title: A fast-moving target in the Valpar assembly task improved unimanual and bimanual movements in patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of target speed on unimanual and bimanual movements during a bimanual prehension and assembly task in patients with mild schizophrenia and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with schizophrenia and 15 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were instructed to reach and assemble spacers with both hands for a target that moved at two speeds: fast or slow. Dependent variables were movement kinematics: movement time, number of movement units and timing intervals between both hands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A fast-moving target induced shorter movement times, fewer movement units and shorter timing intervals than did a slow-moving target for patients. Under the slow-target condition, patients had longer movement times and a longer timing interval during prehension, as well as longer movement times, more movement units and a longer timing interval during assembly than did controls. Under the fast-target condition, patients still had slower and less-synchronized prehension than did controls, but their assembly improved to a level similar to that of controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A fast-moving target induced faster, smoother and more synchronized movements than did a slow-moving target for patients with schizophrenia, especially during assembly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A fast-moving target might elicit faster, smoother, and more synchronized movements than might a slow-moving target during a bimanual assembly task for patients with mild schizophrenia. The findings of impaired movement kinematics under the slow-target condition suggest that patients with schizophrenia need movement training.
authors: Institute of Allied Health Sciences.
authors: Shu-Mei
authors: SM
authors: Wang
authors: Li-Chieh
authors: LC
authors: Kuo
authors: Wen-Chen
authors: WC
authors: Ouyang
authors: Hsiao-Man
authors: HM
authors: Hsu
authors: Hui-Ing
authors: HI
authors: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors