Sustained versus repetitive standing trunk extension results in greater spinal growth and pain improvement in back pain:A randomized clinical trial.

Background: McKenzie standing trunk extension exercises have been used for the management of low back pain (LBP). However, no study to date has investigated the effect of standing trunk extension postures on spinal height and clinical outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate in subjects with LBP following a period of trunk loading how spinal height, pain, symptoms' centralization and function outcome measures respond to two standing postures interventions: (1) repetitive trunk extension (RTE) and (2) sustained trunk extension (STE).

Interlimb Coordination during Double Support Phase of Gait in People with and without Stroke.

This study aims to identify differences between participants with and without stroke regarding the ipsilesional and contralesional lower limbs kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity and their variability during double support phase of gait. Eleven post-stroke and thirteen healthy participants performed 10 gait trials at a self-selected speed while being monitored by an optoelectronic motion capture system, two force plates and an electromyographic system. The following outcomes were evaluated during the double support: the time and the joint position; the external mechanical work on the centre of mass; and the relative electromyographic activity.

Mentorship and self-efficacy are associated with lower burnout in physical therapists in the United States: a cross-sectional survey study.

Purpose: This study investigated the prevalence of burnout in physical therapists in the United States and the relationships between burnout and education, mentorship, and self-efficacy.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. An electronic survey was distributed to practicing physical therapists across the United States over a 6-week period from December 2020 to January 2021.

Long-Term Electrode-Skin Impedance Variation for Electromyographic Measurements.

This study aims to observe the evolution of the electrode-skin interface impedance of surface EMG electrodes over the time taken to determine the time of stabilization. Eight healthy subjects participated in the study. Electrode-skin impedance was evaluated in the rectus abdominal muscle every five minutes, over a total period of 50 min.

The trapeziometacarpal screw home torque mechanism as a clinical indicator of the posterior joint ligament complex integrity: A cadaveric investigation.

Background: To date, no clinical test provides specific objective information on the integrity of key ligamentous support of the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint.

Purpose: To examine the potential of the TMC joint screw home torque mechanism (SHTM) in estimating the integrity of the posterior ligament complex in older adult population. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional laboratory-based study.

Na1.7: A central role in pain.

Loss of function of sodium channel Na1.7 produces pain insensitivity. In this issue, Deng et al.

The Influence of Pregestational Body Mass Index and Physical Activity Patterns on Maternal, Delivery, and Newborn Outcomes in a Sample of Portuguese Pregnant Women: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: There is a linear association between pregestational body mass index (BMI) and almost all adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy is "a window of opportunities" in terms of changing behavior and improving awareness of healthy living. The proper assessment of physical activity levels, during pregnancy, determines trends, health benefits, and their effects over time.

Home-Based Rehabilitation of the Shoulder Using Auxiliary Systems and Artificial Intelligence: An Overview.

Advancements in modern medicine have bolstered the usage of home-based rehabilitation services for patients, particularly those recovering from diseases or conditions that necessitate a structured rehabilitation process. Understanding the technological factors that can influence the efficacy of home-based rehabilitation is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes. As technologies continue to evolve rapidly, it is imperative to document the current state of the art and elucidate the key features of the hardware and software employed in these rehabilitation systems.

The Effect of Volitional Preemptive Abdominal Contraction on Biomechanical Measures During A Front Versus Back Loaded Barbell Squat.

Background: Weightlifting is growing in popularity among recreational and competitive athletes. The barbell back squat (BackS) is commonly included in these training programs, while the barbell front squat (FrontS) is commonly performed as a component of other lifts such as the power clean or clean and jerk, it is less commonly practiced in isolation.

Hypothesis/purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of VPAC performance on trunk muscle and LE biomechanical responses during loaded BackS versus FrontS in healthy subjects.

Breaking Barriers: Artificial Intelligence Interpreting the Interplay between Mental Illness and Pain as Defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Low back pain is one of the main causes of motor disabilities and psychological stress, with the painful process encompassing sensory and affective components. Noxious stimuli originate on the periphery; however, the stimuli are recombined in the brain and therefore processed differently due to the emotional environment. To better understand this process, our objective was to develop a mathematical representation of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) model of pain, covering the multidimensional representation of this phenomenon.

Exploring the associations between early maladaptive schemas and impulsive and compulsive buying tendencies.

The main purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate a potential relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and impulsive and compulsive buying tendencies in a sample of young adults (college students). This research adds to the cognitive perspective of consumer behavior that the cognitive schemas putatively associated with early experiences may have a strong impact on impulsive and compulsive buying. Data was obtained from 365 participants in a cross-sectional study design.

Dissociating cognitive and affective empathy across psychopathy dimensions: The role of interoception and alexithymia.

This study examined the associations between psychopathy dimensions (triarchic phenotypes and classical factors), empathy domains (cognitive and affective), and interoception (interoceptive attention and accuracy) while accounting for the putative role of alexithymia. A community sample ( = 515) completed an online survey encompassing: Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (boldness, meanness, disinhibition); Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (primary and secondary psychopathy); Body Perception Questionnaire (interoceptive attention); Interoceptive Accuracy Scale; Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Hierarchical linear regression models were implemented for hypothesis-driven analyses examining the associations between psychopathy, empathy, and interoception while controlling for sex, age, and alexithymia.

