Purpose: Research supports the use of ballroom dance to improve balance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study used the Mark Morris Dance for PD program as a template for dance classes to examine the effects of dance on gait, balance, and quality of life in individuals with PD.
Subjects : Eleven individuals with mild to moderate PD participated in the study.
Methods : A trained instructor led dance classes for subjects once a week for 12 weeks. Participants were encouraged to use the Mark Morris Dance for PD At Home DVD twice a week for 45 minutes. Classes included a 20 min. seated warm up; a 20 min. supported standing portion focused on balance and strength; and 30 min. partnered movements for swing, shag, or tango. Data collected before and after the intervention included gait parameters (Protokinetics Zeno walkway), sway area (AMTI force platform) during mCTSIB, Mini-BESTest, Falls Efficacy Scale, Apathy Scale and PDQ-39. A paired-samples t-test was performed.
Results : Participants had significant decrease in apathy following the intervention (P = 0.018). A significant decrease in the percentage of the double support phase of gait indicated individuals spent less time with both feet in contact with the ground (P = 0.019).
Conclusions : An instructor-led dance class based on the Dance for PD program once per week for 12 weeks improved certain aspects of quality of life, but not necessarily gait and balance. Further research with increased frequency of supervised dance classes is indicated.
Higher ACL injury frequencies have been reported on synthetic turfs compared to natural turfs. However, assessments of cleat stud type on lower extremity biomechanics worn on these surfaces are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the knee biomechanics of a non-studded running shoe (RS), a football shoe with natural turf studs (NTS), and with synthetic turf studs (STS) during single-leg land-cut and 180°-cut tasks on synthetic turf. Fourteen recreational football players performed five trials of 180°-cut and land-cut tasks in the three shoe conditions on an infilled synthetic turf. Knee biomechanics were analyzed using a 2x3 (task x shoe) repeated measures ANOVA followed by post-hoc paired samples t-tests (p<0.05). For the 180° cut, 1st peak internal knee adduction moments were increased in RS and STS compared to NTS (Table) and in 1st peak knee extensor moments in RS compared NTS and STS. The peak negative knee extensor power was increased in RS compared to NTS and STS. The land-cut had significantly greater peak extensor moments, sagittal plane powers, and abduction angles, and significantly lower adduction moments compared to the 180°-cut. As expected, the land-cut movement involved increased power absorption, power generation, and extensor moment compared to the 180°-cut. However, shoe effects lie only in the 180°-cut. Decreased medial ground reaction force1, knee adduction and extensor moments in NTS suggest the knee may be in a safer environment using these studs during cutting maneuvers. Reduced knee adduction moments in NTS could have implications in non-contact ACL injury.
Over the past years, we have developed a test for postural stability based on the theory of synergies stabilizing salient performance variables. In this study, effects of Parkinson's disease (PD) and dopamine-replacement therapy on multi-muscle synergies stabilizing the center of pressure (COP) coordinate were explored between: (1) a cohort of 11 patients without clinically identifiable postural problems (Hoehn-Yahr stage II) and 11 age-matched controls, and (2) a cohort of 10 patients tested off- and on-medication, with and without postural problems (stage II and III, n = 5 per stage). Participants stood on a force platform and performed cyclical body sway at 0.5 Hz along the anterior-posterior direction. Electromyographic signals from 13 leg and trunk muscles were used to compute: (1) the amount of inter-cycle variance that did not affect (VUCM) and affected (VORT) COP coordinate, and (2) the magnitude of the cycle-to-cycle motion that did not change (motor equivalent: ME) and changed (non-motor equivalent: nME) the COP coordinate. We hypothesized that both methods would produce indices sensitive to PD and dopaminergic medications. Compared to controls, patients showed significantly smaller inter-cycle VUCM and ME components suggesting a less flexible, and hence less stable, behavior. Moreover, inter-cycle variance within/orthogonal to the UCM correlated with ME/nME displacements. Results suggest clinical utility of variance and motor equivalence analyses of postural instability in early stages of PD and quantifying the effects of dopamine-replacement drugs. The analysis of motor equivalence is particularly attractive because it requires only a handful of trials (observations).
The Federal Rail Association (FRA) mandated an increase in freight railcar weight limits from 1170 kN (263,000 lb) to 1272 kN (286,000 lb). However, most of the railway bridges were built prior to World War II and are not designed to handle this increased railcar weight. Thus, there is a need for accurate and efficient methods to evaluate and load rate existing bridges that will reveal their actual capacities.
