scholarly journals Computerized Finger Tapping Task in Adult Unipolar Depressed Patients and Healthy Subjects: Influence of Age, Gender, Education, and Hand Dominance

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Moniz ◽  
Saul Neves De Jesus ◽  
Andreia Pacheco ◽  
Eduardo Gonçalves ◽  
João Viseu
Keyword(s):  
Psychomotor Retardation ◽  
Finger Tapping ◽  
Hand Dominance ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Gender Education ◽  
Finger Tapping Test ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Adequate Reliability

<p>Introduction: Current diagnostic criteria for depression include psychomotor retardation, being the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) as one of the most utilized instruments to assess fine psychomotor performance.</p><p>Method: This study aimed to compare the performance of a sample of 51 unipolar depressed patients (30 women and 21 men, with a mean age of 45.12 years old [<em>SD</em> = 14.09]) with 51 healthy controls (29 women and 22 men, with a mean age of 44.49 years old [<em>SD</em> = 15.59]) in a computerized version of the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) from the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL). Another objective was to test this version’s validity in comparison to other FTTs.</p><p>Results: We found significant differences between depressed patients and healthy controls. Significant effects of age and gender were found.</p>Conclusion: Results allowed us to identify differences in performance between the two groups, therefore this version of the FTT revealed adequate reliability values, one instrument accessible to all clinicians.

THE EFFECTS OF AGE AND GENDER ON FINGER TAPPING SPEED IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haris Memisevic ◽  
Indira Mahmutovic ◽  
Arnela Pasalic ◽  
Inga Ibralic Biscevic
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Finger Tapping ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Finger Tapping Test ◽  
And Gender

Background: The assessment of children’s motor control is very important in detecting potential motor deficits. The Finger Tapping Test (FTT) is a widely used test in various clinical and non-clinical populations. FTT is a neuropsychological test designed to measure motor control. Age and gender are significant pre - dictors of finger tapping speed in school-aged children. The goal of the present study was to determine the effects of age and gender on finger tapping speed in preschool children. Material/Methods: The sample for this study included 111 preschool children, aged 3 to 6 years (mean age- 4.6; SD- 0.9), of both genders (59 boys, 52 girls). As a measure of finger tapping speed we used the Finger Tapping Test from the Psychology Experi -ment Building Language (PEBL). Results: The results of this study found a significant effect of age on finger tapping speed. Contrary to the existing studies, there was no gender effect on the tapping speed in preschoolers. A one way analysis of variance showed that older children performed significantly better than younger children Conclusions:There is a linear trend of improved performance on FTT with an increasing age. The child’s gender was not a significant predictor of FTT for preschool children. Motor control and speed can be improved through exercise.

scholarly journals Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients and Healthy Controls: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1978
Author(s):  
Tjaša Filipčič ◽  
Špela Bogataj ◽  
Jernej Pajek ◽  
Maja Pajek
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Habitual Physical Activity ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Comorbidity Score ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
And Gender

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have lower functional abilities compared to healthy people, and this is associated with lower physical activity in everyday life. This may affect their quality of life, but research on this topic is limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between habitual physical activity and quality of life in HD patients and healthy controls. Ninety-three HD patients and 140 controls participated in the study. Quality of life was assessed using a 36-item medical outcomes study short-form health survey (SF-36). Human Activity Profile (HAP) was used to assess habitual physical activity. The adjusted activity score (AAS) from HAP, age, gender, fat tissue index (FTI), lean tissue index (LTI), and Davies comorbidity score were analyzed as possible predictors of the Physical Component Summary (PCS) of the SF-36. Three sequential linear models were used to model PCS. In Model 1, PCS was regressed by gender and age; in Model 2 the LTI, FTI, and Davies comorbidity scores were added. Model 3 also included AAS. After controlling for age and gender (ModelHD 1: p = 0.056), LTI, FTI, and Davies comorbidity score effects (ModelHD 2: p = 0.181), the AAS accounted for 32% of the variation in PCS of HD patients (ModelHD 3: p < 0.001). Consequently, the PCS of HD patients would increase by 0.431 points if the AAS increased by one point. However, in healthy controls, AAS had a lower impact than in the HD sample (B = 0.359 vs. 0.431), while the corresponding effects of age and gender (ModelH 1: p < 0.001), LTI, FTI, and Davies comorbidity score (ModelH 2: p < 0.001) were adjusted for. The proportion of variation in PCS attributed to AAS was 14.9% (ModelH 3: p < 0.001). The current study results showed that physical activity in everyday life as measured by the HAP questionnaire is associated to a higher degree with the quality of life of HD patients than in healthy subjects. Routine physical activity programs are therefore highly justified, and the nephrology community should play a leading role in this effort.

scholarly journals Respiratory changes in Parkinson's disease may be unrelated to dopaminergic dysfunction

2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 847-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Ulhôa Guedes ◽  
Juliana Melo Rodrigues ◽  
Aline Andrioni Fernandes ◽  
Francisco E. Cardoso ◽  
Verônica Franco Parreira
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Maximal Inspiratory Pressure ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Dopaminergic Dysfunction ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Student’S T ◽  
Student’S T Test

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) during the on and off periods of levodopa and to compare with healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-six patients were analyzed with Hoehn and Yahr scores (2-3) and 26 age and gender matched-controls. Statistical analysis was performed with Student's t-test for paired and independent samples. RESULTS: MIP and MEP values in patients were significantly lower than the values obtained in controls both for off and on stages -excepted for MIP in women (p=0.28). For patients with PD, the studied parameters did not differ between stages on and off, with the exception of MEP in women (p=0.00). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PD have respiratory pressure lower than controls, even in early stages of the disease, and dopamine replacement has little impact over these respiratory pressures. These findings suggest that respiratory changes in PD may be unrelated to dopaminergic dysfunction.

