Accuracy, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability of pressure-based insoles for gait measurement in chronic stroke patients.

Introduction: Wearables are potentially valuable tools for understanding mobility behavior in individuals with neurological disorders and how it changes depending on health status, such as after rehabilitation. However, the accurate detection of gait events, which are crucial for the evaluation of gait performance and quality, is challenging due to highly individual-specific patterns that also vary greatly in movement and speed, especially after stroke. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability of a commercially available insole system in the detection of gait events and the calculation of stance duration in individuals with chronic stroke.

Hip and trunk kinematics during reaching on a mobile and stable seat.

Reaching movements are often used to assess selective trunk control in people with neurological conditions. Also, it is known that reaching performance after stroke is increased through training on a mobile seat compared to conventional physical therapy. However, the effect of a mobile seat on joint kinematics has not yet been investigated.

Surface electromyographic activity of trunk muscles during trunk control exercises for people after stroke; effect of a mobile and stable seat for rehabilitation.

The aim of this study was to explore differences in trunk muscle activity on a stable and mobile seat for people after stroke and healthy participants. Trunk control exercises are known to have a beneficial effect on trunk control, balance, and mobility after stroke. The effect of such exercises could be enhanced by the use of a mobile seat to provide further training stimuli.

Head kinematics in patients with neck pain compared to asymptomatic controls: a systematic review.

Background: Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders encountered by healthcare providers. A precise assessment of functional deficits, including sensorimotor control impairment, is regarded necessary for tailored exercise programmes. Sensorimotor control can be measured by kinematic characteristics, such as velocity, acceleration, smoothness, and temporal measures, or by assessing movement accuracy.

A Two Joint Neck Model to Identify Malposition of the Head Relative to the Thorax.

Neck pain is a frequent health complaint. Prolonged protracted malpositions of the head are associated with neck pain and headaches and could be prevented using biofeedback systems. A practical biofeedback system to detect malpositions should be realized with a simple measurement setup.

Is active sitting on a dynamic office chair controlled by the trunk muscles?

Today's office chairs are not known to promote active sitting or to activate the lumbar trunk muscles, both of which functions are ergonomically recommended. This study investigated a newly developed dynamic office chair with a moveable seat, specifically designed to promote trunk muscle controlled active sitting. The study aimed to determine the means by which the seat movement was controlled during active sitting.

Validity and variability of center of pressure measures to quantify trunk control in stroke patients during quiet sitting and reaching tasks.

Background: In the immediate period following stroke, sitting balance is one of the most important predictors of functional recovery at discharge after rehabilitation. Thus, sitting balance determines the content of the early phase of stroke rehabilitation and an appropriate measurement tool is important.

Research Question: The aim of this study is to investigate the concurrent validity of center of pressure (CoP) excursions of patients seated on a force plate, as well as to examine the daily variability of trunk control after stroke.

Concurrent validity and reliability of a mobile tracking technology to measure angular and linear movements of the neck.

The neck can be moved in six degrees of freedom. Current 3D-optoelectronic motion-capture systems capable of measuring these movements are inappropriate for use in clinical practice because they are stationary, expensive and time-consuming. We therefore developed a less complex 3D-tracking technology based on Steam®VR to measure six degrees of freedom in a clinical setting.

Intra-rater reliability of determining positions of cervical spinous processes and measuring their relative distances : An update to define rigid bodies of the cervical spine in a movement laboratory setting.

Objectives: A reliable detection of bony landmarks of the spine is necessary in order to determine rigid bodies and to reduce the variability of marker placement in a movement laboratory setting. In a first study on the thoracic and lumbar spine, we demonstrated that placing markers on their relative positions between two major landmarks was superior to palpation of specific bony landmarks. The aims of this study were to examine the intra-rater reliability when palpating for spinous processes (SPs) of the second (C2) and seventh cervical vertebrae (C7), to determine the distances between C2 and C7 and the relative position of C7 along the length between C2 and the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) level.

