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- Can ankle anticipatory postural adjustments associated with gait initiation be modifiede in post stroke subjects submitted to a physiotherapy program?Publication . Pereira, S.; Silva, A.; Silva, C.; Sousa, A.; Gomes, J.; Faria, S.; Santos, RubimPostural control is a complex ability of the central nervous system, fundamental prerequisite in several motor programs, that is often compromised after central nervous system injury, particularly in ischemic events involving the middle cerebral artery. Stroke in this territory frequently compromise cortical output from pre-motor and supplementary motor areas and their connectivity with subcortical structures such as reticular formation.
- Spatio-temporal alignment of pedobarographic image sequencesPublication . Oliveira, Francisco; Sousa, Andreia S. P.; Santos, Rubim; Tavares, João ManuelThis paper presents a methodology to align plantar pressure image sequences simultaneously in time and space. The spatial position and orientation of a foot in a sequence are changed to match the foot represented in a second sequence. Simultaneously with the spatial alignment, the temporal scale of the first sequence is transformed with the aim of synchronizing the two input footsteps. Consequently, the spatial correspondence of the foot regions along the sequences as well as the temporal synchronizing is automatically attained, making the study easier and more straightforward. In terms of spatial alignment, the methodology can use one of four possible geometric transformation models: rigid, similarity, affine or projective. In the temporal alignment, a polynomial transformation up to the 4th degree can be adopted in order to model linear and curved time behaviors. Suitable geometric and temporal transformations are found by minimizing the mean squared error (MSE) between the input sequences. The methodology was tested on a set of real image sequences acquired from a common pedobarographic device. When used in experimental cases generated by applying geometric and temporal control transformations, the methodology revealed high accuracy. Additionally, the intra-subject alignment tests from real plantar pressure image sequences showed that the curved temporal models produced better MSE results (p<0.001) than the linear temporal model. This paper represents an important step forward in the alignment of pedobarographic image data, since previous methods can only be applied on static images.
- Efeito do calçado MBT, na variação do centro de pressão, durante o equilíbrio estáticoPublication . Soares, Georgina; Pinheiro De Sousa, Andreia Sofia; Macedo, Rui; Santos, RubimObjectivo: Analisar a variação do centro de pressão (CP) com a utilização do calçado MBT, no equilíbrio estático a curto e longo prazo. Metodologia: A amostra é constituída por dois grupos, experimental e controlo. O estudo consistiu em dois momentos de avaliação, na recolha os indivíduos estão sobre a plataforma, estáticos. Os dados recolhidos foram a área, distância e velocidade das oscilações do CP. Resultados: As variáveis estudadas estão aumentadas com o uso das MBT. A longo prazo não se verificou diferenças significativas entre os grupos. Conclusão: As sapatilhas MBT proporcionam o aumento das oscilações do CP a curto prazo.
- Activation timings of the scapular stabilizers in subjects with a stroke affecting the right versus left hemispheresPublication . Ferreira, S.; Silva, Cláudia; Silva, A.; Carvalho, Paulo; Santos, RubimLesions affecting the right hemisphere influence the ability to plan the virtual reaching trajectory and, consequently the postural control. On the other hand, left hemisphere lesions affect the ability to select the adequate motor program to reach the target. This study aimed to explore the existence of differences at the activation timings and sequence of activation of the scapular stabilizers, mainly the serratus anterior, superior, middle and inferior trapezius fibers, in relation to the anterior deltoid, in subjects with a stroke affecting the right versus left hemispheres, during reaching. Besides, it aimed to establish comparisons between both sides of each subject and a group of subjects without of each subject and a group of subjects without pathology.
- Muscle Energy Technique versus PNF: effectiveness on hamstring muscle stretchingPublication . Silva, Paula; Santos, Rubim; Macedo, RuiAlthough PNF´s Contract-Relax with Antagonist Contraction (CRAC) and Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) increase muscle flexibility and Range of Motion (ROM), few studies compared their effectiveness. They share several features but one major difference, the intensity of muscle contraction prior to stretch, perceived maximum in CRAC, and a percentage of the perceived maximum in the MET. Confirm if CRAC and MET are effective in stretching the hamstring muscle in the short term, if both are determine the most effective.
