Comparisons of visual perception, response-selection, and response-execution performance were made between Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and a matched nondiabetic control group. 10 well-controlled male patients with Type 2 diabetes without diabetic complications (M age 58 yr.) and an age and IQ-matched non-diabetic control group consisting of 13 male healthy volunteers (M age 57 yr.) were included. Significant differences were found only between the two groups on response-selection performance, which concerns the selection and preparation of an appropriate motor action.
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UNLABELLED: Reaching movements are initiated by activity of the prime mover, i.e. the first activated arm muscle. We aimed to investigate the relationship between prime mover activity and kinematics of reaching in typically developing (TD) infants in supine and sitting position. Fourteen infants were assessed at 4 and 6 months during reaching in supine and supported sitting. Kinematics and EMG-activity of deltoid, pectoralis major, biceps (BB) and triceps brachii were recorded. Kinematic analysis focused on number of movement units (MUs) and transport MU (MU with longest duration). Prime mover use was variable, but at 6 months a dominance of BB emerged in both testing conditions. Kinematics were also variable, but with increasing age the number of MU decreased and the relative proportion of the transport MU increased. BB as prime mover at 6 months was related to a larger transport MU.CONCLUSION: Between 4 and 6 months BB prime mover dominance emerges which is related to relatively efficient reaching characteristics.
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When planning a study measuring the effects of a neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT), we were confronted with the methodological problem that while measuring the effects of NDT, a rival hypothesis is that the decision to implement the NDT might be related to the quality of nursing care. Therefore, we measured the quality of nursing care as a possible confounding variable in relation to this outcome study. The quality of nursing care was measured on 12 wards participating in the experimental and control groups of the outcome study. Data were collected from 125 patients and 71 nurses and patients' records. The findings showed no significant differences in the quality of nursing care between the 2 groups of wards (P = .49). This method may be useful to other researchers conducting outcome research and who are confronted with a similar methodological problem.
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