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Mayer P, Sebesi B, Vadász K, Laczkó J, Zentai N, Balázs B, Váczi M. Kinematics and muscle activity of the lower limb during single-leg stance on the two sides of the Togu Jumper. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1049035. [PMID: 36875045 PMCID: PMC9975544 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1049035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Togu Jumper is a both sides utilized balance training device, which consists of an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform. It has been shown to be effective in improving postural control but there are no recommendations for the usage of the sides. Our aim was to examine leg muscle activity and kinematics in response to a single-leg stance on the two sides of the Togu Jumper and the floor. Methods: In 14 female subjects, linear acceleration of leg segments, segmental angular sway, and myoelectric activity of 8 leg muscles were recorded in the three stance conditions. Results: Except gluteus medius and gastrocnemius medialis, all muscles were more active when balancing on either Togu Jumper side compared to the floor (p < 0.001), but there was no difference between the two sides in any muscles. Linear acceleration was the greatest in the frontal plane on the flat Togu side in the case of the foot (p < 0.001). Pelvis acceleration was unaffected by the balance conditions. Segmental angular sway was the greatest in the frontal plane, on the bladder side in the foot segment (p < 0.001). No difference was found among the three conditions (all p > 0.05) in the case of the shank, thigh, and pelvis. Conclusion: The use of the two Togu Jumper sides produced different balance strategies in the foot segment and induced no difference in equilibrium procedures at the level of the pelvis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Mayer
- Doctoral School of Biology and Sportbiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Sebesi
- Doctoral School of Biology and Sportbiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Kitty Vadász
- Institute of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - József Laczkó
- Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Norbert Zentai
- Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Bence Balázs
- Doctoral School of Biology and Sportbiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Márk Váczi
- Institute of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Ivusza P, Hortobágyi T, Sebesi B, Gáspár B, Fésüs Á, Varga M, Malmos V, Váczi M. No Difference in the Acute Effects of Randomization vs. Blocking of Units of Lower-Extremity Proprioceptive Training on Balance and Postural Control in Young Healthy Male Adults. Front Physiol 2022; 13:824651. [PMID: 35557968 PMCID: PMC9086394 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.824651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Random practice is a form of differential learning and its favorable acute effects on motor performance are well described when visual tasks are practiced. However, no study to date has investigated the acute effects of differential learning using variable proprioceptive stimuli instead of the visual cues. The aim of the present study was to compare the acute effects of randomized versus blocked lower-extremity proprioceptive training stimuli on balance and postural adjustments. In two conditions, healthy young males (n = 15, age = 23 years) performed 16 one-legged landings on a board tilted in four directions: 1) tilt direction unknown and randomized and 2) tilt direction known with order of presentation blocked. Multi-segmental angular sway while balancing on an unstable surface and postural responses to perturbation stimulus by surface tilts were measured before and 4 min after training. Overall frontal-plane postural sway on the unstable surface decreased (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.022) in both conditions, while sagittal-plane postural sway remained unchanged. When the surface was toes-up tilted in the perturbation test, the sagittal-plane shank-thigh-pelvis alignment improved in both conditions (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.017), but the direction of the segmental positioning was non-uniform across participants. We conclude that randomization vs. blocking of units of lower-extremity proprioceptive training did not affect balance and postural control in our cohort of healthy young adults but the improvements were test-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Ivusza
- Institution of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tibor Hortobágyi
- Institution of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Balázs Sebesi
- Institution of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gáspár
- Institution of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ádám Fésüs
- Institution of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Mátyás Varga
- Institution of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Vanessza Malmos
- Faculty of Humanities, Institute of English Studies, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Márk Váczi
