Effect of brain training through visual mirror feedback, action observation and motor imagery on orofacial sensorimotor variables: A single-blind randomized controlled trial

Effect of action observation training on the oral phase of swallowing in children with cerebral palsy: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Swallowing disorder is prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and previous studies have shown that motor-based programs benefit children with CP by facilitating motor learning. We hypothesized that action observation training (AOT) could enhance motor learning and improve the oral phase of swallowing in children. In this two-group parallel double-blind randomized controlled trial, the intervention group received AOT and sensorimotor therapy, while the control group received a sham and sensorimotor therapy. The function of the oral phase of swallowing, as the primary outcome, was measured pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at one month of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included reported symptoms of feeding problems and the impact of the child's swallowing disorder on the main caregiver, which were measured pre-intervention and post-intervention. The result of the Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant difference between the two groups in the function of the oral phase of swallowing after the intervention. Additionally, the intervention had a large effect size. However, no significant difference was found in the parent-reported scores of the feeding/swallowing impact survey and symptoms of feeding problems between the two groups. In conclusion, this pilot study provides preliminary evidence of the clinical efficacy of AOT as a safe neurorehabilitation method to improve the oral phase of swallowing in children with CP. However more studies are needed in the future.

Craniofacial disorders and headaches. A narrative review

OBJECTIVES

Craniofacial- and headache disorders are common co-morbid disorders. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the research discussing craniofacial pain, especially temporomandibular disorders, and its relationship and impact on headaches, as well as suggestions for diagnostic assessment tools and physical therapeutic management strategies.

METHOD

A narrative structured review was performed. A search was conducted in MEDLINE using terms related to craniofacial pain and headaches. Additionally, papers regarding this topic were also extracted from the authors' personal libraries. Any study design (i.e., RCT, observational studies, systematic review, narrative review) that reported the concepts of interest was included, using Covidence. Results were narratively synthesized and described.

RESULTS

From an epidemiological perspective, craniofacial pain and headaches are strongly related and often co-existing. This may be due to the neuroanatomical connection with the trigeminal cervical complex, or due to shared predisposing factors such as age, gender, and psychosocial factors. Pain drawings, questionnaires, and physical tests can be used to determine the cause of pain, as well as other perpetuating factors in patients with headaches and craniofacial pain. The evidence supports different forms of exercise and a combination of hands-on and hands-off strategies aimed at both the craniofacial pain as well as the headache.

CONCLUSION

Headaches may be caused or aggravated by different disorders in the craniofacial region. Proper use of terminology and classification may help in understanding these complaints. Future research should look into the specific craniofacial areas and how headaches may arise from problems from those regions. (249 words).

Effects of Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations on Motor Imagery-Induced Thermal and Mechanical Hypoalgesia: A Single-Blind Randomised Controlled Trial

The main aim of this study was to assess whether self-efficacy (SE) and outcome expectations (OEs) modulate the hypoalgesic effect induced by motor imagery (MI). A total of 75 asymptomatic participants were randomly assigned to the positive (SE+, OE+), negative (SE-, OE-) or non-expectation (CG) groups. Heat pain threshold (HPT) and pain pressure threshold (PPT) were the main variables. Cold detection threshold (CDT), warm detection threshold (WDT), heart rate (HR) and perceived fatigue were the secondary variables. The variables were assessed preintervention, immediately postintervention and 10 min postintervention, except for HR, which was measured continuously during the intervention. Regarding HPT, significant within-group pre-post differences were found in the OE+ group, with a low effect size (p = 0.01, d = -0.39). With regard to ΔPPT, significant intergroup differences were found in Δpost-pre between the SE+ and CG groups (p = 0.012, d = 1.04) and also between SE+ and OE- (p = 0.006, d = 1.08), both with a large effect size. CG, SE-, and OE- groups had poorer CDT and WDT. Regarding HR, significant intergroup differences were found in the postintervention measurement between OE+ and SE-, with a large effect size (p = 0.016, d = 1.34). Lastly, no between-group differences were found regarding perceived fatigue (p > 0.05). The results obtained showed that positive expectations have a slight influence on the increase in heat and mechanical pain detection thresholds. Positive and non-expectancy groups showed an autonomic activation. The results also showed that negative expectations led to poorer perceptual processes.

Effect of Rehabilitation Physical Training on Basketball Injury under Ultrasound Examination

In order to solve the problem of observing the effect of rehabilitation physical training on basketball player injury, a kind of observation study on the effect of rehabilitation physical training on basketball player injury based on memory ultrasound examination was proposed. This study makes a comprehensive analysis of physical fitness training factors such as physical fitness test plan, training arrangement, training method, training monitoring, and effect evaluation. Through the experiment, it is found that there are still gaps in physical training, diagnostic standards, training plans and requirements, load monitoring, standardization of operation, nutrition, and recovery in the training organization. There are only 23.81% of full-time physical coaches and 25.40% of professional team doctors at all levels of sports teams. There were only 23.81% of full-time physical fitness coaches and 25.40% of professional team doctors in all levels of sports teams. Basketball players in the basketball injury survey had 67 sports injuries throughout the year, with a rate of 3.35 injuries per person and 2.48 injuries per 1000 hours. The location of chronic injuries is usually the lower back, knee joint, and ankle. The main injuries are due to the physical component, with injuries occurring most frequently throughout the training season in July, August, and September. Experiments show that good and professional physical training can reduce the risk of injury to a greater extent than strengthening the specific skills of athletes.

