Reliability of upper extremity kinematics while performing different tasks in individuals with stroke

Assessments of upper extremity performance typically include qualitative rather than quantitative measures of functional ability. Kinematic analysis is an objective, discriminative measure that quantifies movement biomechanics; however, the use within the poststroke impaired upper extremity is not well established. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of upper extremity kinematics in 18 individuals with stroke and 9 healthy controls. Participants performed reaching and grasping tasks over 2 separate days and metrics included movement time, peak velocity, index of curvature, trunk displacement, maximum aperture, and percentage of the movement cycle where maximum aperture occurred. The results showed moderate to high intraclass correlation and low standard error of measurement values for most variables, demonstrating that kinematic analysis may be a feasible and useful tool to quantify upper extremity movement after stroke.     

The role of higher order image statistics in masking scene gist recognition

In the present article, we investigated whether higher order image statistics, which are known to be carried by the Fourier phase spectrum, are sufficient to affect scene gist recognition. In Experiment 1, we compared the scene gist masking strength of four masking image types that varied in their degrees of second- and higher order relationships: normal scene images, scene textures, phase-randomized scene images, and white noise. Masking effects were the largest for masking images that possessed significant higher order image statistics (scene images and scene textures) as compared with masking images that did not (phase-randomized scenes and white noise), with scene image masks yielding the largest masking effects. In a control study, we eliminated all differences in the second-order statistics of the masks, while maintaining differences in their higher order statistics by comparing masking by scene textures rather than by their phase-randomized versions, and showed that the former produced significantly stronger gist masking. Experiments 2 and 3 were designed to test whether conceptual masking could account for the differences in the strength of the scene texture and phase-randomized masks used in Experiment 1, and revealed that the recognizability of scene texture masks explained just 1% of their masking variance. Together, the results suggest that (1) masks containing the higher order statistical structure of scenes are more effective at masking scene gist processing than are masks lacking such structure, and (2) much of the disruption of scene gist recognition that one might be tempted to attribute to conceptual masking is due to spatial masking.     

The importance of information localization in scene gist recognition

People can recognize the meaning or gist of a scene from a single glance, and a few recent studies have begun to examine the sorts of information that contribute to scene gist recognition. The authors of the present study used visual masking coupled with image manipulations (randomizing phase while maintaining the Fourier amplitude spectrum; random image structure evolution [RISE]; J. Sadr & P. Sinha, 2004) to explore whether and when unlocalized Fourier amplitude information contributes to gist perception. In 4 experiments, the authors found that differences between scene categories in the Fourier amplitude spectrum are insufficient for gist recognition or gist masking. Whereas the global 1/f spatial frequency amplitude spectra of scenes plays a role in gist masking, local phase information is necessary for gist recognition and for the strongest gist masking. Moreover, the ability to recognize the gist of a target image was influenced by mask recognizability, suggesting that conceptual masking occurs even at the earliest stages of scene processing.     

Effect of Stroke on Joint Control during Reach-to-Grasp: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

We investigated changes in control of inter-segmental dynamics underlying upper extremity dyscoordination caused by stroke. Individuals with stroke and healthy individuals performed a natural reach-to-grasp movement. Kinetic analysis revealed that both groups rotated the shoulder by muscle torque and used interaction torque to rotate the elbow. However, individuals with stroke used interaction torque less than healthy individuals, actively suppressing a substantial portion of it. This resulted in inefficient use of active control and dyscoordination of the upper extremity. The degree of interaction torque suppression and inefficiency of active control at the elbow positively correlated with stroke severity. The increased interaction torque suppression can be a strategy used by individuals with stroke to compensate for deficient feedforward control of this torque.     

Speed and Rhythm Affect Temporal Structure of Variability in Reaching Poststroke: A Pilot Study

Temporal structure reveals the potential adaptive strategies employed during upper extremity movements. The authors compared the temporal structure of upper extremity joints under 3 different reaching conditions: preferred speed, fast speed, and reaching with rhythmic auditory cues in 10 individuals poststroke. They also investigated the temporal structure of these 3 reaching conditions in 8 healthy controls to aid in the interpretation of the observed patterns in the poststroke cohort. Approximate entropy (ApEn) was used to measure the temporal structure of the upper extremity joints. ApEn was similar between conditions in controls. After stroke, ApEn was significantly higher for shoulder, elbow, and wrist both at fast speed and with rhythmic cues compared with preferred speed. ApEn at index finger was significantly higher only with rhythmic cues compared with preferred speed. The authors propose that practice reaching at faster speed and with rhythmic cues as a component of rehabilitation interventions may enhance adaptability after stroke.     

Sex-role stereotypes in northern india and the united states

Volunteer college students in India (112 men and 113 women) rated the desirability of 104 traits for Indian men or for Indian women. Similar data for 60 of the traits in a United States sample were compared to Indian results, revealing some cross-cultural similarities in sex roles, but fewer sex-role distinctions in the Indian sample, especially for traits related to assertiveness. Traits rated more desirable for Indian males suggested a pattern of enterpreneurial tendencies. Traits rated more desirable for Indian females suggested a pattern of expressive tendencies. Traits highly desirable in Indian society include those related to ability, interpersonal warmth, trustworthiness, interpersonal strength, motivation, and family orientation.     

Treating Youth Depression and Anxiety: A Randomised Controlled Trial Examining the Efficacy of Computerised versus Face‐to‐face Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Barriers to accessing psychologists for the treatment of depression and anxiety include a shortage of specialised therapists, long waiting lists, and the affordability of therapy. This study examined the efficacy of a computerised‐based self‐help program (MoodGYM) delivered in‐conjunction with face‐to‐face cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to expand the delivery avenues of psychological treatment for young adults (aged 18–25 years). Eighty‐nine participants suffering from depression and/or generalised anxiety were randomly allocated to a control intervention or to one of three experimental groups: receiving face‐to‐face CBT, receiving computerised CBT (cCBT), or receiving treatment in‐conjunction (face‐to‐face CBT and cCBT). While MoodGYM did not significantly decrease depression in comparison to the control group, significant decreases were found for anxiety. MoodGYM delivered in‐conjunction with face‐to‐face CBT is more effective in treating symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with standalone face‐to‐face or cCBT. This study suggests that for youth who are unable to access face‐to‐face therapy—such as those in rural or remote regions, or for communities in which there is stigma attached to seeking help—computerised therapy may be a viable option. This is an important finding, especially in light of the current capacity‐to‐treat and accessibility problems faced by youth when seeking treatment for depression and/or anxiety.