Effect of Visual Information on Postural Control in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Visual information is crucial for postural control. Visual processing in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was hypothesized to be less efficient and thus they would display a less stable standing posture than typically developing children. The present study compared the static standing responses and attentional demands of 15 children with ASD and 18 control participants in conditions of eyes open and eyes closed.

Postural control adaptation to optic flow in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Background: Sensory reweighting is important for humans to flexibly up-weigh and down-weigh sensory information in dynamic environments. There is an element of time involved in the sensory reweighting process. A longer time spent on sensory reweighting may increase the destabilizing effect of postural control.

Effect of Optic Flow on Postural Control in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been associated with sensorimotor difficulties, commonly presented by poor postural control. Postural control is necessary for all motor behaviors. However, findings concerning the effect of visual motion on postural control and the age progression of postural control in individuals with ASD are inconsistent.

Viewpoints of pedestrians with and without cognitive impairment on shared zones and zebra crossings.

Background: Shared zones are characterised by an absence of traditional markers that segregate the road and footpath. Negotiation of a shared zone relies on an individual's ability to perceive, assess and respond to environmental cues. This ability may be impacted by impairments in cognitive processing, which may lead to individuals experiencing increased anxiety when negotiating a shared zone.

Effect of Visual Information on Postural Control in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Sensory processing difficulties affect the development of sensorimotor skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the effect of sensory information on postural control is unclear in the ASD adult population. The present study examined the effect of visual information on postural control as well as the attentional demands associated with postural control in fourteen adults with ASD and seventeen typically developed adults.

A historical review of the evolution of the Tardieu Scale.

There are many clinical assessment tools that can be used to quantify spasticity, one feature of the Upper Motor Neurone (UMN) syndrome. The focus of this short paper is on three; the Tardieu Scale, the Modified Tardieu Scale and the Australian Spasticity Assessment Scale, because a fundamental concept of these tests is their velocity dependent nature. Other bedside assessments such as the Modified Ashworth Scale examine hypertonicity, another feature of the UMN syndrome, but in this instance, the stretching movement is not velocity dependent.

Standing Postural Control in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Impairments in postural control affect the development of motor and social skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review compared the effect of different sensory conditions on static standing postural control between ASD and neurotypical individuals. Results from 19 studies indicated a large difference in postural control between groups across all sensory conditions.

Hypermobility and Musculoskeletal Pain in Adolescents.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) in a large cohort of Australian children and determine the associations between GJH and musculoskeletal pain.

Study Design: This is a cross-sectional analysis of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Hypermobility was measured in 1584 participants at 14 years of age using the Beighton scoring system, along with a range of other factors including musculoskeletal pain status.

Corset hypothesis rebutted--transversus abdominis does not co-contract in unison prior to rapid arm movements.

Background: The aim of this paper is to test "corset" model of spinal stability, specifically the hypothesis that feed forward transversus abdominis activity is bilaterally symmetrical and independent of the direction of perturbation to posture due to arm. This study will assess transversus abdominis electromyographical activity bilaterally.

Methods: Feed forward intramuscular transversus abdominis electromyographical data and reaction forces on the thorax due to the arm movement were collected and processed for 6 healthy subjects during 6 trials of 8 types of arm movements (randomised order).

Reliability of dynamometry to quantify isometric strength following traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To investigate the within-session reliability and test-re-test reliability of hand-held dynamometry (HHD) to quantify strength in hip flexors, quadriceps, plantarflexors and triceps brachii following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design: Within-session reliability was examined across six consecutive trials of HHD. Test-re-test reliability was examined between two sessions separated by 7 days.

Outcomes of progressive resistance strength training following stroke: a systematic review.

Objective: To determine whether progressive resistance strength training reduces impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions after stroke.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched to find trials conducted from 1966 to 2002. Articles were assessed independently by two reviewers according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) population: adults with stroke, (2) intervention: progressive resistive strength training in isolation, and (3) outcomes: changes in body function, physical activity or societal participation.