scholarly journals Age-related decline in function of ON and OFF visual pathways

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amithavikram R Hathibelagal ◽  
Vishal Prajapati ◽  
Indrani Jayagopi ◽  
Subhadra Jalali ◽  
Shonraj Ballae Ganeshrao

AbstractPurposeSimple psychophysical paradigm is available as a digital application in iOS devices such as iPad to measure the function of ON and OFF visual pathways. However, an age-matched normative database is not readily available. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the response of ON and OFF visual pathways as a function of age.Methods158 normal healthy adults (84 males and 74 females) whose age ranged 18-80 years participated in the study. None of them had any ocular disease (except cataract of grade II or less) and visual acuity of ≤ 20/25. Monocular testing (only one eye) was performed on the ‘EyeSpeed’ application on an iPad at 40cm distance. The targets ranged between 1 to 3 light or dark squares presented randomly in a noise background and participants responded by indicating the number of squares by touching the screen as fast as possible. The main outcome variables are reaction time, accuracy and performance index (1 / speed * accuracy).ResultsThe median reaction time was shorter (Median (IQR): 1.53s (0.49) [dark] Vs 1.76s (0.58) [light], p < 0.001) and accuracy was higher (97.21% (3.30) [dark] Vs 95.15% (5.10) [light], p < 0.001) for dark targets than the light targets. Performance index and reaction time for both target types significantly correlated with age (ρ = −0.41 to −0.43; p < 0.001).ConclusionsThis normative database will be useful to quantify disease-specific defects. More importantly, the ON pathway function can potentially serve as a surrogate for rod photoreceptor function.

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-191
Author(s):  
Daniela Hubl ◽  
Nicolas Moor ◽  
Jochen Kindler ◽  
Mara Kottlow ◽  
Thomas Dierks ◽  
...  

The inability to differentiate between one’s actions and their consequences from sensory inputs originating from an alien source might cause classical first-rank symptoms in schizophrenia, such as audio-verbal hallucinations (AVH). We aimed to determine whether patients with or without AVH perform differently in a task challenging the audio-verbal self-monitoring system compared to controls. Controls (n = 21) and schizophrenia patients with (AH, n = 11) and without AVH (NH, n = 9) participated. Subjects had to discern whether they heard a sound they had just uttered with or without delay. Reaction time, accuracy as well as sensitivity and response bias were compared between groups. There were no group effects in reaction time. Controls were significantly more accurate in the detection of delays compared to AH and to NH. However, the most salient observation was that these deficits were not uniformly present, but were selectively elicited by the delay, reducing patients’ response accuracy to chance level. The analysis of the data based on signal detection theory revealed a significant drop in sensitivity in both patient groups compared to the controls, and a response bias: Particularly the patients with AVH seemed to be biased not to consider a delay, rather than falsely signaling a delay. Such a deficit may blur the distinction between external events and self-initiated actions, thus eventually interfering with the patients’ sense of agency.


2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hagen C. Flehmig ◽  
Michael B. Steinborn ◽  
Karl Westhoff ◽  
Robert Langner

Previous research suggests a relationship between neuroticism (N) and the speed-accuracy tradeoff in speeded performance: High-N individuals were observed performing less efficiently than low-N individuals and compensatorily overemphasizing response speed at the expense of accuracy. This study examined N-related performance differences in the serial mental addition and comparison task (SMACT) in 99 individuals, comparing several performance measures (i.e., response speed, accuracy, and variability), retest reliability, and practice effects. N was negatively correlated with mean reaction time but positively correlated with error percentage, indicating that high-N individuals tended to be faster but less accurate in their performance than low-N individuals. The strengthening of the relationship after practice demonstrated the reliability of the findings. There was, however, no relationship between N and distractibility (assessed via measures of reaction time variability). Our main findings are in line with the processing efficiency theory, extending the relationship between N and working style to sustained self-paced speeded mental addition.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Van Benthem ◽  
Chris M. Herdman

Abstract. Identifying pilot attributes associated with risk is important, especially in general aviation where pilot error is implicated in most accidents. This research examined the relationship of pilot age, expertise, and cognitive functioning to deviations from an ideal circuit trajectory. In all, 54 pilots, of varying age, flew a Cessna 172 simulator. Cognitive measures were obtained using the CogScreen-AE ( Kay, 1995 ). Older age and lower levels of expertise and cognitive functioning were associated with significantly greater flight path deviations. The relationship between age and performance was fully mediated by a cluster of cognitive factors: speed and working memory, visual attention, and cognitive flexibility. These findings add to the literature showing that age-related changes in cognition may impact pilot performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan-Marie Harding ◽  
Narelle English ◽  
Nives Nibali ◽  
Patrick Griffin ◽  
Lorraine Graham ◽  
...  

