Methods to normalize surface electromyography in respiratory muscles: Is it similar between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and healthy people?

The normalization process is important to determine the best approach for normalizing electromyographic signals from respiratory muscles in healthy subjects and those with ALS. The aim of this study is to compare different methods of normalizing the sEMG signal of respiratory muscles in both healthy subjects and those with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This cross-sectional study was conducted in 67 subjects (50 healthy and 17 with ALS).

Predictive model development for premature infant extubation outcomes: development and analysis.

Background: Given the knowledge of the damage caused by prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation in premature newborns, withdrawing this support as quickly as possible is important to minimize morbidity. The aim of this study was to analyze the variables associated with extubation outcomes and to develop a predictive model for successful extubation in premature newborns.

Methods: Data were obtained from a multicenter study involving six public maternity hospitals.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Neonatal Medical Index (NMI) to Brazil.

Objective: To perform a cross-cultural adaptation and assess the content validity of the Neonatal Medical Index (NMI) for the Brazilian context.

Methods: The cross-cultural adaptation was completed in six steps, including translation, synthesis of translations, back translation, submission to an expert committee, testing of the prefinal version, and appraisal by the original author. The expert committee assessed the equivalence between versions based on the percentage of agreement, and content validity was evaluated using the content validity index (CVI) for each item of the scale (I-CVI) and for the overall scale (S-CVI) in terms of representativeness and clarity.

Nest positioning on motor development, sleep patterns, weight gain in preterm infants: systematic review.

The aim was to evaluate the effects of Nest Positioning (NP) on motor development, sleep patterns, and weight gain in preterm newborns (PTNB) hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study was constructed based on PRISMA guideline criteria. Systematic research was carried out in electronic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and VHL-BIREME following the PICOS strategy.

Normal values for maximal respiratory pressures in children and adolescents: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: The non-invasive assessment of maximal respiratory pressures (MRP) reflects the strength of the respiratory muscles.

Objective: To evaluate the studies which have established normative values for MRP in healthy children and adolescents and to synthesize these values through a meta-analysis.

Methods: The searches were conducted until October 2023 in the following databases: ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SciELO, and Web of Science.

A Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Content Validity of COMFORTneo Scale into Brazilian Portuguese.

Context: The instrument used to assess neonatal pain must be adequate regarding the type of pain, population, country, and language to provide the best evidence-based clinical strategies; however, few neonatal pain instruments have been translated and validated for the Brazilian population.

Objective: The aim was to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the COMFORTneo scale into Brazilian Portuguese and to evaluate the content validity of the adapted scale.

Methods: The cross-cultural adaptation process followed six main steps: translation, synthesis of the translations, back-translation, submission to the expert committee, final version pretest, being that 65 individuals participated in this stage, including both healthcare professionals and students, and submission to the committee for process appraisal.

Canadian and Brazilian Percentile Ranks for the Alberta Infant Motor Scale.

To verify if there is a difference between the percentile ranks for Brazilian infants compared with norms for Canadian infants on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). A cross-sectional study in which 322 Brazilian infants, 2 to 15 months old, were administered the AIMS. Percentile ranks were calculated using norms for Canadian infants and norms from two studies of Brazilian infants.

Quality Assessment of Neonatal Pain Scales Translated and Validated to Brazilian Portuguese: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties.

Objectives: The objective of this systematic review was to identify and describe the psychometric properties of neonatal pain scales that were translated into Brazilian Portuguese and to verify the methodological quality of these translation, transcultural adaptations and validation.

Design: The present study is a systematic review. A systematic search in the literature included studies of development, validation, and transcultural adaptation of neonatal pain scales to Brazilian Portuguese.

Predictors for Screen Time Exposure among Children between 3 and 5 Years Old in Southern Brazil.

Background: The use of technology is an increasingly common practice among preschoolers. Little is known about the relationship between screen time exposure (STE) and aspects related to family and the environment.

Aim: The aim is to characterize STE in Brazilian children aged between 3 and 5 years.

Incentive spirometer: Aspects of the clinical practice of physical therapists from Minas Gerais working with patients with respiratory dysfunction.

Background: Incentive spirometers (ISs) are clinical devices used in respiratory physical therapy to increase alveolar ventilation and functional residual capacity.

Objectives: To investigate factors that influence physical therapists from Minas Gerais in selecting a type of IS and the scientific background behind the use of ISs by physical therapists who work with patients with respiratory dysfunctions.

Methods: Physical therapists from 13 hospital and non-hospital institutions (public/private) completed a self-administered questionnaire based on the current evidence on ISs.

Positioning Effects for Procedural Pain Relief in NICU: Systematic Review.

Objectives: To systematically review the literature regarding the effectiveness of different positioning methods for procedural pain relief in neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Design: A systemized search of the literature was carried out by means of two independent evaluators through the systematic search of electronic index databases.

Data Sources: A search for relevant studies was performed in four databases (Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and BVS-BIREME).

Effects of different modalities of inspiratory muscle training as an add-on to conventional treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) leads to peripheral and respiratory muscle dysfunctions. Nowadays, inspiratory muscle training can be geared toward strength or endurance gains. This study aims to investigate the effects of an inspiratory muscle training (IMT) protocol using different therapeutic modalities to be implemented in pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Could peak oxygen uptake be estimated from proposed equations based on the six-minute walk test in chronic heart failure subjects?

Objectives: To evaluate the agreement between the measured peak oxygen uptake (VOpeak) and the VOpeak estimated by four prediction equations based on the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in chronic heart failure patients.

Method: Thirty-six chronic heart failure patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and the 6MWT to assess their VOpeak. Four previously published equations that include the variable six-minute walk distance were used to estimate the VOpeak: Cahalin, 1996a (1); Cahalin, 1996b (2); Ross, 2010 (3); and Adedoyin, 2010 (4).

Using the Human Activity Profile to Assess Functional Performance in Heart Failure.

Purpose: To investigate (1) the validity of using the Human Activity Profile (HAP) in patients with heart failure (HF) to estimate functional capacity; (2) the association between the HAP and 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) distance; and (3) the ability of the HAP to differentiate between New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we evaluated 62 clinically stable patients with HF (mean age, 47.98 years; NYHA class I-III).

Predictive equations for respiratory muscle strength according to international and Brazilian guidelines.

Background: The maximum static respiratory pressures, namely the maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), reflect the strength of the respiratory muscles. These measures are simple, non-invasive, and have established diagnostic and prognostic value. This study is the first to examine the maximum respiratory pressures within the Brazilian population according to the recommendations proposed by the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) and the Brazilian Thoracic Association (SBPT).

Influence of inspiratory muscle weakness on inspiratory muscle training responses in chronic heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine whether the impact of inspiratory muscle weakness on inspiratory muscle training (IMT) affects inspiratory function and exercise capacity in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.

Data Sources: Electronic searches were performed using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Systematic Review, Embase, MEDLINE, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) databases up to August 2013.

Study Selection: Articles were included if participants had CHF and were >18 years old; the design was a randomized controlled trial; intervention was IMT; measurements were of inspiratory muscle function or exercise capacity; and the articles were published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.

Influence of 4 interfaces in the assessment of maximal respiratory pressures.

Background: The measurement of maximal respiratory pressure (MRP) is a procedure widely used in clinical practice to evaluate respiratory muscle strength through the maximal inspiratory pressure (P(Imax)) and maximal expiratory pressure (P(Emax)). Its clinical applications include diagnostic procedures and evaluating responses to interventions. However, there is great variability in the equipment and measurement procedures.