Manifestations of walking fatigability in people with multiple sclerosis based on gait quality and distance walked during the six minutes walking test.

Background: Distance walking fatigability (DWF) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) is defined as a decrease in the distance walking over time. However, declines in gait quality (i.e.

Hemodynamics of the Frontopolar and Dorsolateral Pre-Frontal Cortex in People with Multiple Sclerosis During Walking, Cognitive Subtraction, and Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task.

Introduction: Higher cortical activity has been observed in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) during walking and dual-tasking. However, further studies in overground walking and considering pre-frontal cortex (PFC) sub-areas are necessary.

Objectives: To investigate PFC activity during a cognitive-motor dual-task (DT) and its single component tasks, in combination with behavioral outcomes in pwMS.

The acute effects of a stretching and conditioning exercise protocol for the lower limbs on gait performance- a proof of concept and single-blind study.

Background: Due to improvement in movement performance, post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) may open new possibilities to improve gait performance. However, no study has attempted to translate this phenomenon into walking. Therefore, the study aimed to test whether acute stretching followed by a conditioning exercise can improve subsequent gait performance in healthy adults.

Between-Day Reliability of the Gait Characteristics and Their Changes During the 6-Minute Walking Test in People With Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Gait characteristics and their changes during the 6-minute walking test (6MWT) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) have been described in the literature, which one may refer to as walking fatigability in the body function level of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. However, whether these metrics are reliable is unknown.

Objective: To investigate the between-day reliability of the gait characteristics and their changes in pwMS and healthy controls (HCs).

Postural control of prolonged standing in people with Parkinson's disease.

People with Parkinson's disease (pwPD) have reduced adaptability to postural control during prolonged standing compared to neurologically healthy individuals (control). Objective. The study aimed to characterize postural changes during prolonged standing and their effect on postural control in pwPD compared to control.

The Blood Concentration of Metallic Nanoparticles Is Related to Cognitive Performance in People with Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Analysis.

The imbalance in the concentration of metallic nanoparticles has been demonstrated to play an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS), which may impact cognition. Biomarkers are needed to provide insights into the pathogenesis and diagnosis of MS. They can be used to gain a better understanding of cognitive decline in people with MS (pwMS).

Recovery of kicking kinematics and performance following repeated high-intensity running bouts in the heat: Can a rapid local cooling intervention help young soccer players?

The effects of a cooling strategy following repeated high-intensity running (RHIR) on soccer kicking performance in a hot environment (>30ºC) were investigated in youth soccer players. Fifteen academy under-17 players participated. In Experiment 1, players completed an all-out RHIR protocol (10×30 m, with 30s intervals).

(A)symmetry during gait initiation in people with Parkinson's disease: A motor and cortical activity exploratory study.

Background: Gait asymmetry and deficits in gait initiation (GI) are among the most disabling symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Understanding if PwPD with reduced asymmetry during GI have higher asymmetry in cortical activity may provide support for an adaptive mechanism to improve GI, particularly in the presence of an obstacle.

Objective: This study quantified the asymmetry of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs), stepping parameters and cortical activity during GI, and tested if the presence of an obstacle regulates asymmetry in PwPD.

Low sleep quality and morningness-eveningness scale score may impair ball placement but not kicking velocity in youth academy soccer players.

Purpose: The current study examined the possible relationships between one-off single night sleep metrics and subsequent kicking performance in a youth soccer context.

Methods: Twenty-eight under-17 academy players (15.9 ± 0.

Modelling the relationships between EEG signals, movement kinematics and outcome in soccer kicking.

Unlabelled: The contribution of cortical activity (e.g. EEG recordings) in various brain regions to motor control during goal-directed manipulative tasks using lower limbs remains unexplored.

A multiple domain postural control assessment in people with Parkinson's disease: traditional, non-linear, and rambling and trembling trajectories analysis.

Background: Postural impairment is one of the most debilitating symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PD), which show faster and more variable oscillation during quiet stance than neurologically healthy individuals. Despite the center of pressure parameters can characterize PD's body sway, they are limited to uncover underlying mechanisms of postural stability and instability.

Research Question: Do a multiple domain analysis, including postural adaptability and rambling and trembling components, explain underlying postural stability and instability mechanisms in people with PD?

Method: Twenty-four individuals (12 people with PD and 12 neurologically healthy peers) performed three 60-s trials of upright quiet standing on a force platform.

Is BDNF related to spatial-temporal gait parameters in people with multiple sclerosis? An observational study.

Background: It has been suggested that the protein Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) plays a neuroprotective role in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Also, BDNF seems to play a role in cognition performance. In the same line, gait in pwMS requires a higher cognitive resource, mainly during complex walking.

