Publications by authors named "Simone G V S Smith"
Purpose: Research role-emerging placements (RREPs) have been integrated into placement offerings in Canadian physiotherapy programmes. The purpose of the present study is to describe the experiences and impacts of RREPs completed by graduates of Canadian physiotherapy programmes.
Methods: Participants were recruited by purposive sampling and completed semi-structured interviews to explore their RREP experiences.
Article Synopsis
- Understanding how the skin processes tactile information is key for creating effective biofeedback therapies targeting skin receptors.
- This study explored how different foot postures (like dorsiflexion and plantarflexion) impact the sensitivity of skin on the foot, with tests performed on 20 participants.
- Results showed that foot sensitivity varies based on the area of the foot and the posture, indicating that changes in skin properties influence tactile responses, which should be considered in future biofeedback interventions.
Neuromuscular fatigue impairs motor coordination, movement stability, and proprioception, which further decreases performance. A neuromechanical coupling exists between foot sole cutaneous mechanoreceptors and motoneurons of the lower limb, however, the contribution of skin sensory input on muscle fatigue remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of cutaneous stimulation could mitigate the effect of fatigue of the plantar flexor muscles during a sustained isometric task at 30% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs the largest and most superficial organ, the skin is well positioned for receiving sensory information from the environment. It is conceivable that changes in posture could result in deformations of the skin and subsequent changes in skin material properties. Specifically, the ankle and metatarsophalangeal joints have the capability to undergo large postural alterations with the potential to induce large structural deformations in the skin of the foot.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of the current work was to quantify the influence of posture-mediated skin deformation on trunk dorsum tactile perceptual sensitivity. Twelve young and healthy individuals were assessed while adopting three different spine postures (extension, neutral and flexion). Tactile sensitivity threshold tests (T10 and L4 vertebral levels) included measures of touch sensitivity, spatial acuity and stretch sensitivity.
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