In this study, the research approach adopted is aimed at providing an efficient method to load rate railway bridges. Three load rating methods were utilized and compared: (1) traditional method based on American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) specifications, (2) refined traditional method using data from field tests, and (3) load rating using testing data and finite element (FE) modeling. Various types of bridges were field tested and evaluated. Results from a typical railway bridge will be used to demonstrate and compare each one of the three load rating methods. For this bridge, non-destructive testing was performed. The collected responses were used to improve the traditional method and calibrate a 3-D FE model. The rating results indicated that method (1) can be relatively conservative and does not reflect the actual behavior of the structure while method (3) provided accurate results it was more tedious. It is suggested that the refined traditional method (2) be used since it provided similar accurate rating results without developing a detailed FE model.
This poster presents a polymer-based microfluidic resistive sensor for detecting distributed loads. The sensor is comprised of a polymer rectangular microstructure with an embedded electrolyte-filled microchannel and an array of electrodes aligned along the microchannel length. Electrolyte solution in the microchannel serves as impedance transduction. Distributed loads acting on the polymer microstructure give rise to different deflection along the microstructure length, which is recorded as the resistance change in electrolyte solution. This sensor can detect distributed loads by monitoring the resistance change at each pair of electrodes. Owing to great simplicity of the device configuration, a standard polymer-based fabrication process is employed to fabricate this device. With custom-built electronic circuits and custom LabVIEW programs, fabricated devices filled with two different electrolytes, 0.1M NaCl electrolyte and 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide electrolyte, are characterized, demonstrating the capability of detecting distributed static and dynamic loads with a single device.
Introduction: Stair gait is an activity performed daily. Inherently falls during stair gait continue to be a concern especially for older adults 65 years +. Recently falls have become the most common cause of injury-related deaths in individuals over the age of 75 y.o. Stair descent falls account for 75% of stair falls and also present a greater injury severity. Poor shoes or insoles and lighting condition can contribute to an increased risk of falls during stair locomotion. Stability can be measured using the COM-BOS ‘stability margin’ relationship. Center of pressure (COP), another stability measure,can be calculated from a multi-axis force-plate system. As well, plantar pressure is an important indicator of gait pattern efficiency. Aim: To identify aspects of stair gait that increase the risk of falls. By measuring the COM-BOS ‘stability margin’, the COP and plantar pressure patterns of individuals during stair gait, while modifying insoles and lighting. Methods: Young and older adults will ascend and descend a 4 level staircase, with two imbedded AMTI-force platforms in varying lighting condition (low, normal). Participants will be fitted with standardized footwear with Medi-logic insoles placed under varying hardnesses of insoles. An Optotrak motion capture system will record 12 IRED markers placed on the individual to determine the COM trajectory and BOS of location. Hypothesis: Partipants should demonstrate a greater lateral displacement in the single support phase during dim lighting as opposed to normal lighting. The stability of older adults will be compromised with alteration to the insoles (soft and hard).
Background: Numerous studies have described 3D kinematics, 3D kinetics and electromyography (EMG) of the lower limb during quasi-static or dynamic squatting activities. However there is only little information on the comparison of these two squatting conditions. Only one study compared these activities in terms of 3D kinematics, but no information was available on 3D kinetics and EMG. The purpose of this study was to compare simultaneous recordings of 3D kinematics, 3D kinetics and EMG of the lower limb during quasi-static and fast dynamic squats. Methods: Ten subjects were recruited. 3D knee kinematics was recorded with a motion capture system, 3D kinetics was recorded with a force plate, and EMG of 8 muscles was recorded with surface electrodes. Each subject performed a quasi-static squat and several fast dynamic squats from 0° to 70° of knee flexion. Findings: Mean differences between quasi-static and dynamic squats were 1.6° for rotations, 1.8 mm for translations, 38 N ground reaction forces (2.1 % of subjects’ body weight), 6 Nm for torques, 13.0 mm for center of pressure, and 7 µV for EMG (6.3% of the maximum dynamic electromyographic activities ). Some significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in anterior-posterior translation, vertical forces and EMG. Interpretation: All differences found between quasi-static and fast dynamic squats can be considered small. 69.5% of the compared data were equivalent. In conclusion, this study show for the first time that quasi-static and dynamic squatting activities are comparable in terms of 3D kinematics, 3D kinetics and EMG.
