Search results for "posture"
showing 10 items of 274 documents
Measurements of projected areas of seated and standing people of southern Italy based on a statistical analysis
2006
One of the most important components affecting the human thermal balance is represented by its radiative exchange with the surrounding surfaces. The projected area of the human body is an important parameter of these thermal exchanges. Unfortunately, although the anthropometric measures of people are characterized by significant differences among various populations, the experimental data currently available in the literature refers to a small group of people. Moreover, measurements are generally performed regardless of the statistical significance of the involved subjects with respect to the population to which they belong. In this study, a statistical study is introduced that is based on …
Decreased lower limb muscle recruitment contributes to the inability of older adults to recover with a single step following a forward loss of balance
2013
In response to a balance disturbance, older individuals often require multiple steps to prevent a fall. Reliance on multiple steps to recover balance is predictive of a future fall, so studies should determine the mechanisms underlying differences between older adults who can and cannot recover balance with a single step. This study compared neural activation parameters of the major leg muscles during balance recovery from a sudden forward loss of balance in older individuals capable of recovering with a single step and those who required multiple steps to regain balance. Eighty-one healthy, community dwelling adults aged 70±3 participated. Loss of balance was induced by releasing participa…
General method for automated feature extraction and selection and its application for gender classification and biomechanical knowledge discovery of …
2020
Modern technologies enable to capture multiple biomechanical parameters often resulting in relational data. The current work proposes a generally applicable method comprising automated feature extraction, ensemble feature selection and classification to best capture the potentials of the data also for generating new biomechanical knowledge. Its benefits are demonstrated in the concrete biomechanically and medically relevant use case of gender classification based on spinal data for stance and gait. Very good results for accuracy were obtained using gait data. Dynamic movements of the lumbar spine in sagittal and frontal plane and of the pelvis in frontal plane best map gender differences.
Effects of different unstable supports on EMG activity and balance
2013
This study analysed the equilibrium strategies and EMG activity during postural equilibrium in four different unstable surfaces. Thirteen team sport males were tested on a FLAT surface and on three different wobble boards (JAKOBS(®) with easy multidirectional displacements, FREEMAN with strong multidirectional displacements and LATERAL with unidirectional lateral displacements). They had to maintain single-limb stance during 5s for each condition. The right foot centre of pressure (COP) position and its variability with concomitant EMG activity of soleus (SOL), tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL) and extensor digitorum longus (EXD) muscles were recorded. Subjects maintained balance…
The effect of body posture on long range time-to-contact estimation
2011
On Earth, gravity accelerates freely moving objects downward, whereas upward-moving objects are being decelerated. Do humans take internalised knowledge of gravity into account when estimating time-to-contact (TTC, the time remaining before the moving object reaches the observer)? To answer this question, we created a motion-prediction task in which participants saw the initial part of an object's trajectory moving on a collision course prior to an occlusion. Observers had to judge when the object would make contact with them. The visual scene was presented with a head-mounted display. Participants lay either supine (looking up) or prone (looking down), suggestive of the ball either rising…
Activity of Thigh Muscles During Static and Dynamic Stances in Stroke Patients: A Pilot Case-Control Study
2014
Impaired postural control is a key characteristic of mobility problems in stroke patients and has great impact on the incidence of falls and on the level of independence in activities of daily living. The role played by the thigh muscles in balance impairment in stroke patients has not been sufficiently investigated. This study investigated the activities of the thigh muscles in stroke patients during standing balance manipulations.Ten stroke patients and 15 healthy subjects performed 5 upright standing tasks on a force platform: normal standing with eyes open, normal standing with eyes closed, feet together, semi-tandem standing, and a dynamic measurement along a predefined route. The post…
Upper and Lower Limb Strength and Body Posture in Children with Congenital Hypothyroidism: An Observational Case-Control Study
2020
Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is an endocrine disease with a precocious significant impairment of growth and neuromotor development. Thyroid hormones are essential for central nervous system development, maturation, and myelination. Furthermore, thyroid hormone deficiency affects the function of several systems, including the musculoskeletal system. The disease has a significant incidence in the general population (1:3000–1:2000 newborns in Italy). The aim of the present study was to evaluate any differences in upper and lower limb strength, body sway, and plantar loading distribution in children with CH compared to healthy children. Methods: In this study, the case group was c…
Orthostatic Changes in Blood Pressure and Cognitive Status in the Elderly: The Progetto Veneto Anziani Study.
2016
We studied a cohort of 1408 older subjects to explore whether postural changes in blood pressure (BP; defined as orthostatic hypo- or hypertension) can predict the onset of cognitive deterioration. Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a drop of 20 mm Hg in systolic or 10 mm Hg in diastolic BP and orthostatic hypertension as a rise of 20 mm Hg in systolic BP. Orthostatic BP values were grouped into quintiles for secondary analyses. Two cognitive assessments were considered: (1) cognitive impairment, that is, Mini-Mental State Examination scores ≤24/30, and (2) cognitive decline (CD), that is, a 3-point decrease in Mini-Mental State Examination score from the baseline to the follow-up. At t…
Ergonomic factors that cause the presence of pain muscle in students of dentistry
2009
Objective: To identify the ergonomic factors and the presence of muscular pain in dental students of VIII, IX, X semesters presently practicing at the clinics of the College of Dentistry of university of Cartagena, Colombia, South America. Materials and methods: This is a descriptive study carried out in dental students of the VIII, IX, and X semesters which were undergoing clinical practice at the College of Dentistry of University of Cartagena. A convenience sample of 83 students who met the inclusion criteria was taken and those who agreed to participate signed an informed consent. Data collection was obtained by means of a structured questionnaire for ergonomic factors and the presence …
Sagittal static imbalance in myelomeningocele patients: improvement in sitting ability by partial and total gibbus resection
2000
The progression of kyphosis in myelomeningocele is independent of skeletal growth and requires early operative correction and stabilization to prevent a loss of sitting ability. In severe cases, only vertebrectomy makes it possible to achieve correction, stability and skin-closure without tension. In 14 patients with myelomeningocele gibbus, kyphectomy was performed, removing two vertebral bodies on average. The average kyphosis angle decreased from 128 degrees to 81 degrees, enabling most of the patients to participate again in social life by restoring wheelchair mobility. Nevertheless, a significantly higher complication rate was found compared to other correctional operations, lengthenin…