Differences in intermittent postural control between normal-weight and obese children.

Abstract Aim The main objective of this study was to determine differences in postural control between obese and non-obese children. Methods The study design was cross-sectional, prospective, between-subjects. Postural control variables were obtained from a group of obese children and a normal-weight control group under two different postural conditions: bipedal standing position with eyes open and bipedal standing with eyes closed. Variables were obtained for each balance condition using time domain and sway-density plot analysis of the center of pressure signals acquired by means of a force plate. Results Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between obese and normal-weigh…

Relationship between body composition and vertical ground reaction forces in obese children when walking.

Abstract Background Obesity is now a serious worldwide challenge, especially in children. This condition can cause a number of different health problems, including musculoskeletal disorders, some of which are due to mechanical stress caused by excess body weight. The aim of this study was to determine the association between body composition and the vertical ground reaction force produced during walking in obese children. Methods Sixteen children participated in the study, six females and ten males [11.5 (1.2) years old, 69.8 (15.5) kg, 1.56 (0.09) m, and 28.36 (3.74) kg/m 2 of body mass index (BMI)]. Total weight, lean mass and fat mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and…

Effects of an incremental maximal endurance exercise stress-induced cortisol on cognitive performance

Exercise; Cognitive functions; Cortisol Ejercicio físico; Funciones cognitivas; Cortisol Exercici físic; Funcions cognitives; Cortisol Objectives: It can be hypothesized that cognitive performance decreases after fatigue protocol when it coincides with the maximum peak of cortisol. The first aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of a single bout of high intensity exercise on behavioural (i.e., attention and memory) and physiological (i.e., salivary cortisol) responses. The second objective was to evaluate the effect of the performance of the cognitive tasks on cortisol levels. Methods: Thirty-four physically active men (at least 5 days/week of physical activity practice) 38.11 (1.5…

Working Memory Task Influence in Postural Stability and Cognitive Function in Adolescents.

This paper describes a study on postural stability and cognitive function according to the difficulty increment of a working memory task (WMT) and age group in adolescents. One hundred and twenty-three participants (13–16 years) performed single and dual tasks in a bipedal standing position while barefoot. Four trials were conducted, consisting of single and dual tasks in three progressively difficult WMT conditions (i.e., 3-, 5-, and 7-digit sequences). Friedman’s analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis tests were conducted to test the effect of the WMT and age group, respectively. Both the WMT and age were found to affect performance (p < .01). As the cognitive requirements increased, the…

Effect of Concurrent Visual Feedback Frequency on Postural Control Learning in Adolescents.

The purpose was to find better augmented visual feedback frequency (100% or 67%) for learning a balance task in adolescents. Thirty subjects were divided randomly into a control group, and 100% and 67% feedback groups. The three groups performed pretest (3 trials), practice (12 trials), posttest (3 trials) and retention (3 trials, 24 hours later). The reduced feedback group showed lower RMS in the posttest than in the pretest (p = 0.04). The control and reduced feedback groups showed significant lower median frequency in the posttest than in the pretest (p < 0.05). Both feedback groups showed lower values in retention than in the pretest (p < 0.05). Even when the effect of feedback frequenc…

Relationship between body composition and postural control in prepubertal overweight/obese children: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Excess body weight during childhood causes reduced motor functionality and problems in postural control, a negative influence which has been reported in the literature. Nevertheless, no information regarding the effect of body composition on the postural control of overweight and obese children is available. The objective of this study was therefore to establish these relationships. Methods A cross-sectional design was used to establish relationships between body composition and postural control variables obtained in bipedal eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions in twenty-two children. Centre of pressure signals were analysed in the temporal and frequency domains. Pearson…

Effects of dual task difficulty in motor and cognitive performance: Differences between adults and adolescents

In the present study our aim was to compare dual-task performance in thirteen adolescents and fifteen young adults while concurrently performing a cognitive and a motor task. The postural control variables were obtained under three different conditions: i) bipedal stance, ii) tandem stance and iii) unipedal stance. The cognitive task consisted of a backward digit span test in which the participants were asked to memorize a sequence of numbers and then repeat the number in reverse order at three different difficulty levels (i.e. with 3, 4 and 5 digits). The difficulty of the cognitive task was seen to have different effects on adolescents and young adults. Adolescents seem to prioritize post…

Dual task cost in balance control and stability in children from 4–7 years old

This study analyzed the development of postural control and the cost of the cognitive task on postural control in the bipedal standing position during childhood. Sixty-six normally developed childr...

