958 research outputs found

    Evaluation of the Use of Healing Imagery in Athletic Injury Rehabilitation

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    Healing imagery can be defined as both visualizing affirmative images ofinternal physiological healing occurring in an injured area and visualizing oneselfas healthy and fully functioning (Driediger, Hall, & Callow, 2006). Healing imagery has been found to effectively reduce the time of recovery from various athletic injuries when used in combination with other mental skills, such as self-talk and relaxation (Ievleva & Orlick, 1991). However, the literature remains void of a study that specifically examines healing imagery and the potential benefits that may accompany the regular application ofhealing imagery techniques alone. This study examined the effects ofan imagery intervention on the recovery ofathletes experiencing an athletic injury in comparison to a control group who did not receive the imagery manipulation. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness ofa healing imagery intervention through comparing the two groups on: satisfaction with rehabilitation, self-efficacy to recover, and recovery time. The sample consisted of 13 injured varsity athletes (intervention group, n=6; control group, n=7) utilizing the athletic therapy services at Wilfrid Laurier University. A significant interaction effect was found for satisfaction with rehabilitation, as athletes’ in the intervention group increased in satisfaction from week 2 to 3 while the control group decreased in satisfaction during the same time period. The intervention group also used significantly more cognitive imagery than the control group. Both groups were found to be significantly higher in task self-efficacy than coping self-efficacy during injury rehabilitation. A follow-up qualitative analysis ofthe intervention group revealed that the healing imagery intervention positively affected athletes’ in a unique, individualized manner. Results are discussed with respect to a gained understanding of imagery effects, study limitations, and future directions

    Movement and stretching imagery during flexibility training

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    The aim of this study was to examine the effect of movement and stretching imagery on increases in flexibility. Thirty volunteers took part in a 4 week flexibility training programme. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) movement imagery, where participants imagined moving the limb they were stretching; (2) stretching imagery, where participants imagined the physiological processes involved in stretching the muscle; and (3) control, where participants did not engage in mental imagery. Active and passive range of motion around the hip was assessed before and after the programme. Participants provided specific ratings of vividness and comfort throughout the programme. Results showed significant increases in flexibility over time, but no differences between the three groups. A significant relationship was found, however, between improved flexibility and vividness ratings in the movement imagery group. Furthermore, both imagery groups scored significantly higher than the control group on levels of comfort, with the movement imagery group also scoring significantly higher than the stretching imagery group. We conclude that the imagery had stronger psychological than physiological effects, but that there is potential for enhancing physiological effects by maximizing imagery vividness, particularly for movement imagery

    The Triple Code Model as a theoretical explanation of the effects of active mental practice in motor skills performance

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    This project studied the Triple Code Model by Ahsen and how it can be used as a theoretical framework in the investigation of the effects of mental practice in motor skills performance.The work is divided into four parts. The first part is a review of various theoretical models that have been used in explaining why mental practice can promote performance.The second part is another review but of the areas where mental practice has been used. It pays particular attention to three areas: training, rehabilitation from medical surgery and execution of motor skills in games.The third, is a collection of experimental work, using the framework of the Triple Code Model with active imagery, and it is divided into three sections. The first section looks at how table tennis strokes can become more consistent. The second section, at how rehabilitation and gait patterns can be affected via the Triple Code Model and active imagery interventions after remedial practice. The third section presents a new type of imagery modality instrument using high imagery keywords as stimuli. This questionnaire was multi-cultural validated in two countries, England and Portugal.The fourth part is a summary of what was found throughout the project with recommendations for further work.The general conclusion of the project was that the Triple Code Model with active imagery is a promising framework in the learning or correction of motor skills performance, but that the imagery modalities of people should be identified before any mental practice exercise

    A clinical reasoning framework for thoracic spine exercise prescription in sport:a systematic review and narrative synthesis

