Objective: We sought to quantify subtle changes in motor control in multiple sclerosis (MS) using a Fitts law reciprocal aiming task presented on a computer touchscreen.
Background: Upper-limb motor control is impaired in MS. However, many commonly used motor assessments do not detect subtle changes in motor function or differentiate between aspects of movement such as planning and online control. Fitts law states that movement time varies as a function of task difficulty, with smaller targets and greater distances making the task more difficult.
Methods: We gave a Fitts aiming task to 22 patients with MS and 22 matched controls. We manipulated movement difficulty by changing the targets' size and distance apart.
Results: The patients spent a significantly longer time than the controls stationary in each target before starting the next movement, and had a lower peak velocity, suggesting deficits in movement planning. The patients also spent longer in the deceleration phase of each movement, indicating deficits in the online control of movement.
Conclusions: The computerized Fitts task allows quick, easy, and sensitive measurement of subtle aspects of movement. This task should be useful in clinical and research settings for assessing MS motor symptoms, disease progression, and treatment efficacy.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/WNN.0000000000000036 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The polarity of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation affects the planning and execution of movement sequences.
Neuroimage
January 2025
Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA. Electronic address:
Noninvasive brain stimulation of the primary motor cortex has been shown to alter therapeutic outcomes in stroke and other neurological conditions, but the precise mechanisms remain poorly understood. Determining the impact of such neurostimulation on the neural processing supporting motor control is a critical step toward further harnessing its therapeutic potential in multiple neurological conditions affecting the motor system. Herein, we leverage the excellent spatio-temporal precision of magnetoencephalographic (MEG) imaging to identify the spectral, spatial, and temporal effects of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) on the neural responses supporting motor control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: A 26-year-old woman came for orthodontic treatment to improve her profile with protrusive lips. Diagnosed as bimaxillary protrusion, extraction followed by anterior retraction was indispensable for the case. However, her left upper lateral incisor was absent, the left upper canine had moved mesially and replaced the adjacent incisor, and the original canine location was restored with a long implant, which was in good condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProton therapy of lung cancer patients - Treatment strategies and clinical experience from a medical physicist's perspective.
Phys Med
January 2025
Department of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands. Electronic address:
Purpose: Proton therapy of moving targets is considered a challenge. At Maastro, we started treating lung cancer patients with proton therapy in October 2019. In this work, we summarise the developed treatment strategies and gained clinical experience from a physics point of view.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrajectory Planning for Unmanned Vehicles on Airport Apron Under Aircraft-Vehicle-Airfield Collaboration.
Sensors (Basel)
December 2024
School of Air Traffic Management, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan 618307, China.
To address the issue of safe, orderly, and efficient operation for unmanned vehicles within the apron area in the future, a hardware framework of aircraft-vehicle-airfield collaboration and a trajectory planning method for unmanned vehicles on the apron were proposed. As for the vehicle-airfield perspective, a collaboration mechanism between flight support tasks and unmanned vehicle departure movement was constructed. As for the latter, a control mechanism was established for the right-of-way control of the apron.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNovel CAD/CAM-splint-based navigation protocol enhances intraoperative maxillary position control in orthognathic surgery: a case control study.
Head Face Med
January 2025
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Heinrich Heine University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Background: Virtual surgical planning for orthognathic surgery typically relies on two methods for intraoperative plan transfer: CAD/CAM occlusal splints and patient-specific implants (PSI). While CAD/CAM splints may offer limited accuracy, particularly in the vertical dimension, PSIs are constrained by higher costs and extended preparation times. Surgical navigation has emerged as a potential alternative, but existing protocols often involve invasive registration or lack transparent evaluation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!