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).

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.

Does transcranial direct current stimulation during writing alleviate upper limb freezing in people with Parkinson's disease? A pilot study.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) can boost motor performance in Parkinson's disease (PD) when it is applied at rest. However, the potential supplementary therapeutic effect of the concurrent application of tDCS during the training of motor tasks is largely unknown. The present study examined the effects of tDCS on upper limb motor blocks during a freezing-provoking writing task (the funnel task) requiring up- and down-stroke movements at alternating amplitudes.

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.

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.

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.