Trials and training with 100 self-rated verbal reactions and a theory of sequences

Sequences of verbal reactions, in particular 100 self-rated reactions, were investigated in 51 normal subjects and 61 patients with different neurological disorders. The non-linear course of the sequences is highlighted, and the factors influencing the occurrence of variations are studied. Inter-individual differences in the first interstimulus intervals (ISI alpha), and deviations between ISI alpha and subsequent interstimulus intervals, were systematically measured and the distribution of the results analyzed in histograms: a bimodal distribution was found. Cognitive styles were classified using the Big Five Questionnaire and Matching Familiar Figure Test: a significant correlation was found between impulsive and reflective subjects and the bimodal distribution of the interstimulus intervals. The intermediary oscillations of the temporal parameters of reaction sequences were systematically analyzed, and neurological and psychological factors influencing their occurrence identified. The issues arising from these studies are incorporated into a theory of sequences in neurophysiology. Their relevance to neurorehabilitation training processes is pointed out, and the advantages of paramodular tailored training of working memory are documented.