Adam Tarnowski

An internationally standardised antisaccade protocol

Detailed measurements of saccadic latency--the time taken to make an eye movement to a suddenly-presented visual target--have proved a valuable source of detailed and quantitative information in a wide range of neurological conditions, as well as shedding light on the mechanisms of decision, currently of intense interest to cognitive neuroscientists. However, there is no doubt that more complex oculomotor tasks, and in particular the antisaccade task in which a participant must make a saccade in the opposite direction to the target, are potentially more sensitive indicators of neurological dysfunction, particularly in neurodegenerative conditions. But two obstacles currently hinder their widespread adoption for this purpose. First, that much of the potential information from antisaccade experiments, notably about latency distribution and amplitude, is typically thrown away. Second, that there is no standardised protocol for carrying out antisaccade experiments, so that results from one laboratory cannot easily be compared with those from another. This paper, the outcome of a recent international meeting of oculomotor scientists and clinicians with an unusually wide experience of such measurements, sets out a proposed protocol for clinical antisaccade trials: its adoption will greatly enhance the clinical and scientific benefits of making these kinds of measurements.

Latencies of stimulus-driven eye movements are shorter in dyslexic subjects.

Eye movements latencies toward peripherally presented stimuli were measured in 10-year-old dyslexic and control children. Dyslexic subjects, previously found to be oversensitive to stimulation of the magnocellular channel, showed reduced latencies as compared to normally reading controls. An attention shifting task was also used which showed no group differences in latencies of eye movements. The data are discussed in terms of the hypothesis of magnocellular system alteration and attention dysfunction in dyslexia. Additionally, sex differences in eye movement latencies were found and are discussed.

A comparative analysis of static balance between patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis and asymptomatic participants.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess static balance in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis who qualified for surgical decompression of associated neural structures and compare them with asymptomatic participants. METHODS This case-controlled study evaluated a sample of 50 patients with spinal canal stenosis (stenosis group) and 48 participants with no history of clinical symptoms of back pain. Static balance was assessed by conducting quantitative analysis of balance reaction parameters in quiet standing with the eyes closed. RESULTS Higher values were observed in total length of center of pressure (COP) path, length of COP path in the anterior-posterior plane, mean amplitude of COP projection in the anterior-posterior plane, maximal amplitude between the 2 most distant points in the anterior-posterior plane, mean COP velocity, and sway area marked by the moving COP in the stenosis group compared with the asymptomatic group. CONCLUSIONS This study showed statistically significant differences in static balance parameters between patients with spinal canal stenosis compared with the asymptomatic group.

The effect of age and personality on the main cognitive processes in drivers.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is the evaluation of how the decline of cognitive abilities caused by aging is moderated by biologically determined personality dimensions: Neuroticism (N) and Extraversion (E).Materials and MethodsThe research was conducted with the participation of 160 men in good physical health, professional drivers, aged 20–70 (Mean = 40, SD = 11). Personality traits were measured using Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire — Revised (EPQ-R), while Ravens Progressive Matrices, Go/noGo Task and Peripheral Perception Test were used to evaluate cognitive processes. The score of Ravens Progressive Matrices was treated as a control variable.ResultsThe results of the study, based on a Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis, indicate that besides the intelligence level, age is the best predictor of cognitive functioning level and that this influence is additionally moderated by the N trait level as well as, less frequently, by the interaction of age and E.ConclusionThis means that high N trait level increases the influence of age on cognitive functions decline. When the N trait level was low, the age differences in measures of cognitive performance were not significant. Thus, the level of N trait may play an important role in the process of cognitive aging. The results are discussed in the context of a driving safety research.

Assessment of postural stability in patients with lumbar spine chronic disc disease

PURPOSE The pain, motor and sensory deficits are common symptoms of the lumbar disc disorder, and they can significantly affect human postural control. The aim of this study was to assess postural stability in patients with severe symptoms of lumbar spine disc disease qualifying them for surgical treatment and to compare them with a control group. METHODS The study involved 103 subjects: 54 patients and 49 healthy subjects. Patients mean age was 46.4 ± 11.3 years, mean body height 172.2 ± 10.3 cm, mean body mass 83.1 ± 18.9 kg, and mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.9 ± 5.2 kg m-2. The mean time of their recent pain episode was 9.7 ± 8.5 months. RESULTS We found statistically significant differences between postural stability in patients with lumbar spine disc disease and the control group. The measurements taken with eyes closed, as compared with the clinical control group, revealed higher and statistically significant values of the mean amplitude of COP, mean amplitude of COP on sagittal plane, and maximal sway in sagittal plane parameters. The analysis of pressure value differences between the right and left lower limbs in both groups revealed statistical significance. In the study population the difference was significantly greater in comparison to the control group. The patients had significantly greater asymmetry of lower limb load. CONCLUSIONS 1. Patients with lumbar spine discogenic pain had decreased postural control. 2. The patients had significant asymmetry in foot pressure resulting from pain radiating to a lower limb.

