-
Brain and Cognition Mar 2024A primary objective of current human neuropsychological performance research is to define the physiological correlates of adaptive knowledge utilization, in order to... (Review)
Review
A primary objective of current human neuropsychological performance research is to define the physiological correlates of adaptive knowledge utilization, in order to support the enhanced execution of both simple and complex tasks. Within the present article, electroencephalography-based neurophysiological indices characterizing expert psychomotor performance, will be explored. As a means of characterizing fundamental processes underlying efficient psychometric performance, the neural efficiency model will be evaluated in terms of alpha-wave-based selective cortical processes. Cognitive and motor domains will initially be explored independently, which will act to encapsulate the task-related neuronal adaptive requirements for enhanced psychomotor performance associating with the neural efficiency model. Moderating variables impacting the practical application of such neuropsychological model, will also be investigated. As a result, the aim of this review is to provide insight into detectable task-related modulation involved in developed neurocognitive strategies which support heightened psychomotor performance, for the implementation within practical settings requiring a high degree of expert performance (such as sports or military operational settings).
Topics: Humans; Psychomotor Performance; Electroencephalography; Neuropsychological Tests
PubMed: 38219415
DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106132 -
Current Sports Medicine Reports 2012β-Alanine is rapidly developing as one of the most popular sport supplements used by strength/power athletes worldwide. The popularity of β-alanine stems from its... (Review)
Review
β-Alanine is rapidly developing as one of the most popular sport supplements used by strength/power athletes worldwide. The popularity of β-alanine stems from its unique ability to enhance intramuscular buffering capacity and thereby attenuating fatigue. This review will provide an overview of the physiology that underlies the mechanisms of action behind β-alanine, examine dosing schemes, and examine the studies that have been conducted on the efficacy of this supplement. In addition, the effect that β-alanine has on body mass changes or whether it can stimulate changes in aerobic capacity also will be discussed. The review also will begin to explore the potential health benefits that β-alanine may have on older adult populations. Discussion will examine the potential adverse effects associated with this supplement as well as the added benefits of combining β-alanine with creatine.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Athletic Performance; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Psychomotor Performance; beta-Alanine
PubMed: 22777329
DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e3182604983 -
Drug Safety Apr 1993Sedation and impairment of psychomotor performance are well known adverse effects of the traditional antihistamines. These effects appear to be caused by different... (Review)
Review
Sedation and impairment of psychomotor performance are well known adverse effects of the traditional antihistamines. These effects appear to be caused by different mechanisms, but both may have potentially dangerous consequences. while several of the newer antihistamines, such as terfenadine, have overcome the problem of sedation, it is also important to establish their propensity to cause psychomotor impairment. Many single- and multiple-dose studies (mostly in healthy volunteers) have compared the effects of terfenadine on psychomotor performance with those of placebo, as well as traditional and other nonsedating antihistamines. Over half of the studies employed divided-attention tasks that are considered relevant to everyday activities, such as driving. Like several other nonsedating antihistamines, single doses of terfenadine of up to 120 mg did not impair driving performance and generally had no significant effects on other psychomotor tests compared with placebo. In most of the multiple-dose studies, terfenadine 60 mg twice daily was administered for up to 5 days. Again, the effects of terfenadine on psychomotor performance differed little from those of placebo. Thus, the available evidence suggests that the problem of impaired psychomotor performance associated with the older, traditional antihistamines does not apply to terfenadine.
Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Administration Schedule; Humans; Psychomotor Performance; Terfenadine
PubMed: 8481218
DOI: 10.2165/00002018-199308040-00006 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Apr 1996This paper discusses the use of psychological performance tests to assess the effects of environmental stressors. The large number and the variety of performance tests... (Review)
Review
This paper discusses the use of psychological performance tests to assess the effects of environmental stressors. The large number and the variety of performance tests are illustrated, and the differences between performance tests and other psychological tests are described in terms of their design, construction, use, and purpose. The stressor emphasis is on the effects of drugs since that is where most performance tests have found their main application, although other stressors, e.g., fatigue, toxic chemicals, are mentioned where appropriate. Diazepam is used as an example. There is no particular performance emphasis since the tests are intended to have wide applicability. However, vehicle-driving performance is discussed because it has been the subject of a great deal of research and is probably one of the most important areas of application. Performance tests are discussed in terms of the four main underlying models--factor analysis, general information processing, multiple resource and strategy models, and processing-stage models--and in terms of their psychometric properties--sensitivity, reliability, and content, criterion, construct, and face validity. Some test taxonomies are presented. Standardization is also discussed with reference to the reaction time, mathematical processing, memory search, spatial processing, unstable tracking, verbal processing, and dual task tests used in the AGARD STRES battery. Some comments on measurement strengths and appropriate study designs and methods are included.
Topics: Diazepam; Environmental Health; Humans; Models, Psychological; Psychometrics; Psychomotor Performance; Reference Standards; Reproducibility of Results; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 9182033
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.96104s2247 -
Current Opinion in Neurobiology Dec 2009
Topics: Animals; Central Nervous System; Humans; Movement; Nonlinear Dynamics; Psychomotor Performance
PubMed: 19897357
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2009.10.015 -
Neuropsychobiology 1995We agree with the conclusions of a recent article in this journal [James, Neuropsychobiology 1994;30:124-125] that studies on the psychoactive effects of caffeine need... (Review)
Review
We agree with the conclusions of a recent article in this journal [James, Neuropsychobiology 1994;30:124-125] that studies on the psychoactive effects of caffeine need to take into account the possibility that the results obtained might represent merely the reversal of deleterious effects of caffeine deprivation rather than an actual net benefit due to caffeine use. However, in a review of recent studies we find no unequivocal evidence of impaired psychomotor performance associated with caffeine withdrawal. This is in contrast to a clear deterioration of mood which occurs even after overnight caffeine deprivation. We concluded that current evidence points to true performance-enhancing effects of caffeine, although the extent of these and the conditions under which caffeine is most effective have yet to be fully determined. At the same time, the existence of significant detrimental effects of caffeine deprivation on psychomotor performance has not been ruled out.
