Balance Ability Research Articles

Meta-analysis of the effect of plyometric training on the athletic performance of youth basketball players.

To investigate the effects of Plyometric Training (PT) on the athletic performance of youth basketball players (age 5-17.99) and to provide a theoretical basis for applying PT in basketball training practice. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCO and other data platforms were searched, and Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 16.0 software. A total of 24 studies were included, with a sample size of 738 participants. The results showed that PT improved jumping, linear sprinting, change of direction (COD) speed, and balance in youth basketball players (p < 0.05) but did not significantly improve lower limb strength (p > 0.05). The results of subgroup analyses showed that:1) Regarding the effect of PT on different aspects of athletic performance, enhancements were found for vertical jump, 5-10m, 20-30m sprinting ability, velocity-oriented and force-oriented COD speed, and dynamic balance ability of youth basketball players. 2) When analyzing different participant subgroups, basketball players aged 5 to 10.99 and 11-14.99 years appeared to improve their jump, sprinting ability, and COD speed through PT training, whereas no improvements in sprinting ability and COD speed were found for players aged 15 to 17.99. Male and female youth basketball players could improve their jumping through PT, in contrast, straight-line sprinting ability and COD speed were significantly improved only by male youth basketball players, and balance ability was significantly improved only by female youth basketball players. 3) Regarding different training protocols, high-frequency PT (>2 times/week) with a low-volume (jumping ≤150 times/week) and Single-type PT (one specific movement) improved only jumping ability. In contrast, low-frequency PT (1-2 times/week) with a high-volume (jumping >150 times/week) and mixed-type PT (varied jumping drills) protocols significantly improved jumping, linear sprinting, COD speed, and balancing abilities. PT can enhance the jumping, linear sprinting, COD speed, and balance of youth basketball players, but it does not affect lower limb strength. It is recommended that coaches make full use of the training-sensitive periods of young athletes by incorporating low-frequency, high-volume, and mixed-type PT into their regular training routines over the long term.

A51: A Study on Improvement of Sensory Integration Disorder in Children Aged 6-7 Years with Fancy Skipping Rope

Purpose: At present, the number of children with sensory unison disorder continues to rise in our country, which is a kind of disease that mainly happens in the children of the nervous system, so that the young children's physical quality drops, the uncoordinated movement, attention, and poor performance, affecting the normal healthy development. In the face of the disorder, the intervention can be improved by games in PE class and sensory integration training. Methods: In this paper, literature, mathematical statistics, questionnaire, and other research methods were used to test and study the vestibular function, proprioception, tactile defense and learning ability of freshmen. Two classes of experimental group (N=128) and two classes of control group (N=128) were randomly selected. The experimental group carried out the teaching of the first and second level of fancy rope skipping for the public in physical education class, while the control group carried out the routine physical education activities and carried out the exercise experiment intervention for four months, and the data before and after the experiment were compared. Results: 1) After the first and second action intervention of the general public, the experimental group of students improved in the four ability indicators of sensory integration, and the experimental group of students' sensory integration disorder significantly improved (P &lt; 0.01), and compared with ordinary physical education activities, fancy rope skipping has more significant improvement on the transformation of students with sensory integration disorder into normal students. 2) After 16 weeks of fancy rope skipping intervention, the vestibular function and tactile defense of students in the experimental group were significantly improved, which were to improve their balance ability, concentration, and interest in physical fitness. 3) Both the fancy rope skipping, and the routine physical education activities can significantly improve the proprioceptive ability of the tested students, and their muscle control ability is more significantly improved; The coordination of physical quality and balance ability have improved significantly. Conclusion: It is of great significance for the healthy growth of freshmen to classify the symptoms of sensory dysregulation by means of systematic and targeted integrated training of skipping rope, and gradually increase the intensity and frequency of training.

