A pilot case series for concurrent validation of inertial measurement units to motion capture in individuals who use unilateral lower-limb prostheses.

Introduction: Inertial measurement units (IMUs) may be viable options to collect gait data in clinics. This study compared IMU to motion capture data in individuals who use unilateral lower-limb prostheses.

Methods: Participants walked with lower-body IMUs and reflective markers in a motion analysis space.

Developing time management with preclinical dental students via a preclinical exercise in an organization.

Purpose/objectives: Developing time management is an important aspect of a dental student's passage to clinical care and in their growth as a professional. Suitable time management and preparedness can potentially impact the prognosis of a successful dental appointment. The objective of this study was to determine if a time management exercise could be effective to increase students' preparedness, organization, time management, and reflection during simulated clinical care prior to transitioning to the dental clinic.

Motor differences in autism during a human-robot imitative gesturing task.

Background: Difficulty with imitative gesturing is frequently observed as a clinical feature of autism. Current practices for assessment of imitative gesturing ability-behavioral observation and parent report-do not allow precise measurement of specific components of imitative gesturing performance, instead relying on subjective judgments. Advances in technology allow researchers to objectively quantify the nature of these movement differences, and to use less socially stressful interaction partners (e.

Community-based postural control assessment in autistic individuals indicates a similar but delayed trajectory compared to neurotypical individuals.

Autistic individuals exhibit significant sensorimotor differences. Postural stability and control are foundational motor skills for successfully performing many activities of daily living. In neurotypical development, postural stability and control develop throughout childhood and adolescence.

Movement smoothness during dynamic postural control to a static target differs between autistic and neurotypical children.

Background: Autistic children and adults have known differences in motor performance, including postural instability and atypical gross motor control. Few studies have specifically tested dynamic postural control. This is the first study to quantify movement smoothness and its relationship to task performance during lateral dynamic postural control tasks in autism.

Effects of Intersectionality Along the Pathway to Diagnosis for Autistic Children With and Without Co-occurring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Nationally-Representative Sample.

Children with complex behavioral profiles (e.g., ASD + ADHD) may experience delays in obtaining a final diagnosis.

Autistic Children Use Less Efficient Goal-Directed Whole Body Movements Compared to Neurotypical Development.

Autistic children have differences in their movements which impact their functional performance. Virtual-reality enables researchers to study movement in safe, engaging environments. We used motion-capture to measure how 7-13-year-old autistic and neurotypical children make whole-body movements in a virtual-reality task.

Predicting UPDRS Motor Symptoms in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease From Force Plates Using Machine Learning.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects motor abilities with increasing severity as the disease progresses. Traditional methods for diagnosing PD include a section where a trained specialist scores qualitative symptoms using the motor subscale of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III). The aim of this feasibility study was twofold.

Effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment vs. osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine on Parkinsonian gait.

Context: Sixty thousand people are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) each year, making it the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. PD results in a variety of gait disturbances, including muscular rigidity and decreased range of motion (ROM), that increase the fall risk of those afflicted. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) emphasizes the central role of the musculoskeletal system, which could be ideal for addressing the somatic dysfunction associated with neurodegeneration in PD.

"Going Backward": Effects of age and fatigue on posterior-directed falls in Parkinson disease.

Background: Nearly half of persons with Parkinson disease (PD) report fatigue as a factor in their fall history. However, it is unknown whether these self-reported falls are caused by a sensation of fatigue or performance fatigue.

Objective: We sought to investigate the influences of performance fatigue and age on postural control in persons with PD.

Lateral epicondylosis: A literature review to link pathology and tendon function to tissue-level treatment and ergonomic interventions.

Background: Common treatments for lateral epicondylosis (LE) focus on tissue healing. Ergonomic advice is suggested broadly, but recommendations based on biomechanical motion parameters associated with functional activities are rarely made. This review analyzes the role of body functions and activities in LE and integrates the findings to suggest motion parameters applicable to education and interventions relevant to activities and life roles for patients.

A sensitive data analysis approach for detecting changes in dynamic postural stability.

Understanding the mechanisms of instability can aid in reducing fall risk. As a sensitive measure of fall risk, the distance between the center of pressure (COP) and center of mass (COM) is currently assessed through discrete points assumed to represent physiological important fall mechanisms. However, it is unclear if these discrete points are appropriate measures of fall risk.

A pilot study on the design and validation of a hybrid exoskeleton robotic device for hand rehabilitation.

Study Design: An iterative design process was used to obtain design parameters that satisfy both kinematic and dynamic requirements for the hand exoskeleton. This design was validated through experimental studies.

Introduction: The success of hand rehabilitation after impairments depends on the timing, intensity, repetition, and frequency, as well as task-specific training.

A current snapshot of the state of 3D printing in hand rehabilitation.

3D printing is often discussed in the field of hand rehabilitation, yet many hand therapists are unaware of this technology and how it either is used or could potentially be used in rehabilitation. To shed some light on the state of 3D printing in hand rehabilitation, we sought insight from a rehabilitation engineer, occupational therapy educator, clinician, and hospital administrator to provide a comprehensive look at the state of 3D printing today.

Muscular architecture of the popliteus muscle and the basic science implications.

Background: The function of the popliteus muscle is largely treated as a static stabilizer and has a lack of basic muscular architectural data to enable study of its dynamic function. A large volume of literature supports its static function and the essential need for reconstruction in the posterolateral knee when injured to restore knee stability.

Hypothesis/purpose: We hypothesize that the popliteus muscle is more significant as a dynamic presence in the knee.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Coordination Disorder, and typical development differ in characteristics of dynamic postural control: A preliminary study.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are developmental disorders with distinct definitions and symptoms. However, both conditions share difficulties with motor skills, including impairments in postural control. While studies have explored postural sway variables in children with DCD and ASD as compared to typical development (TD), few have used kinematic data to assess the magnitude of differences between these two neurodevelopmental conditions.

Hearing Loss Contributes to Balance Difficulties in both Younger and Older Adults.

Objective: The number of steps required to regain balance is an easily obtainable clinical outcome measure. This study assessed whether number of steps during loss of balance could identify older adults with hearing loss who have balance deficits. We aimed to answer two questions: 1) Does hearing loss negatively affect the ability to regain balance, as reflected by an increased number of steps needed to respond to a perturbation while simultaneously attending to speech-in-noise; and 2) Do hearing aids improve balance control, reflected by a decrease in number of steps needed to regain balance?

Methods: 20 young adults and 20 older adults with normal hearing, and 19 older adults with hearing loss performed an auditory-balance dual-task.

Soft robotic devices for hand rehabilitation and assistance: a narrative review.

Introduction: The debilitating effects on hand function from a number of a neurologic disorders has given rise to the development of rehabilitative robotic devices aimed at restoring hand function in these patients. To combat the shortcomings of previous traditional robotics, soft robotics are rapidly emerging as an alternative due to their inherent safety, less complex designs, and increased potential for portability and efficacy. While several groups have begun designing devices, there are few devices that have progressed enough to provide clinical evidence of their design's therapeutic abilities.

Concurrent surface electromyography and force myography classification during times of prosthetic socket shift and user fatigue.

Objective: Surface electromyography has been a long-standing source of signals for control of powered prosthetic devices. By contrast, force myography is a more recent alternative to surface electromyography that has the potential to enhance reliability and avoid operational challenges of surface electromyography during use. In this paper, we report on experiments conducted to assess improvements in classification of surface electromyography signals through the addition of collocated force myography consisting of piezo-resistive sensors.