Tummy Time Tracking: Examining Agreement Between Parent Recall and Direct Observation in Infants.

Importance: Parent recall is the primary method for measuring positioning practices such as tummy time in infants. Concerns regarding the accuracy of parent recall have been raised in the literature. To date, no study has examined the agreement of tummy time recall measures with gold-standard methods.

Skill-Related Adaptive Modifications of Gaze Stabilization in Elite and Non-Elite Athletes.

The vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) provides gaze stability during head movements by driving eye movements in a direction opposing head motion. Although vestibular-based rehabilitation strategies are available, it is still unclear whether VOR can be modulated by training. By examining adaptations in gaze stabilization mechanisms in a population with distinct visuomotor requirements for task success (i.

A Virtual Reality Game Suite for Graded Rehabilitation in Patients With Low Back Pain and a High Fear of Movement: Within-Subject Comparative Study.

Background: Complex movement pathologies that are biopsychosocial in nature (eg, back pain) require a multidimensional approach for effective treatment. Virtual reality is a promising tool for rehabilitation, where therapeutic interventions can be gamified to promote and train specific movement behaviors while increasing enjoyment, engagement, and retention. We have previously created virtual reality-based tools to assess and promote lumbar excursion during reaching and functional gameplay tasks by manipulating the position of static and dynamic contact targets.

Distinguishing chronic low back pain in young adults with mild to moderate pain and disability using trunk compliance.

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) rates among younger individuals are rising. Although pain and disability are often less severe, underlying changes in trunk behavior may be responsible for recurrence. We examine the biomarker capacity of a simple Trunk Compliance Index (TCI) to distinguish individuals with and without cLBP.

Agreement Analysis between Vive and Vicon Systems to Monitor Lumbar Postural Changes.

Immersive virtual reality has recently developed into a readily available system that allows for full-body tracking. Can this affordable system be used for component tracking to advance or replace expensive kinematic systems for motion analysis in the clinic? The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of position and orientation measures from Vive wireless body trackers when compared to Vicon optoelectronic tracked markers attached to (1) a robot simulating trunk flexion and rotation by repeatedly moving to know locations, and (2) healthy adults playing virtual reality games necessitating significant trunk displacements. The comparison of both systems showed component tracking with Vive trackers is accurate within 0.

A Motor Learning Paradigm Combining Technology and Associative Learning to Assess Prone Motor Learning in Infants.

Background: Associative learning is the ability to discover a relationship between two or more events. We combined principles of learning and technology to develop a paradigm to assess associative learning in prone.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether 3- to 6-month-old infants can demonstrate: (1) short-term learning of an association between their upper body movements in prone and activation of a toy, and (2) retention of the association learned on day 1, 24 hours later.

Effects of Real-World Versus Virtual Environments on Joint Excursions in Full-Body Reaching Tasks.

Starting from an upright standing posture and reaching for a target that requires some forward bending of the trunk can involve many different configurations of the trunk and limb segments. We sought to determine if configurations of the limb and trunk segments during our standardized full-body reaching tasks were influenced by the visual environment. This paper examined movement patterns of healthy participants ([Formula: see text], eight female and nine male) performing full body reaching tasks to: 1) real-world targets; 2) virtual targets presented on a 3-D television; and 3) virtual targets presented using a head-mounted display.

Effects of Visual Display on Joint Excursions Used to Play Virtual Dodgeball.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) interventions hold great potential for rehabilitation as commercial systems are becoming more affordable and can be easily applied to both clinical and home settings.

Objective: In this study, we sought to determine how differences in the VR display type can influence motor behavior, cognitive load, and participant engagement.

Methods: Movement patterns of 17 healthy young adults (8 female, 9 male) were examined during games of Virtual Dodgeball presented on a three-dimensional television (3DTV) and a head-mounted display (HMD).

Thoracic Spine Manipulation in Individuals With Subacromial Impingement Syndrome Does Not Immediately Alter Thoracic Spine Kinematics, Thoracic Excursion, or Scapular Kinematics: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To determine if thoracic spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) alters thoracic kinematics, thoracic excursion, and scapular kinematics compared to a sham SMT in individuals with subacromial impingement syndrome, and also to compare changes in patient-reported outcomes between treatment groups.

Background: Prior studies indicate that thoracic SMT can improve pain and disability in individuals with subacromial impingment syndrome.

Immediate changes in pressure pain sensitivity after thoracic spinal manipulative therapy in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: A randomized controlled study.

Background: Thoracic SMT can improve symptoms in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. However, at this time the mechanisms of SMT are not well established. It is possible that changes in pain sensitivity may occur following SMT.

Botulinum toxin type A for nonsurgical lateral release in patellofemoral pain syndrome: a case study.

Setting: Outpatient rehabilitation clinic.

Patient: A 37-year-old physically active male.

Case Description: The patient presented with anterior left knee pain, exacerbated when climbing stairs, sitting, and running.

Repeatability of the modified Oxford foot model during gait in healthy adults.

