In order to promote the performance of EEG classification based on multi-task motor imagery (MI), we used common spatial pattern (CSP) as the feature extraction method, and we extracted the features under two conditions, with one "One versus One" and the other "One versus Rest". Then, as for the different feature extraction methods, we presented different classification methods based on support vector machine (SVM) according to the different input features. The final classification results showed that the mean Kappa of "One versus One" classification method based on decision value is much higher than that of voting rule, and a little higher than that of "One versus Rest" classification method.
Algorithms ; Brain ; physiology ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Imagination ; physiology ; Movement ; physiology ; Psychomotor Performance ; Support Vector Machine ; Task Performance and Analysis

OBJECTIVEA population-based study on developmental coordination disorder (DCD) was conducted in Suzhou to explore the impacts of family and kindergarten environment on pre school children with DCD so as to provide a basis for etiological research and early intervention.

METHODStratified clustered sampling was used to select 160 classes from randomly selected 15 public nursery schools distributed throughout the five main districts in Suzhou city. A total of 4 001 children were included in the study. The family environment scale on motor development for urban preschool children (FESMDPU) which was established by our study group and early childhood environment rating scale-revised (ECERS-R) which has been applied well in China were used to assess the family and kindergarten's environment. The multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of DCD when kindergarten environment were considered as "context variables" and the family environment as "individual variables".

RESULTAccording to DSM-IV criteria, a total of 330 children were diagnosed as DCD. The prevalence of DCD was 8.3%. However, there were differences between the two groups in age, gender and Kaup index (all P < 0.05). The results of ECERS-R and FESMDPU showed that the scores of "class space and faculty" "class activity" "class interaction" "family material environment" "family rearing environment" in DCD group were 48.00, 51.00, 49.00, 39.00, and 30.00, respectively, which were higher than those of control group (45.00, 50.00, 47.00, 41.00, 31.00) with statistical significance (U = 455 446.000, 550 787.000, 508 109.000, 543 159.000, and 490 119.000, P < 0.05 for all comparisons) . The score of ECERS-R and FESMDPU were grouped into different levels using the method of K-MEANS. The school and family environment were compared after the clustering. The results showed that the distribution of the rates in different levels between the DCD and control group were different with statistical significance (χ(2) = 51.091, 9.295, 35.464, 15.174, 13.500, P < 0.05 for all comparisons) . There was no significant difference between DCD and non-DCD children in parents' schooling years and family per-capita income of every month (all P > 0.05). The results of the multilevel logistic regression model showed that when children's gender, age and Kaup index were controlled, "class space and faculty" "class activity" "class interaction" "family material environment" "family rearing environment" were included in the model (OR was 3.486, 1.840, 1.623, 1.531, and 1.379, respectively, P < 0.05 for all) .

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of DCD in study area was higher than that reported by European and American countries. The family and kindergarten environment may affect the incidence of DCD in preschool children. Parents and preschool educational and child health care practitioners should conduct the early prevention and intervention on DCD based on the risk factors of environment in preschool children.

Child ; Child Development ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environment ; Family ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Motor Skills ; Motor Skills Disorders ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Psychometrics ; methods ; Psychomotor Performance ; Risk Factors ; Urban Population

Attention ; Memory, Short-Term ; Psychomotor Performance

Bipedalism (using only two legs for walking) and having the capability to use tools have long been considered characteristic features that differentiate human beings from animals. Being able to walk upright freed up human hands, allowing us to reach, grasp, carry food, make and use tools, which greatly increased the survivability of our ancestors. Hand actions not only involve muscles and joints to execute actions but also require computations in the brain to analyze the visual environment and select the appropriate action, as well as formulate the action before execution and correct it in real-time during execution. Here, we review the behavioral and brain imaging research of human hand actions from a perspective of cognitive neuroscience. The review includes the research contents and methods of visually-guided action, existing theories, current debates, new evidence of existing theories, and the applications of action research in robotics and artificial intelligence.
Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; physiology ; Hand ; Humans ; Neuroimaging ; Psychomotor Performance

Many researchers have reported that smoking enhanced psychomotor performance in healthy subjects, but little is known about the effects of cigarette smoking on psychomotor performance in schizophrenic patients who have a high prevalence of smoking and various psychomotor dysfunctions. The author investigated the effects of cigarette smoking on psychomotor performance in schizophrenic patients. Subjects were grouped into (1) smokers with no smoking for 90 minutes prior to testing, (2) smokers with smoking a cigarette after 90 minutes abstinence prior to testing and (3) nonsmokers. The scores of Motor performance series(MPS) and Decision-reaction timer(DRT) were compared among these three groups. No significant differences were found in MPS. In DRT, schizophrenic smokers with smoking a cigarette after 90 minutes abstinence prior to testing showed significantly shorter reaction time and decision time but no significant differences in motor time and correct response rate. In conclusion, this study suggests that smoking enhances cognitive processes in schizophrenic patients but does not influence motor performance.
Humans ; Prevalence ; Psychomotor Performance* ; Reaction Time ; Schizophrenia ; Smoke ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of alcohol on daytime sleepiness, psychomotor performance, and subjective response in healthy young men with different ALDH2 genotypes. METHODS: A total of 24 males, half with the active ALDH2*1/*1 and the rest with inactive the ALDH2*1/*2, were selected through genotyping. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, each subject consumed either a 0.5 g/kg dose of alcohol or placebo in the morning on two separate occasions, a week apart. Multiple Sleep Latency Test, a battery of psychomotor tests (Critical Flicker Fusion Threshold, Choice Reaction Time, Compensatory Tracking Task, Digit Symbol Substitution), questionnaire for subjective response and modified Epworth Sleepiness Scale were administered. RESULTS: Daytime sleep latency was significantly decreased after alcohol intake in the morning compared to placebo, and the decrease was much greater in subjects with ALDH2*1/*2 than in subjects with ALDH2*1/*1. Psychomotor function was significantly impaired after alcohol intake in the morning compared to placebo, in subjects with ALDH2*1/*2. Subjective response was significantly negative or intense after alcohol intake in the morning, compared to placebo, in subjects with ALDH2*1/*2. Subjective daytime sleepiness was significantly increased after alcohol intake compared to placebo, in subjects with ALDH2*1/*2. CONCLUSION: These results supported that ALDH2 polymorphism might be one of important factors in determining the effects of alcohol on the various psychobehavioural functions as well as on patterns of alcohol use.
Cross-Over Studies* ; Flicker Fusion ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Male ; Psychomotor Performance* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reaction Time