- Institution of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Voglar M, Kozinc Ž, Kingma I, van Dieën JH, Šarabon N. The Effects of Intermittent Trunk Flexion With and Without Support on Sitting Balance in Young Adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:868153. [PMID: 35422691 PMCID: PMC9001929 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.868153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolonged trunk flexion is known to affect passive and active stabilization of the trunk. Previous studies have evaluated changes in spinal range of motion, muscle activity and reflex behavior induced by prolonged trunk flexion, whereas the effect on sitting postural control is vastly underexplored. In this study, we compared the effects of supported and unsupported intermittent trunk flexion on center of pressure (CoP) motion during sitting on an unstable seat. Participants (n = 21; 11 males, 23.2 ± 2.0 years; 10 females, age 24.3 ± 4.0) were exposed to 1-h intermittent (60-s sets with 30 s of rest) trunk flexion (80% of the maximal range of motion) and CoP root mean square distance, velocity and frequency before and after the exposure were assessed. Contrary to our hypothesis, there were no main effects of exposure (pre. vs. post flexion protocol; p = 0.128–0.709), no main effects of condition (supported vs. unsupported; p = 0.134–0.931), and no interaction between exposure and condition (p = 0.163–0.912). Our results indicate that prolonged intermittent flexion does not induce any changes in CoP motion during a seated balance task, regardless of the presence of a trunk support during prolonged intermittent flexion. This suggests a successful compensation of decreased passive stiffness by increased reflex activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Voglar
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia
| | - Žiga Kozinc
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia
- Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Idsart Kingma
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jaap H. van Dieën
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nejc Šarabon
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia
- InnoRenew CoE, Human Health Department, Izola, Slovenia
- Laboratory for Motor Control and Motor Behavior, S2P, Science to Practice, Ltd., Ljubljana, Slovenia
- *Correspondence: Nejc Šarabon, ;
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KIM HYUNSUNG, SHIN YOUNGJUN, KIM SEONGGIL. ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STANDING AND SITTING POSTURES ON NECK PROPRIOCEPTION USING JOINT POSITION ERROR TEST. J MECH MED BIOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1142/s0219519421400480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The proprioceptive sense is a very important function for the body, and joint position error test (JPET) is commonly used to measure it. This study was to analyze the difference of proprioception in standing and sitting postures through the JPET. A total of 60 students (M/F, 12/48) in D University in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea participated in this study. A JPET was performed with the subject’s eyes closed to assess the neck proprioception. The movement of the neck was measured in flexion, extension, and lateral flexion, and separately measured when sitting and standing. The difference in repositioning errors between sitting and standing postures was analyzed using paired [Formula: see text]-test. There was a significant difference in repositioning errors between sitting and standing posture in neck extension. There was no significant difference in repositioning errors between sitting and standing posture in neck flexion and lateral flexion. In conclusion, in a sitting posture, posterior neck muscles are used more than in the standing posture, which may negatively affect the proprioceptive accuracy of the neck and may also increase the neck repositioning errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- HYUN-SUNG KIM
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health, Kyungwoon University, Gumi-si 39160, Republic of Korea
| | - YOUNG-JUN SHIN
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health, Kyungwoon University, Gumi-si 39160, Republic of Korea
| | - SEONG-GIL KIM
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, SunMoon University, Asan-si 31460, Republic of Korea
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5
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Cheung TCK, Schmuckler MA. Multisensory postural control in adults: Variation in visual, haptic, and proprioceptive inputs. Hum Mov Sci 2021; 79:102845. [PMID: 34358881 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2021.102845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining balance is fundamentally a multisensory process, with visual, haptic, and proprioceptive information all playing an important role in postural control. The current project examined the interaction between such sensory inputs, manipulating visual (presence versus absence), haptic (presence versus absence of contact with a stable or unstable finger support surface), and proprioceptive (varying stance widths, including shoulder width stance, Chaplin [heels together, feet splayed at approximately 60°] stance, feet together stance, and tandem stance) information. Analyses of mean velocity of the Centre of Pressure (CoP) revealed significant interactions between these factors, with stability gains observed as a function of increasing sensory information (e.g., visual, haptic, visual + haptic), although the nature of these gains was modulated by the proprioceptive information and the reliability of the haptic support surface (i.e., unstable versus stable finger supports). Subsequent analyses on individual difference parameters (e.g., height, leg length, weight, and areas of base of support) revealed that these variables were significantly related to postural measures across experimental conditions. These findings are discussed relative to their implications for multisensory postural control, and with respect to inverted pendulum models of balance. (185 words).
