Eight sessions of transcranial electrical stimulation for postural response in people with Parkinson's disease: A randomized trial.

Background: Impairments in postural responses to perturbation are common in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) and lack effective treatment. We recently showed that a single session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) promotes acute improvement of postural response to perturbation in PwPD. However, the effects of multiple tDCS sessions remain unclear.

Cumulative additional information does not improve the neuromuscular control during postural responses to perturbations in postural instability/gait disorders subtype of Parkinson's disease.

Background: Postural response impairments in postural instability and gait disorders (PIGD) subtype patients may be attributed to Parkinson's disease (PD)-deterioration in central-set (programing/modulating of central outputs during motor responses). Although additional information improves some PD motor impairments, an unanswered question is whether additional information can benefit postural response in PIGD subtype.

Objective: To analyze the effect of cumulative additional information on postural responses after perturbation in PIGD and neurologically healthy older adults (CG).

tDCS application for postural control in Parkinson's disease: Effects are associated with baseline characteristics.

Introduction: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improves postural response to perturbation in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). However, the influence of baseline characteristics such as clinical/cognitive and postural performance on the response to tDCS remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate whether baseline level of postural control (performance during sham condition) and clinical/cognitive characteristics are associated with tDCS-related changes in postural responses to external perturbations in PwPD.

Assessment of Force Production in Parkinson's Disease Subtypes.

Muscle weakness is a secondary motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), especially in the subtype characterized by postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD). Since the PIGD subtype also presents worse bradykinesia, we hypothesized that it also shows a decreased rate of force development, which is linked to an increased risk of falling in PD. Therefore, we investigated the effects of PD and PD subtypes on a force production profile and correlated the force production outcomes with clinical symptoms for each PD subtype.

Does the impaired postural control in Parkinson's disease affect the habituation to non-sequential external perturbation trials?

Background: How people with Parkinson's disease habituate their postural response to unpredictable translation perturbation is not totally understood. We compared the capacity to change the postural responses after unexpected external perturbation and investigated the habituation plateaus of postural responses to non-sequential perturbation trials in people with Parkinson's disease and healthy older adults.

Methods: In people with Parkinson's disease (n = 37) and older adults (n = 20), sudden posterior support-surface translational were applied in 7 out of 17 randomized trials to ensure perturbation unpredictability.

Cortical Activity Underlying Gait Improvements Achieved With Dopaminergic Medication During Usual Walking and Obstacle Avoidance in Parkinson Disease.

Background: Dopaminergic medication improves gait in people with Parkinson disease (PD). However, it remains unclear if dopaminergic medication modulates cortical activity while walking.

Objective: We investigated the effects of dopaminergic medication on cortical activity during unobstructed walking and obstacle avoidance in people with PD.

Effect of Different Intensities of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Postural Response to External Perturbation in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Habituation of postural response to perturbations is impaired in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) due to deficits in cortico-basal pathways. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulate cortico-basal networks, it remains unclear if it can benefit postural control in PD.

Objective: To analyze the effect of different intensities of anodal tDCS on postural responses and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during the habituation to the external perturbation in patients with PD (n = 24).

Biomechanical analysis of sit-to-walk in different Parkinson's disease subtypes.

Background: The Parkinson's disease Postural Instability and Gait Difficulty subtype is well-known to exhibit higher levels of gait and postural instability and higher frequency of falls. However, no studies have investigated the impact of Parkinson's disease subtypes when performing a highly-challenging postural task, such as sit-to-walk. This task is often used daily and can highlight balance impairments.

Motor adjustments during time-constrained sit-to-walk in people with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Sit-to-walk (STW) is a sequential task and a merge of sit-to-stand (STS) and gait initiation that are impaired in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Performing sequential task under time constraint (e.g.

Utility of center of pressure measures during obstacle crossing in prediction of fall risk in people with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Postural instability during walking and tripping over obstacles are the main causes of falls in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Preliminary limited evidence suggests that the length of the prospective follow-up period affects falls prediction in PD, with shorter periods leading to more accurate prediction. Thus, the primary aim of the present study was to test the performance of center of pressure (CoP) variables during obstacle crossing to predict fall risk in people with PD during subsequent periods of four, six, and 12 months.

The effects of habitual footwear in gait outcomes in people with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Gait is impaired in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the effect of habitual footwear on gait spatiotemporal parameters has already been established in neurologically healthy individuals, its effects on people with PD is unknown.

