Ankle electromyography among the young and the elderly

O envelhecimento altera a função musculoesquelética prejudicando a marcha e a manutenção do equilíbrio corporal. Objetivo: Verificar e comparar a atividade eletromiográfica (EMG) da região do tornozelo de idosos e jovens fisicamente ativos. Método: Participaram deste ensaio 40 indivíduos de ambos os sexos considerados fisicamente ativos mediante o Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física - IPAQ (formato curto). Não participaram do estudo aqueles com algum tipo de condição clínica que afetasse o equilíbrio e contração muscular. Avaliou-se a atividade eletromiográfica (EMG) dos músculos tibial anterior e tríceps sural na posição bipodal (BA) e unipodal (UA), com olhos abertos. Para a captação dos sinais EMG foram utilizados eletrodos monopolares de superfície Ag/AgCl da KENDALL (MEDITRACETM 200). O teste t de Student foi utilizado para a comparação entre os grupos. O nível de significância adotado foi p < 0,05. Resultados: Os idosos exibiram valores superiores quanto a frequência de potenciais de ação em 3 das 4 condições avaliadas. Conclusão: Os idosos deste estudo exibiram maior frequência de disparos e recrutamento de unidades motoras dos músculos do tornozelo para a manutenção das posturas unipodal e bipodal, em comparação aos jovens.Aging changes the musculoskeletal function and affects gait and body balance. Objective: To compare the electromyographic activity (EMG) of the ankles of physically active older and younger people. Method: Forty subjects of both genders considered physically active through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - IPAQ (short format) participated in this study. Those with some kind of medical condition that could affect balance and muscle contraction did not participate in the study. We evaluated the electromyographic activity (EMG) of the tibialis anterior and triceps surae in bipedal stance (BS) and single-leg (US) with eyes open. To capture the EMG, monopolar Ag/AgCl surface electrodes from KENDALL (MEDITRACETM 200) were used. The Student t test was used for comparison between groups. The level of significance adopted was p < 0.05. Results: Elderly individuals exhibited higher values regarding the frequency of action potentials in 3 of the 4 conditions assessed. Conclusion: The older volunteers in this study exhibited a higher firing rate and recruitment of motor units of the ankle muscles to maintain the bipedal and unipedal stance, as compared to the younger

Tell Me about Loneliness: Interviews with Young People about What Loneliness Is and How to Cope with It

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-11-09, pub-electronic 2021-11-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: University of Manchester; Grant(s): 188130Background: loneliness is a common experience for adolescents, yet the voices of adolescents are missing from current conceptualisations of loneliness. That means, measures that have been created based on current conceptualisations may miss important contexts of adolescence, such as the roles of friendships, that determine the way loneliness is experienced. The current study aims to centre adolescent voices to identify how they conceptualise loneliness and what strategies they consider to be useful for adolescents to cope with loneliness. Method: thematic framework analysis (TFA) was conducted on qualitative interviews with young people aged 8–14 years in Belgium and Italy to identify salient themes in their conceptualisations of loneliness. Results: Loneliness was conceptualised as a negative emotional state involving negative thinking patterns that occurs when an individual perceives they are missing out on a desired aspect in their social relationships. Coping strategies related to alleviating negative affect, and aiding social reconnection. Conclusions: friendships with peers were understood to be central to adolescent loneliness experiences. In line with that, loneliness was seen to be experienced at school. Age-related differences in friendship expectations were identified, highlighting how developmental needs relate to the loneliness experience

Tell Me about Loneliness: Interviews with Young People about What Loneliness Is and How to Cope with It

Background: loneliness is a common experience for adolescents, yet the voices of adolescents are missing from current conceptualisations of loneliness. That means, measures that have been created based on current conceptualisations may miss important contexts of adolescence, such as the roles of friendships, that determine the way loneliness is experienced. The current study aims to centre adolescent voices to identify how they conceptualise loneliness and what strategies they consider to be useful for adolescents to cope with loneliness. Method: thematic framework analysis (TFA) was conducted on qualitative interviews with young people aged 8–14 years in Belgium and Italy to identify salient themes in their conceptualisations of loneliness. Results: Loneliness was conceptualised as a negative emotional state involving negative thinking patterns that occurs when an individual perceives they are missing out on a desired aspect in their social relationships. Coping strategies related to alleviating negative affect, and aiding social reconnection. Conclusions: friendships with peers were understood to be central to adolescent loneliness experiences. In line with that, loneliness was seen to be experienced at school. Age-related differences in friendship expectations were identified, highlighting how developmental needs relate to the loneliness experience