Examination of the Effects of Autogenic Training on the Reaction Time Performance of the National Badminton Athletes

Background: Although there is a consensus among researchers that autogenic training has positive effects on the psychological state of athletes, there have not been enough studies on its effects on physical performance yet. Therefore, the effects of autogenic training on physical performance is an important question that remains to be clarified. The fact that there is no research examining the effects of autogenic training on reaction time performance constitutes the original value of the study. Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the effects of autogenic training applied during 8 weeks on the visual and auditory reaction time performances of national badminton athletes. Methods: 15 male (experimental group=8 and control group=7) national badminton player between the ages of 18-23 residing in the province of Malatya participated in the study voluntarily. In addition to the training program, autogenic training was applied to the experimental group for 8 weeks, 3 days a week, after warming up. The control group continued their regular training. In order to determine the effects of the training, the pre-test and post-test was applied to the participants. SPSS 23 Package Program was used for the analysis of the data. The data were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U test, one of the Non-Parametric tests. The significance level was taken as p<.05. Results: The mean age of the experimental group (N=8) was 19.88±1.81, the mean height was 173.75±4.10, and the mean body weight was 68.13±5.52. The mean age of the control group (N=7) was 19.72±1.80, the mean height was 175.72±7.87, and the mean body weight was 67.58±6.61.It was observed that there was no statistically significant difference between the right and left hand visual reaction times and the right and left hand auditory reaction times of the experimental and control groups (p>.05). Conclusion: As a result, autogenic training does not have a statistically significant effect on the visual and auditory reaction time of national badminton athletes. Keywords: Autogenic training, badminton, reaction time

Psychomotor function in children with epilepsy seen at a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria: does treatment with anti-epileptic drugs have any effect?

Background Psychomotor slowing is more commonly reported in children with epilepsy (CWE) compared to healthy controls. The effect of anti-epileptic drug (AED) treatment on psychomotor abilities of CWE remains controversial. In Nigeria, psychomotor abilities of CWE are scarcely investigated and the impact of AEDs is not known. The present study sought to assess psychomotor performance of CWE compared to healthy controls and to determine any association with seizure characteristics and treatment. Method A comparative cross-sectional study involving 160 children with idiopathic epilepsy and 80 controls aged 6–16 years. Psychomotor function was assessed using reaction times and tapping task of the Iron psychology computerised test battery. The criterion for impairment was fixed at two standard deviations (SD) worse than the mean of age-matched controls. The relationship between seizure variables and psychomotor function was assess with the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Result Fifty-nine (36.9%) CWE had impaired auditory reaction, 50 (31.3%) with impaired visual reaction and 11 (6.9%) had fine motor control impairment. There was no significant difference in psychomotor performance between CWE on AED and the newly diagnosed counterparts yet to start AED treatment (auditory reaction time—p = 0.226; visual reaction time—p = 0.349; tapping task—p = 0.818). AED treatment duration over 5 years was associated with better auditory reaction time (F = 4.631, p = 0.034) in CWE. Also, seizure onset before 5 years of age was associated with slower auditory reaction (F = 4.912, p = 0.028) and verbal reaction (F = 14.560, p < 0.001). Conclusion Nigerian CWE perform less favourably on tests of psychomotor function than healthy controls. The performance of children on AED is not significantly different from those not on AED. Longer duration of AED treatment may result in psychomotor improvement in CWE. CWE should be closely monitored for psychomotor slowness so that deficits can be identified and appropriate interventions instituted.

