Long-term effects of automated mechanical peripheral stimulation on gait patterns of patients with Parkinson's disease

New treatments based on peripheral stimulation of the sensory–motor system have been inspiring new rehabilitation approaches in Parkinson’s disease (PD), especially to reduce gait impairment, levodopa washout effects, and the incidence of falls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in gait and the clinical status of PD patients after six sessions of a treatment based on automated mechanical peripheral stimulation (AMPS). Eighteen patients with PD and 15 age-matched healthy individuals (control group) participated in this study. A dedicated medical device delivered the AMPS. PD patients were treated with AMPS six times once every 4 days. All PD patients were treated in the off-levodopa phase and were evaluated with gait analysis before and after the first intervention (acute phase), after the sixth intervention, 48 h after the sixth intervention, and 10 days after the end of the treatment. To compare the differences among the AMPS interventions (pre, 6 AMPS, and 10 days) in terms of clinical scales, a t-test was used (α≤0.05). In addition, to compare the differences among the AMPS interventions (pre, post, 6 AMPS, 48 h and 10 days), the gait spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed using the Friedman test and the Bonferroni post-hoc test (α≤0.05). Also, for comparisons between the PD group and the control group, the gait spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test and the Bonferroni post-hoc test (α≤0.05). The results of the study indicate that the AMPS treatment has a positive effect on bradykinesia because it improves walking velocity, has a positive effect on the step and stride length, and has a positive effect on walking stability, measured by the increase in stride length. These results are consistent with the improvements measured with clinical scales. These findings indicate that AMPS treatment seems to generate a more stable walking pattern in PD patients, reducing the well-known gait impairment that is typical of PD; regular repetition every 4 days of AMPS treatment appears to be able to improve gait parameters, to restore rhythmicity, and to reduce the risk of falls, with benefits maintained up to 10 days after the last treatment. The trial was registered online at ClinicalTrials.gov (number identifier: NCT0181528)

Parâmetros espaço-temporais do andar emcrianças obesas e com peso normalde acordo com o sexo

Características corporais interferem no desempenho motor. Para analisar os parâmetros espaço-temporais do andar em crianças obesas e de peso normal, por sexo, 23 crianças entre 7 e 10 anos de idade, foram intencionalmente selecionadas e distribuídas em dois grupos: obeso (OB, n=9) e normal (N, n=14). Marcadores reflexivos foram afixados em pontos anatómicos (quinto metatarso, maléolo lateral e calcando). Os participantes andaram sobre uma passarela de 8m de comprimento na velocidade preferida e foram filmados no plano sagital. As variaveis descritivas analisadas foram: comprimento da passada (CP), comprimento da passada normalizado pela estatura (CPN) duração da passada (DP), velocidade da passada (VP), duração da fase de balanço (DFB) e duração da fase de suporte (DFS). Os resultados revelaram que: grupo isoladamente interfere em CPN e DP; sexo isoladamente afeta CP, CPN, VP; grupo e sexo afetam CPN, DFB, DP. Assim, o aumento da massa corporal ocasiona mudanças nos parâmetros espaço- temporais do andar quando sexo é considerado.Considering that body features interfere in motor performance, the aim of this study was to analyze the changes in spatial and temporal parameters of gait in obese, and non-obese children according to the gender.23 children intentionally selected participated in this study and they were distributed between two experimental groups according to their body mass index:obese (OB, n=9) and normal (N, n=14). Ali the participants had written consent forms signed by their parents. Reflexive markers were attached on the following body landmarks of the rightfoot: fifth metatarsal, malleolus lateral and calcaneus. The participants were asked to walk on an 8m rubber pathway at a preferred pace while their locomotor behavior were recorded using a video camera Panasonic (model NV - M9OOOPN S-VHS) in a sagittal plane. Using a MatLab routine, the following variables were collected: stride length (SL), stride length normalized byheight (SLN), stride duration (SD), stride velocity (SV), swing phase duration (SPD), and support phase duration (SUD). Data was statically analyzed using ANOVA with groups and gender asfactors. Results revealed that: group alone interfere on SLN and SD; gender alone affects SL, SLN and SV; group and gender affects SLN, SPD and SD. These results allowed us to concludethat the increase in body weight can make changes in spatial and temporal parameters of children gait when gender is considered

Direct observation of the dead-cone effect in quantum chromodynamics

The direct measurement of the QCD dead cone in charm quark fragmentation is reported, using iterative declustering of jets tagged with a fully reconstructed charmed hadron