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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Static and dynamic posturography in prevalent laterally directed whiplash injuries.

Static and dynamic posturography was used to study patients who had experienced a prevalent laterally directed whiplash in a car accident. Results of both static and dynamic examinations were recorded. Findings showed that the whiplash injury had provoked shifting of the pressor center of the body toward a side that was at least indicative of the kind of cervical twist experienced, even when not corresponding to the prevalent direction of the trauma incurred.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The influence of orthoses on the proprioception of the ankle joint.

The ankle joints of 14 healthy volunteers and 16 patients with unstable ankle joints were tested regarding their functional and proprioceptive capabilities. All of them were active athletes. Three tests were used of the study: single-leg stance test, single-leg jumping course test, angle-reproduction test. The influence of three stabilization devices (lace-on-brace/"Mikros", stirrup-brace/"Aircast", taping) on the proprioceptivity of stable and unstable ankle joints was evaluated. The scores of the single-leg jumping course without any stabilizing device (category "standard") ranged between 8.06 and 13.68 (10.65 +/- 1.29). In the categories "Mikros" (9.85 +/- 0.99), and "Aircast" (9.99 +/- 1.14) as well as with the tape bandage (10.27 +/- 0.81) better scores were achieved. The differences "standard vs. Mikros" and "standard vs. Aircast" revealed a significant reduction of the scores with orthoses (P < 0.01). The error rate in the single-leg stance test was within the range of 0-16 (5.12 +/- 2.85) for the category "standard". It was lower for the categories "Mikros" (3.65 +/- 2.65) and "Aircast" (4.17 +/- 2.59). The error rate was highest in the group with a tape bandage (5.79 +/- 3.53). The differences "standard vs Mikros" as well as "standard vs. Aircast" were significant (P < 0.01). There was also a significant difference between these categories regarding injured and not injured ankle joints (P < 0.01). The angle-reproduction-test showed higher values for the category "standard" (2.36 degrees +/- 0.97) in comparison to the categories "Mikros" (1.46 degrees +/- 0.72), "Aircast" (1.62 degrees +/- 0.91) and "taping" (1.84 degrees +/- 0.41).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Postural imbalance: an early sign in HIV-1 infected patients.

We have recorded postural performance in 50 HIV-infected patients in different stages of the disease (Walter Reed (WR) stages I-VI) by means of a force measuring platform. The results were compared with 50 age-matched controls. A significant instability was particularly evident when standing on an unstable foot support. In patients standing with "eyes closed", postural sway was significantly higher in every patient group (WR I-II: P less than 0.02, WR III-V: P less than 0.001, WR VI: P less than 0.001). Patients in stage WR I-II showed no relevant neurological abnormalities. In agreement with other neurophysiological data in the literature we suggest that postural imbalance could be an early sign of central nervous system penetration of HIV. No correlation with electromyographic or cerebrospinal fluid findings could be found.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Feature selection of stabilometric parameters based on principal component analysis.

This study addresses the challenge of identifying the features of the Centre of pressure (COP) trajectory that are most sensitive to postural performance, with the aim of avoiding redundancy and allowing a straightforward interpretation of the results. Postural sway in 50 young, healthy subjects was measured by a force platform. Thirty-seven stabilometric parameters were computed from the one-dimensional and two-dimensional COP time series. After normalisation to the relevant biomechanical factors, by means of multiple regression models, a feature selection process was performed based on principal component analysis. Results suggest that COP two-dimensional time series can be primarily characterised by four parameters, describing the size of the COP path over the support surface; the principal sway direction; and the shape and bandwidth of the power spectral density plot. COP one-dimensional time series (antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML)) can be characterised by six parameters describing COP dispersion along the AP direction; mean velocity along the ML and AP directions; the contrast between ML and AP regulatory activity; and two parameters describing the spectral characteristics of the COP along the AP direction. On the basis of the results obtained, some guidelines are suggested for the choice of stabilometric parameters to use, with the aim of promoting standardisation in quantitative posturography.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Blind evaluation of body reflexes and motor skills in learning disability.

Motor dysfunctions have been associated with learning disabilities in casual observation and systematic study. However, most prior work has concentrated solely on high-level skills and has been subject to observer bias. In this study, boys with learning disability were blindly compared with paired controls on measures of postural and equilibrium reflexes as well as skills. Learning-disabled children as a group showed significant deficits on all measures; a few, however, were totally without deficit. The implications of these findings for controversies about the role of motor dysfunction in learning disabilities are examined.

Child↗
PubMed1993

Biomechanical approach to quantifying anticipatory postural adjustments in the elderly.

The paper outlines a biomechanical approach to quantifying anticipatory postural adjustments in the elderly. The measurement problems that occur in applying the biomechanical approach to elderly subjects are described and the 'signal-to-noise' properties of three candidate measures are compared, using data from volitional unilateral arm-raise tests performed on 100 elderly subjects. The results suggest that changes in vertical ground reaction force provide the greatest potential for accurate measurement of anticipatory adjustments, in comparison with changes in horizontal force or centre-of-pressure displacement. By normalising the anticipatory change in vertical ground reaction force with respect to the vertical perturbation force induced by the arm motion, a measure of relative anticipatory response is derived. The use of this measure, as well as its limitations, are demonstrated by analysing its relationship to actual falling risk, monitored prospectively in the elderly subject population. The findings showed evidence of larger relative anticipatory adjustments in the subjects who experienced recurrent falls, and it is suggested that these responses may be indicative of disordered motor programming. However, to detect these differences, it was necessary to average responses over multiple trials and to exclude trials with very small arm acceleration or very large baseline 'noise' (associated with ongoing postural sway). The need to screen and exclude data would seem to limit the practical utility of this approach in testing elderly populations.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Control of frontal plane body motion in human stepping.

