Sensory-motor and cognitive improvement by reintroducing postural and balance control from paretic body segments in stroke and TBI patients

Maintaining balance stability while turning in a quasi-static stance and/or in dynamic motion requires proper recovery mechanisms to manage sudden center-of-mass displacement. Furthermore, falls during turning are among the main concerns of community-dwelling elderly population. This study investigates the effect of aging on reactive postural responses to continuous yaw perturbations on a cohort of 10 young adults (mean age 28 ± 3 years old) and 10 older adults (mean age 61 ± 4 years old). Subjects underwent external continuous yaw perturbations provided by the RotoBit1D platform. Different conditions of visual feedback (eyes opened and eyes closed) and perturbation intensity, i.e., sinusoidal rotations on the horizontal plane at different frequencies (0.2 Hz and 0.3 Hz), were applied. Kinematics of axial body segments was gathered using three inertial measurement units. In order to measure reactive postural responses, we measured body-absolute and joint absolute rotations, center-of-mass displacement, body sway, and inter-joint coordination. Older adults showed significant reduction in horizontal rotations of body segments and joints, as well as in center-of-mass displacement. Furthermore, older adults manifested a greater variability in reactive postural responses than younger adults. The abnormal reactive postural responses observed in older adults might contribute to the well-known age-related difficulty in dealing with balance control during turning.

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SENSORY MOTOR INTERACTION IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT TO PROMOTE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS

Problems of Education in the 21st Century ◽

10.33225/pec/12.42.29 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 29-37

Author(s):

Stefano Di Tore ◽

Paola Aiello ◽

Carmen Palumbo ◽

Rodolfo Vastola ◽

Gaetano Raiola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Coordination ◽

New Technologies ◽

The Body ◽

Microsoft Kinect ◽

Input Device ◽

Verbal Language ◽

Body Segments ◽

Motor Abilities ◽

Sensory Motor ◽

Teaching Learning

"So far the school has been structured on the book, on the laborious acquisition of knowledge formulated in verbal language. Nowadays, thanks to the computer and its ability to simulate reality, it is possible to learn more naturally and without effort using our faculties of perception" (Antinucci, 2011). The statement by Antinucci, as well as the studies on many scientific domains supporting the idea of the involvement of sensory-motor integration in the development of intelligence and learning (Piaget, 1952; Vereecken, 1961), suggest to investigate in the didactics methodologies and instruments able to foster this integration ability. These studies also justify the current full attention in the field of movement teaching for new technologies, therefore the present research aims at testing a “shapes game” module that uses Microsoft Kinect System as an input device for the acquisition of data related to the movement of the body segments of the user. The possibility to identify the movement of specific body segments allows to develop teaching methodologies designed to foster the achievement of visual-motor abilities useful to the process of learning in school, through immersive modes of interaction, typical of “exergames” based on a full body involvement (Coshott, 2009). The present study shows the results of the pre-test software, built on a sample of pupils (aged 8 to 10) attending the fifth year of Italian primary school. Key words: edutainment, exergame, kinect, sensory-motor coordination, videogame.

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Quantifying Segmental Contributions to Center-of-Mass Motion During Dynamic Continuous Support Surface Perturbations Using Simplified Estimation Models

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.2019-0239 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 198-208

Author(s):

Alison Schinkel-Ivy ◽

Vicki Komisar ◽

Carolyn A. Duncan

Keyword(s):

Balance Control ◽

Center Of Mass ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

The Body ◽

Whole Body ◽

Mass Motion ◽

Support Surface ◽

Body Segments ◽

Body Model ◽

Full Body

Investigating balance reactions following continuous, multidirectional, support surface perturbations is essential for improving our understanding of balance control in moving environments. Segmental motions are often incorporated into rapid balance reactions following external perturbations to balance, although the effects of these motions during complex, continuous perturbations have not been assessed. This study aimed to quantify the contributions of body segments (ie, trunk, head, upper extremity, and lower extremity) to the control of center-of-mass (COM) movement during continuous, multidirectional, support surface perturbations. Three-dimensional, whole-body kinematics were captured while 10 participants experienced 5 minutes of perturbations. Anteroposterior, mediolateral, and vertical COM position and velocity were calculated using a full-body model and 7 models with reduced numbers of segments, which were compared with the full-body model. With removal of body segments, errors relative to the full-body model increased, while relationship strength decreased. The inclusion of body segments appeared to affect COM measures, particularly COM velocity. Findings suggest that the body segments may provide a means of improving the control of COM motion, primarily its velocity, during continuous, multidirectional perturbations, and constitute a step toward improving our understanding of how the limbs contribute to balance control in moving environments.