Immediate Effects of Ankle Eversion Taping on Balance and Gait in Recovering Stroke Patients: A Pre- Post Experimental Study

Background: Poststroke decrement in balance and gait ability disturbs daily routine of patients and increases the risk of falling. Several factors contribute to it, foot drop being one primary cause. Therefore, treating foot drop seems to be a representative approach to retain balance and gait, and the most common available options of treatment are first functional electrical stimulation (FES) and second ankle foot orthosis (AFO). However, FES and AFO are costly, inconvenient, and unattractive. Hence, to avoid these reasons, taping as an ailing method is used, because it is easily applicable and inexpensive. Aims: The aim of this study is to study and compare the effect of ankle eversion taping (AET) on balance and gait ability before and after its application. Settings and Designs: This study was conducted in the outpatient department of physiotherapy (O. P. D. 16) S. S. G. hospital, Vadodara, A pre-post experimental study. Subjects and Methods: Stroke diagnosed 50 patients participated in this study. AET consists of two stages: first of which is the application of tape for posterior talar glide and second stage is eversion taping which places ankle in more everted (neutral) position. Pre- and post-intervention assessment after an hour of an intervention scores of Berg Balance Scale and dynamic gait index were assessed and analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: Paired t-test was to find out the efficiency of AET on balancing and gait ability in recovering patients of stroke. Results and Conclusions: Obtained P value for both the two outcomes was P &lt; 0.05 at 95% confidence interval, suggesting high significant effect. AET is effective in improving balance and gait and its parameters in recovering stroke patients.

Relationship between Gait Speed and Balance Among Older Adults Residing in Long Term Care Settings

Introduction: Studies have documented that a decrease in gait speed is linked to an increased risk of falling among older adults residing in the community. However, there is a lack of research examining the correlation between gait speed and balance in older adults who reside in long-term care settings (LTCS). Objective: To determine the relationship between balance using a four-square step test (FSST) and gait speed using a 10-m walk test among older adults residing in LTCS in and around Udupi-Manipal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among older adults residing in six LTCS. The residents above 60 years, either gender, able to follow commands, with functional vision and duration of stay &gt; 6 months were included, and those who were bed or wheelchair-bound, use assistive devices for mobility, any acute cardiovascular events in the past 3 months, any orthopaedic or neurological conditions that affect mobility, and with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo were excluded. The participants were asked to perform the FSST and gait speed test. The demographic characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics. Linear regression analysis was carried out keeping balance as the outcome variable and gait speed as the independent variable. Results: A total of ninety-four residents were screened, and thirty-five (n=35) were included in the study. The mean age of participants was 74.94 ± 7.54 years, with an average duration of stay in LTCS being 5.37 years. The participant's average gait speed was 0.994 ± 0.325 m/s, and the average time taken to complete the balance test was 12.75 ± 4.41 sec. The regression analysis revealed that for every second decline in gait speed, the dynamic balance assessed by the FSST reduced by 0.036 seconds (r2 =0.443; p = 0.008; 95% CI: -.062, -.010). Conclusion: This study showed that with an increase in gait speed, the time taken to complete the balance test decreased. This suggests older adults have better balance abilities when they can walk at a faster speed.

Comparison of Lower Limb Mass, Thigh Circumference, and Balance Ability after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and in Control Participants

Comparison of Lower Limb Mass, Thigh Circumference, and Balance Ability after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and in Control Participants

An IMU-Based Ground Reaction Force Estimation Method and Its Application in Walking Balance Assessment.