Could Electromyographic and Pressure Related Signals Identify Differences in Abdominal Activity and Postural Control between Women with and without C-Section?

Background: Scars interfere with the motor system; however, the influence of c-section scars has not been described yet. The aim of this study is to relate the presence of abdominal scars from a caesarean section with changes in postural control-stability and orientation and abdominal and lumbar neuromuscular control in the orthostatic position.

Methods: Cross-sectional analytical observational study comparing healthy primiparous women with caesarean delivery ( = 9) and physiologic delivery ( = 12) who have delivered more than one year before.

Grasp and Release Test for Tetraplegic Hand Assessment: an update of the Grasp and Release Test.

The Grasp and Release Test (GRT) was originally developed to measure effectiveness of an implanted neuroprosthesis in people with tetraplegia. Its ease of use and lack of floor and ceiling effects culminated in recommendations for inclusion in a battery of tests to measure outcome following upper limb reconstructive surgery. However, the length of time taken to administer the GRT in a clinical setting, lack of instructions of accepted grasp patterns in the upper limb reconstructive surgery population and scoring procedures lead to differences in reporting outcomes using this measure.

Feasibility and acceptability of a remote, hands-free cognitive battery for adults with traumatic spinal cord injury.

Purpose/objective: To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of testing the cognitive abilities of adults with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) via teleconference.

Research Design: Data were collected prospectively at two study sites from 75 adults living with TSCI. Participants completed a series of self-report measures via an online survey platform, in addition to a brief battery of cognitive testing administered via audio-video teleconference.

Informal Caregivers' Perceptions of Facilitators of Successful Weight Management for People With Spinal Cord Injury.

Importance: Informal caregivers have valuable insights that occupational therapists can use to prevent and manage problems that may arise in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) because of a lack of physical activity and poor nutrition.

Objective: To assess caregiver-identified facilitators of weight management in people with SCI.

Design: Descriptive qualitative design using semistructured interviews and thematic analysis.

Differences in Trapezius Muscle H-Reflex between Asymptomatic Subjects and Symptomatic Shoulder Pain Subjects.

In chronic shoulder pain, adaptations in the nervous system such as in motoneuron excitability, could contribute to impairments in scapular muscles, perpetuation and recurrence of pain and reduced improvements during rehabilitation. The present cross-sectional study aims to compare trapezius neural excitability between symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. In 12 participants with chronic shoulder pain (symptomatic group) and 12 without shoulder pain (asymptomatic group), the H reflex was evoked in all trapezius muscle parts, through C3/4 nerve stimulation, and the M-wave through accessory nerve stimulation.

Uncertainty deconstructed: conceptual analysis and state-of-the-art review of the ERP correlates of risk and ambiguity in decision-making.

Risk and uncertainty are central concepts of decision neuroscience. However, a comprehensive review of the literature shows that most studies define risk and uncertainty in an unclear fashion or use both terms interchangeably, which hinders the integration of the existing findings. We suggest uncertainty as an umbrella term that comprises scenarios characterized by outcome variance where relevant information about the type and likelihood of outcomes may be somewhat unavailable (ambiguity) and scenarios where the likelihood of outcomes is known (risk).

Adaptation in motor strategies for postural control associated with sensory reweighting.

The purpose of this study was to identify and differentiate the motor strategies associated with sensory reweighting adapted during specific sensory integration tasks by healthy young adults. Thirty-six subjects (age range: 21-33 years) performed standing computerized dynamic posturography balance tasks across progressively increasing amplitudes of visual (VIS), somatosensory (SOM) and both (VIS+SOM) systems perturbation conditions. Adaptation in the motor strategy was measured as changes in electromyographic (EMG) activities and joint angles.

Measures of cognitive reserve: An umbrella review.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in operationalizing and measuring cognitive reserve (CR) for clinical and research purposes. This umbrella review aims to summarize the existing systematic and meta-analytic reviews about measures of CR. A literature search was conducted following the (PRISMA) and the guidelines of Aromataris et al.

Na1.7 gain-of-function mutation I228M triggers age-dependent nociceptive insensitivity and C-LTMR dysregulation.

Gain-of-function mutations in Scn9a, which encodes the peripheral sensory neuron-enriched voltage-gated sodium channel Na1.7, cause paroxysmal extreme pain disorder (PEPD), inherited erythromelalgia (IEM), and small fiber neuropathy (SFN). Conversely, loss-of-function mutations in the gene are linked to congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP).

Proposal of a common terminology for the neuropsychological rehabilitation.

The literature on neuropsychological intervention (NI) uses a variety of terms to refer to equivalent constructs, making it difficult to compare intervention programmes and their outcomes. The purpose of this work is to propose a unified terminological framework for describing NI programmes. The terminological framework was developed based on a previous proposal for common terminology by Johnstone and Stonnington (Rehabilitation of neuropsychological disorders: A practical guide for rehabilitation professionals.

Mental Health Literacy and Stigma in a Municipality in the North of Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Portugal has Europe's second-highest prevalence of psychiatric illnesses, and this is the reason why mental health literacy (MHL) and stigma should be addressed. This study aimed to investigate the mental health literacy and stigma levels among different groups of people from Póvoa de Varzim, a municipality in the north of Portugal. Students, retired people, and professionals (education, social, and healthcare fields) were recruited using a convenience sample from June to November 2022.