Changes in motor actions in the face of varying task constraints

Publication date: Available online 13 August 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): Daekyoo Kim, Xia Pu, Nicole Woo, Simone V. Gill

Abstract

Background

Walking is an everyday activity that requires modifying patterns based on constraints posed by the environment. Meeting multiple constraints at once increases the challenge of modifying motor actions.

Research Question

We asked if adults’ strategies in adapting to spatial and temporal constraints were similar and if they would prioritize one constraint over the other when completing both.

Methods

Across three tasks, we investigated how adults altered their walking to cope with crossing obstacles (Task 1; N = 30), walking to a metronome beat (Task 2; N = 32), and crossing obstacles while walking to a metronome beat (Task 3; N = 30).

Results

Adults recalibrated to their baseline gait, but showed carryover effects after meeting a temporal constraint (allps>.05). We found an effect on the magnitude of deviation from metronome paces (F(2,62) = 58.86, p<.01). At the slow pace, participants stepped sooner than the beat, and at the fast pace they stepped later than the beat (all ps<.01). Adults altered the kinematics of their walking in response to a spatial constraint, but changed both the kinematics and kinetics of their walking patterns to meet temporal and combined spatial and temporal constraints. When attempting to meet both a spatial and temporal constraint simultaneously, they stepped sooner than the beat at all metronome paces (all ps<.01).

Significance

Our findings show separate walking strategies in adapting to spatial and temporal constraints. The presence of more than one constraint leads to prioritizing one over the other (i.e., a spatial constraint over a temporal constraint). These findings highlight that strategies for meeting constraints are dependent upon the type and number of constraints presented.

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Gait kinetics in children with clubfeet treated surgically or with the Ponseti method: a meta-analysis

Publication date: Available online 13 August 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): A.B.M. Tuinsma, B. Vanwanseele, L. van Oorschot, H.J.J. Kars, L. Grin, M. Reijman, A.T. Besselaar, M.C. van der Steen

Abstract

Background

Currently, the Ponseti method is the gold standard for treatment of clubfeet. For long-term functional evaluation of this method, gait analysis can be performed. Previous studies have assessed gait differences between Ponseti treated clubfeet and healthy controls.

Research question/Purpose

The aims of this systematic review were to compare the gait kinetics of Ponseti treated clubfeet with healthy controls and to compare the gait kinetics between clubfoot patients treated with the Ponseti method or surgically.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in Embase, Medline Ovid, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, Cinahl ebsco, and Google scholar, for studies reporting on gait kinetics in children with clubfeet treated with the Ponseti method. Studies were excluded if they only used EMG or pedobarography. Data were extracted and a risk of bias was assessed. Meta-analyses and qualitative analyses were performed.

Results

Nine studies were included, of which five were included in the meta-analyses. The meta-analyses showed that ankle plantarflexor moment (95% CI -0.25 to -0.19) and ankle power (95% CI -0.89 to -0.60, were significantly lower in the Ponseti treated clubfeet compared to the healthy controls. No significant difference was found in ankle dorsiflexor and plantarflexor moment, and ankle power between clubfeet treated with surgery compared to the Ponseti method.

Significance

Differences in gait kinetics are present when comparing Ponseti treated clubfeet with healthy controls. However, there is no significant difference between surgically and Ponseti treated clubfeet. These results give more insight in the possibilities of improving the gait pattern of patients treated for clubfeet.

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Long-term Tai Chi Practitioners Have Superior Body Stability under Dual Task Condition during Stair Ascent

Publication date: Available online 13 August 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): Qipeng Song, Li Li, Cui Zhang, Wei Sun, Dewei Mao

Abstract

Background

Stair walking contributed to 26% of self-reported falls and become the leading cause of accidental death for the elderly. The risk of fall increases while performing a cognitive task, like talking and/or reasoning.

Research question

Our work aimed to found out whether body stability under physical-cognitive dual task(DT) condition during stair ascent is superior among long-term Tai Chi (TC) practitioners.

Methods

Fifteen healthy, elderly long-term TC practitioners and fifteen no exercise(NE) practitioners were asked to walking ascent the stairs under single task(ST) and DT conditions in this cross-sectional study. Vicon motion analysis system and Kistler force plates were used synchronously to collect data. Ninety-five% confidence intervals, effect size and statistical power were calculated for each dependent variable to confirm significant difference.