Topics: Affect; Animals; Caffeine; Humans; Psychomotor Performance; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
PubMed: 7659200
DOI: 10.1159/000119192 -
Journal of Visualized Experiments : JoVE Mar 2011Brain injury, genetic manipulations, and pharmacological treatments can result in alterations of motor skills in mice. Fine motor coordination and balance can be...
Brain injury, genetic manipulations, and pharmacological treatments can result in alterations of motor skills in mice. Fine motor coordination and balance can be assessed by the beam walking assay. The goal of this test is for the mouse to stay upright and walk across an elevated narrow beam to a safe platform. This test takes place over 3 consecutive days: 2 days of training and 1 day of testing. Performance on the beam is quantified by measuring the time it takes for the mouse to traverse the beam and the number of paw slips that occur in the process. Here we report the protocol used in our laboratory, and representative results from a cohort of C57BL/6 mice. This task is particularly useful for detecting subtle deficits in motor skills and balance that may not be detected by other motor tests, such as the Rotarod.
Topics: Animals; Female; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Motor Skills; Postural Balance; Psychomotor Performance; Rotarod Performance Test; Task Performance and Analysis
PubMed: 21445033
DOI: 10.3791/2376 -
Occupational and Environmental Medicine Apr 2002Possible effects of long term occupational exposure to toluene below the level of 100 ppm on psychomotor performance and subjective symptoms were investigated in a cross...
OBJECTIVES
Possible effects of long term occupational exposure to toluene below the level of 100 ppm on psychomotor performance and subjective symptoms were investigated in a cross sectional approach.
METHODS
From German rotogravure printing plants 278 male workers, mean age 39.8 years, mean duration of employment 14.9 years, were examined. A mean lifetime weighted average exposure (LWAE) of 45.1 ppm toluene in ambient air was found for 154 exposed workers (rotogravure printing area), with a mean current exposure of 24.7 ppm. The corresponding data for a second group of 124 workers with very low exposure (endprocessing area) had LWAE of 9.3 ppm and a current exposure of 3.3 ppm toluene. Psychomotor performance (steadiness, line tracing, aiming, tapping, and peg board) and subjective symptoms were examined.
RESULTS
No significant differences between the two exposure groups were found by analysis of variance (ANOVA). By stepwise linear regression analyses there were weak associations of LWAE with one performance variable and two symptoms scales, but the results were not significant after correction for the alpha error. Psychomotor performance was mostly affected by age (maximum explained variance up to 13%), and handedness (up to 9%), whereas subjective symptoms are mostly affected by anxiety (up to 38%).
CONCLUSIONS
The weak associations between long term exposure to toluene should be used to indicate further longitudinal investigations. The results of this cross sectional study show no obvious dose response relation for psychomotor functions and subjective symptoms among workers exposed to toluene at a current exposure level of 1-88 ppm.
Topics: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Printing; Psychomotor Performance; Solvents; Toluene
PubMed: 11934954
DOI: 10.1136/oem.59.4.263 -
Journal of the American College of... Oct 2007Human neuropsychology investigates brain-behavior relationships, using objective tools (neurological tests) to tie the biological and behavior aspects together. The use... (Review)
Review
Human neuropsychology investigates brain-behavior relationships, using objective tools (neurological tests) to tie the biological and behavior aspects together. The use of neuropsychological assessment tools in assessing potential effects of dehydration is a natural progression of the scientific pursuit to understand the physical and mental ramifications of dehydration. It has long been known that dehydration negatively affects physical performance. Examining the effects of hydration status on cognitive function is a relatively new area of research, resulting in part from our increased understanding of hydration's impact on physical performance and advances in the discipline of cognitive neuropsychology. The available research in this area, albeit sparse, indicates that decrements in physical, visuomotor, psychomotor, and cognitive performance can occur when 2% or more of body weight is lost due to water restriction, heat, and/or physical exertion. Additional research is needed, especially studies designed to reduce, if not remove, the limitations of studies conducted to date.
Topics: Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Dehydration; Humans; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychomotor Performance; Task Performance and Analysis
PubMed: 17921464
DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2007.10719657 -
The American Psychologist Aug 1990The Russian physiologist Bernstein (1967) defined coordination as a problem of mastering the very many degrees of freedom involved in a particular movement--of reducing... (Review)
Review
The Russian physiologist Bernstein (1967) defined coordination as a problem of mastering the very many degrees of freedom involved in a particular movement--of reducing the number of independent variables to be controlled. The initial theorizing and experimentation on "Bernstein's problem" was conducted largely in terms of how a device of very many independent variables might be regulated without ascribing excessive responsibility to an executive subsystem. A second round of theory and research on Bernstein's problem is now under way. This second round is motivated by similarities between coordination and physical processes in which multiple components become collectively self-organized; it is directed at an explanation of coordination in terms of very general laws and principles. The major achievements of the first round of efforts to address Bernstein's problem are summarized, and six examples of the theory and research typifying the second round are presented.
Topics: Attention; Humans; Motor Skills; Psychomotor Performance; Psychophysiology
PubMed: 2221565
DOI: 10.1037//0003-066x.45.8.938