Rehabilitation Of Balance Disorders Research Articles

Characterization of Postural Sway in Women with Osteoporosis and a Control Group by Means of Linear and Nonlinear Methods.

The mechanisms underlying the altered postural control and risk of falling in patients with osteoporosis are not yet fully understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate postural sway in women with osteoporosis and a control group. The postural sway of 41 women with osteoporosis (17 fallers and 24 non-fallers) and 19 healthy controls was measured in a static standing task with a force plate. The amount of sway was characterized by traditional (linear) center-of-pressure (COP) parameters. Structural (nonlinear) COP methods include spectral analysis by means of a 12-level wavelet transform and a regularity analysis via multiscale entropy (MSE) with determination of the complexity index. Patients showed increased body sway in the medial-lateral (ML) direction (standard deviation in mm: 2.63 ± 1.00 vs. 2.00 ± 0.58, p = 0.021; range of motion in mm: 15.33 ± 5.58 vs. 10.86 ± 3.14, p = 0.002) and more irregular sway in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction (complexity index: 13.75 ± 2.19 vs. 11.18 ± 4.44, p = 0.027) relative to controls. Fallers showed higher-frequency responses than non-fallers in the AP direction. Thus, postural sway is differently affected by osteoporosis in the ML and AP directions. Clinically, effective assessment and rehabilitation of balance disorders can benefit from an extended analysis of postural control with nonlinear methods, which may also contribute to the improvement of risk profiles or a screening tool for the identification of high-risk fallers, thereby prevent fractures in women with osteoporosis.

Innovative System for Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Human Imbalance.

<b>Introduction:</b> Mobile posturography is based on wearable inertial sensors; it allows to test static stability (static posturography) and gait disturbances. </br> </br> <b>Aim:</b> The aim of this work was to present the results of research on the innovative MEDIPOST system used for diagnosis and rehabilitation of balance disorders. </br> </br> <b>Material and methods:</b> Fourteen articles published in influenced foreign journals were presented and discussed. The deve-lopment and construction of the device was preceded by a literature review and methodological work. The Dizziness Handi-cap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire was translated and validated. The methodology of posturography with head movements with a frequency of 0.3 Hz was also developed in the group with chronic vestibular disorders. Simultaneous measurements were performed (static posturogrphy vs. MEDIPOST) in the CTSIB-M (Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance) test in healthy subjects and patients with unilateral peripheral dysfunction.</br> </br> <b>Results:</b> In the posturography with head movements the improvement of sensitivity (67 to 74%) and specificity (65 to 71%) was noted. In the CTSIB-M test the intraclass correlation coefficients for both methods were 0.9. The greatest differences between examinations were observed for the mean angular velocity in the tests on the foam (trials no. 3 and 4), in particular on the foam with eyes closed (trial no. 4 - sensitivity 86.4%, specificity 87.7%). Two functional tests were analyzed: the Swap Seats test and the 360 degree turn test. In the former, the results are studied from 6 sensors - 86% of the true positives and 73% of the true negatives for the fall/ no-fall group classification. The second test differentiates people with vestibular impairment and healthy people. It can be analyzed with 1 (sensitivity 80%) and 6 sensors (sensitivity 86%, specificity 84%). Currently, the MEDIPOST device is in the development and certification phase.

Evaluation of balance in children with sensorineural hearing loss according to age

PurposeHearing is an important sensory skill for psychomotor development. As the cochlea and vestibule share the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear, children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may have vestibular dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate static, dynamic, functional balance, and mobility as a whole in children with SNHL. Material and methodsEighty children, 40 with bilateral severe-to-profound SNHL (20 children between the ages of 6–10 were included in the Group 1, and 20 children between the ages of 11–15 were included in the Group 2) and 40 with normal-hearing (the Group 3 included 20 children between the ages of 6–10 and the Group 4 of 20 children between the ages of 11–15) were included in the study. The Single-Leg Stance (SLS) Test, Functional Reach Test (FRT), Time Up and Go (TUG) Test, and Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) were used to evaluate the balance skills of children. ResultsThe present study found out that children with SNHL in both age groups performed worse than those with normal-hearing in FRT, SLS, and PBS. In the TUG test, children with SNHL in the younger age group had lower performance compared to their peers with normal-hearing while the TUG performance of children with SNHL in the older age group was similar to their normal-hearing peers. ConclusionIt was concluded that the static, dynamic and functional balance skills of children with SNHL were impaired compared to their normal-hearing peers. Including balance assessment in the routine test battery in children with SNHL may be decisive for early diagnosis and rehabilitation of balance disorders. It may be beneficial to add static, dynamic and functional balance tests to the test battery in addition to mobility assessment, especially in children with SNHL in the older age groups.