Perception of COVID-19 Pandemic by Brazilian People With Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

COVID-19 in Brazil is threatening, and it has forced the government to adopt partial lockdown as a strategy to stop the spread of the virus in the first wave of pandemic (March 2020). These preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the motor and non-motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the perception during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on motor and non-motor symptoms, and also measure physical activity level, quality of life, and sleep quality in Brazilian people with PD and MS.

Temporal dynamics of cortical activity and postural control in response to the first levodopa dose of the day in people with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Our understanding of how balance control responds to levodopa over the course of a single day in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) is limited with the majority of studies focused on isolated comparisons of ON vs. OFF levodopa medication.

Objective: To evaluate the temporal dynamics of postural control following the first levodopa dose of the day during a challenging standing task in a group of people with PD.

Lateral Preference and Inter-limb Asymmetry in Completing Technical Tasks During Official Professional Futsal Matches: The Role of Playing Position and Opponent Quality.

This study had the purpose of analyzing dominant and non-dominant limb performances (frequency of use and accuracy) during match-play technical actions with ball possession (receiving, passing, and shooting a ball) in professional futsal and also check for the possible influence of playing position and the quality of opponent. We have analyzed data pertaining to eight matches of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012™ in which 76 male professional senior futsal players participated (44 right-footed and 32 left-footed). In total, we coded 5,856 actions (2,550 ball receptions, 3,076 passes, and 230 shoots).

Cortical activity and gait parameter characteristics in people with multiple sclerosis during unobstructed gait and obstacle avoidance.

Background: People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) present higher cortical activity during walking. However, the cortical activity during gait while avoiding an obstacle is still not clear.

Objective: To investigate cortical activity and gait spatial-temporal parameters in PwMS during two different gait tasks (i.

Motor strategy during postural control is not muscle fatigue joint-dependent, but muscle fatigue increases postural asymmetry.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ankle and hip muscle fatigue on motor adjustments (experiment 1) and symmetry (experiment 2) of postural control during a quiet standing task. Twenty-three young adults performed a bipedal postural task on separate force platforms, before and after a bilateral ankle and hip muscle fatigue protocol (randomized). Ankle and hip muscles were fatigued separately using a standing calf raise protocol (ankle fatigue) on a step and flexion and extension of the hip (hip fatigue) sitting on a chair, at a controlled movement frequency (0.

Step length synergy while crossing obstacles is weaker in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Impaired movement stability is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) that leads to falls and mishandled objects. Decline in synergistic stabilization of movement in PD patients has been observed in manual and postural tasks. However, locomotor synergies have not been quantified in PD patients.

Acute Effects of Warm-Up, Exercise and Recovery-Related Strategies on Assessments of Soccer Kicking Performance: A Critical and Systematic Review.

Background: A number of reviews have collated information on the impact of warming-up, physical exertion and recovery strategies on physical, subjective and physiological markers in soccer players yet none have solely analyzed their potential effects on components of kicking performance.

Objective: To systematically analyse the influence of warm-up, exercise and/or recovery-related strategies on kicking performance in male soccer players and provide a critical appraisal on research paradigm related to kicking testing constraints and data acquisition methods.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed (until July 2020) in PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Scopus and ProQuest.

Prolonged Standing Task Affects Adaptability of Postural Control in People With Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Studies on short-term upright quiet standing tasks have presented contradictory findings about postural control in people with Parkinson's disease (pwPD). Prolonged trial durations might better depict body sway and discriminate pwPD and controls.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate postural control in pwPD during a prolonged standing task.

Saccadic eye movements are able to reduce body sway in mildly-affected people with Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative and inflammatory disease that impacts both visual and postural control. It is currently unknown how the integration between visual and postural control is affected in people with MS (PwMS). It has been shown in healthy individuals that saccadic eye movements can decrease body sway as result as the integration of eye and postural movements.

Postural Control Complexity and Fatigue in Minimally Affected Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.

This study investigated changes in postural control complexity in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) before and after a fatigue protocol. Thirteen minimally affected PwMS (1.53 ± 1.

Influence of obstacle color on locomotor and gaze behaviors during obstacle avoidance in people with Parkinson's disease.

The color of an obstacle may enable a more detailed view of the environment to facilitate obstacle avoidance. However, people with Parkinson's disease (PD) present visual contrast and color detection dysfunction, which could affect obstacle avoidance according to obstacle color. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of obstacle color on locomotor and gaze behavior during obstacle avoidance in people with PD and neurologically healthy older individuals.