Numerical
Results
o View the
numerical results by selecting in the Actions/Settings >View Exported
Data >Go.
o Output is
calibrated in centimeters (2.54 cm = 1 inch) and seconds. In this example,
the average stroke durations for each of the directions. The fastest movements
are by the wrist (0.156 s per stroke) and the slowest are the coordinated
movements of wrist flexion and finger extension, etc. (0.212 s per stroke)
(in right-handed participants).
Exporting
o Exported
Data can also be imported into dedicated graphics applications (Example:
Save to .txt file, Start Microcal Origin, Click File >Import >Ascii,
Read .txt file, Select all columns of work sheet, Click Plot >Line+Symbol).
o Right-clicking
in the chart offers more exporting and charting options.
Applications
o The previous
graph shows that the horizontal back-and-forth strokes (Condition Index=1)
are the fastest (DeltaT=0.156 s per stroke) and the backward slanted movements
(Condition Index=2) are the slowest (DeltaT=0.212 s per stroke).
o Parkinson's
disease Patients (Group Index=2) show higher normalized jerk (Jabs) scores
for wrist flexions than for wrist extensions while the controls (Group
Index=1).
o View Group,
Subject, Condition definitions by Actions/Settings >View Identities
>Go.
2.OPT
Optimized Submovement Test
Rationale.
Fast and precise stroke to a target consist of a ballistic, preprogrammed
segment with a large peak velocity (Primary Submovement) followed by one
or more visual-feedback controlled segments, characterized by multiple,
local velocity peaks (collectively called the Secondary Submovement) Teulings
(2001). The motor system minimizes the total duration by optimizing the
distribution between the fast but error prone primary submovement and
the slowing effect of secondary submovement, which is only required to
correct the error of the primary submovement. The greater the duration
and size of the primary submovement relative to the total movement, the
more accurate the motor system. If the motor system is compromised, the
relative duration and size of the primary submovement tends to decrease.
Procedure.
Write 6 replications a straight stroke, fast and accurate to one of the
8 different targets of 0.2 cm diameter at 2 cm distance. The sequence
of conditions and trials is randomized.
Analysis.
o The strokes are rotated to the vertical direction according to the target
direction per condition.
o Movements are segmented into primary and secondary submovement by the
first negative-to-positive acceleration transition after the peak velocity.
A 3rd stroke is appended being the data of the total stroke.
o For each stroke, duration and size are estimated and plotted as a function
of condition.
Measurements.
Duration and Size of the primary submovement and of the total movement.
The primary submovement's relative size and durations are the ratios between
primary and total movement.
2.
Visual Stimulus and Pen
o The stimulus
is printed on paper and fixed on top of the digitizer or under its transparent
cover.
o The 0.2-cm
diameter targets o
A-H have a distance of 2 cm from the 0.2-cm diameter home position ·
in the middle.
o Use a non-inking
pen or equivalent.
3.
Conditions
o Right click
the particular Conditions under the particular Experiment >Add Condition(s)
to Experiment
o If defined
before: Select Condition 000 from the list of previously defined conditions.
o If never
defined before: Create it by clicking +, filling out the blanks, and clicking
OK.
o Example
for Condition ID 000.
o Create
the 8 different target directions as follows:
| Condition
ID |
Description
|
Instruction
|
Stroke
Description |
| 000
|
Right
|
A
|
-
|
| 045
|
UpRight
|
B
|
/
|
| 090
|
Up
|
C
|
|
|
| 135
|
UpLeft
|
D
|
\
|
| 180
|
Left
|
E
|
_
|
| 225
|
DownLeft
|
F
|
?
|
| 270
|
Down
|
G
|
}
|
| 315
|
DownRight
|
H
|
]
|
| |
|
These
directions refer to the visual stimulus on the digitizer.
|
o
Direction range=+-22.5 degrees.
o Different directions
and ranges are optional. |
Number
of Trials
o Number of
trials per condition is 6 and can be set by right-clicking a particular
condition in this particular experiment >Trial Replications.
4.
Run Subject
o If not just
defined: Double click the particular experiment >Double click the Groups
item >Double click the particular group >Double-click the Subjects
item.
o Right click
the particular subject in the particular group in the particular experiment
>Process >Run Experiment
5.
Summarize Subjects
o Right click
the particular experiment >Click Process >Summarize All Trials
o Select subjects
to be excluded
o Click OK
6.
Analyze Experiment
o Chart averages,
SDs, trial data by Right clicking the particular experiment >Analysis
>Averages.
o View the
Condition Indices by Actions/Settings=View Identities >Go.
Application
o The graph
shows that the Secondary Submovement (Stroke Index 2), which is feedback-controlled,
takes more time than the Primary Submovements (Stroke Index 1), which
is the preprogrammed movement segment, except for the Up-Right direction
(Condition Index 2).
o To view
the overall averages within that subject, select X-axis=Subjects, and
Actions/Settings=View Exported Data.
o Important
motor characteristics are the average durations of the primary submovement
(0.177 s), the total movement (0.526 s), and their ratio, 0.177 / 0.526
= 34%.
o Analogously,
for the average sizes, select Y-axis=DeltaY.
o Important
motor characteristics are the average sizes of the primary submovement
(1.276 cm), the total movement (2.199 cm), and their ratio, 1.267 / 2.199
= 58%.