Utility of the Cobs Biofeedback Platform in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy

The Cobs Biofeedback Platform is an information and training response team that can be used in the early diagnosis, evaluation and rehabilitation of balance disorders; very frequent in children with Cerebral Palsy (PC). To evaluate the therapeutic response of the COBS Biofeedback platform in the rehabilitation of the balance of children with CP. Explanatory, experimental, longitudinal and prospective study; with Experimental Group, Intervention ( n = 35), application of 20 training sessions in COBS platform simultaneous to the program of action of the service; Control group, Control ( n = 35), application of the service action program. Ashworth Scales and Gross Motor Function were applied at the beginning and end of the treatment. The results obtained before and after in each group were compared by Wilcoxon Signal Range Test, declaring as a significant difference a value of P ≤ 0.05. Average age 7.71 (± 2.2) years, 51% of the sample was female, spastic diparesia and genusflexus predominated as the most frequent deformity with 62.9% and 38.6% respectively, standing and the evolution of the patients in the experimental group were evaluated as satisfactory with great statistical significance. Patients with spastic CP using the COBS platform evolve better than patients with conventional therapy.

Maturation of the postural control in healthy children

Introduction The multitest platform (MT) framiral is used in the evaluation and rehabilitation of balance disorders in adults. Normative data are missing for children. The aims of the study were to collect, in normal children, MT normative data usable for clinical diagnosis and to explore the maturation of the postural control. Material and method In this prospective study, 103 healthy children aged from 3 to 15 years were tested on MT in the 6 classical conditions: eyes open (condition A), eyes closed (B), vision disturbed by optokinetic stimulation (C), and the same conditions (A, B and C) with a mobile platform disturbing the proprioceptive inputs (D, E and F). The effect of age and gender were studied on the index of postural instability (IPI). Results The IPI of children was higher (worse) than those observed in adults. They were logically better in condition A and worse in the conditions with disturbed proprioceptive inputs (D, E and F). The scores improved with age but only for the conditions A, B and C. The younger children use more energy for their postural control than adults in the easier conditions (A and B). They were less efficient in the use of sensory inputs, especially with disturbed proprioceptive inputs (D, E and F). They were more disturbed by visual motion. Girls presented with a more rapid maturation of their postural control than boys. Boys demonstrated a trend to a deterioration of their postural control at adolescence. Even in oldest children (13–15 years), the IPI scores did not reach the adults values in the more difficult conditions (D, E and F). Conclusion MT normative data for IPI were recorded for clinical use. Younger healthy children need more energy for maintaining an efficient control of their antero-posterior postural sways. This more energy-consuming postural control is still observed in adolescents.

Effectiveness of rehabilitation of balance disorders after a peripheral vestibular: State of the art

Effectiveness of rehabilitation of balance disorders after a peripheral vestibular: State of the art

Analysis of 26 exercises of the Wii Fit Plus™ from Nintendo to facilitate prescription in rehabilitation of balance disorders

Analysis of 26 exercises of the Wii Fit Plus™ from Nintendo to facilitate prescription in rehabilitation of balance disorders

Changes in body equilibrium response caused by breathing. A posturographic study with visual feedback

Therapeutical methods involving holistic medicine are of increasing interest. The present study deals with the psychophysical breath work by Middendorf and examines whether it has an effect on reactions of the body's equilibrium system. Different optical patterns were projected on a video screen to the test subject standing on a modified posturographic platform. Subjects were instructed to shift their center of gravity according to the patterns projected on the video screen. The patterns consisted of a line that had to be followed in the anterior-posterior and in the lateral plane, and of a circle which had to be followed clockwise and counterclockwise. Three groups each consisting of 17 healthy persons were tested; group 1: advanced in breath training, group 2: beginners in breath training, group 3: no experience in breath work at all. Group 1 und 2 show significantly better results in the posturographic test with visual feedback than subjects without experience in breast work (group 3). Furthermore, posturographic results immediately after one hour of breath work reveal clear improvements in the body equilibrium. Psychophysical breath work by Middendorf leads to a general improvement of the body equilibrium which is stable over time. The positive results of this study lead to the assumption that breath work by Middendorf is a valuable method for treatment and rehabilitation of balance disorders.