title: Influence of Subclinical Neck Pain on the Ability to Perform a Mental Rotation Task: A 4-Week Longitudinal Study With a Healthy Control Group Comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mental rotation of objects and the frame of reference of those objects are critical for executing correct and skillful movements and are important for object recognition, spatial navigation, and movement planning. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to compare the mental rotation ability of those with subclinical neck pain (SCNP) to healthy controls at baseline and after 4 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six volunteers (13 SCNP and 12 healthy controls) were recruited from a university student population. Subclinical neck pain participants had scores of mild to moderate on the Chronic Pain Grade Scale, and controls had minimal or no pain. For the mental rotation task, participants were presented with an object (letter "R") on a computer screen presented randomly in either normal or backwards parity at various orientations (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, and 315°). Participants indicated the object's parity by pressing "N" for normal or "B" for backwards. Each orientation for normal and backward parities was presented 5 times, and the average response time for all letter presentations was calculated for each participant, at baseline and 4 weeks later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups had overall improved response times from baseline to 4 weeks. Healthy participants had significantly improved response times compared to SCNP, both at baseline (P < .05) and 4 weeks (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthy participants performed better than the SCNP group at both time points. Subclinical neck pain may impair the ability to perform a complex mental rotation task involving cerebellar connections, possibly due to altered body schema.
authors.affiliation: Doctoral Candidate, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; and Research Assistant, Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Julianne K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Baarbé
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael W R
authors.initials: MWR
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Masters of Physical Therapy Candidate, School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Heather E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Director of Research, Centre for Chiropractic Research, New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haavik
authors.affiliation: Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada. Electronic address: bernadette.murphy@uoit.ca.
authors.forename: Bernadette A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adult; Body Schema; Cerebellum; Humans; Mental Processes; Neuropsychological Tests; Space Perception; Visual Perception