Results

Compared with NE practitioners, TC practitioners had a lower head inclination angle, trunk inclination angle, hip angle, laterial impulse and center of mass-center of pressure(COM-COP)ap/ml separation, a higher ankle angle and loading rate under DT condition; TC practitioners had a lower head inclination angle, trunk inclination angle, higher ankle angle, loading rate and COM-COPml separation under ST condition. Compared with under ST condition, TC practitioners increased in minimum foot clearance, NE practitioners increased in laterial impulse and COM-COPml separation under DT condition. Under DT condition, body stability decreased among NE practitioners, while TC practitioners remained unchanged.

Significance

At present, there is no drug therapy proven to delay preclinical cognitive deterioration, it would be great helpful for the elderly if TC was been proved to improve their performance under cognitive related conditions.

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Changes in motor actions in the face of varying task constraints

Publication date: Available online 13 August 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): Daekyoo Kim, Xia Pu, Nicole Woo, Simone V. Gill

Abstract

Background

Walking is an everyday activity that requires modifying patterns based on constraints posed by the environment. Meeting multiple constraints at once increases the challenge of modifying motor actions.

Research Question

We asked if adults’ strategies in adapting to spatial and temporal constraints were similar and if they would prioritize one constraint over the other when completing both.

Methods

Across three tasks, we investigated how adults altered their walking to cope with crossing obstacles (Task 1; N = 30), walking to a metronome beat (Task 2; N = 32), and crossing obstacles while walking to a metronome beat (Task 3; N = 30).

Results

Adults recalibrated to their baseline gait, but showed carryover effects after meeting a temporal constraint (allps>.05). We found an effect on the magnitude of deviation from metronome paces (F(2,62) = 58.86, p<.01). At the slow pace, participants stepped sooner than the beat, and at the fast pace they stepped later than the beat (all ps<.01). Adults altered the kinematics of their walking in response to a spatial constraint, but changed both the kinematics and kinetics of their walking patterns to meet temporal and combined spatial and temporal constraints. When attempting to meet both a spatial and temporal constraint simultaneously, they stepped sooner than the beat at all metronome paces (all ps<.01).

Significance

Our findings show separate walking strategies in adapting to spatial and temporal constraints. The presence of more than one constraint leads to prioritizing one over the other (i.e., a spatial constraint over a temporal constraint). These findings highlight that strategies for meeting constraints are dependent upon the type and number of constraints presented.

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Gait kinetics in children with clubfeet treated surgically or with the Ponseti method: a meta-analysis

Publication date: Available online 13 August 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): A.B.M. Tuinsma, B. Vanwanseele, L. van Oorschot, H.J.J. Kars, L. Grin, M. Reijman, A.T. Besselaar, M.C. van der Steen

Abstract

Background

Currently, the Ponseti method is the gold standard for treatment of clubfeet. For long-term functional evaluation of this method, gait analysis can be performed. Previous studies have assessed gait differences between Ponseti treated clubfeet and healthy controls.

Research question/Purpose

The aims of this systematic review were to compare the gait kinetics of Ponseti treated clubfeet with healthy controls and to compare the gait kinetics between clubfoot patients treated with the Ponseti method or surgically.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in Embase, Medline Ovid, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, Cinahl ebsco, and Google scholar, for studies reporting on gait kinetics in children with clubfeet treated with the Ponseti method. Studies were excluded if they only used EMG or pedobarography. Data were extracted and a risk of bias was assessed. Meta-analyses and qualitative analyses were performed.

Results

Nine studies were included, of which five were included in the meta-analyses. The meta-analyses showed that ankle plantarflexor moment (95% CI -0.25 to -0.19) and ankle power (95% CI -0.89 to -0.60, were significantly lower in the Ponseti treated clubfeet compared to the healthy controls. No significant difference was found in ankle dorsiflexor and plantarflexor moment, and ankle power between clubfeet treated with surgery compared to the Ponseti method.

Significance

Differences in gait kinetics are present when comparing Ponseti treated clubfeet with healthy controls. However, there is no significant difference between surgically and Ponseti treated clubfeet. These results give more insight in the possibilities of improving the gait pattern of patients treated for clubfeet.

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Long-term Tai Chi Practitioners Have Superior Body Stability under Dual Task Condition during Stair Ascent

Publication date: Available online 13 August 2018

Source: Gait & Posture

Author(s): Qipeng Song, Li Li, Cui Zhang, Wei Sun, Dewei Mao

Abstract

Background

Stair walking contributed to 26% of self-reported falls and become the leading cause of accidental death for the elderly. The risk of fall increases while performing a cognitive task, like talking and/or reasoning.

