Effects of virtual reality on the balance performance of older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

[Purpose] Virtual reality has been increasingly used to improve the balance performance of older adults; however, the effect remains inconclusive. This study aimed to examine the effects of virtual reality on the balance performance of older adults through a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Methods] The PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and PEDro electronic databases were searched.

Development and feasibility of a virtual reality-based exergaming program to enhance cardiopulmonary fitness in children with developmental coordination disorder.

Introduction: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor skill deficits. Such deficits often limit children's participation in physical activities, further affecting their overall health, including through reduced cardiopulmonary fitness. Because virtual reality (VR) devices offer interactive games and activities that require various movements and coordination, they can serve as motivating and enjoyable means for children to perform physical exercise.

Asymmetry in sensory-motor function between the lower limbs in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: An observational study.

The objective of this study was to examine the difference in sensory-motor impairments (i.e., balance, contracture, coordination, strength, spasticity, and sensation) between legs in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

Relative contribution of sensory and motor impairments to mobility limitations in children with cerebral palsy: an observational study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contribution of sensory and motor impairments to mobility limitations in cerebral palsy. An observational study was carried out in 83 children with all types of cerebral palsy with a mean age of 10.8 years (SD 1.

Rapid automatic naming and phonological awareness deficits in preschool children with probable developmental coordination disorder.

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have been reported to have a higher risk of dyslexia than children with typical development (TD). Phonological awareness (PA) and rapid automatic naming (RAN) are known to be predictive of children's reading development. The present study examined PA and RAN in preschool children with and without probable DCD in Taiwan.

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of a Newly Developed Chinese Screening Tool for Speech Disorders in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

The study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of a newly developed Chinese screening tool, the Chinese Version of the Speech Disorders in Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (SDPD-C). The SDPD-C contains a 24-item questionnaire with four assessment domains. Overall, 93 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) (age 70.

Family-centered Care Improved Neonatal Medical and Neurobehavioral Outcomes in Preterm Infants: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Family-centered care for preterm infants in Western societies has yielded short- to medium-term benefits. However, the intervention effects have rarely been validated in Eastern societies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether a family-centered intervention program (FCIP) could improve the short-term medical and neurobehavioral outcomes in preterm infants with very low birth weight (VLBW; a birth weight of <1,500 g) in Taiwan over the outcomes seen with a usual care program (UCP).

Effect of Touch Screen Tablet Use on Fine Motor Development of Young Children.

Aim: To investigate the effects of touch-screen tablet use on the fine motor development of preschool children without developmental delay.

Methods: 40 children who used a touch-screen tablet more 60 minutes per week for at least 1 month received a 24-week home fine motor activity program using a touch-screen-tablet. 40 children matched for age (mean = 61.

Relationship between time use in physical activity and gross motor performance of preschool children.

Background/aim: Participation in physical activity is an important health concern for children in most Western communities, but little is known about Asian children's participation. The purpose of this study was to extend the current knowledge on how much time preschool children in Taiwan spend on physical activity, to examine its relationship with gross motor performance and to provide information on the establishment of physical activity guidelines for preschool children in Taiwan.

Methods: Two hundred and sixty-four children between 36 and 71 months old were recruited from a university medical centre and from preschools in Taiwan.

Effects of television exposure on developmental skills among young children.

Background: Literature addressing the effects of television exposure on developmental skills of young children less than 36 months of age is scarce. This study explored how much time young children spend viewing television and investigated its effects on cognitive, language, and motor developmental skills.

Methods: Data were collected from the Pediatric Clinics at University Medical Center in Southern Taiwan.

The proximate unit in Chinese handwritten character production.

In spoken word production, a proximate unit is the first phonological unit at the sublexical level that is selectable for production (O'Seaghdha et al., 2010). The present study investigated whether the proximate unit in Chinese handwritten character production is the stroke, the radical, or something in between.

Musculoskeletal symptoms and associated risk factors among office workers with high workload computer use.

Objective: Although the prevalence of reported discomfort by computer workers is high, the impact of high computer workload on musculoskeletal symptoms remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms for office workers with high computer workload. The association between risk factors and musculoskeletal symptoms was also assessed.

Postural adjustment of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy during seated hand reaching in different directions.