Observation on the Effect of MRI Image Scanning on Knee Pain in Football Injury

To study the effect of football injury on knee pain based on MRI image scanning, in this paper, a total of 31 knee injuries of 29 male professional football players from December 2012 to April 2015 were used as the experimental group. The players were 23.6 ± 3.5 years old and received professional football training time 15.3 ± 3.6 years; 31 outpatients of the same age group with acute knee joint acute injury were randomly selected as the control group; both groups were imaged with a 1.5 TMR scanner and knee joint standard array coil imaging, and 2 senior radiation surgeons evaluate knee cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, tendons, bone marrow, infrapatellar fat pad, and joint effusions. Pearson's chi-squared test and nonparametric test for two independent samples were used for statistical testing of the evaluation results. The experimental results showed that there were significant differences in the incidence of articular cartilage, lateral collateral ligament, tendon or ligament injury, multiligament or tendon injury, and bone marrow edema between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of medial collateral ligament injury, infrapatellar fat pad edema, and joint effusion. MRI shows that knee injuries in male professional football players often involve ligaments or tendons, mostly multiligament or tendon injuries. The lesions of articular cartilage and meniscus are more common and serious, and bone marrow edema is also more common in football injuries. MRI has high diagnostic accuracy for various clinical knee injuries, and it belongs to a noninvasive examination method. It can not only reflect the pathological changes and changes of the knee joints of patients but also provide information for the formulation of clinical programs and the judgment of prognosis, for timely, accurate, and comprehensive imaging reference.

Observation on the Effect of Shoulder Pain Caused by Volleyball Training Injury Based on MRI Image Scanning

In order to observe the effect of MRI image scanning on shoulder pain caused by volleyball training injury, this paper proposes to analyze the value of MR arthrography and conventional MRI image scanning in the diagnosis of shoulder injury. Taking the female volleyball players in a no. 1 middle school for nearly ten years as the research object, the injury investigation and statistics were carried out. The shoulder joint injury was investigated using arthroscopy and no injury was found. All patients underwent MR arthrography and routine MRI image scanning after admission. All patients underwent MR arthrography and routine MRI image scanning after admission. The patient took the flat lying position and put their arms flat on both sides of the body, and the Philips Achieva 3.0T MRI image scanning and Sense Flex M soft coil for MRI image scanning detection were used. The plain scan included oblique sagittal, axial, and oblique coronal proton density weighted image sequences; echo chain ETL = 6, TR/TE 2300/25 ms; and oblique sagittal and oblique coronal SET1W1; TRTE is 400/10 ms. Comparison was made with regard to the sensitivity, specificity, Jordan index, and accuracy of MR arthrography versus conventional MRI imaging in the diagnosis of shoulder injuries. The results were 38 true positives, 19 true negatives, 1 false positive, and 2 false negatives; a normal MRI scan showed 33 true positives, 13 true negatives, 7 false positives, and 7 false negatives. MR arthrography is more accurate than MRI image scanners in the diagnosis of shoulder injuries.

Impaired tongue motor control after temporomandibular disorder: A proof-of-concept case-control study of tongue print

BACKGROUND

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) perturbs the tongue motor control and consequently impairs oral function, but strength training reduces this impairment. However, tongue motor control is widely reduced to a matter of strength.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the accuracy of the tongue placement as a measure of tongue motor control in patients with TMD compared with age- and sex-matched healthy participants.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This proof-of-concept case-control study was prospective, observational, and part of the TMIQ study (NCT04102306). After pointing against a wood stick while maintaining the tongue as sharp as possible, the examinator drew the contour of the tongue print on the wood stick, which was then scanned for image analyses to compute the area for each participant using ImageJ.

RESULTS

A total of 94 participants were included, all patients with TMD (n = 47) diagnosed with myalgia, 61% with intra-articular joint disorder accordingly to the DC/TMD. The median (IQR) tongue print area was 117 (111) mm² for the TMD group and 93.5 (76.2) mm² for the control group (V = 352, p = .04) and the median [95% confidence interval] difference was 25.4 [1.3; 51.0] mm². Overlapping of the 95% confidence intervals of the area evidenced no significant difference between the categories of the DC/TMD. The corrected each area-total correlation (r = .24) suggests a reasonably homogenous thus valid measure.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that TMD impairs the motor control of the tongue. Therefore, the sharpest tongue pointing test may constitute a simple and accessible clinical tool to assess the accuracy of tongue placement in TMD patients. The study was registered on ClinicalTrial.gov with identification number NCT04102306.