Motor performance of participants with chronic neck pain and asymptomatic participants pre- and post-spinal manipulation using separate eye and head movement Fitts’ tasks

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Date
2022-12-30
Authors
Gelley, Geoffrey
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Abstract

Background: Spinal manipulation (SM) is an intervention for chronic neck pain. The proposed mechanisms responsible for the benefits of SM have been investigated, and previous Fitts' task (FT) studies that measured motor performance in participants with chronic neck pain have reported improved head movement time following cervical SM. Objective: The primary purpose was to examine the effect of cervical SM on eye and head movement tasks in chronic neck pain participants who were symptomatic or asymptomatic at the time of the study. A secondary purpose was to determine if the eye and head movement time/index of difficulty (MT/ID) slopes will be different for the amplitude and width conditions. Method: This is an observational study that involves a cervical SM intervention on symptomatic participants (n=20) and asymptomatic controls (n=20). All participants completed an eye movement and head movement FT before and after cervical SM, to identify behavioral and kinematic outcome variables related to changes in eye and head movements. Results: During the eye movement FT, there was no significant effect of SM on MT. During the head movement FT, there was a significant SM x Group interaction on MT of the symptomatic group. There was a significant effect of SM on MT for the amplitude and width conditions within the symptomatic group. Within the asymptomatic group, there was a significant SM x side interaction for the amplitude condition such that MT increased following SM for right horizontal head movements but decreased following SM for left horizontal head movements. The saccade MT/ID slope was asymmetrical with amplitude being steeper than width. The head MT/ID slope was symmetrical for amplitude and width slopes. Conclusion: There was no effect of SM on MT during the eye movement FT. However, the significant effects of SM on MT during the head movement FT indicate that participants demonstrated changes in the performance of head rotations following SM, suggesting potential neuromuscular and sensorimotor adaptations. The asymmetry for the amplitude and width conditions for saccades suggests these elements of Fitts’ Law are separable rather than interdependent. The head movement task produced symmetrical amplitudes and widths that are consistent with Fitts’ Law.

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Spinal manipulation, Chronic neck pain, Motor performance, Fitts' task
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