Alone with thoughts
Feb. 2nd, 2018 11:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lauradi7dwI volunteered for a study at MGH of nerve damage, as a control. The ultimate goal of this study is to find quick and easy ways to do some of the testing that currently takes a long(ish) time. So participants have to do both types of testing. One of the tests uses a tilt table. One has to lie still for five minutes, then the table quickly stands you up for ten minutes, and then five more minutes of lying down. All of the tests were done in one little room full of equipment. The person administering the test and I were alone for a couple of hours. He would give me instructions and answer specific questions, but there was no chatting otherwise. No background music, no electronic devices (except for all the monitors and testing equipment, of course), no reading material. So for long periods of time, it was silent. The assumption in many places is that people need constant entertainment. Not there. I was a little surprised. And bored, really, but I was kind of pleased that they gave me credit for having an inner life. Or for being able to zone out. I can't actually do that, but there is no end of things to think about.
A surprising test was the one that times how fast the pupils react to changes in light. (that is one of the new hoped-for tests). I was wearing a headpiece with two tiny cameras, one aimed at each pupil. Really the opposite of tech level from the basic background testing of hitting tendons with a little hammer and poking me with a pin. I was impressed with the sweat calculating machine - how does one even think of inventing something like that? If you stimulate the skin nerves in certain ways, the skin should sweat. For the first few minutes, my forearms were the most prolific, but then the lateral calf areas evened the score.
A surprising test was the one that times how fast the pupils react to changes in light. (that is one of the new hoped-for tests). I was wearing a headpiece with two tiny cameras, one aimed at each pupil. Really the opposite of tech level from the basic background testing of hitting tendons with a little hammer and poking me with a pin. I was impressed with the sweat calculating machine - how does one even think of inventing something like that? If you stimulate the skin nerves in certain ways, the skin should sweat. For the first few minutes, my forearms were the most prolific, but then the lateral calf areas evened the score.