Walking is one of the most common daily movements of the human body. Therefore, quantitative evaluation of human walking has been commonly used to assist doctors in grasping the disease degree and rehabilitation process of patients in the clinic. Compared with the kinematic characteristics, the ground reaction force (GRF) during walking can directly reflect the dynamic characteristics of human walking. It can further help doctors understand the degree of muscle recovery and joint coordination of patients. This paper proposes a GRF estimation method based on the elastic elements and Newton-Euler equation hybrid driving GRF estimation method. Compared with the existing research, the innovations are as follows. 1) The hardware system consists of only two inertial measurement units (IMUs) placed on shanks. The acquisition of the overall motion characteristics of human walking is realized through the simplified four-link walking model and the thigh prediction method. 2) The method was validated not only on 10 healthy subjects but also on 11 Parkinson's patients and 10 stroke patients with normalized mean absolute errors (NMAEs) of 5.95%±1.32%, 6.09%±2.00%, 5.87%±1.59%. 3) This paper proposes a dynamic balance assessment method based on the acquired motion data and the estimated GRF. It evaluates the overall balance ability and fall risk at four key time points for all subjects recruited. Because of the low-cost system, ease of use, low motion interference and environmental constraints, and high estimation accuracy, the proposed GRF estimation method and walking balance automatic assessment have broad clinical value.

Factors associated with gait efficiency in children with cerebral palsy: association between gait abnormality and balance ability.

[Purpose] Children with cerebral palsy require more gait energy than healthy children. The association between gait abnormalities and gait efficiency remains unclear. We investigated the association between gait abnormalities, balance, and maximum step length to determine contributors to gait efficiency in children with cerebral palsy. [Participants and Methods] The study included 33 patients with cerebral palsy, who could walk without the use of walking aids. All participants were instructed to walk for 6 min, and the Total Heart Beat Index was calculated as a measure of walking efficiency. The Edinburgh Visual Gait Score was used to assess gait abnormalities. Additionally, the maximum step length was recorded, and all participants performed the Berg Balance Scale. Correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to confirm the association between the aforementioned parameters and the Total Heart Beat Index. [Results] The Edinburgh Visual Gait Score was correlated with the heel lift during the stance, knee position during the terminal swing of gait as factors associated with the Total Heartbeat Index. The Berg Balance Scale was correlated with turning 360°, standing with feet together. [Conclusion] Our findings emphasize the need for treatment strategies focused on gait abnormalities and balance.

Effect of captopril on paraplegia caused by spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

This study investigated the effect of captopril (Cap) on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (SCII) in rats. Twenty-four adults male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each: spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (SCI-R) with Cap (SCI-R + Cap), SCI-R, sham-operated with Cap (SHAM + Cap), and SHAM. The 24 hr and 90 min before ischemia induction, Cap was administered intragastrically (100 mg kg-1) to the SHAM + Cap and SCI-R + Cap groups. Abdominal aortic clamping was performed in the SCI-R and SCI-R + Cap groups for 40 min. Hindlimb motor function was evaluated using the Tarlov Scale at 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 60 hr after SCII. The malondialdehyde (MDA), the ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) values were also measured. Throughout the study period, the SCI-R group had significantly lower motor function scores compared to the other groups. The MDA and PAB levels were higher and the FRAP value was lower in the SCI-R group compared to in the SHAM group. The SCI-R + Cap had higher motor function scores compared to the SCI-R group at all time points. There were no significant differences in MDA concentration, FRAP and PAB values between the SCI-R + Cap and SCI-R groups. Captopril may act as a protective agent against SCII in rats based on hind limb motor function assessment.

Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) Targeting the Cerebrum versus the Cerebellum on Balance Function in Individuals with Chronic Stroke: A Pilot Randomised Clinical Trial

Introduction: Balance impairment significantly impact the daily activities of individuals with chronic stroke, often stemming from issues like spasticity, muscle weakness, and other neurological symptoms. tDCS has shown promise in enhancing both balance and walking abilities among chronic stroke patients. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of anodal tDCS in enhancing balance performance among chronic stroke patients, comparing its effectiveness between stimulation of the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex region. Materials and Methods: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anodal tDCS in enhancing balance performance among chronic stroke patients, comparing its effectiveness between stimulation of the cerebellum and the primary motor cortex region. Results: Both groups showed significant improvement in all outcome measures (TUG, BESS, MRMI, DGI) (p&lt;0.05). Betweengroup analysis revealed significant changes in TUG, BESS, and DGI (p=0.0016, 0.019, 0.003 respectively). However, there was no significant change between groups in MRMI (p=0.528). Conclusion: Anodal cerebellar tDCS is more effective to improve balance and gait than Cerebral tDCS.

