Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 217, March 1981

Approximately 130 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in February 1981 are included in this bibliography. Topics include aerospace medicine and biology

Aerospace medicine and biology. A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 206, May 1980

This bibliography lists 169 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in April 1980

Abdominal girth as an index of muscle tension during abdominal hollowing: Selecting the optimal training intensity for the transversus abdominis muscle

The abdominal hollowing technique is used for training the transversus abdominis (TrA). However, the optimal intensity of hollowing is still unclear. The objective of the present study is to verify the validity of estimating the tension of the TrA by measuring the girth of the abdomen with a tape and to determine the optimum intensity of hollowing to effectively train the TrA. Sixteen healthy males performed hollowing with an intensity of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, estimated from the girth of the abdomen. The shear elastic modulus was measured for the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and TrA at all intensities via ultrasonic shear wave elastography. The shear elastic modulus was considered as the index of the tension of the abdominal muscles at each intensity, and the ratio of the TrA to RA, EO, and IO respectively was calculated as the index of TrA selectivity. As the intensity of hollowing increased, the girth of abdomen decreased and tension of all the four muscles increased. The ratio of TrA to the RA, EO, and IO did not exhibit a significant variation among hollowing intensities of 25% to 100%. It is rational to estimate the tension of the TrA by measuring the girth of the abdomen. Moreover, considering both TrA contraction intensity and selectivity, abdominal hollowing performed at maximum intensity was effective for the maximum contraction training of the TrA

Light touch based virtual cane for balance assistance during standing

Can additional information about one\u27s body kinematics provided through hands improve human balance? Light-Touch (LT) through hands helps improve balance in a wide range of populations, both healthy and impaired. The force is too small to provide any meaningful mechanical assistance -- rather, it is suggested that the additional sensory information through hands helps the body improve balance. To investigate the potential for improving human balance through biofeedback through hands, we developed a Virtual Cane (VC) for balance assistance during standing. The VC mimics the physical cane\u27s function of providing information about one\u27s body in space. Balance experiments on 10 healthy young adults are conducted, where the evidence of improved standing balance with VC is collected and analyzed in terms of both, medio-lateral & anterior-posterior accelerations of the trunk. The results showed that VC improved balance in both X & Y directions as compared to no cane and in some cases, balance improvement was almost as good as physical cane condition. This shows that standing balance can be improved by even a simple binary information on one\u27s hand position with respect to the ground. This work furthers the concept of biofeedback from using virtual devices for balance assistance - using virtual LT through hands. Specifically, this work investigates a novel case where information that otherwise cannot be provided by any of the sensory organs (i.e., accurate distance from one\u27s hand to an external object), improves human standing balance. This research will propagate and give a boost to inspect and analyze similar or supplementary improvement effects during walking --Abstract, page iii

Stability Limits of Standing Postural Control in young male Ving Tsun Chinese Martial Art Practitioners: A pilot study in Hong Kong

published_or_final_versio

Biomechanics

Biomechanics is a vast discipline within the field of Biomedical Engineering. It explores the underlying mechanics of how biological and physiological systems move. It encompasses important clinical applications to address questions related to medicine using engineering mechanics principles. Biomechanics includes interdisciplinary concepts from engineers, physicians, therapists, biologists, physicists, and mathematicians. Through their collaborative efforts, biomechanics research is ever changing and expanding, explaining new mechanisms and principles for dynamic human systems. Biomechanics is used to describe how the human body moves, walks, and breathes, in addition to how it responds to injury and rehabilitation. Advanced biomechanical modeling methods, such as inverse dynamics, finite element analysis, and musculoskeletal modeling are used to simulate and investigate human situations in regard to movement and injury. Biomechanical technologies are progressing to answer contemporary medical questions. The future of biomechanics is dependent on interdisciplinary research efforts and the education of tomorrow’s scientists

CHANGES IN POSTURAL CONTROL AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE CAPABILITIES AFTER KUNG FU TRAINING PROGRAM IN LOW BACK PAIN PATIENTS

Low Back pain is often associated with reduced kinesthetic perception of the lower back and may result in early annuity or incapacitation for work. Special low back training programs can improve kinesthetic capabilities of low back pain patients. The effect of Kung Fu training has not been previously shown to be of benefit to sensorimotor control. Thirty-five volunteers (31.2 ± 6.3 years) were divided into two groups: Kung Fu exercise group (test group; with low back pain; n=23; training 2.9 ±2.3 h/week), control group (with low back pain; n=12; 34.1 ±4.2 years; training 0.25 ±0.8 h/week). During an active reproduction test, subjects performed the following trunk positions in random order: flexion [A (0°-20'), lateral flexion [B (0°-20')]. Using a 3D-ultrasound motion analysis system the repositioning error was calculated from the given target position to the subject perceived target position. Furthermore postural balance on a force plate and isometric force of back muscles were measured before and after an 8 week training period inclUding 16 training sessions. The results showed a decreasing repositioning error after the training period for the Kung Fu training group, in addition to an improvement in postural balance, whereas no significant changes in isometric strength could be demonstrated

Effects of trunk lean and foot lift exercises in sitting position on abdominal muscle activity and the contribution rate of transversus abdominis

Purpose: Abdominal hollowing exercise has been recommended to improve trunk stability. Trunk lean and foot lift exercises while sitting may easily promote abdominal muscle activity even in people who cannot perform abdominal hollowing consciously. The purpose of the present study was to examine the changes in abdominal muscle activity and contribution rate of the transversus abdominis muscle (TrA) when leaning the trunk and lifting the foot during sitting. Methods: The muscle stiffnesses (indicators of muscle activity) of the right rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and TrA of 14 healthy men were measured during abdominal hollowing and the following nine sitting tasks: reference posture, 15° and maximal posterior trunk lean, 20° and maximal ipsilateral and contralateral trunk lean, and ipsilateral and contralateral foot lift. The TrA contribution rate was calculated by dividing the TrA stiffness by the sum of the abdominal muscles’ stiffnesses. Results: The TrA stiffness was significantly higher in abdominal hollowing than in reference posture, posterior and ipsilateral trunk lean, and ipsilateral foot lift, but not higher than in contralateral trunk lean and contralateral foot lift. There was no significant difference in the TrA contribution rates between abdominal hollowing and ipsilateral or contralateral foot lift. Conclusion: The contralateral trunk lean or contralateral foot lift could enhance TrA activity for people who cannot perform abdominal hollowing consciously. The contralateral foot lift could particularly be beneficial to obtain selective activity of TrA

The role in ensuring peripheral blood flow as a function of balance for older women

Age-related changes in the function of equilibrium are characterized by increasing of projected area of the center of pressure and the velocity of the transference of center of pressure. The changes in peripheral blood flow have the influence on the maintenance of equilibrium which affects mainly the frontal plane. Changes in the regulation of vascular tone in a part of the peripheral blood flow affect the performance of dynamic equilibrium and, as result, reduction of the integral index of balance function