Does Deep Cervical Flexor Muscle Training Affect Pain Pressure Thresholds of Myofascial Trigger Points in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain? A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

© 2016 Pavlos Bobos et al. Background. We need to understand more about how DNF performs in different contexts and whether it affects the pain threshold over myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). Purpose. The objectives were to investigate the effect of neck muscles training on disability and pain and on pain threshold over MTrPs in people with chronic neck pain. Methods. Patients with chronic neck pain were eligible for participation with a Neck Disability Index (NDI) score of over 5/50 and having at least one MTrP on either levator scapulae, upper trapezoid, or splenius capitis muscle. Patients were randomly assigned into either DNF training, superficial neck muscle exercise, or advice group. Generalized linear model (GLM) was used to detect differences in treatment groups over time. Results. Out of 67 participants, 60 (47 females, mean age: 39.45 ± 12.67) completed the study. Neck disability and neck pain were improved over time between and within groups (p\u3c0.05). However, no differences were found within and between the therapeutic groups (p\u3c0.05) in the tested muscles\u27 PPTs and in cervicothoracic angle over a 7-week period. Conclusion. All three groups improved over time. This infers that the pain pathways involved in the neck pain relief are not those involved in pain threshold

Simulation of ACL reconstruction dynamics for optimal rehabilitation planning

ABSTRACT This paper presents a framework for simulated evaluation of the biomechanics of the human knee after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Following the notion of the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH), a computational model of both the kinematics and dynamics of the human knee is developed that is subsequently simulated for typical motions and activities. The proposed scheme provides a feasibility study on how VPH simulations can be used in a pre-surgical step for optimal planning of several parameters related to the surgical procedure (e.g. physical vs. synthetic reconstruction, positioning, etc.). The effect of the choice of these parameters on the motor behaviour of the knee can be estimated through the proposed simulation scheme, thus leading to a powerful clinical decision support system. Experimental evaluation demonstrates the clinical potential of the proposed framework

Wireless Direct Microampere Current in Wound Healing: Clinical and Immunohistological Data from Two Single Case Reports

Chronic pressure ulcers are hard-to-heal wounds that decrease the patient’s quality of life. Wireless Micro Current Stimulation (WMCS) is an innovative, non-invasive, similar to electrode-based electrostimulation (ES) technology, that generates and transfers ions that are negatively-charged to the injured tissue, using accessible air gases as a transfer medium. WMCS is capable of generating similar tissue potentials, as electrode-based ES, for injured tissue. Here, through immunohistochemistry, we intended to characterize the induced tissue healing biological mechanisms that occur during WMCS therapy. Two single cases of bedridden due to serious stroke white men with chronic non-healing pressure ulcers have been treated with WMCS technology. WMCS suppresses inflammatory responses by decreasing the aggregation of granulocytes, followed by stimulating myofibroblastic activity and a new formation of collagen fibers, as depicted by immunohistochemistry. As a result, WMCS provides a special adjunct or stand-alone therapy choice for chronic and non-healing injuries, similar to electrode-based ES, but with added (i.e., contactless) benefits towards its establishment as a routine clinical wound healing regime

ΦΥΣΙΚΟΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΙΚΟ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ ΣΥΣΧΕΤΙΣΗΣ ΝΕΥΡΟΑΝΑΤΟΜΙΚΟΥ ΥΠΟΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΗΣ ΑΚΟΥΣΤΙΚΩΝ ΠΡΟΚΛΗΤΩΝ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΚΩΝ

AUDITORY BRAINSTEM EVOKED POTENTIALS HAVE LIMITATIONS IN THEIR CLINICAL USE FOR DETECTION OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. THE CLINICAL VALUE OF THE ABR DEPENDS ON THE SENSITIVITY AND THE SPECIFICITY OF THEIR PARAMETERS. THE VALUE OF THEABRS IN THE ASSESMENT AND DETECTION OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS COULD BE CONSIDERABLY ENHANCED, IF THE NORMATIVE STANDARDS OF ABR CHARACTERISTIC PARAMETERS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL OTHER SYSTEMATIC SOURCES OF VARIANCE. THE EXPERIMENTAL DATA WERE FITTED ACCORDING TO THE THEORETICAL CURVE OF THE POTENTIAL ON THE SURFACE OF A THREE-CONCENTRIC SPHERE MODEL, REPRESENTING THE HUMAN HEAD.NORMALIZATION OF THE LATENCIES AND AMPLITUDES REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY THEIR DISPERSION AND CONSEQUENTLY INCREASED THE SENSITIVITY OF THE METHOD. MOREOVERTHE USE OF SPECIFIC-FREQUENCY STIMULI INCREASED THE SPECIFICITY OF THE METHOD IN DETECTION OF THE NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AFFECTING THE AUDITORY SYSTEM.HIGH SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY INCREASED THE DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF THE ABRTHAT WERE EFFECTIVELY USED TO DETECT LESIONS ALONG THE AUDITORY PATHWAY ANDBRAINSTEM.ΤΑ ΑΚΟΥΣΤΙΚΑ ΠΡΟΚΛΗΤΑ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΚΑ (ΑΠΔ) ΣΤΕΛΕΧΟΥΣ ΕΓΚΕΦΑΛΟΥ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΖΟΥΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΡΙΣΜΟΥΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΛΙΝΙΚΗ ΤΟΥΣ ΧΡΗΣΗ ΛΟΓΩ ΤΗΣ ΜΙΚΡΗΣ ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΜΕΤΡΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΚΥΡΙΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΛΑΤΟΥΣ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΚΟΥ, ΑΛΛΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΧΑΜΗΛΗΣ ΕΙΔΙΚΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΟΥΣ. ΓΙΑ ΝΑ ΑΥΞΗΘΕΙ Η ΔΙΑΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΗ ΑΞΙΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΔ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΑΠΑΡΑΙΤΗΤΟ ΝΑ ΑΥΞΗΘΕΙ Η ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑ ΚΑΙ Η ΕΙΔΙΚΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΥ, ΜΕ ΒΑΣΗ ΕΝΑ ΦΥΣΙΚΟΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΙΚΟ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ ΣΥΣΧΕΤΙΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΝΕΥΡΟΑΝΑΤΟΜΙΚΟΥ ΥΠΟΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΤΑΓΡΑΦΟΜΕΝΗΣ ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΔ. ΣΤΗΝ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΑ ΑΥΤΗ ΣΧΕΔΙΑΣΤΗΚΕ ΚΑΙ ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΗΘΗΚΕ ΕΝΑ ΦΥΣΙΚΟΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΙΚΟ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ, ΜΕ ΤΟ ΟΠΟΙΟ ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΘΗΚΑΝ ΣΑΝ ΟΙ ΚΥΡΙΩΤΕΡΕΣ ΠΗΓΕΣ ΔΙΑΣΠΟΡΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΜΕΤΡΩΝ Η ΑΚΤΙΝΑ ΤΟΥ ΚΕΦΑΛΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΠΑΧΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΡΑΝΙΟΥ. ΜΕ ΒΑΣΗ ΤΟ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ ΚΑΝΟΝΙΚΟΠΟΙΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΟΙ ΠΕΙΡΑΜΑΤΙΚΕΣ ΤΙΜΕΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΜΕΤΡΩΝ ΣΕ ΦΥΣΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΟ ΠΛΗΘΥΣΜΟ, ΜΕ ΒΑΣΗ ΤΗ ΜΕΣΗ ΑΚΤΙΝΑ ΚΕΦΑΛΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΟΣ. Η ΜΕΙΩΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΤΥΠΙΚΩΝ ΑΠΟΚΛΙΣΕΩΝ ΚΑΙ Η ΑΥΞΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΥ ΗΤΑΝ ΙΔΙΑΙΤΕΡΑ ΙΚΑΝΟΠΟΙΗΤΙΚΗ.ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΥΞΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΔ ΜΕ ΒΑΣΗ ΒΕΛΤΙΩΜΕΝΗ ΕΚΔΟΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΙΔΙΟΥ ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΤΟΝΟΤΟΠΙΚΗ ΟΡΓΑΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΚΟΥΣΤΙΚΗΣ ΝΕΥΡΙΚΗΣ ΟΔΟΥ ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΑΠΔ ΜΕ ΗΧΟ ΣΤΕΝΟΥ ΦΑΣΜΑΤΟΣ ΣΥΧΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ. Η ΑΥΞΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΙΔΙΚΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΔ ΕΠΙΒΕΒΑΙΩΘΗΚΑΝ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΓΗ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΠΑΝΩ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ ΣΕ ΕΝΑΝ ΑΡΙΘΜΟ ΠΑΘΟΛΟΓΙΚΩΝ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΕΩΝ ΜΕ ΙΚΑΝΟΠΟΙΗΤΙΚΑ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΑ

FUNEUS: A neurofuzzy approach based on fuzzy adaline neurons

Abstract. Today hybrid computing is a popular framework for solving complex problems. If we have knowledge expressed in rules, we can build an Expert System, and if we have data, or can learn from stimulation (training) then we can use Artificial Neural Networks. In this paper we present th