YOLO-SK: A lightweight multiscale object detection algorithm

YOLOv5 is an excellent object-detection model. However, it fails to fully use multiscale information when detecting objects with significant scale variations. It might use irrelevant contextual information, leading to incorrect predictions, particularly for low-performance devices. In this study, we selected lightweight YOLOv5s as the baseline model and proposed an improved model called YOLO-SK to overcome this limitation. YOLO-SK introduced several key improvements, the most important being the collaborative work of the weighted dense feature fusion network and SK attention prediction head. The proposed weighted dense feature fusion network could dynamically fuse features at different scales using autonomous learning parameters and cross-layer fusion capabilities. This enabled a balanced feature fusion ability in the output feature maps of different scales, thereby enhancing the richness of the effective information in the fused feature maps. The prediction head equipped with the SK attention mechanism broadened the scope of the model's receptive field and sharpened the focus on the target characteristics. This made it possible to glean more information about the target from the feature map output by employing a weighted dense feature fusion network. In addition, in order to improve the model's performance in terms of both accuracy and volume, we implemented the SIoU loss function and the Ghost Conv. The use of the model allowed for a more precise and in-depth comprehension of the event, which was made possible by all of these various methods of improvement. Extensive testing done on the PASCAL VOC 2007 and 2012 datasets showed that YOLO-SK was able to achieve considerable gains in prediction accuracy when compared with the baseline model (YOLOv5s), all while keeping the same level of model complexity. To be more specific, mAP@.5 increased by 2.6 %, and mAP@.5:.95 increased by 4.8 %. The advancements that were made and detailed in this paper could serve as a springboard for additional research that aims to improve the precision of multiscale object identification models for low-performance devices.

Zone Evaluation: Revealing Spatial Bias in Object Detection.

A fundamental limitation of object detectors is that they suffer from "spatial bias", and in particular perform less satisfactorily when detecting objects near image borders. For a long time, there has been a lack of effective ways to measure and identify spatial bias, and little is known about where it comes from and what degree it is. To this end, we present a new zone evaluation protocol, extending from the traditional evaluation to a more generalized one, which measures the detection performance over zones, yielding a series of Zone Precisions (ZPs). For the first time, we provide numerical results, showing that the object detectors perform quite unevenly across the zones. Surprisingly, the detector's performance in the 96% border zone of the image does not reach the AP value (Average Precision, commonly regarded as the average detection performance in the entire image zone). To better understand spatial bias, a series of heuristic experiments are conducted. Our investigation excludes two intuitive conjectures about spatial bias that the object scale and the absolute positions of objects barely influence the spatial bias. We find that the key lies in the human-imperceptible divergence in data patterns between objects in different zones, thus eventually forming a visible performance gap between the zones. With these findings, we finally discuss a future direction for object detection, namely, spatial disequilibrium problem, aiming at pursuing a balanced detection ability over the entire image zone. By broadly evaluating 10 popular object detectors and 5 detection datasets, we shed light on the spatial bias of object detectors. We hope this work could raise a focus on detection robustness. The source codes, evaluation protocols, and tutorials are publicly available at https://github.com/Zzh-tju/ZoneEval.

The Effect of Short-Term Kinesiology Taping on Neuromuscular Controls in Hallux Valgus During Gait: A Study of Muscle and Kinematic Synergy.