Research question

Our work aimed to found out whether body stability under physical-cognitive dual task(DT) condition during stair ascent is superior among long-term Tai Chi (TC) practitioners.

Methods

Fifteen healthy, elderly long-term TC practitioners and fifteen no exercise(NE) practitioners were asked to walking ascent the stairs under single task(ST) and DT conditions in this cross-sectional study. Vicon motion analysis system and Kistler force plates were used synchronously to collect data. Ninety-five% confidence intervals, effect size and statistical power were calculated for each dependent variable to confirm significant difference.

Results

Compared with NE practitioners, TC practitioners had a lower head inclination angle, trunk inclination angle, hip angle, laterial impulse and center of mass-center of pressure(COM-COP)ap/ml separation, a higher ankle angle and loading rate under DT condition; TC practitioners had a lower head inclination angle, trunk inclination angle, higher ankle angle, loading rate and COM-COPml separation under ST condition. Compared with under ST condition, TC practitioners increased in minimum foot clearance, NE practitioners increased in laterial impulse and COM-COPml separation under DT condition. Under DT condition, body stability decreased among NE practitioners, while TC practitioners remained unchanged.

Significance

At present, there is no drug therapy proven to delay preclinical cognitive deterioration, it would be great helpful for the elderly if TC was been proved to improve their performance under cognitive related conditions.

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Tinnitus Suppression in Cochlear Implant Patients Using a Sound Therapy App

Purpose

The use of acoustic stimuli to reduce the prominence of tinnitus has been used for decades. Counseling and tinnitus sound therapy options are not currently widespread for cochlear implant (CI) users. The goal of this study was to determine whether tinnitus therapy sounds created for individuals with acoustic hearing may also benefit CI users.

Method

Sixteen sounds from the ReSound Relief app (Version 3.0) were selected for the study. Sixteen participants were asked to rate the overall acceptability of each sound and to write the description of the sound they perceived. Sounds were streamed from an Apple™ iPod (6th generation) to the CI using a Cochlear™ Wireless Mini Microphone 2+. Thirteen participants then completed a 5-min trial where they rated their pretrial and posttrial tinnitus and the acceptability of a subset of preferred sounds. Ten out of these 13 participants completed a 2-week home trial with a preferred sound after which they answered an online tinnitus questionnaire and rated the effectiveness of the sound therapy.

Results

Individual differences were large. Results from the 5-min trial showed that sounds perceived as rain, music, and waves were rated the most acceptable. For all of the participants, the posttrial tinnitus loudness rating was lower than the pretrial rating, with some participants experiencing greater difference in their tinnitus loudness than others. At the end of the 2-week home trial, 3 of 10 participants rated the effectiveness of sound therapy 70% or higher.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the use of tinnitus therapy sounds delivered through a CI can be acceptable and provides relief for some tinnitus sufferers.

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Tinnitus Suppression in Cochlear Implant Patients Using a Sound Therapy App

Purpose

The use of acoustic stimuli to reduce the prominence of tinnitus has been used for decades. Counseling and tinnitus sound therapy options are not currently widespread for cochlear implant (CI) users. The goal of this study was to determine whether tinnitus therapy sounds created for individuals with acoustic hearing may also benefit CI users.

Method

Sixteen sounds from the ReSound Relief app (Version 3.0) were selected for the study. Sixteen participants were asked to rate the overall acceptability of each sound and to write the description of the sound they perceived. Sounds were streamed from an Apple™ iPod (6th generation) to the CI using a Cochlear™ Wireless Mini Microphone 2+. Thirteen participants then completed a 5-min trial where they rated their pretrial and posttrial tinnitus and the acceptability of a subset of preferred sounds. Ten out of these 13 participants completed a 2-week home trial with a preferred sound after which they answered an online tinnitus questionnaire and rated the effectiveness of the sound therapy.

Results

Individual differences were large. Results from the 5-min trial showed that sounds perceived as rain, music, and waves were rated the most acceptable. For all of the participants, the posttrial tinnitus loudness rating was lower than the pretrial rating, with some participants experiencing greater difference in their tinnitus loudness than others. At the end of the 2-week home trial, 3 of 10 participants rated the effectiveness of sound therapy 70% or higher.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the use of tinnitus therapy sounds delivered through a CI can be acceptable and provides relief for some tinnitus sufferers.

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