The relationship between hand reaction time and joint position sense in healthy young adults

Abstract

In the context of motor function, the reaction time can be defined as the time between a given stimulus and the first muscle response to it. Factors affecting reaction time: Appropriate response, number of repetitions, the severity of stimulus, gender, dominant side, age, smoking and alcohol consumption and obesity have been reported. Proprioception can be another critical factor for reaction time since it provides and maintains the relevant body part a certain movement or position at the time appropriate to the stimulus. The purpose was this study to investigate the relationship between hand reaction time and joint position sense and factors affecting reaction time in healthy young adults.25 healthy individuals with a mean age of 26.7 +/- 4.9 years were included in the study. 16 of the participants were male and 9 were female, and their body mass index (BMI) mean 23.8 +/- 4.2 kg/m2. Reaction time was assessed by the Nelson Hand Reaction test and joint position sense were measured with a goniometer. The joint position sense for the wrist was made by repeating the target angle with active movement. Gender and the dominant side did not affect the reaction time (p >= 0.05). The reaction time increased with increasing age (p <= 0.05). The joint position sense of the left wrist was statistically significant in females and males (p <= 0.05). The wrist joint position sense showed less deviation only in the wrist flexion movement in favour of the non -dominant side (p <= 0.05). There was no relationship between wrist joint position sense and hand reaction time (p >= 0.05).

V kontekstu motoričnih funkcij je reakcijski čas opredeljen kot čas med določenim dražljajem in prvim mišičnim odzivom nanj. Dejavniki, ki vplivajo na reakcijski čas so: primeren odziv, število ponovitev, resnost dražljaja, spol, dominantna stran, starost, kajenje, uživanje alkohola ter debelost. Propriocepcija je lahko še en odločilen dejavnik za reakcijski čas, saj zagotavlja in ohranja določen gib ali položaj ustreznega dela telesa v času, ki je primeren dražljaju. Namen te študije je bil raziskati povezavo med reakcijskim časom roke in zaznavanjem položaja sklepa ter dejavniki, ki vplivajo na reakcijski čas pri zdravih mladih odraslih. V študijo je bilo vključenih 25 zdravih posameznikov s povprečno starostjo 26.7 ± 4.9 leta. Med udeleženci je bilo 16 moških in 9 žensk, njihov indeks telesne mase (ITM) je bil povprečno 23.8±4.2 kg/m2. Reakcijski čas je bil ocenjen z Nelsonovim testom reakcije rok, občutek za položaj sklepov pa je bil izmerjen z goniometrom. Zaznavanje položaja sklepa za zapestje je bilo opravljeno s ponavljanjem ciljnega kota z aktivnim gibanjem. Spol in dominantna stran nista vplivala na reakcijski čas (p ≥ 0.05). Reakcijski čas se je z naraščajočo starostjo povečeval (p≤0.05). Zaznavanje položaja sklepa za levo zapestje je bilo statistično pomembno pri ženskah in moških (p≤0.05). Pri zaznavanju položaja zapestnega sklepa je bilo manjše odstopanje le pri upogibu zapestja v korist nedominantne strani (p≤0.05). Med občutkom za položaj zapestnega sklepa in reakcijskim časom roke ni bilo povezave (p≥ 0.05).