Search results for "Physical Medicine"
showing 10 items of 1129 documents
Sleep–wake problems in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: implications for patient management
2012
SUMMARY Sleep–wake problems are frequent, although unrecognized, complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing and restless legs syndrome have all been reported in patients with ALS, despite the limited number of studies and the small populations investigated so far. Sleep disturbances gradually worsen with disease progression, suggesting a relationship between the severity of disease and the neurodegenerative process. However, poor sleep can also be a consequence of several disturbances such as anxiety, depression, pain, choking, sialorrhea, fasciculations, cramps, nocturia and the inability to get comfortable and move f…
Therapeutic aquatic exercise in the treatment of low back pain: a systematic review.
2008
Objective: To examine the effectiveness of therapeutic aquatic exercise in the treatment of low back pain. Design: A systematic review. Methods: A search was performed of PEDro, CINAHL (ovid), PUBMED, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and SPORTDiscus databases to identify relevant studies published between 1990 and 2007. Population: Adults suffering from low back pain. Intervention: All types of therapeutic aquatic exercise. Comparison: All clinical trials using a control group. Outcomes: Oswestry Disability Index, McGill Pain Questionnaire, subjective assessment scale for pain (e.g. visual analogue scale) and number of work days lost as a direct result of low back pain. Methodological q…
MOTOR DYSFUNCTION OF THE "NON AFFECTED" LOWER LIMB: A KINEMATIC COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN HEMIPARETIC STROKE AND TOTAL KNEE PROSTHESIZED PATIENTS
2009
In patients with hemispheric stroke, abnormal motor performances are described also in the ipsilateral limbs. They may be due to a cortical reorganization in the unaffected hemisphere; moreover, also peripheral mechanisms may play a role. To explore this hypothesis, we studied motor performances in 15 patients with hemispheric stroke and in 14 patients with total knee arthroplasty, which have a reduced motility in the prosthesized leg. Using the unaffected leg, they performed five superimposed circular trajectories in a prefixed pathway on a computerized footboard, while looking at a marker on the computer screen. The average trace error was significantly different between the groups of pat…
Effect of total knee replacement surgery and postoperative 12 month home exercise program on gait parameters
2017
Abstract Objective To evaluate the effects of surgery and a postoperative progressive home exercise program on gait parameters among individuals operated with total knee arthroplasty. Design Single blinded randomized controlled trial. Subjects 108 patients (84 females, 24 males, mean age 69 years). Interventions Patients were equally randomized into an exercise group (EG) and control group (CG). The 12-months progressive home exercise program starting two months postoperatively was compared to usual care. Methods Gait analysis was performed using the Gaitrite electronic walkway system. In addition, knee extension and flexion strength were measured by a dynamometer preoperatively, and pain o…
Effects of a Rehabilitation Program on Perceived Environmental Barriers in Older Patients Recovering from Hip Fracture: A Randomized Controlled Trial
2013
Objectives. To study effects of a one-year multicomponent intervention on perceived environmental barriers in hip fracture patients.Design. Randomized controlled trial of a 12-month home-based rehabilitation aiming to improve mobility and function (ISRCTN53680197); secondary analyses.Subjects. Community-dwelling hip fracture patients on average 70 days after trauma (n=81).Methods. Assessments at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months later included perceived entrance-related barriers (e.g., indoor/outdoor stairs, lighting, floor surfaces, and storage for mobility devices) and perceived barriers in the outdoor environment (poor street condition, hilly terrain, long-distances, and lack of resting plac…
Study of postural control and body balance in subjects with Down syndrome
2020
Purpose. Body imbalance and poor postural control have negative impact on gait and may increase the risk of falling in healthy individuals as well as those with Down syndrome (DS). Since people with DS have lower physical levels than people who do not present this condition, the purpose of our research was to compare features of postural control and body balance between subjects affected by DS and a control sample. Methods. Participants enrolled were divided into the following two groups: A DS group (DSG; n = 22; 9 females and 13 males; age range: 16-36 years) and an age-matched control group (CG; n = 25; 11 females and 14 males; age range: 16-36 years). All participants were subjected to t…
Evidence of a preprogrammed deactivation of the hamstring muscles for triggering rapid changes of posture in humans
1997
Normal subjects were asked to make rapid flexions of the legs from a stationary initial standing posture in a self-paced mode. Because this movement implicates a rapid change in posture, questions were asked about the type of central command which must include the rupture of the erect posture and the accomplishment of the goal directed movement. Movements of the different segments of the body were recorded and analyzed using the optoelectronic ELITE system. Electromyographic (EMG) activities of 8 muscles of the lower limb on one side were recorded, rectified and integrated. The time relationships of the different EMG signals (activation or deactivation) were analyzed with respect to selecte…
EMG, muscle fibre and force production characteristics during a 1 year training period in elite weight-lifters.
1987
The effects of a 1 year training period on 13 elite weight-lifters were investigated by periodical tests of electromyographic, muscle fibre and force production characteristics. A statistically non-significant increase of 3.5% in maximal isometric strength of the leg extensors, from 4841 +/- 1104 to 5010 +/- 1012 N, occurred over the year. Individual changes in the high force portions of the force-velocity curve correlated (p less than 0.05-0.01) with changes in weight-lifting performance. Training months 5-8 were characterized by the lowest average training intensity (77.1 +/- 2.0%), and this resulted in a significant (p less than 0.05) decrease in maximal neural activation (IEMG) of the m…
Abnormal motor asymmetry only during bimanual movement in schizophrenic patients compared with healthy subjects.
2003
In schizophrenia, research on motor asymmetry has focused on the direction and the degree of handedness using unimanual motor tests and tasks. However, typically both hands collaborate in the production of most manual movements. This study explored motor asymmetry exhibited during unimanual and bimanual tasks in schizophrenic and healthy subjects using a new experimental motor battery. Specifically, the authors investigated the motor indices of laterality during finger-tapping and hand-turning tasks in four unimanual and four bimanual conditions in 84 schizophrenic and 31 healthy subjects, all right-handed. The schizophrenic patients showed reduced motor asymmetries only during bimanual tap…
Domains of Physical Activity in Relation to Stiffness Index in the General Population.
2021
Background Regular exercise training represents an important modifier of arterial stiffness (AS). Therefore, sex‐specific relations between domains of physical activity (PA; commuting, domestic, and leisure‐time PA, including active sport and occupational PA) with AS were investigated. Methods and Results Stiffness index by digital photoplethysmography was investigated in 12 650 subjects from the GHS (Gutenberg Health Study). Self‐reported PA was evaluated by the “Short Questionnaire to Assess Health‐Enhancing Physical Activity” and reported as activity score peer week, being a combined measure of duration, frequency, and intensity of PA. Multivariable linear regression analysis demonstrat…