Biomedical subjects

H V Vanharanta

Publications and source records attributed to H V Vanharanta.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Relationship between extremities in motor performance.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the extremities in different aspects of motor performance, including simple reaction time, choice reaction time, speed of movement, tapping speed, and coordination, i.e., speed of movement/accuracy. 186 healthy randomly selected right-handed subjects (93 men, 93 women; aged 21-70 years) were measured on a test battery of five tests for both hands and feet. Correlations between the extremities in motor performance were highest between hands (r=.71-.80, p<.001) or between feet (r=.57-.88, p<.001) depending on the complexity of response for all subjects. These relations remained at almost the same magnitude even when age was eliminated. Correlations between the upper and lower extremities were lower (r = .40-.62). Correlations between extremities were lower for one age group (21-30 years) than for all subjects (21-70 years). These results showed that the motor performance for the hands is not a very good indicator of the motor performance of the lower extremities, especially in a homogeneous age group, and it seems that the lower extremities should be studied with specific motor performance tests.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Post-traumatic findings of the spine after earlier vertebral fracture in young patients: clinical and MRI study.

STUDY DESIGN: A study comparing magnetic resonance imaging findings of degenerative changes in intervertebral discs in young patients with previous wedge-shaped compression fracture and age-matched and sex-matched control subjects. OBJECTIVES: To find out the role of fractures in disc degeneration and to assess the clinical outcome of the patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Several experimental studies have postulated that trauma is one of the major reasons for disc degeneration. Wedge compression fractures in vertebrae of children have been considered insignificant, but this has not been verified in the literature. METHODS: Fourteen patients 8.8 to 20.8 years of age (mean, 15.5 years) with a history of wedge-shaped vertebral compression fracture at least 1 year previously (mean, 3.8 years) and asymptomatic healthy control subjects were studied by thoracolumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging. The patients also underwent a clinical examination. RESULTS: Eight (57%) of the 14 patients had disc degeneration, and seven of them had it at the trauma level. Of these 7 subjects, 6 also had endplate damage at this level. The association between endplate damage and adjacent intervertebral disc degeneration was significant (P < 0.01). Only 2 of the patients were symptomatic. In the control group, only 1 subject had disc degeneration with endplate changes and disc herniation. CONCLUSIONS: The patients had more disc degeneration than did those in the control group. Endplate injury was strongly associated with disc degeneration. No correlation between previous vertebral fracture and back pain was seen in this study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

A 10-week strength training program: effect on the motor performance of an unimpaired upper extremity.

OBJECTIVE: Muscle strength training is one of the most common therapy methods in physical therapy programs, and the usual goal of this treatment is to improve muscle strength. Little attention has been paid, however, to the effects of strength training on the other components of motor performance. This study examined the effects of a 10-week strength training program on the motor performance of the hand, including reaction time, speed of movement, tapping speed, and coordination in normal healthy volunteers. DESIGN: Before-after trial. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Sixteen healthy women volunteers aged 25 to 45 years participated. INTERVENTION: Subjects accomplished a 10-week muscle strength training program of the upper extremities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reaction time, speed of movement, tapping speed, and coordination were measured three times on consecutive days, and muscle strength and electromyographic values of the right upper extremity were recorded once before the training period. After the training period, the same measurements were made as before the training. RESULTS: The 10-week strength training decreased choice reaction time by 6% (p < .01) and increased tapping speed by 3% (p < .01) and coordination by 5% (p < .05). Speed of movement increased, but this change was not statistically significant. All the measured isometric muscle strengths and electromyographic activations upon maximum isometric contraction increased. CONCLUSIONS: A 10-week strength training of the upper extremities increased muscle strength and some motor performance functions of the hand, including choice reaction time, tapping speed, and coordination.

Adult↗