Purpose: The purpose of our study is to identify impairments in fine motor control in individuals with Parkinsons disease(PD) during a force-tracking task using force sensors and comparing that to the fine motor control in age-matched controls. We also observed differences in fine motor coordination across a spectrum of patients with varying severity of disease Methods: 30 subjects with Parkinsons disease and 30 age-matched controls participated. Commercially available six-axes force sensors were used to provide an interface for interaction between the subject and the force-tracking task. Subjects tracked a moving sine wave on a computer screen by controlling the amount of force exerted between their index finger and thumb. The two digits were attached to the force sensors that are capable of recording the amounts of force exerted by the subject. During a part of the task, a simultaneous mental activity was introduced and the effect of this distraction was evaluated. Performance of the task was also evaluated using a pseudorandom wave for another three minutes including the distraction components. Results: We compared results between subjects and controls using univariate analysis of variance. Association between the motor score of the Unified Parkinsons disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the force tracking variables as well as that between the force tracking variables and chronicity of the disease was evaluated using multiple regression analyses. Individuals with PD showed greater amounts of error, lesser coordination and greater amounts of lag compared to controls. Distraction significantly affected individuals with PD to a greater extent compared to controls. The test showed no association with chronicity of the disease and showed a moderate association to function based on the UPDRS. Clinical Relevance: Deficient hand function in activities that involve fine motor coordination is one of the chief complaints of individuals with Parkinsons disease. The ability to perform activities that involve precision grip depends on the capacity to make fine adjustments to forces in response to the demands placed by complex environments with a number of distractions. Individuals with PD performed with greater deficits on our test especially during the distraction component of the task.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-11292007-193550 |
| Date | 19 December 2007 |
| Creators | Pradhan, Sujata Dilipkumar |
| Contributors | Patrick J Sparto, Anthony Delitto, Bambi Roberts Brewer, Michael Zigmond, Yoky Matsuoka, George E Carvell |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-11292007-193550/ |
| Rights | restricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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