Research Question: This study aimed to investigate the impact of habitual footwear on the step spatiotemporal parameters in people with PD.

Handwriting training in Parkinson's disease: A trade-off between size, speed and fluency.

Background: In previous work, we found that intensive amplitude training successfully improved micrographia in Parkinson's disease (PD). Handwriting abnormalities in PD also express themselves in stroke duration and writing fluency. It is currently unknown whether training changes these dysgraphic features.

RCVibro System: full description of a custom-made vibratory system and its reliability.

Background: The use of local muscle vibration is a promising technique to improve motor performance in people with movement impairments. Majority of studies have failed to properly describe the used system and its reliability, making it difficult to transfer this promising technique to clinical practice.

Objective: To describe technical details of a custom-made vibratory system (RCVibro System), as well as to determine its reliability and functionality.

Freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: Evidence of sensory rather than attentional mechanisms through muscle vibration.

Introduction: The role of proprioceptive integration impairments as the potential mechanism underlying Freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is still an open debate. The effects of muscle vibration (a well-known manipulation of proprioception) could provide the answer to the debate. The aim of this study was to determine whether proprioceptive manipulation, through muscle vibration, could reduce FOG severity.

Manipulating vibratory devices' orientation and position enhances proprioceptive disturbance during upright stance.

We tested local vibration effects during upright standing considering: (i) the orientation of vibratory devices in relation to muscle fibres; (ii) the muscle region stimulated; and (iii) the number of stimulation spots. Results showed a higher balance disturbance with vibration devices oriented parallel to triceps surae muscle fibres. The single stimulation of the proximal region of the tibialis anterior muscle belly induces the same proprioceptive disturbance as stimulating multiple regions simultaneously.

PARKINSON'S DISEASE PATIENTS WITH DOMINANT HEMIBODY AFFECTED BY THE DISEASE RELY MORE ON VISION TO MAINTAIN UPRIGHT POSTURAL CONTROL.

This study assesses the association between disease onset side (dominant or non-dominant) and vision on postural control of Parkinson's disease patients. Patient volunteers composed two groups, according to the onset side affected: Dominant group (n=9; M age=66.1 yr.

Does proprioceptive system stimulation improve sit-to-walk performance in healthy young adults?

[Purpose] Sit-to-walk performance is linked to proper proprioceptive information processing. Therefore, it is believed that an increase of proprioceptive inflow (using muscle vibration) might improve sit-to-walk performance. However, before testing muscle vibration effects on a frail population, assessment of its effects on healthy young people is necessary.

Improvements in metabolic and neuromuscular fitness after 12-week bodypump® training.

Greco, CC, Oliveira, AS, Pereira, MP, Figueira, TR, Ruas, VD, Gonçalves, M, and Denadai, BS. Improvements in metabolic and neuromuscular fitness after 12-week Bodypump® training. J Strength Cond Res 25(12): 3422-3431, 2011-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 12-week group fitness training program (Bodypump®) on anthropometry, muscle strength, and aerobic fitness.

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation does not increase blood pressure of healthy elderly women.

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) is an attractive method to increase strength and proprioception of elderly individuals. However, a major clinical concern about the prescription of PNF is the belief that it can cause a cardiovascular overload, because it involves close-to-maximal loads and isometric contractions. Yet the acute effect of a PNF training session on cardiovascular response in elderly individuals is still unknown.

Muscular coactivation (CA) around the knee reduces power production in elderly women.

The main objective of this paper was to study the influence of muscular CA around the knee on the rate of force development (RFD) in older women. After personal invitation, 12 older women, participated in the study. Volunteers performed maximal voluntary isometric knee extension and flexion contractions (MVC) where the RFD was determined (considering the first 50, 100 and 200 ms after the force production onset; also, the time necessary to achieve 30% and 50% MVC was considered).

Physiological and neuromuscular profile during a bodypump session: acute responses during a high-resistance training session.

The main purposes of this study were 1) to describe and to compare blood lactate ([La]), heart rate (HR), and electromyographic (EMG) parameters during high-repetition training sessions (HRTSs), 2) to analyze the influence of physical fitness levels in these parameters, and, 3) to analyze the relationship between metabolic ([La]) and neuromuscular (EMG) responses during the HRTS. Fifteen healthy untrained women (21.7 +/- 2.