Development of neuronal prosthetics, where neuronal activity is used to control artificial limbs, has so far relied on decoding kinematic parameters of movements, such as movement position or velocity. In addition to kinematic control, proper control of forces exerted by the prosthetic device is necessary for successful interaction with the environment. In our study, we analysed the possibility of classifying and decoding different grasp related forces during active grasping. Two macaque monkeys were trained to reach, grasp and pull an object in response to visual cues. Cues instructed the monkeys to grasp the object with one out of two grip types (precision or side grip) and pull the object with one of two different forces (0.5N or 2N). Monkeys obtained a food reward after successfully performing the instructed grip and pull. During the task execution, we recorded electrophysiological signals from the multielectrode arrays implanted intracortically in the hand and arm area of the monkey’s motor cortex. Six different parameters of the grip: four pressure forces on each side of the object, pull force on the object and the object displacement, were recorded simultaneously with the neuronal activity. Recorded neuronal activity was used to classify different grip types or loading forces, and to decode the continuous traces of different forces during the grip. Our results show that kinetic grip parameters can be decoded with high accuracy, thereby improving the feasibility of constructing fully functional anthropomorphic neuronal prosthesis that relies on kinetic (force) control.
This study investigated the association of serum C-propeptide (sCPII), urinary CTX-II (uCTX-II), and uCTX-II:sCPII with peak vertical ground reaction force (PVGRF) and quadriceps strength during jump-landing in patients with ACL reconstruction (ACLR). METHODS: twenty two patients with ACLR (Male=14, age=19.6 ± 4 yr) were tested 20 weeks after the surgery. Blood and urine samples were collected. sCPII and uCTX-II, biomarkers of articular degradation and synthesis respectively, were analyze using commercial ELISAs. Subjects performed 3 trials of a forward drop land and a drop vertical jump. Subjects started on a 20 cm step and landed on a force platform (AMTI). PVGRF was analyzed on the surgical side. Quadriceps strength (PKET) was assessed with an isokinetic dynamometer (60°/s). PVGRF and PKET were normalized to body weight (BW). Pearson’s correlation, with and without adjustment for age, was used to analyze associations among variables. RESULTS: Mean (± SD) log concentrations were 2.88 ± 0.19 and 3.32 ± 0.49 ng/mmol for sCPII and uCTX-II respectively; and for uCTXII:CPII was 1.16 ± 0.18. PVGRF was 3.2 BW ± 0.3 and 1.4 BW ± 0.3 for the forward drop land and drop vertical jump tasks, respectively; PKET was 0.92 BW ± 0.2. There were no significant correlations among variables (p≥0.2), except for a trend towards a positive correlation between PKET and uCTXII:sCPII (r = 406, p = .076). CONCLUSSIONS: Biomarkers of type II collagen metabolism were not associated with jump-landing forces. However, higher quadriceps strength may be associated with a shift in articular cartilage metabolism towards degradation.
Purpose: Total Hip Replacements (THR) are common procedures for older people who suffer from degenerative joint disease. Golf is a popular leisure sport played by older Americans including those with THR. Hip torques encountered in a golf swing after THR has not been reported. The purpose of this study is to describe 3D hip joint torques generated during a golf swinging by those with THR.
Methods: Three male amateur golfers who were at least 1 year post THR (ages 59-71 year old and right hand dominant, (2 were left THR) participated. Golf handicap ranged from 16-18. All participants completed the Hip Harris Score. Passive reflective markers were placed on key boney anatomical landmarks. During data collection, participants completed ten swings using a standardized driver, after a warm up. Kinetics and kinematics were captured using a 10 camera Motion Analysis system and two AMTI forceplates. Inverse dynamics procedure was used to calculate peak hip torques in all three planes. Hip torques were normalized and presented as internal torques. Comparisons were made to previously collected similarly aged senior group.
Results: Average Club head velocity was slower than senior group. Sagittal Plane: THR golfers exhibited the greatest torque similar to senior group. Frontal plane: THR golfers demonstrated a lower hip adductor torque on the lead leg compared to the trail leg and senior group. Transverse plane: THR exhibited higher hip external rotation torques compared to the internal rotation torques and the senior group.
Conclusion: 3-D peak hip torques generated during the golf swing by persons with a THR are greatest in the sagittal plane. THR golfers demonstrated slower club head speed but generated higher hip torques in the transverse plane as compared to those without a THR. Hip external rotation torque was higher in all of the THR compared to the senior group.
Clinical Significance: Subjects with a THR may be prone to abnormal forces in the transverse plane during the golf swing. Future studies are needed to determine impact on return to golf decisions following a THR.