To investigate the biomechanical mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and explore the effects of kinesiology taping (KT) on neuromuscular control in HV patients. The study population consisted of 16 young controls (YC group) and 15 patients with hallux valgus (HV group). All subjects underwent a natural velocity gait assessment. Additionally, 11 patients from the HV group received KT intervention over a period of one month, consisting of 15 sessions administered every other day. After the one-month intervention, these patients underwent a gait assessment and were included in the HV-KT group. The electromyography (EMG) and joint motion were evaluated using non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) to compare the difference in muscle and kinematic synergy among the three groups. The center of plantar pressure (COP) and ground reaction force (GRF) were measured by the force platform. The number of synergies did not differ within the three groups, but the structure of muscle synergies and kinematic synergies differed in the HV group. The KT intervention (HV-KT group) altered the structure of synergies. The correlation between kinematic synergies and muscular synergies was lower in the HV group than in the YC group, whereas the correlation between the two increased after the KT intervention in the HV group. During gait, the HV group tended to activate more muscles around foot joints to maintain body stability. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, hallux valgus angle (HVA), and COP were significantly decreased after the intervention ( [Formula: see text]). HV patients exhibited altered kinematic and muscular synergies structures as well as muscle activation. Also, it weakened the balance and athletic ability of HV patients. KT intervention improved neuromuscular control to provide a better gait performance.

What keeps mobile in ageing? A comparison of balance, physical activity and social integration between 60- to 80-year-old healthy people who regularly dance, do sports or are active in everyday life – a cross-sectional study / Was hält im Alter mobil? Gleichgewicht, körperliche Aktivität und soziale Integration im Vergleich zwischen 60- bis 80-jährigen gesunden Personen, die regelmäßig tanzen, Sport betreiben

Abstract Background Physical and social activity can influence positively the effects of ageing. This study examined differences in balance, physical activity and social integration between everyday active, sportive or dancing 60- to 80-year-old people in Lower Austria. Materials and methods We recruited 50 seniors with a mean age of 66.8 ± 4.2 years for this cross-sectional study. 13 people were active everyday, 21 were sportive on a weekly basis and 16 were “Seniorentanz” dancers. We blindly assessed balance (MiniBESTest), mobility (Timed Up and Go), and muscular endurance of knee extensors, hip abductors, and plantar flexors. Questionnaires identified physical activity (IPAQ-SF) and social integration (LSNS-6). The analysis of group differences was carried out descriptively and via ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results People who were regularly active in senior dance showed 5.5 points significantly higher balance ability in the MiniBESTest than those who were otherwise sportive (p = .002), and 7.5 points significantly higher balance than people who were active in everyday life (p = .006). According to the IPAQ-SF, athletes were by 4515 MET-min/week significantly more physically active than people who are only active in everyday life (p = .003). Social integration or other parameters did not differ between groups. Conclusion The small sample, the heterogeneity of the participants and differences in the contextual conditions of the measurements limit the validity of the results of this study. The results of this Lower Austrian sample could indicate differences in balance and physical activity between everyday active, sportive or dancing ageing people.

Research Progress on the Combination of Exercise Rehabilitation Nursing and Balance Ability Training to Improve Physical Dysfunction in Patients with Early to Mid Stage Parkinson’s Disease

Research Progress on the Combination of Exercise Rehabilitation Nursing and Balance Ability Training to Improve Physical Dysfunction in Patients with Early to Mid Stage Parkinson’s Disease

The effect of functional fitness training on the balance ability of students specializing in the high jump

Abstract This study delves into how targeted exercise regimes can bolster static and dynamic balancing capabilities by exploring the nexus between functional physical training and balance proficiency in high jump athletes. Through rigorous evaluation of 80 students using the entropy weight-TOPSIS method, our four-month investigation revealed marked enhancements in balance. Notably, static balance improved by 8-10%, while dynamic balance saw a 12-15% uptick, emphasizing the efficacy of functional training in optimizing athletic performance and mitigating injury risks. The control group’s unchanged balance further underscores the specific benefits of our training regimen.

