Assessment and Training of Perceptual-Motor Function: Performance of College Wrestlers Associated with History of Concussion

Concussion may affect sport performance capabilities related to the visual perception of environmental events, rapid decision-making, and the generation of effective movement responses. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a means to quantify, and potentially enhance, the speed, accuracy, and consistency of responses generated by integrated neural processes. A cohort of 24 NCAA Division I male wrestlers completed VR assessments before and after a 3-week VR training program designed to improve their perceptual-motor performance. Prior to training, the intra-individual variability (IIV) among 40 successive task trials for perceptual latency (i.e., time elapsed between visual stimulus presentation and the initiation of movement response) demonstrated strong discrimination between 10 wrestlers who self-reported a history of concussion from 14 wrestlers who denied ever having sustained a concussion (Area Under Curve ≥ 0.750 for neck, arm, and step movements). Natural log transformation improved the distribution normality of the IIV values for both perceptual latency and response time (i.e., time elapsed between visual stimulus presentation and the completion of movement response). The repeated measures ANOVA results demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.05) pre- and post-training differences between groups for the IIV in perceptual latency and the IIV in response time for neck, arm, and step movements. Five of the six IIV metrics demonstrated a statistically significant magnitude of change for both groups, with large effect sizes. We conclude that a VR assessment can detect impairments in perceptual-motor performance among college wrestlers with a history of concussion. Although significant post-training group differences were evident, VR training can yield significant performance improvements in both groups.

Measurements of computed tomography radiation scatter

This paper describes the measurement of scattered radiation from a computed tomography (CT) scanner in a clinical situation and compares the results with those obtained from a CT performance phantom and with data obtained from CT manufacturers. The results are presented as iso-dose contours. There are significant differences between the data obtained and that supplied by manufacturers, both in the shape of the iso-dose contours and in the nominal values. The observed scatter in a clinical situation (for an abdominal scan) varied between 3% and 430% of the manufacturers' stated values, with a marked reduction in scatter noted at the head and feet of the patient. These differences appear to be due to the fact that manufacturers use CT phantoms to obtain scatter data and these phantoms do not provide the same scatter absorption geometry as patients. CT scatter was observed to increase as scan field size and slice thickness increased, whilst there was little change in scatter with changes in gantry tilt and table slew. Using the iso-dose contours, the orientation of the CT scanner can be optimised with regard to the location and shielding requirements of doors and windows. Additionally, the positioning of staff who must remain in the room during scanning can be optimised to minimise their exposure. The data presented here allows for realistic radiation protection assessments to be made.

Use of Nuclear Techniques in the Characterization of Chrome Black Solar Absorber Surfaces

A set of electrodeposited chrome black solar absorbers has been subjected to ion beam analysis in an attempt to determine the concentration depth profiles of the major elemental constituents. Chromium distributions were obtained using the 5 2Cr(p, )i)53Mn nuclear reaction, which is resonant at Ep = 1005�2 ke V. The possibility was investigated of inferring oxygen distributions from the )i-ray lineshapes (measured with a Ge(Li) detector) of the direct capture reaction 160(p, )i)17F. Concentration profiles were also obtained for fluorine and sodium contaminants in some chrome blacks. Complete experimental details are given of the various nuclear techniques used. The results of these measurements are discussed in terms of the microscopic physical features of the selective surfaces and are related to the known photothermal properties of the surfaces.