[A computer-assisted visuomotor tracking device for the selective observation of central nervous drug effects]

A Computer-assisted Visuomotor Tracking Device for Selective Objectivation of Central-nervous Drug Effects. In order to overcome the well-known shortcomings of current psychometry especially for the objectivation of the effects of psychotropic drugs, a computer-assisted visuomotor tracking device has been developed. The subjects task is to closely pursue a target signal which moves continuously but at variable speed on a TV-screen by directing a response signal on the screen with a small joystick. In contrast to conventionally used visuomotor tracking tasks the mean efficiency of the performance is measured exactly in bit/s from the difference between target and response signal. First applications showed: The selectivity of the procedure depends decisively on the degree of difficulty of the target signal, i.e., the velocity of the target signal. There is no substantial learning effect with re-tests at a 1-week interval. When testing over longer periods (400 s) a decrement of performance must be taken into consideration.