Research on Online Interactive Teaching Platform of College English Combined with Semantic Association Network Modeling

Abstract The emergence of semantic association networks has injected a new impetus for the development of online English teaching and provided a new model reference for the design of online education platforms. In this paper, the research and design of an online interactive teaching platform for college English draws on the algorithmic advantages of the semantic associative network model and utilizes the self-operation of the semantic associative network to realize the functions of autonomous addition, deletion, modification, and checking. The text semantic similarity is predicted by word embedding model, convolutional neural network, and other algorithms so as to better achieve the integration of teaching resources, connecting English knowledge and highlighting the teaching focus in the online teaching process of college English. Dynamic load balancing algorithms are used to solve the problems of short-term surges in the number of visits and the concentration of call requests, and the optimization of load balancing algorithms is further realized through genetic algorithms to finally complete the design of the online teaching interactive platform. Comparison experiments concluded that the semantic association network proposed in this paper could hold a more stable repair effect when cleaning inconsistent data in the dataset, highlighting the effectiveness of the semantic association network model in this paper. The online interactive teaching platform designed in this paper also performs well in the performance test, with only a 0.01% abnormality rate in the concurrency performance test, and the load balancing ability test also achieves the expected effect.

Effect of controlled start position on the reach distance distribution range in the functional reach test among community-dwelling older adults.

[Purpose] This study investigated the effect of controlled start position (CSP) on the reach distance distribution range (RDDR) in the functional reach test (FRT) in community-dwelling older adults. [Participants and Methods] The participants were 34 community-dwelling older adults. We compared the RDDR in CSP and non-CSP and analyzed the relationship between the mean reach distance (MRD) and the length of movement of the center of pressure (LMCOP). [Results] The RDDR in CSP condition was significantly lower than non-CSP condition. A significant positive correlation was observed only for CSP condition. In the non-CSP condition, MRD was not reflected in the LMCOP. [Conclusion] The FRT in the CSP effectively reflects the standing balance ability of community-dwelling older adults.

Design and Implementation of Transformer-less Common-Ground Inverter With Reduced Components

Nowadays, common-ground-type (CGT) based transformer-less inverters (TIs) are gaining more popularity in photovoltaic (PV) applications owing to their low cost, weight of the systems, losses and zero ground leakage current. For PV applications, a separate boost converter is often used to boost the low PV array voltage, resulting in increased component count, cost and lower efficiency. To resolve this issue, switched-capacitor (SC) based CGT inverter with reduced component count is proposed in this paper. The proposed amalgamation of CGT and SC technique, results in inherent boosting and zero ground leakage current. In the proposed inverter, SCs are connected in series/parallel with the dc voltage source for several instances in a fundamental cycle preserving the self-voltage balancing ability. Therefore, the proposed topology is devoid of voltage sensors to balance the voltage across SCs. Further, A simplified logic gatebased pulse-width-modulation strategy is developed. In addition, the benefits of proposed inverter are highlighted and compared with the other recent SC inverter topologies with regard to boosted voltage, elimination of leakage current and reduced component count. A laboratory prototype is developed by using DS1202/1302 dSPACE controller and experimental results are presented for both steady state and dynamic conditions and verifying the feasibility of the proposed TI.

농촌지역 여성노인의 신체적 여가활동 참여가 신체적 기능과 삶의 질에 미치는 효과

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of a physical leisure activity program on the physical function and health-related quality of life of elderly women in rural areas. Methods: One hundred and thirteen elderly women living in rural communities participated using a one-group pre-post design. The physical leisure activity program was conducted for 16 group activities over 8 weeks. To determine changes in the physical function of the elderly after participation, muscle strength, flexibility, and balance ability were measured, and the 8 domain Short-Form Health Survey (SF-8) was used to examine changes in quality of life. Results: The physical function of the participants in the program was significantly increased in upper and lower limb muscle strength, balance, and flexibility (p &lt; 0.05). The total score of QOL of elderly women who participated in the program also improved from 335.73 ± 52.93 points to 395.42 ± 28.79 points, and significantly changed in all sub-items (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Participation in leisure activities was confirmed effective not only in improving the physical health of the elderly women, but also in improving their quality of life. In the future, we look forward to the development and support of various participatory activity programs suitable for rural areas.

The Effects of Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Hamstring Muscle Activity and Balance Ability in Professional and Amateur Football Players

The Effects of Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Hamstring Muscle Activity and Balance Ability in Professional and Amateur Football Players