The Postural Stability Measures Most Related to Aging, Physical Performance, and Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults

Background. Different measures have been used to quantify body balance; some of which use technology to measure postural sway, others are physical performance or self-reported. However, there is little information on the best postural sway measures associated with aging, physical performance, and cognitive function measures. Objective. To evaluate the relationship between postural sway measures and aging, physical performance, and cognitive function measures. Methods. A total of 51 subjects (53% female, mean age 53.2±21 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. The participants completed the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale questionnaire, the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, and gait speed. Afterward, the participants performed 8 balance exercises, and their postural sway was measured using a force plate. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between the study variables. Results. Age was negatively associated with cognitive function, gait speed, ABC scores, and FGA scores. In addition, cognitive ability was associated positively with ABC scores (r=0.38, p≤0.01). Age, FGA scores, and gait speed were significantly associated with the postural sway of the AP direction in some exercises and in all exercises in the ML directions (p<0.05). The cognitive function and ABC scores were significantly associated with only postural sway measures in the ML direction (p<0.05). Conclusion. The postural sway measures in the lateral direction had more and stronger associations with age, physical performance, and cognitive function measures compared to those in the AP direction

The Physical Activity Type Most Related to Cognitive Function and Quality of Life

Background. Physical activity has been found to maintain and improve cognitive function and consequently improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The relationships between different types of physical activities, cognitive function, and HRQoL have not been studied sufficiently and compared in different age and gender groups. This study is aimed at examining the relationship between different types of physical activity (high-intensity, moderate-intensity, and walking exercise), cognitive function, and HRQoL. In addition, this study is aimed at examining these relationships in different age and gender groups. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 150 adults with a mean age of 50±8.8 years. Participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess the level of the physical activity types and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire to assess HRQoL. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) screening instrument. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between the different variables of the study. Results. There were significant positive relationships between all types of physical activities, cognitive ability, and HRQoL. The relationships between moderate-intensity physical activities and cognitive function (r=0.38) and HRQoL (r=0.33) were higher than the relationships with walking exercise and high-intensity physical activity. The middle-aged group had a significantly higher cognitive function compared to the senior adults (p<0.001), while there was no significant difference between the age groups in HRQoL (p=0.18). Conclusion. The cognitive function and HRQoL were more related to moderate-intensity physical activities compared to walking exercise or high-intensity physical activities. These relationships were more pronounced in the senior adult population compared to the middle-aged group

The Association between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Reported Physical Activity with Sleep Quality in Apparently Healthy Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Recently, poor cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has been postulated as an adverse health outcome related to poor sleep quality. However, studies investigating the relationship between CRF and a subjective sleep quality index are scarce. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the association between CRF and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in apparently healthy people. The secondary aim was to investigate the association between reported physical activity (PA) and PSQI. Methods: Thirty-three healthy male participants volunteered to participate. CRF (VO2PEAK) was measured via cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill. A short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to measure PA, and PSQI was used for the sleep quality index. Results: There was no correlation between CRF and PSQI total score or any component of the PSQI. There was a significant inverse correlation between IPAQ and PSQI total score (r = −0.36, p = 0.04). Categorical data analysis of the two questionnaires revealed that 42.4% of the participants who reported low physical activity also had poor sleep quality. Conclusions: The current study showed no association between CRF and the subjective sleep quality index but demonstrated a moderate inverse association between reported PA and subjective sleep quality index. The findings suggest that the more reported PA, the better the overall sleep quality

Paretic-Limb-Only Plyometric Training Outperforms Volume-Matched Double-Limb Training for Ameliorating Balance Capability and Gait Symmetry in Adolescents with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy: A Comparative Study

Adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy (U-CP) experience an asymmetrical posture because the less-affected lower limb is preferred for bodyweight support as a strategy of compensating for the paretic side&rsquo;s muscular weakness. This study was designed to compare the effect of 12 weeks of paretic-limb-only plyometric training (PLPT) and volume-matched double-limb training (DLPT) on balance capability and gait symmetry in adolescents with U-CP. Sixty-nine adolescents with U-CP were randomly assigned to PLPT, DLPT, or a control group (n = 23 each). Treatment was delivered twice/week (with at least 48 h recovery intervals) for 12 weeks in succession. The directional (LoSdirectional) and overall (LoSoverall) limits of stability in addition to the temporal (T-GSI) and spatial (S-GSI) gait symmetry indicis were assessed pre- and post-treatment. The LoSdirectional improved significantly in the PLPT group compared to either the DLPT or control group (for the forward (p = 0.027 and &lt;0.001, respectively), backward (p = 0.037 and &lt;0.001, respectively), affected-side (p = 0.038 and 0.004, respectively), and less-affected-side (p = 0.018 and 0.016, respectively)), and this was also the case for the LoSoverall (p &lt; 0.001). Additionally, The T-GSI and S-GSI scores decreased significantly in the PLPT group compared to the DLPT (p = 0.003 and 0.047, respectively) or control (p = 0.003 and 0.036, respectively) group, indicating the development more symmetrical gait patterns. In conclusion, PLPT is likely more effective for enhancing balance capabilities and promoting symmetrical gait patterns than DLPT. Thereupon, it is worthwhile for physical rehabilitation practitioners to include the PLPT paradigm into the intervention plans for adolescents with U-CP

