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Friedman, J., Raveh, E., Weiss, T., Itkin, S., Niv, D., Hani, M., et al. (2019). Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback (Vol. 147).
Abstract: The application of incongruent sensory signals that involves disrupted tactile feedback is rarely explored, specifically with the presence of vibrotactile feedback (VTF). This protocol aims to test the effect of VTF on the response to incongruent visual-tactile stimuli. The tactile feedback is acquired by grasping a block and moving it across a partition. The visual feedback is a real-time virtual presentation of the moving block, acquired using a motion capture system. The congruent feedback is the reliable presentation of the movement of the block, so that the subject feels that the block is grasped and see it move along with the path of the hand. The incongruent feedback appears as the movement of the block diverts from the actual movement path, so that it seems to drop from the hand when it is actually still held by the subject, thereby contradicting the tactile feedback. Twenty subjects (age 30.2 +/- 16.3) repeated 16 block transfers, while their hand was hidden. These were repeated with VTF and without VTF (total of 32 block transfers). Incongruent stimuli were presented randomly twice within the 16 repetitions in each condition (with and without VTF). Each subject was asked to rate the difficulty level of performing the task with and without the VTF. There were no statistically significant differences in the length of the hand paths and durations between transfers recorded with congruent and incongruent visual-tactile signals – with and without the VTF. The perceived difficulty level of performing the task with the VTF significantly correlated with the normalized path length of the block with VTF (r = 0.675, p = 0.002). This setup is used to quantify the additive or reductive value of VTF during motor function that involves incongruent visual-tactile stimuli. Possible applications are prosthetics design, smart sport-wear, or any other garments that incorporate VTF.
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Bezalel, G., Nachoum Arad, G., Plotnik, M., & Friedman, J. (2021). Voluntary step execution in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Symptomatic vs. non-symptomatic legs. Gait Posture, 83, 60–66.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Individuals with osteoarthritis fall at a greater rate than the general population, likely as a result of weakness, pain, movement limitations, and a decline in balance. Due to the high prevalence of osteoarthritis in the population, understanding the mechanisms leading to greater fall risk is an important issue to better understand. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the influence of unilateral knee osteoarthritis on the characteristics of performing a voluntary step (i.e., similar to that performed to avoid a fall after a perturbation), compared to healthy age-matched controls? METHODS: Case-control study performed in a Health maintenance organization physical therapy clinic. The research group consisted of a referred sample of 21 patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis. The control group consisted of 22 age-matched healthy individuals. All participants were over 65 years of age. Participants were excluded if they had a surgical procedure to back or lower limb within one year before testing, oncological or neurological disease or a deficit in tactile sense. Movements were performed with and without dual tasking. MEASUREMENTS: Duration of the initiation phase (cue to step initiation), preparatory phase (step initiation to foot off) and swing phase (foot off to foot contact). RESULTS: In the preparatory phase and swing phase, the osteoarthritis group moved more slowly than the control group, and these differences were larger for forward compared to backward movements. Dual-tasking slowed responses in the pre-movement initiation stage across groups. SIGNIFICANCE: The differences in basic parameters, and the slower movements in the osteoarthritis group, are consistent with known features of osteoarthritis, being a disease commonly regarded as primarily “mechanical”, and are likely to increase fall risk. These response deficits suggest we should take advantage of advanced rehabilitation techniques, including cognitive loading, to help prevent falls in older adults with osteoarthritis.
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Cantergi, D., Awasthi, B., & Friedman, J. (2021). Moving objects by imagination? Amount of finger movement and pendulum length determine success in the Chevreul pendulum illusion. Human Movement Science, 80, 102879.
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Prushansky, T., Kaplan-Gadasi, L., & Friedman, J. (2023). The relationship between thoracic posture and ultrasound echo intensity of muscles spanning this region in healthy men and women. Physiother Theory Pract, 39(6), 1257–1265.
Abstract: PURPOSE: Skeletal muscle echogenicity intensity (EI) is considered a measure of muscle quality, being associated with old age and pathologies. Whether EI variations can be identified in healthy adults, due to habitual shortened or elongated muscle position is unknown. Thus, this study aimed to assess the relationship between thoracic kyphosis angulation and EI scores of muscles spanning this region ((Lower Trapezius (LT), Rhomboid Major (RM), Erector Spine (ES)) in healthy young people and in addition to examine the relationship between the change in thoracic kyphosis angle from relaxed to upright position (� degrees ) and the EI of these muscles. METHODS: Thoracic kyphosis in relaxed and erect standing was measured using a digital inclinometer in 29 healthy adults (16 women, 13 men), aged 25-35 years. The thoracic kyphosis angles including the difference between relaxed and erect postures (� degrees ) were correlated to the EI scores of right and left LT, RM and ES. RESULTS: No significant differences in EI were found between the 3 muscles EI or between sides, hence they were pooled together to a total thoracic EI score (TTEI). Although the TTEI did not correlate with relaxed or erect thoracic kyphosis, it was significantly but negatively correlated with � degrees in the entire group: Pearson's correlation coefficient of r = -0.544; p = .01 and in men; r = -0.732; p = .01, failing to reach significance in women; r = -0.457. CONCLUSION: The negative association between the EI of the explored muscles and � degrees could imply a possible relationship between these muscles range of movement excursions and their composition.
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Thorpe, A., Friedman, J., Evans, S., Nesbitt, K., & Eidels, A. (2022). Mouse Movement Trajectories as an Indicator of Cognitive Workload. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 38(15), 1464–1479.
Abstract: Assessing the cognitive impact of user interfaces is a shared focus of human-computer interaction researchers and cognitive scientists. Methods of cognitive assessment based on data derived from the system itself, rather than external apparatus, have the potential to be applied in a range of scenarios. The current study applied methods of analyzing kinematics to mouse movements in a computer-based task, alongside the detection response task, a standard workload measure. Sixty-five participants completed a task in which stationary stimuli were tar;geted using a mouse, with a within-subjects factor of task workload based on the number of targets to be hovered over with the mouse (one/two), and a between-subjects factor based on whether both targets (exhaustive) or just one target (minimum-time) needed to be hovered over to complete a trial when two targets were presented. Mouse movement onset times were slower and mouse movement trajectories exhibited more submovements when two targets were presented, than when one target was presented. Responses to the detection response task were also slower in this condition, indicating higher cognitive workload. However, these differences were only found for participants in the exhaustive condition, suggesting those in the minimum-time condition were not affected by the presence of the second target. Mouse movement trajectory results agreed with other measures of workload and task performance. Our findings suggest this analysis can be applied to workload assessments in real-world scenarios.
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