CORRELATION OF GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN LEVELS WITH AUDITORY AND VISUAL REACTION TIME IN DIABETICS

Relevance. Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders wherein hyperglycemia occurs either due to lack of insulin secretion and/or reduced insulin sensitivity of the tissues. One of the commonest complications of diabetes is neuropathy and its severity will depend on how long and how high the hyperglycemia has been prevalent. Chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes affects the peripheral nerves and slows psychomotor responses in persons who do not have proper glycemic control. This decreased psychomotor response because improper glycemic control affects the reaction time in diabetics. Objective: to assess and compare the auditory and visual reaction time in group-1 and group-2 diabetics and to correlate it with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in both the groups. Methods. The study was conducted on 60 subjects aged between 40-50 years after obtaining the permission of the ethical committee of our institution. The group consisted of 60 well-controlled diabetic patients (HbA1c < 7%) with a history of diabetes for 1-10 years attending the medical OPD of Basaveshwar teaching and general hospital, Gulbarga. Diabetics with HbA1c 5-6% were grouped as group-1 and those with HbA1c 6-7% as group 2. The visual reaction time for a green and red light and auditory reaction time for tone and click sound were measured by using reaction time apparatus 2x4, Anand agencies Pune. HbA1c was done by the micro-column method. Results. The visual and auditory reaction time of diabetics with HbA1c 5-6% was faster as compared to the diabetics with HbA1c 6-7% with P< 0.001 and a statistically significant positive correlation was found between HbA1c levels and the visual and auditory reaction time. Conclusion. Poor glycemic control slows psychomotor responses and thus affects the visual and auditory reaction time.

Study of Acute Effect of Caffeine on Cognition among Adults - A Cross Sectional Study from Puducherry, India

BACKGROUND Information processing has substantial role in performing intellectual activities such as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, or learning. Caffeine being a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, improves mental performance, especially on alertness, attention, concentration and learning depending on the quantity of intake. In the present study, an attempt was made to study the effect of caffeine on cognitive processing in healthy individuals. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 subjects at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute. Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) questionnaire was utilized to assess the level of cognition of each subject. Visual reaction time (VRT), auditory reaction time (ART) and critical fusion frequency (CFF) prior and after consumption of 75 mg of caffeine in 200 ml of milk, pre and post reaction time measurement were taken from the subject to address the difference in reaction time. RESULTS Both visual and auditory reaction time were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) after intake of caffeine. The ability of the subject to appreciate the flickering light stimuli to be steady (critical flicker fusion frequency) had significantly improved to 15 % after caffeine intake. CONCLUSIONS Decrease in visual and auditory reaction and increase in critical flicker fusion frequency values indicate that caffeine increases alertness thereby it may enhance performance efficiency in reasoning, planning, judgment, organizing, concept formation, and problem solving. KEY WORDS Visual Reaction Time, Auditory Reaction Time, MoCA

AUDITORY REACTION TIME MEASUREMENT WITH OBSERVER-BASED PSYCHOPHYSICAL PROCEDURE

Reaction is defined as a behavioral response to a stimulus. The stimulus can be auditory or visual. Reaction time (RT) is determined as the time between the onset of the stimulus and response. According to this definition, the auditory RT is the time between the auditory stimulus and the response. Simple reaction time has been the subject of comparison of many different groups with both auditory and visual stimuli. When the simple auditory and visual RT in normal hearing individuals are compared, it has been observed that the auditory RT is faster than visual reaction. Auditory RT in womens's was observed slower than men. In many different studies, average values are 180-200 ms for visual RT and 140-160 ms for auditory RT with normal hearing and sighted individuals. Keywords: Reaction Time, Cochlear Implant, Hearing loss

TO STUDY THE RELATION BETWEEN BODY MASS INDEX AND MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR EFFECT ON AUDIOVISUAL REACTION TIME IN YOUNG FEMALES.