- Fall risk prediction model for older men and women based on ambulatory physical activity level – A cross-sectional population-based study from the Oporto RegionPublication . Carmo, Paulo Jorge Quintela Cardoso do; Pontes, Adjane Maria; Manuel, César; Santos, Rubim; Carvalho, Maria Joana Mesquita Barbosa deFalls among the elderly are an important community health problem due to its high incidence, functional and social repercussion. Dissimilar results arose in recent studies con cerning fall risk and physical activity levels. This study measures the association between physical activity (PA) levels, and fall risk (FR), investigates which levels of PA are influential in FR and pre sents a fall risk prediction models for the elderly. One hundred and seventy elderly adults (72.34 ± 6.70 years old, 124 female), completed Performance-Orientated-Mobility-As sessment; PA was assessed by accelerometry. Pearson’s correlation verified the association between FR, Age, and PA. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to investigate the influence of variables on FR. PA, age are predictors of FR, with PA (moderate, negative) age (moderate, positive). MLR analysis showed FR variability explained by PA (42.0%) and by age (37.0%), and by gender, female FR explained by light PA (47.0%), while in male, FR explained by sedentary behaviour (44.1%) and age (22.7%) independently. Individuals with higher physical activity have lower fall risk. Older are prone to fall. Older women with light physical activity are less likely to fall. Older men with more sedentary behaviour are prone to fall.
- EEG evidence for mirror neuron system integrity in Down syndromePublication . Ferreira, Laís; Simões-Silva, Vitor; Tavares, Diana; Santos, Rubim; Rocha, NunoUnderstanding and imitating other people’s actions is crucial for social cognition. These skills appear to be supported by the human mirror neuron system. There is contradictory evidence regarding social skills in people with Down Syndrome (DS) and in consequence, regarding the integrity of the mirror neuron system. Although having good social and imitation skills, there is evidence for impairments in interpreting social situations and recognizing emotions. To determine whether there are impairments in the mirroring activity of adults with DS when compared to individuals without DS, by calculating the variation of the suppression of the EEG mu activity.
- Kinematic analysis of the upper limb in reaching – a study in preterm and term young adults.Publication . Pereira, Soraia; Almeida, Bruna; Santos, Rubim; Silva, CláudiaEven in the absence of apparent neurological injury, preterm children, defined by the World Health Organization as babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy, may present movement disorders that are related to atypical neuromotor and behavioral development, noting that these initial deficits have a ripple effect on neurodevelopment. However, despite the evidence that changes in postural control (CP) remain throughout the child’s life, no evidence was founded regarding the maintenance of these changes until adulthood, specifically between 18 and 25 years of age, and whether these have implications for the function of the upper limb. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the kinematics of the upper limb and trunk and the behavior of the center of pressure (CoP) during the performance of the reach movement in standing, comparing the dominant upper limb (DL) with the non-dominant upper limb (NDL), in preterm and term young adults.
- Controlo postural da tíbio társica: “Efeitos” da ortótese do tipo AFO em sujeitos saudáveisPublication . Cotrim, Daniela; Pinheiro De Sousa, Andreia Sofia; Santos, Rubim; Silva, AugustaAvaliar a influência do uso da ortótese AFO nos tempos de variação da atividade muscular dos músculos tibial anterior, solear e gastrocnémio medial, durante os ajustes posturais na janela temporal compreendida entre os -250 até os 50 ms relativamente ao início da marcha, sentar e levantar. Oito sujeitos voluntários com idade entre os 25-35 anos, foram avaliados com recurso à eletromiografia de superfície e à plataforma de força em dois momentos 1) sem a ortótese 2) com ortótese.
- Bilateral compensatory postural adjustments to a unilateral perturbation in subjects with chronic ankle instabilityPublication . Pinheiro De Sousa, Andreia Sofia; Silva, Márcia; Gonzalez, Samuel; Santos, RubimTo evaluate the magnitude of bilateral compensatory postural adjustments in response to a unilateral sudden inversion perturbation in subjects with chronic ankle instability. Methods: 24 athletes with chronic ankle instability (14 with functional ankle instability, 10 with mechanical ankle instability) and twenty controls participated in this study. The bilateral electromyography of ankle muscles was collected during a unilateral sudden ankle inversion to assess the magnitude of subcortical and voluntary compensatory postural adjustments in both the perturbed and the contralateral limb (support limb). In the support position, compared to the control group, the group with functional ankle instability presented decreased compensatory postural adjustments of the tibialis anterior in both the injured and the uninjured limbs in the support position and of the soleus in the uninjured limb. In the side of the perturbation, participants with functional ankle instability presented decreased soleus compensatory postural adjustments in the uninjured limb when compared to the control group. Increased values of soleus and peroneal brevis compensatory postural adjustments were observed in the group with mechanical instability when compared to the control group and to the group with functional ankle instability. Subjects with functional ankle instability present bilateral impairment of compensatory postural adjustments of the tibialis anterior in a support position and of the soleus of the uninjured limb regardless of the position. Subjects with mechanical instability present bilateral increase of these adjustments in the peroneal brevis regardless of the position and in the soleus muscle in the side of the perturbation.