Validity of the new backache index (BAI) in patients with low back pain

INTRODUCTION: The Backache-Index (BAI) is applied to patients with low back pain (LBP) in order to help doctors/surgeons perform physical examinations easily and it is carried out within a short space of time (< 2 min.) without using inclinometric instruments. PURPOSE/AIM: To explore reliability, validity and responsiveness of the BAI in patients with LBP, which can fulfil the existing need for a reliable routine examination in the clinical environment. MATERIALS & METHODS: In total, 75 patients with subacute LBP participated in a randomized controlled study (1). The BAI consisted of a scoring system that includes pain factors and stiffness estimation at the end of a series of five different lumbar movements of a patient standing in erect position. RESULTS: The (blinded) inter-observer reliability between 2 observers for the BAI was perfect (ICC = 0.96). A BAI change of one unit is able to exclude a measurement error. A significantly good correlation (P < 0.001) was found between BAI at baseline, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI, R = 0.62) and MPQ-PRIT, as the total degree of pain rating index (R = 0.57). The effect size and discriminative ability were explored after two treatment sessions. The greatest level of distinction was found for MPQ-PRI-T and BAI (AUC > 0.93), followed by ODI (AUC = 0.92). A less distinction was found for MPQ-NWC-T and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, AUC > 0.82). RELEVANCE: the BAI is available in different languages: English, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, ITALIAN, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese and Thais. www.roptrotherapy.info CONCLUSIONS: The Backache Index or BAI appears to be a reliable and valid assessment of overall restricted spinal movements in case of LBP and discriminates between successful and unsuccessful treatment outcome. DISCUSSION: The inter-observer reliability after a few minutes for the BAI was sufficient. The validity of the BAI was found to be good with the ODI and moderate with the VAS. A Backache Index change of one unit is able to exclude a measurement error. KEYWORDS: Low back pain; Outcome scales; Reliability; Validity; Impairment; Pain rating scales. IMPLICATIONS: In a Spanish study (2) the test-retest after 3 days of the same group (n=46) revailed that the reliability for the 5 outcome scores was good (ICC=0.73). No significant difference was found between BAI1 (4.65 ± 4.15 ) and BAI2 (4.72 ± 4.20) and the absolute reliability was perfect with an ICC=0.97.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Physical function among olders subgroups physically active

Objetivo: analizar de qué manera la capacidad neuromuscular de producir fuerza explosiva e isotónica máxima, en los miembros inferiores y en la espalda, contribuyen al equilibrio en mayores diferenciando dicha respuesta a partir de la edad y del género de los sujetos.. Material y método: 113 mayores participaron en este estudio donde se instrumentalizaron pruebas comunes (extensión lumbar, salto con contramovimiento, test del alcance funcional y prueba de levántate y anda) para medir la capacidad neuromuscular de la fuerza y medición del equilibrio. Se distribuyeron los grupos por sexo y a partir de un análisis de subgrupos en función de la edad de los participantes. Resultados: en función del sexo y de la edad, las personas mayores muestran respuestas diferentes ante los mismos estímulos, ofreciendo un mayor rendimiento los hombres más jóvenes, y un menor rendimiento las mujeres mayores. Además, se han comprobado correlaciones significativas entre variables funcionales y de la capacidad neuromuscular de la fuerza que oscila entre 0.497 y 0.811 en el subgrupo de mujeres y entre 0.416 y 0.833 en el subgrupo de hombres. Conclusiones: la edad y el género en personas mayores actúan como un condicionante negativo del rendimiento durante la ejecución de tareas funcionales y pruebas para medir la capacidad neuromuscular de la fuerzaObjective: To analyze how the neuromuscular ability to produce force (maximal isotonic and explosive force), by lower limb and back muscles, contributes to explain the balance capacity in healthy elders. The analysis considers the age and gender of the participants. Material and Method: one hundred and thirteen healthy older participated in the present study were common physical test were instrumentalized (lumbar extension, functional reach test and get up and go test) to measure maximal force and balance. The analysis was developed considering gender and age of the participants. Results: considering the age and gender of the participants, it could argue that older people show different responses to the same stimuli, providing higher performance by younger men and lower performance by older women. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between variables and the ability to perform functional task and neuromuscular force test between 0.497 and 0.811 for women subgroup and between 0.416 and 0.833 for men subgroup. Conclusions: There are two negative conditions that affect the performance of functional tasks that analyze the strength or balance of people: Gender, the yield in less women than men, and age where older elderly showed lower performance on the tasks requested

A Light Calibration System for the ProtoDUNE-DP Detector

A LED-based fiber calibration system for the ProtoDUNE-Dual Phase (DP) photon detection system (PDS) has been designed and validated. ProtoDUNE-DP is a 6x6x6 m3 liquid argon time-projection-chamber currently being installed at the Neutrino Platform at CERN. The PDS is based on 36 8-inch photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and will allow triggering on cosmic rays. The system serves as prototype for the PDS of the final DUNE DP far detector in which the PDS also has the function to allow the 3D event reconstruction on non-beam physics. For this purpose an equalized PMT response is desirable to allow using the same threshold definition for all PMT groups, simplifying the determination of the trigger efficiency. The light calibration system described in this paper is developed to provide this and to monitor the PMT performance in-situ.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Inertial sensor real-time feedback enhances the learning of cervical spine manipulation: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Cervical Spinal Manipulation (CSM) is considered a high-level skill of the central nervous system because it requires bimanual coordinated rhythmical movements therefore necessitating training to achieve proficiency. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of real-time feedback on the performance of CSM. METHODS: Six postgraduate physiotherapy students attending a training workshop on Cervical Spine Manipulation Technique (CSMT) using inertial sensor derived real-time feedback participated in this study. The key variables were pre-manipulative position, angular displacement of the thrust and angular velocity of the thrust. Differences between variables before and after training were investigated using t-tests. RESULTS: There were no significant differences after training for the pre-manipulative position (rotation p = 0.549; side bending p = 0.312) or for thrust displacement (rotation p = 0.247; side bending p = 0.314). Thrust angular velocity demonstrated a significant difference following training for rotation (pre-training mean (sd) 48.9°/s (35.1); post-training mean (sd) 96.9°/s (53.9); p = 0.027) but not for side bending (p = 0.521). CONCLUSION: Real-time feedback using an inertial sensor may be valuable in the development of specific manipulative skill. Future studies investigating manipulation could consider a randomized controlled trial using inertial sensor real time feedback compared to traditional training