Background: Menstruation is an important part of female reproductive cycle. Menstrual problems can affect the normal life of adolescent and young women. Many factors play a role in regulation of normal menstruation like genetic, hormonal factors and Body Mass Index. Reaction time is the time taken by an individual to react to a stimulus. It is an indirect index of processing capabilities of the Central Nervous System and is affected by various factors. Aims & Objective: The present study was undertaken to see the relation between Body Mass Index and menstrual abnormalities and effect on Auditory and Visual reaction time in healthy young females (16-19 yrs.) with the help of Audiovisual reaction time apparatus. Method: 90 young female medical and paramedical students from Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Jaipur, were selected for this study. A questionnaire was given to them regarding the menstrual status and any abnormalities in menstrual cycle. Students were divided into 3 groups according to their body mass index:- Group 1:- Normal(BMI 18.5 – 24.99 kg/m ), Group 2:- Underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m ), Group 3:- 2 2 Overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m ). The reaction times were then noted by audiovisual reaction timer. It was observed that students with 2 Results: High or Low BMI were more likely to have an excessive amount of blood ow and long interval between menstrual cycle as compared to normal BMI group . Auditory Reaction Time (ART) and Visual Reaction Time (VRT) were assessed by using one – way ANOVAwith post – hoc Tukey's HSD test. Both Auditory Reaction Time and Visual Reaction Time were prolonged and highly signicant (p<0.0001) in underweight and overweight female groups in comparison to the normal BMI group. Conclusion: Thus Body Mass Index affects the normal menstrual cycle and the Audio-visual reaction time. Adolescent girls should have a healthy and balanced lifestyle to maintain normal BMI and menstrual cycle.

Detection of cognitive impairment by choice auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time (VRT) s during acute mental stress in young hypertensives: A case control study.

Background: Acute stress is known to be associated with both negative and positive influences on cognitive performance. Hypertension is one of the risk factors for lowered cognitive performance. Mental stress testing is easier to administer and can be regulated by the investigator. Mental arithmetic, using serial subtraction, is the most widely used method to administer stress. Reaction time (RT) is widely used to assess cognitive domains like attention, execution, and psychomotor speed. Researchers have shown that choice reaction times are delayed in hypertension. It is not known whether acute mental stress improves or deteriorates attention, execution, and psychomotor speed in hypertension. We hypothesized in the present study that acute mental stress deteriorates cognitive function in hypertensives without overt cerebro-vascular disease or other vascular risk factors. Method: After getting medical ethical clearance from our institution, this case-control study was carried out over eight months (January 2017 to September 2017). 60 subjects between the age group of 35 to 55 years were included in the study. They were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 30 diagnosed cases of hypertension with at least two years of duration. Group 2 consisted of 30 sex and age-matched controls. MMSE was performed to assess the cognitive function in these groups. Simple (S) and choice (C) auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time (VRT) were measured at rest and acute mental stress in these groups to assess cognitive function. The predictive value of VRTC resting and VRTC during acute mental stress among hypertensives for cognitive dysfunction was calculated by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: There was a significant difference between ART and VRT, both simple and choice in hypertensive and non-hypertensive subjects, and these reaction times further increased during mental stress. (P<0.001). VCRT can be a predictor of cognitive dysfunction in hypertensives and during acute mental stress. Conclusion: A significant difference in cognitive functions in hypertensive and non-hypertensive subjects exists, and this further deteriorates with acute mental stress.

Effect of yogic relaxation technique on auditory and visual reaction times

Background: Human beings receive various types of stimuli in day to day life and respond to them accordingly. The time taken to receive a stimulus, it's processing and giving a response is different for every individual at minute level, in milliseconds. This time interval is called reaction time. Various yogic practices are found to influence the Reaction Time of individuals. Aim of the work was to evaluate the immediate effect of deep relaxation technique on auditory and visual reaction time.Methods: Auditory and visual reaction times have been measured using simple reaction time tasks in Inquisit software (version 4.0.10.0). 115 healthy yoga students from SVYASA Yoga university, between the age group of 20 to 50 years were taken for the study. Pre and post measurements of auditory reaction time and visual reaction time was done.10 minutes of pre-recorded DRT was given as intervention and immediately after that reaction times were measured.Results: There was a significant decline in the ART and VRT observed in the Post DRT condition. Statistical analysis was carried out using JASP software.Conclusions: The significant decrease in Auditory and Visual Reaction Time shows that DRT helps to increase the awareness and attention of individuals.