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Pediatric Rehabilitation

ReacStick Parameters in a Pediatric Cohort—Indirect Measures of White Matter Integrity?

Friday, October 24, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM MT
Location: Original Research Theater

    Co-Author(s)

  • James Eckner, MD

    Assoc Prof
    University of Michigan Hospital Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    Ann Arbor, Michigan

  • JR

    James Richardson, MD

    Professor
    University of Michigan PM&R Program
    Ann Arbor, Michigan

    • Poster Presenter(s)

  • Meghan Oram, DO (she/her/hers)

    Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident
    University of Michigan Health System PM&R Program
    Ann Arbor, Michigan

    • Co-Author(s)

  • LA

    Lubna Ayoubi, MD

    Pediatric Rehab Fellow
    University of Michigan Health System PM&R Program
    Ann Arbor, Michigan

Disclosure(s):
James Eckner, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Meghan Oram, DO: No financial relationships to disclose
Background and/or Objectives: ReacStick is a broadly researched and validated rod-shaped device which uses a ruler-drop paradigm to provide a clinically feasible measure of a simple visuomotor reaction time (SRT) and, also, evaluates the capacity to correctly perform a go/no-go task based on light cue within 390 milliseconds (Reaction Accuracy; RA). Prior neuroanatomic and physiologic research indicates that cognitive processing speed and short latency motor inhibition of a pre-potent action are dependent upon frontal cortical resources and white matter tract integrity. Given that chronological age in pediatric populations relates directly to white matter maturation and quality, we hypothesized that ReacStick SRT and RA would correlate with age in children between 8 and 17 years old.

Design: Cross sectional study

Setting : Major university biomechanics research laboratory

Participants : 27 concussion-free athletes, (48% female, 12.4 ± 2.4 y.o.) recruited as part of a larger study.

Interventions: N/A

Main Outcome Measures: Correlation coefficients evaluated the strength of relationships between chronologic age in years with SRT, RA, and RA/SRT.

Results: Age demonstrated strong and significant relationships with SRT (r = 0.627/p < .001), RA (r = 0.78; p < .001), and RA/SRT (r = 0.791; p < .001), with age explaining over 60% of RA and RA:SRT variance.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate potent relationships between chronological age and SRT, RA, and RA/SRT. Successful SRT and RA responses require cognitive attributes associated with executive function including selective attention, inhibition, working memory, and processing speed, and have also shown potent associations with important measures of physical function such as grip strength, unipedal balance, perturbation response, and fall risk. Notably, each of these executive functions and physical measures relate directly to white matter integrity. Taken in this broader context, the findings support and augment prior research linking ReacStick parameters with central white matter maturation and integrity.