Return to work after spinal stenosis surgery and the patient’s quality of life

IntroductionThe return to work of patients who undergo spinal surgery poses important medical and social challenge.Objectives1) To establish whether patients who undergo spinal stenosis surgery later return to work. 2) To establish the patient’s attitude towards employment. 3) To assess the quality of life of the patients and its influence on their attitude to work.Materials and MethodsThe study population consisted of 58 patients aged from 21 to 80 years (the mean age was 52.33±14.12). There were 29 women (50%) and 29 men (50%) in the group. The patients’ quality of life was measured by the use of the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. Individual interviews were conducted 3 to 8 months (a mean of 5.72 months ±1.6) after the surgery.Results1) Although 13 patients (22.3%) returned to work, 44 (75.9%) did not, these being manual workers of vocational secondary education. 2) Almost half of the patients (27 patients, i.e. 44%) intend to apply for disability pension, 16 patients (27.6%) consider themselves unfit to work, 22 patients (37.9%) do not feel like working again. 3) The quality of life of the patients decreased. Domain scores for the WHOQOL-BREF are transformed to a 0-100 scale. The mean physical health amounted to 60.67 (±16.31), the mean psychological health was 58.78 (±16.01), while the mean social relations with family and friends were 59.91 (±20.69), and the mean environment 59.62 (±12.48).Conclusions1) A total of 75% of the patients operated for lumbar spinal stenosis do not return to their preoperative work. Difficulties in returning to work and decreased quality of life are associated with female sex, lower-level education, hard physical work and low income. 2) Physical health, psychological health, social relations and environment decreased to the mean of approximately 60. 3) The quality of life of the patients who did return to work was similar to that of healthy people.

Comparison of Parameters Characterizing Lumbar Lordosis in Radiograph and Photogrammetric Examination of Adults

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to test validity of photogrammetry compared with radiography as a method of measuring the Cobb angle and the size of anterior-posterior spine curvatures in adults. METHODS The study included 50 volunteers, 23 men and 27 women whose mean age was 52.6 years. The average weight of the subjects was 81.3 kg, average body height was 172.0 cm, and the average body mass index was 27.4. Based on radiologic examination, the length and depth of lumbar lordosis were determined and the size of the Cobb angle of lumbar scoliosis. After the radiologic examination, a photogrammetric test was performed for each subject with the projection moire phenomenon. RESULTS The Pearson correlation found statistically significant associations concerning the length of lordosis (P < .001) and the Cobb angle (P < .001). Correlation of the depth of lordosis indicated a strong trend (P = .063). CONCLUSIONS This study found that the moire method of photogrammetric measurement produced similar findings to radiographic measurements in determining size of the Cobb angle and the length of lumbar lordosis.

The Relationship Between Temperamental Traits and the Level of Performance of an Eye-Hand Co-Ordination Task in Jet Pilots

When assessing the psychological suitability for the profession of a pilot, it is important to consider personality traits and psychomotor abilities. Our study aimed at estimating the role of temperamental traits as components of pilots’ personality in eye-hand co-ordination. The assumption was that differences in the escalation of the level of temperamental traits, as measured with the Formal Characteristic of Behaviour— Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), will significantly influence eye-hand co-ordination. At the level of general scores, enhanced briskness proved to be the most important trait for eye-hand co-ordination. An analysis of partial scores additionally underlined the importance of sensory sensitivity, endurance and activity. The application of eye-hand co-ordination tasks, which involve energetic and temporal dimensions of performance, helped to disclose the role of biologically-based personality traits in psychomotor performance. The implication of these findings for selecting pilots is discussed.

The effect of unilateral osteoarthritis of the hip on postural balance disorders

Background Postural stability is of great importance because imbalances and muscle weakness are significant risk factors for falls experienced by the elderly. Hip arthrosis, which causes pain and gait disorders that affect balance control, is common in the ageing population. Aim The aim of this study was to assess postural stability in patients with unilateral hip arthrosis before total hip arthroplasty. Methods The study population consisted of 52 patients with hip arthrosis (study group) and 47 subjects with no history of clinical symptoms of hip pain. The groups did not differ statistically in terms of age and BMI. Static balance was assessed by conducting a quantitative analysis of balance reaction parameters in a quiet standing position with the eyes open and closed. Results Analysis of the collected data revealed numerous statistically significant differences between patients with unilateral hip arthrosis before total hip arthoplasty and the asymptomatic group for parameters tested with eyes closed (p<0.05). We observed higher values of total length of centre of pressure (COP), sway path (SP), length of COP path in the medial-lateral plane (SPML), maximal amplitude between the 2 most distant points in the medial-lateral plane (MaxML), mean COP velocity (MV), and mean COP velocity in medial-lateral (MVML) in the study group.

Posture of patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis

BACKGROUND The available literature is lacking in reports on the quantitative analysis of posture in patients with lumbar stenosis. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze body posture in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis. METHODS The study involved 100 people: 49 persons with severe lumbar spine stenosis and 51 control subjects without any history of back pain. All participatants were evaluated by a photogrammetric method. RESULTS Photogrammetric measurements showed statistically significant differences in the shape of the anterior-posterior curvatures of the spine. In the study group thoracic kyphosis was significantly greater (p = 0.043), and the depth of lumbar lordosis was significantly smaller (p = 0.038). The inclination of the thoracolumbar segment was also significantly lower (p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS 1. Measurements of body posture indicate a deepening of thoracic kyphosis and flattening of lumbar lordosis in lumbar stenosis patients. 2. Flattening of physiological lordosis seems to be caused by enlargment of the space of the spinal canal and dural sac in this position.