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Frechette ML, Abou L, Rice LA, Sosnoff JJ. The Validity, Reliability, and Sensitivity of a Smartphone-Based Seated Postural Control Assessment in Wheelchair Users: A Pilot Study. Front Sports Act Living 2020; 2:540930. [PMID: 33367273 PMCID: PMC7750873 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2020.540930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Seated postural control is essential for wheelchair users to maintain proper position while performing activities of daily living. Clinical tests are commonly used to measure seated postural control, yet they are subjective and lack sensitivity. Lab-based measures are highly sensitive but are limited in scope and restricted to research settings. Establishing a valid, reliable, and accessible measurement tool of seated postural control is necessary for remote, objective assessments. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of smartphone-based postural control assessments in wheelchair users. Eleven participants (age: 35.4 ± 17.9) completed two experimental visits 1-week apart consisting of three clinical tests: Trunk Control Test (TCT), Function in Sitting Test (FIST), and Tee-shirt Test, as well as, standardized instrumented balance tasks that manipulated vision (eyes open and closed), and trunk movement (functional reach and stability boundary). During these tasks, participants held a smartphone instrumented with a research-grade accelerometer to their chest. Maximum and root mean square (RMS) acceleration in the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) axes were derived. Participants were grouped into non-impaired and impaired postural groups based on FIST scores. Spearman rank-order correlations were conducted between the two devices' outcome measurements and between these measures and those of the clinical tests. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curves (AUC) were determined to distinguish participants with and without impaired postural control. The reliability of outcome variables was assessed using inter-class correlations. Strong correlations between outputs derived from the smartphone and research-grade accelerometer were seen across balance tasks (ρ = −0.75–1.00; p ≤ 0.01). Numerous significant moderate correlations between clinical test outcomes and smartphone and research-grade RMS ML accelerometry were seen (ρ = −0.62 to 0.83 (p ≤ 0.044)]. On both devices, the AUC for ROC plots were significant for RMS ML sway during the eyes open task and functional stability boundary (p < 0.05). Reliability of smartphone accelerometry was comparable to the research-grade accelerometer and clinical tests. This pilot study illustrated that smartphone-based accelerometry may be able to provide a valid and reliable assessment of seated postural control and have the ability to distinguish between those with and without impaired postural control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela L Frechette
- Motor Control Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Research Collaborative, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Libak Abou
- Disability Participation & Quality of Life Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Laura A Rice
- Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Research Collaborative, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Disability Participation & Quality of Life Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Jacob J Sosnoff
- Motor Control Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Research Collaborative, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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Kim DH, An DH, Yoo WG. Changes in trunk sway and impairment during sitting and standing in children with cerebral palsy. Technol Health Care 2018; 26:761-768. [PMID: 29991150 DOI: 10.3233/thc-181301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor postural control constitutes a major impairment in children with cerebral palsy (CP), compromising everyday activities such as sitting- and standing-position. PURPOSE In this study, we measured trunk sway during sitting- and standing-position. Additionally, we assessed trunk control ability using the trunk impairment scale (TIS), trunk control measurement scale (TCMS), and sitting assessment test for children with neuromotor dysfunction (SACND), in children with CP. METHODS Fifteen children (10 boys and 5 girls) were recruited for this study. Trunk sway was measured using a triaxial accelerometer that recorded variation in movement acceleration during quiet sitting- and standing-position. RESULTS Anterior-posterior (AP) acceleration was significantly greater in the standing position than the sitting position (p= 0.001). Medio-lateral (ML) acceleration was significantly greater in the standing position than in the sitting position (p= 0.012). The TIS total score showed a moderate negative relationship with AP acceleration (r=-0.635, p= 0.011). The TCMS total score moderately and negatively correlated with AP acceleration (r=-0.582, p= 0.023). The SACND total score moderately and positively correlated with AP acceleration (r= 0.670, p= 0.006). CONCLUSION Measurement of trunk sway using a triaxial accelerometer revealed a moderate correlation with trunk control test data and excellent reliability. Our findings suggest that measurement of trunk sway using a triaxial accelerometer is not time-consuming, and is simple and easy. Our approach can be applied in clinical settings to gain information on trunk control in children with CP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do-Hyun Kim
- HIP and MAL Laboratory, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea
| | - Duk-Hyun An
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea
| | - Won-Gyu Yoo
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea
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Kim DH, An DH, Yoo WG. The relationship between trunk control and upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy. Technol Health Care 2018; 26:421-427. [DOI: 10.3233/thc-171073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Do Hyun Kim
- HIP&MAL Laboratory, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea
| | - Duk-Hyun An
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea
| | - Won-Gyu Yoo
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea
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9
