Short-term effects of side-alternating Whole-Body Vibration on cognitive function of young adults.

Recent research in rodents and humans revealed that Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) is beneficial for cognitive functions. However, the optimal WBV conditions are not established: contrary to vertical WBV, side-alternating WBV was not investigated before. The present study investigated the short-term effects of side-alternating WBV in standing and sitting posture on specific cognitive function of young adults.

Potential of Whole-Body Vibration in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Animal Studies.

(1) Background: When the severity of Parkinson's Disease (PD) increases, patients often have difficulties in performing exercises. Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) may be a suitable alternative. This systematic review aims to clarify if WBV shows potential as rehabilitative therapy for PD patients.

Validity of an Accelerometer-Based Activity Monitor System for Measuring Physical Activity in Frail Older Adults.

This study aimed to investigate the validity of the accelerometer-based DynaPort system to detect physical activity in frail, older subjects. Eighteen home-dwelling subjects (Groningen Frailty Indicator [GFI] score ≥ 4, ≥ 75 years) were included. Activities in their home environment were simultaneously observed by two researchers and measured with the DynaPort system during six consecutive hours.

Older adults can improve compensatory stepping with repeated postural perturbations.

The ability to respond quickly and accurately to an external perturbation with a stepping response is critical to avoid falls and this ability is impaired in older, compared to young adults. However, little is known about whether young and older adults improve compensatory stepping responses similarly with practice. This study compares the extent to which young and older adults can improve, retain, and generalize postural compensatory steps in response to external perturbations.

Early phenotypic differences between Parkinson's disease patients with and without freezing of gait.

Background: Previous studies have associated freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease with the presence of specific phenotypic features such as mood disturbances, REM sleep behavior disorder and selective cognitive impairments. However, it is not clear whether these features are present in the earlier stages of disease or simply represent a more general pattern of progression. To investigate this issue, the current study evaluated motor, cognitive, affective and autonomic features as well as REM sleep behavior disorder in Parkinson's disease patients in the early stages of the condition.