A computer interface for the assessment of the effect of reaction time on hand deviation (Tremor)

Abstract:
Subjects were asked to draw a line of fixed length, through a prescribed horizontal track
using the light pen which is a computer interface (similar in action to the mouse), which
is connected to the personal computer and programmed to capture the deviations of the
hand movement and measure its latency. The ratio of the horizontal deviations to the
vertical deviations is termed as skew ratio. The latency (reaction time) was measured
and skew ratio was calculated for each subject. Males and females subjects were
examined. A comparative study of the effect of reaction time (latency) on skew ratio of
the horizontal hand movement for controls and others suffering from mental illness have
been conducted.
Controls mean reaction time was equal to 2.15s and 5.28s for males and females,
respectively; while they were equal to 7.32s and 7.33s for male and female patients,
respectively. Reaction time was lower for controls compared to that of patients; which
ascertain its dependence on state of health and gender. Controls mean skew ratio was
equal to 36.5 for males and equal to 27.6 for females, while this ratio was equal to 4.9
for abnormal males and was equal to 3.8 for abnormal females respectively. A high
value of skew ratio and a small value of reaction time are indicators of sound hand
movement and hence good health while low values are indicators of poor hand
movement and hence poor health. When gender was considered the skew ratio for
normal males to normal females was found to be as high as 1.32:1, while that for
abnormal males to females was found to be as high as 1.29: 1 which ascertain its
dependence on gender. No relationship was noticed between Skew ratio and Reaction
time.