Objectives: To examine the effect of reaching in different directions on postural adjustment in children with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP), and to examine the relationship between hand reach performance and postural adjustment, and between postural control ability and postural adjustment.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A movement science laboratory at a medical university.

Reading and writing performances of children 7-8 years of age with developmental coordination disorder in Taiwan.

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) refers to a delay in motor development that does not have any known medical cause. Studies conducted in English speaking societies have found that children with DCD display a higher co-occurrence rate of learning difficulties (e.g.

The agreement of caregivers' initial identification of children's developmental problems with the professional assessment in Taiwan.

Children's developmental problems vary, with some easier to identify than others. The accuracy of caregivers' initial identification of children's developmental problems is important in the timely treatment of those problems by medical professionals. In this study, we investigated the degree to which caregivers' initial identification of children's developmental problems matched the clinical assessment by a team of qualified professionals in a developmental assessment unit of a medical center in Taiwan.

Effect of task constraint on reaching performance in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

The purposes of the study were to examine the effect of task constraint on the reaching performance in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and to examine the correlations between the reaching performance and postural control. Eight children with CP and 16 typically developing (TD) children participated in the study. They performed a reach-and-return task with a seated posture on a stool.

Mechanisms of deficit of visuospatial attention shift in children with developmental coordination disorder: a neurophysiological measure of the endogenous Posner paradigm.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the mechanisms of brain activity, as revealed by a combination of the visuospatial attention shifting paradigm and event-related potentials (ERP) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and typically developing children. Twenty-eight DCD children and 26 typically developing children were recorded with regard to their behavioral performance and ERP measures during a variant of the endogenous Posner paradigm, in which they should react to visual targets preceded by spatial cues or presented uncued. Children with DCD showed longer reaction time and a deficit in inhibitory response capacity when compared to typically developing children.

Reciprocal influences on performances of a postural-suprapostural task by manipulating the level of task-load.

The objective of this study was to investigate the reciprocal influences of stance pattern (bilateral stance vs. unilateral stance) and thumb-index precision grip task (static target vs. dynamic target) on postural-suprapostural tasks by manipulating task-load.

Effect of seat surface inclination on postural stability and forward reaching efficiency in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of seat surface inclination on postural stability and forward reaching efficiency in 10 children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and 16 typically developing (TD) children. The children performed a static sitting and a forward reaching task while sitting on a height- and inclination-adjustable stool at flat, three anterior-inclined, and three posterior-inclined positions. Postural stability was expressed as normalized (with body weight) peak vertical ground reaction force, center of pressure displacement in the anterior/posterior directions (COP_AP), in the medial/lateral directions (COP_ML), and sway ratio (COP_AP/COP_ML).

Comorbidity of motor and language impairments in preschool children of Taiwan.

Comorbidity of motor and speech/language impairments was investigated in 363 preschool children between the ages of 5 and 6 years (boys: 205, age 6.04+/-0.48 years; girls: 158, age 5.

The effects of a motor and a cognitive concurrent task on walking in children with developmental coordination disorder.

The effects of type (cognitive vs. motor) and difficulty level (easy vs. hard) of a concurrent task on walking were examined in 10 boys and 4 girls (age 4-6 years) with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and 28 age- and gender-matched unaffected children.

Modulation of soleus H reflex due to stance pattern and haptic stabilization of posture.

The quiet stance is a complicated motor act requiring sophisticated sensorimotor integration to balance an artificial inverted pendulum with the ankle musculature. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of stance pattern (bilateral stance vs. unilateral stance) and directional influence of light finger touch (medial-lateral vs.

Standing balance of children with developmental coordination disorder under altered sensory conditions.

Maintenance of standing balance requires that sensory inputs be organized with the motor system. Current data regarding the influence of sensory inputs on standing balance in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are limited. This study compared the influence of sensory organization and each sensory input on the standing stability between a group of 20 children, 4-6 years old, with DCD and an age- and gender-matched control group of 20 children.

Effect of treadmill training with body weight support on gait and gross motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Objective: To examine the effect of treadmill training with body weight support (TBWS) on gait and gross motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP).

Design: Eight children with spastic CP participated in the study. Their temporal-distance gait parameters, Gross Motor Function Measure, muscle tone, and selective motor control were assessed three times: two times under their regular therapeutic treatment (condition A), and one time after receiving the TBWS treatment in addition to their regular therapeutic treatments (condition B).