Physical Activity and Psychosocial Outcomes in Adults with Achondroplasia: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Adults with achondroplasia face physical and psychosocial challenges that may impact their health-related quality of life and mental health. This exploratory cross-sectional study aimed to investigate relationships between health-related quality of life, mental health, and physical activity levels in adults with achondroplasia, focusing on potential gender differences.

Methods: Sixteen adults with achondroplasia (10 women, 6 men; age 37.

Gait characterization in rare bone diseases in a real-world environment - A comparative controlled study.

Background: Rare bone diseases (RBD) cause physical and sensory disability that affects quality of life. Mobility challenges are common for people with RBDs, and travelling to gait analysis labs can be very complex. Smartphone sensors could provide remote monitoring.

Postural Control and Muscle Activity during Dual-Task in Young Adults.

In everyday life, we recurrently perform two tasks simultaneously, which is called dual-tasking. A common dual task is smartphone use while standing or walking. According to previous studies, this task can compromise postural stability.

Methodology and Experimental Protocol for Studying Learning and Motor Control in Neuromuscular Structures in Pilates.

The benefits of Pilates have been extensively researched for their impact on muscular, psychological, and cardiac health, as well as body composition, among other aspects. This study aims to investigate the influence of the Pilates method on the learning process, motor control, and neuromuscular trunk stabilization, specifically in both experienced and inexperienced practitioners. This semi-randomized controlled trial compares the level of experience among 36 Pilates practitioners in terms of motor control and learning of two Pilates-based skills: standing plank and side crisscross.

Movement variability in Pilates: a scoping review.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to identify studies that analyzed movement variability in Pilates. Following a systematic approach to mapping evidence on this topic would highlight concepts, theories, sources, and knowledge gaps in this area.

Methods: This review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) criteria for the selection, reading, and analysis of studies in this area.

Muscular and Prefrontal Cortex Activity during Dual-Task Performing in Young Adults.

Postural control depends on attentional resources besides automatic processes. The dual-task paradigm is a possible approach to analyzing the interference and performance between motor and/or cognitive tasks. Various studies showed that, when individuals simultaneously perform two tasks, the postural stability can decline during a dual-task compared with a single-task due to the attentional resources required performing the tasks.

Tibialis posterior muscle stiffness assessment in flat foot subjects by ultrasound based Shear-Wave Elastography.

Background: Few methodologies are used to assess Tibialis Posterior muscle stiffness. Those present limitations leading to a lack of evidence. Muscle stiffness assessment can help in the injuries risk factors identification while coupling with Ultrasound based Shear-Wave Elastography for its management.

Effects of Motor Task Difficulty on Postural Control Complexity during Dual Tasks in Young Adults: A Nonlinear Approach.

Few studies have evaluated the effect of a secondary motor task on the standing posture based on nonlinear analysis. However, it is helpful to extract information related to the complexity, stability, and adaptability to the environment of the human postural system. This study aimed to analyze the effect of two motor tasks with different difficulty levels in motor performance complexity on the static standing posture in healthy young adults.

The Role of Sleep Quality and Physical Activity Level on Gait Speed and Brain Hemodynamics Changes in Young Adults-A Dual-Task Study.

Walking requires attentional resources, and the studies using neuroimage techniques have grown to understand the interaction between cortical activity and motor performance. Previous studies reported a decline in gait performance and changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity during a dual-task performance compared to walking only. Some lifestyle factors, such as sleep and physical activity (PA) levels, can compromise walking performance and brain activity.

Relationship between physical activity level and sleep quality with postural control and hemodynamic response in the prefrontal cortex during dual-task performance.

Understanding the cortical activation and postural control behavior during dual-task (DT) has been an object of study. However, despite the multiple benefits of exercise and good sleep quality, less is known about the correlation between physical activity (PA) and sleep quality (SQ) on postural control and brain activation under dual-task performance. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between PA level and SQ with postural control performance and hemodynamic response in the prefrontal cortex during the DT performance in young adults.

Effectiveness of Therapeutic Exercise in Musculoskeletal Risk Factors Related to Swimmer's Shoulder.

Background: Therapeutic exercise seems to minimize musculoskeletal risk factors related to swimmer's shoulder. However, there is an absence of a qualitative evaluation of these programs and a great variability regarding the characteristics of exercises. The objective of this review was to identify, evaluate, and compare exercise programs used to minimize musculoskeletal risk factors related to swimmer's shoulder.

Differences in postural control between healthy and subjects with chronic ankle instability.

Introduction: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is characterized by the occurrence of repetitive inversion mechanism of the ankle, resulting in numerous ankle sprains. CAI occurs in approximately 70% of patients with a history of a lateral ankle sprain. Many causes of functional ankle instability have been postulated and include deficits in proprioception, impaired neuromuscular-firing patterns, disturbed balance and postural control.

Benefits of Pilates in the Elderly Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this systematic review is to collect and summarize the benefits of Pilates in the elderly population (>60 years old), within the current scientific production, assessing its contribution to Healthy Ageing (HA). We used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) to select, collect, and analyse this thematic. The methodological procedures were registered in the PROSPERO database.

Neurophysiological and autonomic responses of high and low level chess players during difficult and easy chess endgames - A quantitative EEG and HRV study.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the heart rate variability (HRV) and the electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectrum in low and high performance chess players during easy and difficult chess endgames. A total of 28 chess players participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were divided into two groups according to their ELO level (rating system used by the international chess federation): 1) high level chess players (more than 1600 of ELO score); and 2) low level chess players (ELO less than 1599 of ELO score).

Dynamics of the Prefrontal Cortex during Chess-Based Problem-Solving Tasks in Competition-Experienced Chess Players: An fNIR Study.

This study aimed to compare the dynamics of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), between adult and adolescent chess players, during chess-based problem-solving tasks of increasing level of difficulty, relying on the identification of changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) and hemoglobin (HHb) through the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) method. Thirty male federated chess players (mean age: 24.15 ± 12.

Heart and Brain Responses to Real Versus Simulated Chess Games in Trained Chess Players: A Quantitative EEG and HRV Study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate how the heart and the brain react to playing chess with a computer versus in a real context in chess players. We also aim to investigate if familiarization with simulated practice leads to changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and the electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectrum. We designed a cross-sectional study, enrolling 27 chess players.

Psychophysiological stress response of adolescent chess players during problem-solving tasks.

The game of chess has been traditionally used to study basic cognitive processes. However, it has been poorly studied in adolescent chess players. The aim of the present study was to describe the psychophysiological response of adolescence, using electroencephalography (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) during problem-solving tasks.

Electromyographic Analysis of the Lower Limb Muscles in Low- and High-Handicap Golfers.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the electromyographic patterns of the lower limb muscles during a golf swing performed by low- and high-handicap golfers.

Method: Ten golfers (5 low- and 5 high-handicap) performed 8 swings using a 7-iron. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded for the following lower limb muscles on both sides: biceps femoris, semitendinosus, gluteus maximus, vastus medialis and lateralis, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, and gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis.

Electromyographic analysis of lower limb muscles during the golf swing performed with three different clubs.

The aim of this study was to describe and compare the EMG patterns of select lower limb muscles throughout the golf swing, performed with three different clubs, in non-elite middle-aged players. Fourteen golfers performed eight swings each using, in random order, a pitching wedge, 7-iron and 4-iron. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded bilaterally from lower limb muscles: tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, gluteus maximus, vastus medialis, rectus femoris and vastus lateralis.