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Curtis DJ, Woollacott M, Bencke J, Lauridsen HB, Saavedra S, Bandholm T, Sonne-Holm S. The functional effect of segmental trunk and head control training in moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial. Dev Neurorehabil 2018; 21:91-100. [PMID: 28045553 DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2016.1265603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine whether segmental training is more effective in improving gross motor function in children and young people with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy than conventional physiotherapy. METHODS Twenty-eight participants were randomized to a segmental training or control group. Outcomes were Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo), and postural sway at baseline, at primary endpoint (6 months), and at follow-up (12 months). RESULTS There were no significant differences in either GMFM, PEDI, or SATCo scores at primary endpoint or follow-up. There were significant reductions in anterior-posterior head angular sway and trunk sway in the segmental training group at primary endpoint but not at follow-up. CONCLUSION Segmental training was not superior to usual care in improving GMFM. Improvements in head and trunk sway were greater in the segmental training group at primary endpoint but not at follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek John Curtis
- a The Gait Analysis Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery , Hvidovre University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark.,b Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Research-Copenhagen (PMR-C), Copenhagen, Denmark.,c Institute for Physical and Occupational Therapy, The Faculty of Health and Technology , Metropolitan University College , Copenhagen
| | | | - Jesper Bencke
- a The Gait Analysis Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery , Hvidovre University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Hanne Bloch Lauridsen
- a The Gait Analysis Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery , Hvidovre University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Sandy Saavedra
- e Department of Rehabilitation Sciences College of Education , Nursing & Health Professions, University of Hartford , Hartford , CT, USA
| | - Thomas Bandholm
- b Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Research-Copenhagen (PMR-C), Copenhagen, Denmark.,f Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy , Hvidovre University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark.,g Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Stig Sonne-Holm
- a The Gait Analysis Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery , Hvidovre University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark.,h Department of Orthopedic Surgery , Hvidovre University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark
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Rachwani J, Soska KC, Adolph KE. Behavioral flexibility in learning to sit. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:937-948. [PMID: 29071706 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
What do infants learn when they learn to sit upright? We tested behavioral flexibility in learning to sit-the ability to adapt posture to changes in the environment-in 6- to 9-month-old infants sitting on forward and backward slopes. Infants began with slant at 0°; then slant increased in 2° increments until infants lost balance. Infants kept balance on impressively steep slopes, especially in the forward direction, despite the unexpected movements of the apparatus. Between slant adjustments while the slope was stationary, infants adapted posture to the direction and degree of slant by leaning backward on forward slopes and forward on backward slopes. Postural adaptations were nearly optimal for backward slopes. Sitting experience predicted greater postural adaptations and increased ability to keep balance on steeper changes of slant, but only for forward slopes. We suggest that behavioral flexibility is integral to learning to sit and increases with sitting experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Rachwani
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Kasey C Soska
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Karen E Adolph
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
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Sánchez MB, Loram I, Darby J, Holmes P, Butler PB. A video based method to quantify posture of the head and trunk in sitting. Gait Posture 2017; 51:181-187. [PMID: 27810690 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Maintenance of a vertically aligned posture of the head and trunk in sitting is a fundamental skill that demonstrates the presence of neuromotor control. Clinical assessments of posture are generally subjective. Studies have quantified posture using different technologies, but the application of such technologies in a clinical environment remains difficult. Video recordings, however, are easily used clinically and have potential for quantitative analysis of movement. This study used a video-based method to generate a numerical measure of postural alignment of the head and trunk in sitting. Static and dynamic trials of 12 healthy seated adults were simultaneously recorded with a sagittal video camera and a 3D motion capture system. Segmental angles were calculated for the Head, Neck and six Trunk segments. An agreed definition of aligned static sitting posture agreed was used by five clinically experienced experts to identify video frames where the participants' posture was aligned. The five subsets of frames that defined the aligned posture were combined to give aligned segments (mean±SD) for each participant. Agreement between experts in the definition (mean) of aligned segmental angles was excellent (ICC=0.99) and intra-assessor reliability (SD) lay within 2.1°-11.6°. Agreement between the video-based method and the 3D system was below 3.8° and 8.4° for static and dynamic trials respectively. This video-based method allowed the quantification of sitting posture and provided greater detail of the trunk/spinal profile than previous methods. It has potential as a complementary tool, alongside subjective assessments, for patients with a wide variety of pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María B Sánchez
- School of Healthcare Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
| | - Ian Loram
- School of Healthcare Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - John Darby
- School of Computing Mathematics and Digital Technology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Paul Holmes
- Health, Exercise and Active Living (HEAL), Manchester Metropolitan University, Cheshire, UK
| | - Penelope B Butler
- Health, Exercise and Active Living (HEAL), Manchester Metropolitan University, Cheshire, UK; The Movement Centre, Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital, Oswestry, Shropshire, UK
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