Background: The Oxford foot model (OFM) is a multi-segment model for calculating hindfoot and forefoot motion. Limited information is available regarding the repeatability and error of this model in adults. Therefore the purpose of this study was to assess the intra-tester reliability of OFM hindfoot and forefoot gait kinematics in adults at initial contact (IC) and toe-off (TO).

The role of head-in-space stability on stepping reactions in young and elderly adults.

This study compared head kinematic responses and step latency following an anteriorly directed postural perturbation between two groups (Young, mean age 27.39; Elderly, mean age 71.9).

Gynecological surgery and low back pain in older women: testing the association with sacroiliac joint stiffness and pelvic floor movements.

Objective: To determine sacroiliac joint compliance characteristics and pelvic floor movements in older women relative to gynecological surgery history and back pain complaints.

Design: Single-visit laboratory measurement.

Setting: University clinical research center.

The influence of gaze stabilization and fixation on stepping reactions in younger and older adults.

Purpose: To date, there has been little evidence to suggest the importance of foveal viewing versus peripheral retina viewing when trying to recover from a perturbation. The purposes of this investigation were to (1) determine whether a visual target can be stabilized on the fovea during a perturbation, (2) determine whether stepping responses following a perturbation are influenced by foveal fixation, and (3) compare gaze stability and stepping responses between young and aging adults.

Materials/methods: Ten young adults and 10 aging adults were asked to wear an eye-tracking device linked to a kinematic tracking system during perturbations.

Isometric gluteus medius muscle torque and frontal plane pelvic motion during running.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between isometric GM torque and the degree of frontal plane pelvic drop during running. Twenty-one healthy, recreational runners (9 males, 12 females) who ran 8.05 km or more per week were obtained from a sample of convenience.

Rehabilitation following surgery for reconstruction of a foot defect.

Background: This report illustrates the use of pressure for scar management to aid in foot re-shaping following a surgical intervention to repair an arterio-venous (AV) malformation.

Methods: This report describes the rehabilitation of a 13-year-old girl after surgical reconstruction of a defect in her left foot following the removal of an AV malformation. Early surgical attempts to repair the problem resulted in complications that required the amputation of toes 2, 3, and 4, and the use of a split thickness skin graft to cover the plantar surface of the medial longitudinal arch on the left foot.

Rehabilitation of an elite gymnast with a type II manubriosternal dislocation.

Background And Purpose: This case report describes the rehabilitation of an elite, 15-year-old gymnast after a nonreduced type II manubriosternal dislocation. The rehabilitation took place in a gymnastics venue but was guided by a physician and a licensed physical therapist.

Case Description: The gymnast participated in a 13-week rehabilitation program for range of motion and strengthening that was based on a biomechanical hierarchy.

Oculomotor tracking strategy in normal subjects with and without simulated scotoma.

Purpose: Experiments were conducted on five subjects with no visual impairment to assess tracking strategy differences in subjects with and without a simulated central scotoma.

Methods: Subjects were asked to visually track horizontally moving periodic and nonperiodic sinusoidal stimuli through a +/-5 degrees range. Scotoma simulation was achieved electronically with a closed-loop feedback system using horizontal eye movement measurements from a monocular limbus eye tracker updated at a rate of 500 Hz.

Scapular muscle tests in subjects with shoulder pain and functional loss: reliability and construct validity.

Background And Purpose: Scapular muscle performance evaluated with a handheld dynamometer (HHD) has been investigated only in people without shoulder dysfunction for test-retest reliability of data obtained with a single scapular muscle test. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability, error, and validity of data obtained with an HHD for 4 scapular muscle tests in subjects with shoulder pain and functional loss.

Subjects And Methods: Subjects (N=40) with shoulder pain and functional loss were tested by measuring the kilograms applied with an HHD during 3 trials for muscle tests for the lower trapezius, upper trapezius, middle trapezius, and serratus anterior muscles.

Adaptations in horizontal head stabilization in response to altered vision and gaze during natural walking.

The purpose of this study was to determine adaptations in head stability resulting from altered gaze control and vision during over-ground walking. Using over-ground walking permitted adaptations in walking velocity and cadence that are otherwise not possible during treadmill walking or walking-in-place. Gaze control and vision were manipulated by having 20 young adult subjects 1) walk naturally, 2) view a distant, earth-fixed target to enhance the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), 3) view a head-fixed target to suppress the VOR, and 4) walk in darkness.

Changes in landing biomechanics during a fatiguing landing activity.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of LE fatigue on ground impact force, LE kinematics, and LE kinetics during landing. Ground reaction force (GRF), kinematic, and electromyogram (EMG) data were collected from 12 male subjects during a fatiguing landing activity (FLA). This activity allowed not only the biomechanical differences between unfatigued and fatigued landings to be determined, but also the time history of multiple biomechanical variables as fatigue progressed.

A muscle temperature compensation technique for EMG fatigue measures.

Purpose: The use of electromyogram-based fatigue measurements during high-intensity, dynamic activities is confounded by the accompanying increase in muscle temperature. The purpose of this communication was to demonstrate the use of a muscle temperature compensation technique for electromyogram (EMG) fatigue measurements.

Methods: Subjects were six healthy men (mean age 30.