Test-Retest Reliability of Task Performance for Golf Swings of Medium- to High-Handicap Players

Background: Golf swing performance in medium- to high-handicap players must be reliably measured to use this variable in both research studies and in applied settings. Nevertheless, there are no studies published on this topic and test–retest evidence is only available for low-handicap players. The aim of this study was to determine the number of attempts necessary to obtain a reliable measurement protocol for swing performance variables in medium- to high-handicap players. Methods: Ten amateur players (55.67 (13.64) years, 78.4 (11.4) kg, 1.75 (7.95) m) took part in a test–retest study in two experimental sessions one week apart. In each one, fifteen swings with a six iron and a driver wer…

Dolor de espalda en estudiantes de entre 12 y 17 años: aproximación multifactorial basada en árboles de decisión

Resumen Objetivo El objetivo de este estudio se centrara en la elaboracion de un arbol de decision como una tecnica de analisis de datos que permita establecer combinaciones de factores de riesgo que puedan predisponer a padecer dolor de espalda en esta poblacion. Material y metodos La muestra del estudio estuvo formada por 337 jovenes con una edad de entre 12 y 17 anos de un centro escolar de Castellon. Los sujetos cumplimentaron el Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire y el cuestionario Nordico de Kuorinka. Ademas, se realizo una valoracion del indice de masa corporal, del porcentaje de grasa corporal, de las caracteristicas de la mochila escolar y del tiempo de transporte de esta y…

Sensory Reweighting During Bipedal Quiet Standing in Adolescents

A cross-sectional, prospective, between-subjects design was used in this study to establish the differences in sensory reweighting of postural control among different ages during adolescence. A total of 153 adolescents (five age groups; 13–17 years old) performed bipedal standing in three sensory conditions (i.e., with visual restriction, vestibular disturbance, and proprioceptive disturbance). Center of pressure displacement signals were measured in mediolateral and anteroposterior directions to characterize reweighting in the sensory system in static postural control when sensory information is disturbed or restricted during adolescent growth. The results indicate a development of postura…

Multifactorial combinations predicting active vs inactive stages of change for physical activity in adolescents considering built environment and psychosocial factors: A classification tree approach.

Sensibilización de los futuros egresados y egresadas de Magisterio hacia la diversidad desde la Educación Física por medio de la propuesta de buena práctica “More Than Able” (Diversity awareness in university students from Physical Education with the pro

El presente estudio describe y analiza la valoración del alumnado universitario ante la propuesta “More than able”. Esta es una propuesta de buenas prácticas sobre la sensibilización hacia la diversidad funcional desde el área de Educación Física, y específicamente, mediante tareas relacionadas con las habilidades motrices básicas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue diseñar, aplicar y valorar una buena práctica que ofrezca una propuesta de sensibilización al alumnado basada en el uso de personajes de cómics como son los superhéroes y las superheroínas. Para valorar el grado de satisfacción de la propuesta, se empleó el cuestionario sobre la experiencia de buenas prácticas y el análisis de cont…

Postural Control Profiles of Typically Developing Children From 6 to 12 Years old: An Approach Using Self-Organizing Maps

The purposes of the present study were a) to establish postural control profiles for individuals 6–12 years of age, b) to analyze the participants’ characteristics (age, sex, weight, height, and physical activity) in those profiles, and c) to analyze the influence of visual information in the profiles found. Two hundred and eight typically developing children aged 6–12 years performed two trials in bipedal standing position with eyes open and closed. Feature extraction involved time, frequency, and sway-density plot variables using signals from the center of pressure. A Self-Organizing Map was used to classify and visualize the values of the participants in all the postural control variable…

Obesity Affects Postural Control in Middle Childhood and Adolescence but not in Early Childhood

Introduction:Overweight/obese children have postural control differences compared with normal-weight children. Nevertheless, there are not studies that analyze the effect of obesity during the entire period comprised between childhood and adolescence. The objective of this study was to determine the differences in postural control between normal-weight and overweight/obese participants during early and middle childhood and adolescence.Methods:359 children were divided into six groups according to age and weight status. Each participant carried out one 30-s trial with eyes open (EO) and one 30-s trial with eyes closed (EC). Center of pressure signals were acquired using a Wii Balance Board. …

Characterization of postural control impairment in women with fibromyalgia

[EN] The main goal of this cross-sectional study was to detect whether women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) have altered postural control and to study the sensory contribution to postural control. We also explored the possibility that self-induced anxiety and lower limb strength may be related to postural control. For this purpose, 129 women within an age range of 40 to 70 years were enrolled. Eighty of the enrolled women had FMS. Postural control variables, such as Ellipse, Root mean square (RMS) and Sample entropy (SampEn), in both directions (i.e. mediolateral and anteroposterior), were calculated under five different conditions. A force plate was used to register the center of pressur…