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to verify the effects of a memory and visual-motor integration program for older adults based on self-efficacy theory. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design was implemented in this quasi-experimental study. The participants were 62 older adults from senior centers and older adult welfare facilities in D and G city (Experimental group=30, Control group=32). The experimental group took part in a 12-session memory and visual-motor integration program over 6 weeks. Data regarding memory self-efficacy, memory, visual-motor integration, and depression were collected from July to October of 2014 and analyzed with independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test using PASW Statistics (SPSS) 18.0 to determine the effects of the interventions. RESULTS: Memory self-efficacy (t=2.20, p=.031), memory (Z=-2.92, p=.004), and visual-motor integration (Z=-2.49, p=.013) increased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. However, depression (Z=-0.90, p=.367) did not decrease significantly. CONCLUSION: This program is effective for increasing memory, visual-motor integration, and memory self-efficacy in older adults. Therefore, it can be used to improve cognition and prevent dementia in older adults.
Adult* ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory* ; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Psychomotor Performance ; Senior Centers

We report a case of a 25-month-old girl presented to us for the evaluation of a severe delayed psychomotor development who also has pigmentary abnormalities. Linear and whorled hyperpigmentations following Blaschko's lines were noticed on her entire body except on her face, palms, soles, eyes and mucous membranes, which closely resembled those found in hypomelanosis of Ito, but inversely pigmented. Histologic examination revealed basal layer hyperpigmentation without incontinence of pigment or dermal melanophages. Chromosomal analysis of cultured peripheral leukocytes and fibroblasts from the hyperpigmented and the hypopigmented skin revealed normal female karyotype with no evidence of mosaicism or chimerism. This entity represents a kind of neurocutaneous syndrome-referred to by some authors as linear and whorled nevoid hypermelanosis.
Case Report ; *Child Development ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Melanosis/*pathology/*physiopathology ; Nevus/*pathology ; *Psychomotor Performance ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: Paroxetine is known to have fewer cognitive side effects than older antidepressants such as amitriptyline. To confirm this objectively, we compared the effects of paroxetine on the psychomotor performance with those of amitriptyline in 10 healthy volunteers. METHOD: Paroxetine and amitriptyline were administered orally in a double-blind, two-way, single dose, crossover design. Assessments of psychomotor performances were carried out before and 2 and 6 hours after administration of single dose of paroxetine (40mg) or amitriptyline (50mg). Each treatment day was separated by 1 week of washout period. The psychomotor performances were measured using Vienna Determination Unit, Vienna Reaction Time, Vienna Signal Detection, Grooved Pegboard Test and Finger Tapping Test. The data were analyzed using two-way, repeated measures ANOVA on a crossover model. RESULTS: The results showed that paroxetine 40mg produced no significant performance decrements on the every test of psychomotor performances, whereas amitriptyline 50mg produced markedly impaired performance on most of the psychomotor tests. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed pervious findings that paroxetine is generally devoid of adverse side effects on psychomotor performance.
Amitriptyline* ; Antidepressive Agents ; Cross-Over Studies ; Fingers ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Paroxetine* ; Psychomotor Performance ; Reaction Time

OBJECTIVES: Zolpidem is known to have fewer cognitive side effects than older hypnotics. To confirm this objectively, we compared the effects of zolpidem on the psychomotor performance with those of placebo in 10 healthy volunteers. METHOD: Zolpidem and placebo were administered orally in a double-blind, two-way, single dose, cross-over design. Assessments of psychomotor performances were carried out before (1 hour) and 1.5 and 6 hours after the administration of single dose of zolpidem (10mg) or placebo. Each treatment day was separated by 1 week of washout period. The psychomotor performances were measured using Vienna Determination Unit, Vienna Reaction Unit, Vienna Signal Detection, Grooved Pegboard Test and Finger Tapping Test. The data were analyzed using two-way, repeated measures ANOVA on a crossover model. RESULTS: The results showed that 1.5 hours after the administration, zolpidem 10mg produced markedly impaired psychomotor performance but 6 hours after, produced no significant psychomotor performance decrements on most of the psychomotor tests. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed previous findings that zolpidem is generally devoid of adverse side effects on psychomotor performance at the next day after administration.
Benzodiazepines ; Cross-Over Studies ; Fingers ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Psychomotor Performance*