Balance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: Treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can affect balance via different mechanisms, including sensory and motor peripheral neuropathy, cognitive impairment, and reduced muscle strength and flexibility. To provide an overview of what is currently known about the effects of cancer treatment on balance in pediatric ALL patients and survivors, and of the predictors of poor balance, a review of the literature was conducted.

Methods: Five databases were searched for English-language original research articles on balance during or after treatment for pediatric ALL.

The 2- and 8-week effects of decompressive brace use in people with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is a prevalent disease. Unloading the affected compartment using a brace is a treatment option.

Objectives: To determine whether a decompressive knee brace alters loading in medial knee osteoarthritis following 2 and 8 weeks of use.

Building a framework for a dual task taxonomy.

The study of dual task interference has gained increasing attention in the literature for the past 35 years, with six MEDLINE citations in 1979 growing to 351 citations indexed in 2014 and a peak of 454 cited papers in 2013. Increasingly, researchers are examining dual task cost in individuals with pathology, including those with neurodegenerative diseases. While the influence of these papers has extended from the laboratory to the clinic, the field has evolved without clear definitions of commonly used terms and with extreme variations in experimental procedures.

Effects of Tyrosine on Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) can suffer from orthostatic hypotension (OH) resulting from reduced levels of norepinephrine (NE), which inhibits the sympathetic nervous system. Levodopa reduces NE levels even further, leading to a greater decrease in blood pressure (BP) and increased OH. Tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid that is the major precursor to NE.

Breath control during a tiptoe task.

Examination of naturally occurring respiration during postural challenges may increase our understanding of the factors linking respiration to lumbar segmental control. This study determined if the timing and magnitude of inhaled volume changes were related to mechanical events that challenge spinal stability during a tiptoe task. Thirty healthy individuals (15 male) had airflow recorded while they completed a tiptoe task which involved: moving onto tiptoe while reaching toward a hanging target (ascent); grasping and holding the target while maintaining the tiptoe position for 3 s (hold); and then returning to the start position (descent).

Applying principles of motor learning and control to upper extremity rehabilitation.

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief review of the principles of motor control and learning. Different models of motor control from historical to contemporary are presented with emphasis on the Systems model. Concepts of motor learning including skill acquisition, measurement of learning, and methods to promote skill acquisition by examining the many facets of practice scheduling and use of feedback are provided.

Management of proximal femoral focal deficiency with limited resources in Haiti.

Background: Individuals with proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD) present with a shortened femur. This report highlights the process used to determine prosthetic candidacy, a novel use of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) prosthetic materials, and subsequent rehabilitation when treating in rural Haiti.

Case Description And Methods: An eight-year-old boy with PFFD whose goal was to walk 'normally' presented with a shortened right leg and typical foot/ankle.

The effects of low back pain on natural breath control during a lowering task.

Preventative and rehabilitative efforts relative to low back pain (LBP) and manual material handling (MMH) are often directed toward proper technique. However, breath control may be an additional factor to consider. Optimizing breath control may provide increased segmental control of the spine through the production of increased intra-abdominal pressure.

Effects of exercise and B vitamins on homocysteine and glutathione in Parkinson's disease: a randomized trial.

Background: Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) have decreased glutathione levels and elevated homocysteine levels. These substances are considered markers of health, and an inverse relationship has been suggested through the transsulfuration pathway. This experiment tested the effects of exercise and B vitamin supplementation on homocysteine and glutathione levels, and if a relationship was present between these two markers in those with PD.

Cell phones change the way we walk.

Cell phone use among pedestrians leads to increased cognitive distraction, reduced situation awareness and increases in unsafe behavior. Performing a dual-task, such as talking or texting with a cell phone while walking, may interfere with working memory and result in walking errors. At baseline, thirty-three participants visually located a target 8m ahead; then vision was occluded and they were instructed to walk to the remembered target.

Individuals with low back pain breathe differently than healthy individuals during a lifting task.

Study Design: Case control, repeated-measures, experimental laboratory study.

Objective: To determine if, during a whole-body lifting task, individuals with low back pain (LBP) breathe differently than age-matched controls.

Background: Breath control may be optimized to provide increased intersegmental control of the lumbar spine through the generation of intra-abdominal pressure.

Effects of exercise induced oxidative stress on glutathione levels in Parkinson's disease on and off medication.

Resting plasma glutathione (GSH) levels are lower in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) than any other neurological condition. Medications used to treat PD have also been shown to further decrease this depletion. Acute exercise has been shown to be an effective tool to produce oxidative stress in other populations as reflected in lowering levels of GSH.

Breath control during manual free-style lifting of a maximally tolerated load.

Clear evidence links voluntary breath control, intra-abdominal pressure and lumbar stability. However, little is known regarding optimal breath control during manual materials handling. No studies have examined natural breath control while lifting a maximal load.

Norepinephrine and cardiovascular responses to maximal exercise in Parkinson's disease on and off medication.

The aim of this experiment is to understand how Parkinson's disease (PD) medication affects the autonomic responses of individuals during an acute exercise stress test. Fourteen people with PD and fifteen healthy individuals age-matched between 50 and 80 years performed a modified Bruce protocol. Subjects with PD performed the test once off medication (PD-off) and then 1 week later on medication (PD-on).

Cardiovascular response to treadmill testing in Parkinson disease.

Purpose: Exercise has been recommended as a way to maintain quality of life in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Experiments examining the cardiovascular response to exercise, however, have yielded controversial results. This study was designed to determine if there is any difference in vital signs and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) between a group of individuals (50-80 years old) with PD and a comparison group of healthy individuals during exercise on a treadmill.

Natural breath control during lifting tasks: effect of load.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that people hold their breath during lifting tasks in order to increase intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and thereby increase lumbar stability. Studies have shown that voluntary control of the breath influences IAP and that increases in IAP are related to increases in lumbar stability. However, a description of naturally occurring breath control during whole-body lifting tasks in normal healthy subjects is currently not available.

Visual properties of objects affect manipulative forces and respiration differently.

Previously, we demonstrated that the respiratory and motor systems responded differently following consecutive lifts of an object whose weight could be altered (lighter or heavier) without changing the object's visual properties. When the weight of the object was altered in a manner unpredictable to the subject, the motor system response reflected the previous weight of the object (light or heavy) while the respiratory system reflected responses seen when lifting the heavier object regardless of whether a lighter or heavier object was lifted previously. It is possible that the default pattern of the respiratory system was due to a lack of visual size cues, which are known to have robust affects on grasp control.

Internal representations underlying respiration during object manipulation.

We examined the presence of anticipatory control and the resulting interactions of the respiratory and motor systems during discrete object manipulation. In response to an auditory signal, subjects reached forward, grasped, and lifted an instrumented object weighing 150 or 1000 g while the breathing pattern, fingertip forces, and movements were measured. Following every block of five lifts, the object was removed from sight and replaced with the same or an alternate mass.