Search results for "task performance"
showing 10 items of 125 documents
Surgical management of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes in age-related macular degeneration by macular relocation: experiences of an early-s…
2009
The MARAN (Macular Relocation in Age-related Neovascular disease) trial was planned to assess the effectiveness of full macular relocation (MR) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Randomised, prospective, controlled clinical trial.Patients suffering from visual loss because of AMD were randomised to either surgery or a control group receiving standard treatment (observation or photodynamic therapy (PDT)). The primary end point was the change of visual acuity (VA) (ETDRS) 52 weeks after randomisation compared with initial VA, and secondary end points included reading performance, contrast sensitivity, stability of fixation, eye-specific quality of life, and th…
Synergy of features enables detection of texture defined figures
2006
Traditional theories of early visual processing suggest that elementary visual features are handled in parallel by independent neural pathways. We studied the interaction of orientation and spatial frequency in the discrimination of Gabor random fields. Target textures differed from reference textures either in mean feature value, showing an edge-like transition between both textures (edge defined), or in the degree of feature homogeneity with smooth transitions (region defined). Irrespective of the kind of texture definition, we found strong cue summation for targets defined by both cues simultaneously, provided two conditions were fulfilled. First, they were barely discriminable when defi…
Comparison of the 45-Second/15-Second Intermittent Running Field Test and the Continuous Treadmill Test
2012
Purposes:To compare the physiological responses and maximal aerobic running velocity (MAV) during an incremental intermittent (45-s run/15-s rest) field test (45-15FIT) vs an incremental continuous treadmill test (TR) and to demonstrate that the MAV obtained during 45-15FIT (MAV45-15) was relevant to elicit a high percentage of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) during a 30-s/30-s intermittent training session.Methods:Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), and lactate concentration ([La]) were measured in 20 subjects during 2 maximal incremental tests and four 15-min intermittent tests. The time spent above 90% and 95% VO2max (t90% and t95% VO2max, respectively) was determined.Results:Maximal ph…
Selecting one of two regular sound sequences : Perceptual and motor effects of tempo
2008
This study assessed the influence of tempo on selecting a sound sequence. In Exp. 1, synchronization with one of the two regular subsequences in a complex sequence was measured. 30 participants indicated a preference for the fastest subsequence when subsequences were in a slow tempo range (≥ 500 msec. IOI), and with the slower subsequence when they were in the fast tempo range (≤ 300 msec. IOI). These results were replicated using a perceptual task (Exp. 2 and 3) in which the 30 listeners had to detect a temporal irregularity in one of the two subsequences. Detection was better when the temporal irregularity was in the fastest subsequence than in the slowest one when the complex sequence w…
The role of left supplementary motor area in grip force scaling
2013
Skilled tool use and object manipulation critically relies on the ability to scale anticipatorily the grip force (GF) in relation to object dynamics. This predictive behaviour entails that the nervous system is able to store, and then select, the appropriate internal representation of common object dynamics, allowing GF to be applied in parallel with the arm motor commands. Although psychophysical studies have provided strong evidence supporting the existence of internal representations of object dynamics, known as "internal models", their neural correlates are still debated. Because functional neuroimaging studies have repeatedly designated the supplementary motor area (SMA) as a possible …
Predicting arithmetical achievement from neuro-psychological performance: a longitudinal study
1998
In this article, we show that the performances of 5- to 6-year-old children in arithmetic tests can be predicted from their performances in neuro-psychological tests administered a number of months in advance, independently of their level of development.
Effects of comprehensive geriatric intervention on physical performance among people aged 75 years and over.
2012
Background and aims: We studied the effects of comprehensive geriatric assessment and multifactorial intervention on physical performance among older people. Methods: In a 3-year geriatric development project with an experimental design, 668 participants aged 75–98 were assigned to intervention (n=348) or control (n=320) groups. The intervention group received comprehensive geriatric assessment with an individually targeted intervention for 2 years. The outcome measures—performance in the Timed Up-and-Go (TUG), 10-meter walking and Berg Balance Scale tests 2 were gathered annually during the intervention and the 1-year follow-up after it. Results: With linear mixed models, over the 2-year i…
Impact of perceptual ability and mental imagery training on simulated laparoscopic knot-tying in surgical novices using a Nissen fundoplication model.
2011
Background: Performing minimally invasive surgery requires training and visual-spatial intelligence. The aim of our study was to examine the impact of visual-spatial perception and additional mental training on the simulated laparoscopic knot-tying task performed by surgical novices. Methods: A total of 40 medical students randomly assigned to two groups underwent two sessions of laparoscopic basic training on a VR simulator (SimSurgery®, Oslo, Norway). The variables time and tip trajectory (total path length of the instrument tip trajectory) were used to assess the performance of the intracorporeal knot-tying task using a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication model. The experimental group com…
Effects of long-term training specificity on maximal strength and power of the upper and lower extremities in athletes from different sports
2002
Maximal concentric one repetition maximum half-squat (1RM(HS)), bench-press (1RM(BP)), power-load curves during concentric actions with loads ranging from 30% to 100% of 1RM(HS) and 1RM(BP)were examined in 70 male subjects divided into five groups: weightlifters (WL, n=11), handball players (HP, n=19), amateur road cyclists (RC, n=18), middle-distance runners (MDR, n=10) and age-matched control subjects (C, n=12). The 1RM(HS)values in WL, HP and RC were 50%, 29% and 28% greater, respectively, ( P<0.001-0.01) than those recorded for MDR and C. The half-squat average power outputs at all loads examined (from 30% to 100%) in WL and HP ( P<0.001 at 45% and 60% with HP) were higher ( P<0.05-0.00…
Concurrent validation of the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale of perceived exertion with elastic bands in the elderly.
2018
Purpose:\ud To examine the concurrent validity of the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale of perceived exertion using elastic bands in elder population.\ud \ud Methods:\ud Twenty-six participants performed three separate sets of 15 repetitions (low- medium- and high-intensity) for 4 different exercises (2 for the upper-limb and 2 for the lower limb), over two different testing sessions. The criterion variables were heart rate and applied force (average and maximum). In addition to these dependent variables, the active muscle and overall body OMNI-RES for elastic bands scores were collected at the end of each repetition.\ud \ud Results:\ud Significant differences in heart rate, applied force and …