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    BackgroundThe thoracic spine is critical for athletic kinetic chain functioning yet widely overlooked in terms of specific evidenced-based exercise prescription. Thoracic mobility, motor control and strength are required to optimise performance in sport and minimise excessive load/stress on other components of the kinetic chain.ObjectiveTo identify and evaluate mobility, motor control, work capacity and strength thoracic exercises for use in athletes.DesignSystematic review involving expert reviewers at key stages: searches and screening (n=1), eligibility, evaluation, data extraction and evaluation (n=3). Key databases and social media sources were searched to 16 August 2019. Eligible exercises were thoracic exercises to promote mobility, motor control, work capacity and strength. A narrative synthesis enabled an outcome-based classification of exercises, with level of evidence of individual sources informing overall level of evidence for each outcome (Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine).ResultsFrom 2348 sources (social media, database searches and other sources), 38 exercises were included. Sources included images, video clips and written descriptions of exercises. Exercises targeting all planes of motion were evaluated and classified according to outcome. Exercises comprised functional and non-functional exercises for mobility (n=9), work capacity (n=15), motor control (n=7) and strength (n=7). Overall level of evidence for each outcome was level 5.ConclusionThis synthesis and evaluation of exercises has captured the scope of thoracic exercises used in ‘practice’. Evaluation against an expert-derived outcome-based classification provides practitioners with a framework to facilitate exercise prescription. Evaluation of validity and effectiveness of exercises on outcomes is now required

    A brain-computer interface integrated with virtual reality and robotic exoskeletons for enhanced visual and kinaesthetic stimuli

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    Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) allow the direct control of robotic devices for neurorehabilitation and measure brain activity patterns following the user’s intent. In the past two decades, the use of non-invasive techniques such as electroencephalography and motor imagery in BCI has gained traction. However, many of the mechanisms that drive the proficiency of humans in eliciting discernible signals for BCI remains unestablished. The main objective of this thesis is to explore and assess what improvements can be made for an integrated BCI-robotic system for hand rehabilitation. Chapter 2 presents a systematic review of BCI-hand robot systems developed from 2010 to late 2019 in terms of their technical and clinical reports. Around 30 studies were identified as eligible for review and among these, 19 were still in their prototype or pre-clinical stages of development. A degree of inferiority was observed from these systems in providing the necessary visual and kinaesthetic stimuli during motor imagery BCI training. Chapter 3 discusses the theoretical background to arrive at a hypothesis that an enhanced visual and kinaesthetic stimulus, through a virtual reality (VR) game environment and a robotic hand exoskeleton, will improve motor imagery BCI performance in terms of online classification accuracy, class prediction probabilities, and electroencephalography signals. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on designing, developing, integrating, and testing a BCI-VR-robot prototype to address the research aims. Chapter 6 tests the hypothesis by performing a motor imagery BCI paradigm self-experiment with an enhanced visual and kinaesthetic stimulus against a control. A significant increase (p = 0.0422) in classification accuracies is reported among groups with enhanced visual stimulus through VR versus those without. Six out of eight sessions among the VR groups have a median of class probability values exceeding a pre-set threshold value of 0.6. Finally, the thesis concludes in Chapter 7 with a general discussion on how these findings could suggest the role of new and emerging technologies such as VR and robotics in advancing BCI-robotic systems and how the contributions of this work may help improve the usability and accessibility of such systems, not only in rehabilitation but also in skills learning and education

    The role of confidence in rehabilitation and the recovery of motor performance

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    Brain-Computer Interface Robotics for Hand Rehabilitation After Stroke: A Systematic Review

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    Background Hand rehabilitation is core to helping stroke survivors regain activities of daily living. Recent studies have suggested that the use of electroencephalography-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) can promote this process. Here, we report the first systematic examination of the literature on the use of BCI-robot systems for the rehabilitation of fine motor skills associated with hand movement and profile these systems from a technical and clinical perspective. Methods A search for January 2010–October 2019 articles using Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PEDro, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore and Cochrane Library databases was performed. The selection criteria included BCI-hand robotic systems for rehabilitation at different stages of development involving tests on healthy participants or people who have had a stroke. Data fields include those related to study design, participant characteristics, technical specifications of the system, and clinical outcome measures. Results 30 studies were identified as eligible for qualitative review and among these, 11 studies involved testing a BCI-hand robot on chronic and subacute stroke patients. Statistically significant improvements in motor assessment scores relative to controls were observed for three BCI-hand robot interventions. The degree of robot control for the majority of studies was limited to triggering the device to perform grasping or pinching movements using motor imagery. Most employed a combination of kinaesthetic and visual response via the robotic device and display screen, respectively, to match feedback to motor imagery. Conclusion 19 out of 30 studies on BCI-robotic systems for hand rehabilitation report systems at prototype or pre-clinical stages of development. We identified large heterogeneity in reporting and emphasise the need to develop a standard protocol for assessing technical and clinical outcomes so that the necessary evidence base on efficiency and efficacy can be developed
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