During a step the body's centre of mass (CoM) typically remains medial to the supporting foot and therefore the body is unstable and falling (sideways) under gravity. This may make it difficult to adjust the frontal-plane body motion appreciably once the step is under way. We have therefore investigated whether this motion could be controlled largely in a ballistic manner, that is by setting the initial (toe-off) position and velocity of the CoM such that the fall develops as required for the particular step without the need for appreciable mid-step adjustment. Subjects stepped in different directions and from different postures, and the resulting motion of their CoM in the frontal plane was compared with that of a single-segment mathematical model of the body which falls freely under the influence of gravity. The lateral position and velocity of subjects' CoM at toe-off varied across the different step types in a manner consistent with a ballistic mode of control. Furthermore the model, given these positions and velocities as initial conditions, closely predicted the subsequent CoM motion. The results suggest that subjects may produce the different body trajectories required for different types of step largely in a ballistic manner. This would imply that the central nervous system must judge in advance the size and direction of the initial "throw" given to the body-mass.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

["Phobic postural vertigo". A further differentiation of psychogenic vertigo conditions seems necessary].

Due to the results of an interdisciplinary study on patients with vertigo as the chief symptom and on the background of psychodynamic theories concerning anxiety disorders the term of phobic postural vertigo (Brandt & Dieterich 1986) is discussed. It becomes obvious that phobic postural vertigo is a generalizing term which encompasses different forms of psychogenic vertigo. The authors plead for a more differentiated diagnosis and subgroup oriented classification of vertigo caused by psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Clinical symptoms, origin, and therapy of the "pusher syndrome"].

Stroke patients may exhibit the peculiar behavior of actively pushing away from the nonhemiparetic side, leading to lateral postural imbalance and a tendency to fall towards the paralyzed side. These patients use the nonparetic extremities to stem actively against attempts of passive correction towards upright orientation. This phenomenon has been called the "pusher syndrome". Recent findings disclose that the deficit leading to contraversive pushing is an altered perception of the body's orientation in relation to gravity. Pusher patients experience their body as upright when they are actually tilted to the nonhemiparetic side. In contrast, processing of visual and vestibular inputs for the determination of visual vertical was undisturbed. The results argue for a separate pathway in humans for sensing gravity apart from that for perception of the visual world. This second graviceptive system decisively contributes to our control of upright body posture. The present article describes this still largely unknown neurological disease. The clinical examination of contraversive pushing, its underlying disturbance, lesion location, and approaches for therapy are considered.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Effects of changes in skiing posture on the kinetics of the knee joint.

This study was performed to investigate the effects of changes in the skiing posture on mechanical stress across the knee joint. The aim of the present study was to establish a safer form of skiing for the prevention of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee (ACL). Ten healthy volunteers were placed on a force plate on an artificial slope, and assumed forward and backward bending postures with a single leg by changing their centre of gravity. The knee flexion angles were limited to approximately 30 degrees by orthotics in each posture. Joint moments of the lower extremity were analyzed using a motion analysis system, and the muscle activities of the lower extremity were recorded by EMG and digitised to integrated EMG in each posture. In addition, extrusion of the lower leg by the boot was measured using a force sensor sheet inserted behind the calf. We found that the extension moment of the hip and ankle joints, and muscular activity of the hamstrings were increased in forward bending, whereas the extension moment of the knee and muscular activity of the quadriceps were decreased. Conversely, the muscular activity of the quadriceps, the flexion moment of the hip, extension moment of the knee joint, and pressure of the boot were increased in backward bending, whereas muscular activity of the hamstrings was decreased. The dependency on the hamstrings increased in forward bending in a skiing posture on a slope with slight knee flexion. Therefore, forward bending seemed to be an advantageous posture for the prevention of ACL injury. Conversely, in a backward bending skiing posture, the extension moment of the knee joint produced by muscle contraction of the quadriceps also increased imbalance in the hamstrings. The results of this study suggest that the internal force exerted by the quadriceps, in addition to the passive factor of extrusion of the lower leg by the boot, may contribute to non-contact ACL injury in a backward bending posture while skiing.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Postural activity of the pelvic floor muscles is delayed during rapid arm movements in women with stress urinary incontinence.

The aim of this study was to determine whether postural activity of the pelvic floor (PF) and abdominal muscles differs between continent and incontinent women during rapid arm movements that present a postural challenge to the trunk. A further aim was to study the effect of bladder filling. Electromyographic activity (EMG) of the PF, abdominal, erector spinae (ES), and deltoid muscles was recorded with surface electrodes. During rapid shoulder flexion and extension, PF EMG increased before that of the deltoid in continent women, but after the deltoid in incontinent women (p = 0.002). In many incontinent women, PF EMG decreased before the postural activation. Although delayed, postural PF EMG amplitude was greater in women with incontinence (p = 0.010). In both groups, PF EMG decreased and abdominal and ES EMG increased when the bladder was moderately full. These findings would be expected to have negative consequences for continence and lumbopelvic stability in women with incontinence.

Adult↗