Analysis of Responses of a Healthy Subject and Subjects with Cerebellar Hemorrhage and Parkinson's Disease in Eye–Hand Coordination Pointing with Pencil Test

Abstract

: Purpose: The objectives of this study were to quantitatively analyze the reaction patterns of ataxia and Parkinson’s disease cases that are cognitively harmless and to examine the characteristics of pathological reactions, such as ataxia, rigidity, and motor control, compared to the patterns of a healthy subject. Methods: An eye–hand coordination pointing with pencil test (EHCPPT) app was developed that requires patients to tap a bullseye target with a pencil for screening testing. This app is intended to be used during regular check-ups of the elderly to help them maintain their home lifestyle through self-management of health. The EHCPPT consists of two tasks, both of which require the patient to tap a bullseye target as a test of eye–hand coordination in response to a stimulus sound. In one task, the sound is repeated rhythmically; in the other, it is generated irregularly and infrequently. The EHCPPT app is based on the “oddball paradigm” experimental design and can be administered in just a few minutes to measure the time lag between the sounds and taps as well as the distance between the target and tapped locations auto-matically. Results: The data generated when the app was used by a healthy subject, an ataxia patient, and a patient with Parkinson’s disease were analyzed. In each case, the data exhibited a distinctive pattern. Conclusion: The EHCPPT app is simple and fast and shows potential as a screening test.