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Age Effect Investigation on Postural Dynamic Responses of Human Body

10.1115/imece2001/de-23245 ◽

2001 ◽

Author(s):

Maryam Hoviattalab

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Analysis ◽

Human Body ◽

Balance Control ◽

Angular Displacement ◽

Age Groups ◽

Dynamic Responses ◽

Body Motion ◽

Body Sway ◽

Adult Age ◽

Body Segments

Abstract Responses of human body were studied in two adult age groups. The healthy subjects with no records of falling down or occupation in a crowded and noisy environment were elected. Mean age was 24 and 71 yrs. in young and elderly groups, respectively. Four experimental tasks were presented to subjects. Two involving flat standing with open and closed eyes and two were involving imposed disturbances. Two optoelectronic camera systems were used to measure body motion. The extents of postural sway were determined by processing the recorded data from force plate. The results were compared, and also provided the basis for kinematics analysis of body segments. For dynamic analysis, we used 3-link biomechanical model on a stationary triangular foot. Results from dynamic analysis indicated that, (a) The angular displacement of body segments was larger in elderly group, especially at the trunk; (b) The visual system had a dramatic effect on balance control, and its omission along with onset of senescence, has progressive effect, i.e. increased the amplitude and frequency of body sway, up to 2.4 and 1.5 times, respectively; (c) It has been proved that, in response to sudden stimulation, body employs certain strategy for muscle contraction. “Maximum torque, occurs in ankle, and respectively diminishes in joints, on its course toward upper segments”. The point is well consistent with the literature in this contest.

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Adaptive Sensory-Motor Processes Disturb Balance Control After Spaceflight

Biomechanics and Neural Control of Posture and Movement ◽

10.1007/978-1-4612-2104-3_21 ◽

2000 ◽

pp. 292-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

William H. Paloski ◽

Robert J. Peterka

Keyword(s):

Balance Control ◽

Motor Processes ◽

Sensory Motor

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VOLUME OF CONVEX HULL: A TECHNIQUE FOR QUANTIFYING HUMAN POSTURAL STABILITY

Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and Biology ◽

10.1142/s0219519416500135 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (02) ◽

pp. 1650013 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

PATRIK KUTILEK ◽

ONDREJ CAKRT ◽

VLADIMIR SOCHA ◽

KAREL HANA

Keyword(s):

Convex Hull ◽

Postural Stability ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Balance Control ◽

The Body ◽

Quiet Stance ◽

Body Segments ◽

3D Space ◽

Cerebellar Disorder ◽

Trunk Sway

Many disorders, such as nervous system disorders, can affect orientation of the body segments in 3D space negatively. Patients with these disorders often show body segments instability during stance tasks. Nowadays, 3-axis gyroscopes are about to be used to measure postural stability. The main objective of the paper is to describe a method which would be suitable for quantifying postural stability and 3D movement as a whole using a cheap 3-axis gyroscope. New method based on the volume of a 3D convex hull (CH) obtained by plotting pitch, roll and yaw angles versus each other was proposed for quantitative evaluation of 3D trunk sway. The sway was measured while patients with degenerative cerebellar disorder (Pts) and eleven healthy subjects (HSs) performed quiet stance on a firm surface (FiS) and foam surface (FoS) with open eyes (OE) and closed eyes (CE). The CH was used to identify differences in balance control, and there were significant differences found between the two groups. The median (Mdn) of the volume of Pts with OE on FiS is four times larger than the Mdn of the volume of HS with OE on FiS. The Mdn of the volume of Pts with CE on FoS is 80 times larger than the Mdn of the volume of HS with CE on FoS. It was therefore found that the volume of CH is suitable for quantifying postural sway and identifying differences in balance control.

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Noise-Induced Balance Loss? Rethinking Clinical Implications of Noise Exposure

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_pers-sig8-2019-0006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (6) ◽

pp. 1418-1422

Author(s):

Bre Myers ◽

J. Andrew Dundas

Keyword(s):

Vestibular System ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Balance Control ◽

Scope Of Practice ◽

Hearing Conservation ◽

Exposed Population ◽

Auditory Systems ◽

Current Article ◽

Balance Loss ◽

Cross System

Purpose The primary aim of the current article is to provide a brief review of the literature regarding the effects of noise exposure on the vestibular and balance control systems. Although the deleterious effects of noise on the auditory system are widely known and continue to be an active area of research, much less is known regarding the effects of noise on the peripheral vestibular system. Audiologists with working knowledge of how both systems interact and overlap are better prepared to provide comprehensive care to more patients as assessment of both the auditory and vestibular systems has been in the audiologists' scope of practice since 1992. Method A narrative review summarizes salient findings from the archival literature. Results Temporary and permanent effects on vestibular system function have been documented in multiple studies. Hearing conservation, vestibular impairment, and fall risk reduction may be more intimately related than previously considered. Conclusions A full appreciation of both the vestibular and auditory systems is necessary to address the growing and aging noise-exposed population. More cross-system studies are needed to further define the complex relationship between the auditory and vestibular systems to improve comprehensive patient care.

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