomotor performance and productivity. Conclusion: Occupational exposure to Pb affected the relationship between psycho-diagnostic performance and productivity and could induce neurobehavioral dysfunction in the exposed workers. For the early detection of cognitive impairment, the neurobehavioral assessment is recommended to be implemented in work assessments.

Effects of a Blocked Versus Full-Length Semester Design on Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Performance and Retention.

Restrictions on in-person gatherings during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic required educational programs to explore alternative educational formats. The nature of physical therapy education as a blend of cognitive and psychomotor skill presents additional challenges. During a gradual return to in-person learning, the authors' institution chose to break a full-length 15-week semester into 3, 5-week blocks. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of semester design on course performance. The second aim was to assess the effects of semester design on knowledge and skill retention. In undergraduate studies, blocked courses or semesters held over a short period of time may result in equal or better performance compared with courses performed over a longer time. Few studies have been performed on the graduate student population. Most studies have focused on short-term cognitive knowledge acquisition. Three cohorts of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students were eligible to participate. Two DPT courses (1 first year and 1 second year) were selected to assess cognitive and psychomotor performance. Examination results were compared at the end of a full-length semester and blocked semester. A third course was selected to assess retention at 4 time points. Students were assessed on their cognitive retention using computer-based quizzes and psychomotor retention using in-person skills quizzes. Median cognitive performance scores for both courses were slightly better during the blocked semester. There were no significant differences in median psychomotor scores. There was no significant interaction effect between semester structure and retention of cognitive knowledge or psychomotor skills, although there were significant changes in scores over time. A blocked semester design may favor immediate cognitive performance. However, there is no significant effect on knowledge or skill retention over a 6-month period. Programs faced with the potential for in-person closures can select either semester structure based on their needs without compromising knowledge or skill retention.

Pengaruh Metode Two Stay Two Stray Terhadap Hasil Belajar Lompat Jauh Siswa Kelas VII MTS Al-Ikhsan Betung

The problem in this study was learning that was found to jump far which still had not been completed learning outcomes. This study aims to determine the effect of the two by two stray method on the long jump learning outcomes of class VII students of MTS Al-Ikhsan Betung. The research method used in this study is an experimental method with the type of one-group pretest-posttest design. The research sampleconsisted of 22 people using the total population technique. The data collection technique was carried out using a psychomotor performance test. Research data analysis techniques using paired-samples t-test. Based on the research findings and analysis of research data, this study concludes that there is an effect of the two staytwo stray methods on the long jump learning outcomes of class VII MTS Al-Ikhsan Betung because t-count &gt; t-table (6.548 &gt; 1.72).

The effect of adaptive physical education on the development of children with speech delays in a preschool educational institution

The review article raises an actual problem related to the study of children with delayed speech development in a preschool educational institution. On the basis of the analysis of scientific and methodical literature, the peculiarities of psychomotor and cognitive development of children with speech disorders in the conditions of a preschool institution were analyzed and summarized. The most effective means of physical education and methods of organizing children's activities with children with speech delay in children's society are considered. Results. Based on the results of literary sources, it was established that preschool children with speech delay are characterized by: lag in indicators of physical and mental development of motor skills, communication in communication with peers, adaptive opportunities in society are violated, adaptive attention, unstable attention, as a result of which there is a deterioration of mood and self-esteem. But at the same time, there are also trends in the direction of improving methods and programs for the most effective search for overcoming this nosological problem in children's society.&#x0D; Conclusions. The development of children with speech disorders has a significantly different vector compared to healthy children who study in a preschool educational institution. Means of physical education for children of this nosology is considered as one of the main links of improving not only cognitive and psychomotor functions, but also includes measures to improve components of health, which include the mental, physical, social, spiritual, and moral development of children in the preschool environment.

Blood cannabinoid molar metabolite ratios are superior to blood THC as an indicator of recent cannabis smoking

Introduction Cannabis use is a growing concern in transportation and workplace incidents. Because Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol is detectable after acute psychoactive effects have resolved, it has limitations as an indicator of recent usage or potential impairment. Methods In an observational study of driving and psychomotor performance, we measured whole blood Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol plus its metabolites 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry at baseline and 30 min after starting a 15-minute interval of smoking cannabis in 24 occasional and 32 daily cannabis smokers. We calculated two blood cannabinoid molar metabolite ratios: 1) [Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol] to [11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol] and 2) ([Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol] + [11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol]) to [11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol]. We compared these to blood [Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol] alone as indicators of recent cannabis smoking. Results Median Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations increased from 0 (<limit of detection 0.2 µg/L) at baseline to 5.6 µg/L post-smoking in occasional users. Among daily users, these were 2.7 µg/L at baseline and 21.3 µg/L post-smoking. Median molar metabolite ratio 1 increased from 0 at baseline to 0.62 post-smoking in occasional users and from 0.08 at baseline to 0.44 post-smoking in daily users. The median molar metabolite ratio 2 increased from 0 to 0.76 in occasional users and from 0.12 to 0.54 among daily users. A molar metabolite ratio 1 cut-point of 0.18 yielded 98% specificity, 93% sensitivity, and 96% accuracy for identifying recent cannabis smoking. A molar metabolite ratio 2 cut-point of 0.27 yielded 98% specificity, 91% sensitivity, and 95% accuracy. The receiver operating characteristic curves for molar metabolite ratio 1 and molar metabolite ratio 2 were not statistically different (P > 0.38). By comparison, a cut-point for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol of 5.3 µg/L yielded 88% specificity, 73% sensitivity, and 80% accuracy. Conclusions In occasional and daily users, the blood cannabinoid molar metabolite ratios were superior to whole blood Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol as indicators of recent cannabis smoking. We recommend measurement and reporting of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and their molar metabolite ratios in forensic and safety investigations.