scholarly journals Changes in the concentrations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and its precursors in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Chen ◽  
Yong Chen ◽  
Mingming Zhao ◽  
Lemin Zheng ◽  
Dongsheng Fan
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Metabolic Pathway ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Als Patients ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract To compare the plasma concentrations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and its precursors in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, their spouses and healthy controls and to find associations between gut microbiota metabolites and ALS. ALS patients were recruited at Peking University Third Hospital from January 2015 to December 2018. Information was collected from their spouses at the same time. Age and gender matched healthy controls were recruited from individuals who visited the physical examination center for health checkups. Blood samples were collected after at least 4 h of fasting. Concentrations of the metabolites were quantified using stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Group differences were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests, as appropriate. In this study, 160 patients with ALS were recruited. In these patients, 63 were compared with their spouses, 148 were compared with age and gender matched controls, and 60 were compared with both their spouses and heathy controls in the same time. The carnitine concentration was significantly higher in patients than in their spouses, while there were no significant differences in the concentrations of other metabolites. The carnitine and betaine concentrations were higher, while the choline, TMAO and butyrobetaine concentrations were lower in ALS than in healthy controls. The concentrations of the metabolites in the spouses were more similar to the ALS patients rather than to the healthy controls. In the ALS group, the plasma concentrations of carnitine, betaine, choline and TMAO were inversely related to the severity of upper motor neuron impairment. The TMAO metabolic pathway of the gut microbiota is disturbed in both ALS patients and their spouses, which might suggest that the changes in the gut microbiota occurred before disease onset. The negative correlations between the involvement of UMNs and the concentrations of the metabolites might suggest that the inhibition of this metabolic pathway might lead to a better prognosis in ALS patients.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Nonmotor Symptoms in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruwei Ou ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Qianqian Wei ◽  
Ke Chen ◽  
Bei Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Nonmotor Symptoms ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Attention Memory ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Control Study

Objectives. To explore the clinical correlates of nonmotor symptoms (NMS) in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and their differences from healthy controls and patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).Methods. Twenty-seven PSP patients, 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC), and 27 age- and gender-matched PD patients were included for this case-control study. NMS were assessed using the Nonmotor Symptoms Scale (NMSS, including 9 domains).Results. All PSP patients reported NMS. The frequency and severity of “sleep/fatigue,” “mood/apathy,” “attention/memory,” “gastrointestinal,” “sexual dysfunction,” and “miscellaneous” domains in PSP group were significantly higher than those in HC group (P<0.05). The frequency of “mood/apathy,” “attention/memory,” and “sexual dysfunction” domains and the severity of “attention/memory” and “gastrointestinal” domains in PSP group were significantly higher than those in PD group (P<0.05). The “attention/memory” domain in PSP had a significant but weak-to-moderate correlation with age (R=0.387,P=0.046) and onset age (R=0.406,P=0.036).Conclusions. NMS are common in PSP patients. Patients with PSP seem to be subjected to more frequent and severe specific NMS compared to healthy aging subjects and PD patients. Older PSP patients and late-onset patients are likely to be subjected to cognitive decline.

Brain 5-HT function in obsessive-compulsive disorder

1997 ◽  
Vol 171 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fineberg ◽  
A. Roberts ◽  
S. A. Montgomery ◽  
P. J. Cowen
Keyword(s):  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Therapeutic Advantage ◽  
Neuroendocrine Function ◽  
Prolactin Response ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Drug Free

BackgroundDrugs that potentiate brain serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission are effective in the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), but it is unclear whether disturbances in brain 5-HT function play a role in the pathophysiology of OCD.MethodWe studied the prolactin response to the selective 5-HT releasing agent d-fenfluramine in 14 non-depressed, drug-free OCD patients, and 14 healthy controls matched for age and gender.ResultsThe prolactin response to d-fenfluramine was significantly increased in OCD patients compared with controls.ConclusionsThe disparate results of studies of 5-HT neuroendocrine function in OCD make it unlikely that disturbances of brain 5-HT function play a central role in the pathophysiology of OCD. Increased brain 5-HT neurotransmission in non-depressed OCD subjects may represent an adaptive neurobehavioural mechanism which can be amplified to therapeutic advantage by treatment with 5-HT potentiating drugs.

scholarly journals Increased Serum Cu/Zn SOD in Individuals with Clinical Depression Normalizes after Zinc and Anti-oxidant Therapy

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. NMI.S5044 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Russo
Keyword(s):  
Superoxide Dismutase ◽  
Serum Concentration ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Clinical Depression ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Anti Oxidant ◽  
And Gender

Aim To assess serum Cu/Zn SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) concentration in individuals with clinical depression. Subjects and Methods Serum from 36 individuals diagnosed with clinical depression and 18 healthy controls were tested for Cu/Zn SOD serum concentration using ELISAs. Results Serum Cu/Zn SOD levels of depressed individuals (both with and without secondary anxiety) were significantly higher than age and gender similar controls. We also found that, post anti-oxidant therapy, Cu/Zn SOD levels normalized to the level of normal healthy controls. Discussion These results suggest an association between Cu/Zn SOD serum levels and clinical depression.

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