The effect of visual feedback on people suffering from chronic back and neck pain - a systematic review.

: Visual feedback as an intervention for people suffering from chronic back or chronic neck pain is a novel approach based on the person's perception of the painful body part. Visual feedback is an innovative therapeutic approach whose effects have not yet been systematically reviewed specifically for people with chronic back or chronic neck pain. Therefore, a systematic review was performed on the literature to evaluate the effects of visual feedback on pain intensity in people with chronic back or neck pain.

Active sitting with backrest support: Is it feasible?

Ergonomics science recommends office chairs that promote active sitting to reduce sitting related complaints. Since current office chairs do not fulfill this recommendation, a new chair was developed by inverting an existing dynamic chair principle. This study compares active sitting on the inverted chair during a simulated computer-based office task to two existing dynamic office chairs (n = 8).

Effectiveness of movement control exercise on patients with non-specific low back pain and movement control impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Patients with low back pain (LBP) and movement control impairment (MVCI) show altered spinal movement patterns. Treatment that aims to change movement behaviour could benefit these patients.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of movement control exercise (MVCE) in terms of clinically relevant measures (disability and pain) on patients with NSLBP.

Reproducibility of a new signal processing technique to assess joint sway during standing.

Postural control strategies can be investigated by kinematic analysis of joint movements. However, current research is focussing mainly on the analysis of centre of pressure excursion and lacks consensus on how to assess joint movement during postural control tasks. This study introduces a new signal processing technique to comprehensively quantify joint sway during standing and evaluates its reproducibility.

Accuracy of KinectOne to quantify kinematics of the upper body.

Motion analysis systems deliver quantitative information, e.g. on the progress of rehabilitation programs aimed at improving range of motion.

Physiological Motion Axis for the Seat of a Dynamic Office Chair.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine and verify the optimal location of the motion axis (MA) for the seat of a dynamic office chair.

Background: A dynamic seat that supports pelvic motion may improve physical well-being and decrease the risk of sitting-associated disorders. However, office work requires an undisturbed view on the work task, which means a stable position of the upper trunk and head.

What is the effect of sensory discrimination training on chronic low back pain? A systematic review.

Background: Sensory discrimination training (SDT) for people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a novel approach based on theories of the cortical reorganization of the neural system. SDT aims to reverse cortical reorganization, which is observed in chronic pain patients. SDT is still a developing therapeutic approach and its effects have not been systematically reviewed.

Reliability of lumbar movement dysfunction tests for chronic low back pain patients.

Assessment of lumbar movement dysfunction commonly comprises trunk range of motion (ROM), movement or control impairment (MCI), and reposition error (RE). Those assessments are typically based on visual observation. Consequently it is not possible to reliably quantify back movements for intersubject comparisons, or for monitoring changes before and after an intervention.

Between-day reliability of three-dimensional motion analysis of the trunk: A comparison of marker based protocols.

Motion capture of the trunk using three-dimensional optoelectronic systems and skin markers placed on anatomical landmarks is prone to error due to marker placement, thus decreasing between-day reliability. The influence of these errors on angular output might be reduced by using an overdetermined number of markers and optimization algorithms, or by defining the neutral position using a reference trial. The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare the between-day reliability of trunk kinematics, when using these methods.

Adherence to home exercises in non-specific low back pain. A randomised controlled pilot trial.

Specific exercises for the improvement of movement control of the lumbopelvic region are well-established for patients with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) and movement control impairment (MCI). However, a lack of adherence to home exercise regimens is often observed. The aim of the study was to explore the differences in home exercise (HE) adherence between patients who perform conventional exercises and those who exercise with Augmented Feedback (AF).

Extension and flexion in the upper cervical spine in neck pain patients.

Neck pain is a common problem in the general population with high risk of ongoing complaints or relapses. Range of motion (ROM) assessment is scientifically established in the clinical process of diagnosis, prognosis and outcome evaluation in neck pain. Anatomically, the cervical spine (CS) has been considered in two regions, the upper and lower CS.