Evidence of endothelial dysfunction in the development of Alzheimer's disease : Is Alzheimer's a vascular disorder?

Acknowledgements Dr Soiza is funded by an NRS Career Research Fellowship. The authors are grateful to Alzheimer’s Research UK for providing funding.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Daily Task-Oriented Performance Evaluation for Commercially Available Assistive Robotic Manipulators

This preliminary study investigates the performance and cognitive loading of the two commercial wheelchair-mounted assistive robotic manipulators (ARMs) with their original user interfaces (UIs). This study of 20 able-bodied individuals evaluated the performance of two user interfaces, keypad and joystick, using six tasks on an activities of daily living (ADL) task board with environment-independent measures, self-reported cognitive loading and questionnaires. Participants performed tasks with two commercial arms with their original UIs in a randomized order of arm and the six tasks on the adl task board. Performance was evaluated using completion time, throughput, and trajectory parameters. Self-reported measures of workload and questionnaires were also administered. Statistical performance differences were found in the translational tasks (

Personal mobility and manipulation appliancedesign, development, and initial testing

The ability to perform activities of daily living and mobility-related activities of daily living are substantial indicators of one's ability to live at home and to participate in one's community. Technologies to assist with mobility and manipulation are among the most important tools that clinicians can provide to people with disabilities to promote independence and community participation. For people with severe disabilities involving both the upper and lower extremities, there are few systems that provide practical and coordinated assistance with mobility and manipulation tasks. The personal mobility and manipulation appliance (PerMMA) was created in response to goals set forth by a team of clinicians and people with disabilities. © 2012 IEEE

Quantification of activity during wheelchair basketball and rugby at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games: A pilot study

To date, no published data exists on distances and speeds traveled by rugby or basketball players during game play. The purpose of this study was to provide quantitative information of selected characteristics of wheelchair basketball and rugby game play. A miniaturized data logger was used to collect the distance traveled, average velocity, activity time, and number of starts and stops during basketball and rugby games. Participants were recruited prior to wheelchair basketball and rugby tournaments during the 2007 and 2008 National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Inclusion criteria were age 18 years or older and been participating in wheelchair basketball or rugby. The wheelchair rugby athletes on average traveled 2364.78±956.35 meters at 1.33±0.25 m/sec with 242.61±80.31 stops and starts in 29.98±11.79min of play per game. The wheelchair basketball athletes on average traveled 2679.52±1103.66m at 1.48±0.13 m/sec with 239.78±60.61 stops and starts in 30.28±9.59min of play per game. Previous research has not reported basketball or rugby game play variables such as these, making this data set unique. The information could be used by players and coaches to create training protocols to better prepare for game conditions. © 2009 ISPO