Reliability and Validity of Ratings of Perceived Difficulty During Performance of Static Standing Balance Exercises

BACKGROUND: Standardized instruments for measuring the intensity of balance exercises in clinical environments are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop a method for quantifying the perceived intensity of standing balance exercises. DESIGN: A test-retest study design was used, with repeated evaluations within the same visit and between visits 1 week later. METHODS: Sixty-two participants who were healthy and 18 to 85 years old (with a mean age of 55 years [SD = 20 years]; 50% women) were enrolled. On each of 2 visits, they performed 2 sets of 24 randomized static standing exercises consisting of combinations of the following factors: surface, vision, stance, and head movement. Postural sway was measured with an inertial measurement unit, and ratings of perceived difficulty (RPD) were recorded using numerical and qualitative scales. The RPD scales were validated against the quantitative sway measures using a general linear model approach. The test-retest reliability of the RPD scales was examined using a weighted kappa coefficient. RESULTS: Both RPD scales were associated with postural sway measures with correlation coefficients \u3e 0.6 for the whole sample. The test-retest reliability of the ratings varied considerably across the different balance exercises, and the highest weighted kappa values occurred for RPD scores on the numerical scale within the second visit, as moderate agreement was achieved in 18 of the 24 exercises. LIMITATIONS: The limitations are that the RPD scales need to be validated for other types of balance exercises and in individuals with balance disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The RPD scores correlated with the magnitude of postural sway, suggesting that they can be used as a proxy measure of perceived intensity of balance exercises

Comparison of Neck Circumference, Waist Circumference, and Skinfold Thickness in Measuring the Subcutaneous Fat Distribution and Their Association with Handgrip Strength: Cross-Sectional Study

Skinfold measurement (SKF) can accurately measure abdominal obesity and is regarded as a surrogate marker to predict non-communicable diseases. The objective of the present study was to observe the degree of association between neck circumference (NC), SKF and handgrip strength (HGS). Secondly, also to know the effects of smoking on NC, HGS and SKF. The mean and standard deviations and frequencies in percentage were analyzed, respectively. The degree of association between NC, anthropometric characters and HGS was also analyzed using the Pearson correlation. Furthermore, multiple linear regression models were used to study the degree of influence of independent variables on dependent variables. Correlation assessment for neck circumference with waist circumference and HGS revealed a weak association. While with SKF for four sites, a strong association was found. A significant regression was found among the smokers in the model (F (2, 7) = 5.2, p-value of 0.04 with an R2 of 0.598). The predictor variables, like waist and NC, can produce a variation of 59.8% in the dependent variable. Whereas, among non-smokers, an insignificant regression was seen. In conclusion, neck circumference is associated with SKF. However, a small sample size of young smokers revealed that NC and waist circumference influenced HGS

A Randomized Comparative Study between High-Intensity and Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Objectives. Chronic nonspecific low back pain (chronic nsLBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders leading to disabilities and physical inactivity. Laser therapy was used in chronic nsLBP treatment; however, no previous studies have assessed the impacts of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) versus low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on chronic nsLBP. This study compared the effects of HILT versus LLLT on individuals suffering from chronic nsLBP. Methods. The study was a randomized control trial. Sixty individuals with chronic nsLBP were enrolled in this study between May and November 2019. All participants were clinically diagnosed with chronic nsLBP. They were assigned randomly into three groups, 20 in each group. The first group received a program of LLLT, the second group received a program of HILT, and the third did not receive laser therapy (control group). Pain severity, disability, lumbar mobility, and quality of life were assessed before and after 12-week intervention. Results. Both LLLT and HILT groups showed a significant improvement of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analogue scale (VAS), lumbar range of motion (ROM), and European Quality of Life (EuroQol) scores (p>0.05), while the control group did not show significant changes (p>0.05). Comparison among the three study groups postintervention showed significant differences in the outcome measures (p>0.05), while comparison between the LLLT and HILT groups showed nonsignificant differences (p>0.05). Conclusion. There are no different influences of LLLT versus HILT on chronic nsLBP patients. Both LLLT and HILT reduce pain and disability and improve lumbar mobility and quality of life in chronic nsLBP patients