3.
CYC Medication Cycle Test
Rationale.
Parkinsonian patients take medication (e.g., Sinemet) to reduce the Parkinsonian
effects. The times of medication intake depend on each person's metabolism.
Hacizalihzade et al. (1989) used a 2-camera Elite 3-dimensional multi-point
movement recording system to measure movement time in Parkinson patients
across their drug cycle. Movement duration and error scores in arm movements
show a drug cycle effect: A medication kick-in phase, a floor effect during
the drug cycle, and a relatively sudden wear off. Using our movement analysis
system (Poluha et al., in prep; Contreras-Vidal et al., 1998) charted
the speed of movement during the drug cycle. The same study showed that
our movement speed measures quantify fine motor control dysfunction more
reliably then speech measures.
Procedure.
Perform 6 trials of 4 loops of 1 cm height (as given by two horizontal
lines on the digitizer) at the time of medication intake and repeated
every 30 minutes until 4 hours.
Analysis.
o Segment the loops into strokes
o Estimate duration per stroke
Measurements.
Stroke duration across the day depicts the duration and course of the
medication cycle.
2.
Visual Stimulus and Pen
o The stimulus
is printed on paper and fixed on top of the digitizer or under its transparent
cover.
o Subjects
should not count the loops as the system will verify that there are sufficient
loops.
o Use a non-inking
pen or equivalent.
3.
Conditions
o Right click
the particular Conditions under the particular Experiment >Add Condition(s)
to Experiment
o If defined
before: Select Condition LLL from the list of previously defined conditions
o If never
defined before: Create it by clicking +, filling out the blanks, and clicking
OK. The Description is for the user. The Instruction is for the participant.
The Stroke Description is for the consistency test (A period means no
consistency checking).
o Click Add
| Condition
ID |
Description
|
Instruction
|
Stroke
Description |
| LLL
|
Cursive
l-loops |
Write
a pattern of 4 cursive l-loops |
llll
|
Number
of Trials
o Number of
trials per condition is 6 and can be set by right-clicking a particular
condition in this particular experiment >Trial Replications.
For
this experiment, create groups according to time of medication
If defined
before: Select Groups TI1 to TI9.
o For different
sessions every 30 minutes different "Groups" are defined from Time= 0
to Time=4 hours (e.g., TI1, TI2, TI3, TI4, TI5, TI6, TI7, TI8, TI9).
| Group
ID |
Description
|
Notes
|
| TI0
|
Time
0.0h |
Test
started within 2 minutes after medication intake |
| TI1
|
Time
0.5h |
Test
started 30 minutes after medication intake |
| TI2
|
Time
1.0h |
Test
started 60 minutes after medication intake |
| TI3
|
Time
1.5h |
Test
started 90 minutes after medication intake |
| TI4
|
Time
2.0h |
Test
started 120 minutes after medication intake |
| TI5
|
Time
2.5h |
Test
started 150 minutes after medication intake |
| TI6
|
Time
3.0h |
Test
started 180 minutes after medication intake |
| TI7
|
Time
3.5h |
Test
started 210 minutes after medication intake |
| TI8
|
Time
4.0h |
Test
started 240 minutes after medication intake |
o Click Add
5. Run Subject
o If not just
defined: Double click the particular experiment >Double click the Groups
item >Double click the particular group (Ti0, TI1, … TI9) >Double-click
the Subjects item.
o Right click
the particular subject in the particular group in the particular experiment
>Process Run Experiment
o Click OK.
o The subject
receives instructions from the top line of the Experiment Control Window
o Starts the
task by touching he digitizer with the pen.
o End the
task by keeping the pen slightly lifted.
Rerun
Subject
o Run the
same subject every 30 minutes, first in Group TI0, then in Group TI1,
then in Group TI2, etc.
o When attempting
to run the same subject a second time in the same Group, the subject code
is ot in the list of selectable subjects anymore.
o If unintentionally
skipping a group, it is possible to move data from one group to another
by right-clicking on the particular subject >Move to Group.
6.Summarize
Subjects
o Right click
the particular experiment >Click Process >Summarize All Trials
o Select subjects
to be excluded
o Click OK
7.
Analyze Experiment
o Chart averages,
SDs, trial data by Right clicking the particular experiment >Analysis
>All Data.
o Group, Subject,
Condition definitions can be shown by Actions/Settings >View Identities
>Go.
Application
o The previous
graph shows that the drug cycle for this patient lasts from "Group Index"=1
(Time=0.0h) till "Group Index"=4-5 (Time=1.5h-2.0h).and achieves pre-medication
results at "Group Index"=6 (Time=2.5h).