Students who can regulate their own learning are proposed to gain the most out of education, yet research into the impact of self-regulated learning skills on performance shows mixed results. This study supports the link between self-regulated learning and performance, while providing evidence of grade- or age-related differences. Australian students from Grades 5 to 8 completed mathematics or reading comprehension assessments and self-regulated learning questionnaires, with each response ranked on a hierarchy of quality. All assessments were psychometrically analysed and validated. In each cohort and overall, higher performing students reported higher levels of self-regulated learning. Still, age-related differences outweighed performance differences, resulting in significantly lower reported usage of self-regulated learning skills in Grade 7 students compared to those in Grades 5, 6 and 8. These findings suggest that either age or school organisational differences mediate students’ self-regulated learning, counteracting ability-related associations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Cvecka ◽  
Veronika Tirpakova ◽  
Milan Sedliak ◽  
Helmut Kern ◽  
Winfried Mayr ◽  
...  

Aging is a multifactorial irreversible process associated with significant decline in muscle mass and neuromuscular functions. One of the most efficient methods to counteract age-related changes in muscle mass and function is physical exercise. An alternative effective intervention to improve muscle structure and performance is electrical stimulation. In the present work we present the positive effects of physical activity in elderly and a study where the effects of a 8-week period of functional electrical stimulation and strength training with proprioceptive stimulation in elderly are compared.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 655-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binghai Sun ◽  
Zhenbing Luo ◽  
Wenwen Zhang ◽  
Weijian Li ◽  
Xinyu Li

Author(s):  
Thomas Kuhn ◽  
Sara J. Czaja ◽  
Sankaran N. Nair ◽  
Joseph Sharit ◽  
Tamer El-Attar ◽  
...  

The Internet is an important source of information for health-related topics and services. Currently, however, an age-related digital divide exists, especially for lower SES minority elderly. This study examined the ability of a sample of 40 community dwelling adults aged 50–85 yrs. to use the Internet to make choices related to Medicare services. Performance data included response time, accuracy, and search behavior (based on videotape recordings) and ratings of usability. Overall the data indicate that although most of the of participants were able to find the needed information many of them made errors, used inefficient search strategies, and encountered search problems. Furthermore, most of the sample indicated problems with usability and that they were frustrated interacting with the website. These findings are discussed in terms of recommendations for training and website design. The paper will also discuss how screen capture data can be used in the development of design guidelines.


Author(s):  
Tülin ATAN

In this study, it was aimed to examine the effects of reaction training on reaction time and speed in tennis players. For this purpose a total of 18 tennis players; 9 male (age; 13.33 ± 1.80 years) and 7 female (13.85 ± 2.19 years) were voluntarily participated the study. In this study, the reaction training program, which was applied for 2 days a week for 12 weeks, was prepared in addition to tennis training. In the reaction training, exercises suitable for visual and auditory reaction were used. Before and after the 12-week reaction training, a 30 m speed running test and reaction time tests were performed. Whether the data showed normal distribution was analyzed with the Shapiro Wilk test and it was determined that the data did not show normal distribution. Mann Whitney U test was used in comparisons between the two groups. Wilcoxan Signd Rank test was used in the comparisons made before and after the training. As a result of the statistical analysis, it was seen that both the physical characteristics and performance parameters of males and females in our study group were not statistically different (p>0.05). For this reason, all subjects were taken into consideration regardless of gender in comparisons before and after tennis training. After the reaction training program applied to the subjects, it was determined that the 30 m speed performance values were shortened in duration compared to the pre-training period, that is, the speed improved (p <0.01). When the reaction time values were compared before and after the training program applied, it was seen that the reaction time values improved significantly after the training (p <0.01). As a result, reaction training performed in tennis players’ increases speed and reaction time performance. Reaction training is recommended in sports branches where this type of motor is important.


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