Abstract
Abstract:
This study aimed to determine the effects of cervical spine adjustments on sensorimotor synchronisation. Methods: This was an unblinded, controlled experimental study using a pre-post test design, which included thirty participants who were randomly divided into two groups of fifteen. All thirty participants performed a series of finger tapping tasks, which was used as measurements for objective data. Group One had five consultations over approximately 14 days: During their first and fifth visit, participants performed a series of finger tapping tasks and then received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to restricted cervical spine segments (as determined by the researcher). After their treatment, participants repeated the tapping tasks. During their second, third and forth visits, participants in Group One only received treatment and no tapping tasks were done during these consultations. Group Two only had two consultations, which were approximately 14 days apart. During these consultations, participants performed the tapping tasks, took a five-minute break and repeated them. Tapping tasks were recorded on an iOS application called TapIt. The time signatures that were recorded were imported into a spreadsheet where the means and standard deviations of asynchronies and intertap intervals were calculated. Results: The results showed that there were statistically significant changes in the accuracy and variability of finger tapping tasks in both groups. In the immediate effects, both Group One and Two showed larger negative mean asynchronies with only participants in Group One showing an increase in variability of asynchronies. Only Group Two showed statistically significant changes in intertap intervals. In the longterm effects, Group One showed a statistically significant decrease in negative mean asynchronies indicating an improvement in accuracy of taps. Both groups showed statistically significant decreases in variability of asynchronies, with Group One showing a slightly larger reduction thereof. Conclusion: Participants that received treatment intervention demonstrated larger negative mean asynchronies immediately following chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy. This may have been due to altered neural processing of incoming sensory information and/or altered sensorimotor integration, which resulted in faster execution of motor movements involved in finger tapping tasks. The treatment group also demonstrated a reduction in negative mean asynchronies after several treatments. Both groups showed reductions in variability of asynchronies over time. However, the treatment group showed slightly larger reductions in variability after several treatments compared to participants who did not receive any treatment intervention.
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)