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INTRODUCTION: Although the five-times-sit-to-stand test (FTSST) is commonly used to analyse functional capacity, in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), many activities of daily living, such as walking while holding objects, require the simultaneous performance of motor and motor tasks. Hence, the FTSST with a secondary task has been introduced, though there is a lack of evidence on its validity and reliability. This study aimed to examine the concurrent validity and reliability of the FTSST with a dual task in older adults with MCI. METHODS: Twenty-eight older adults with MCI participated in the study. All participants performed the FTSST, FTSST with a dual task and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The concurrent validity of the FTSST with a dual task was established with the TUG. RESULTS: Moderate concurrent validity was found between the FTSST with a dual task and the TUG, with Pearson’s r = 0.59 (p < 0.001). The FTSST with a dual task exhibited good intra-rater (ICC 3,2 = 0.99) and inter-rater (ICC 2,2 = 0.99) reliability. The standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change of the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the FTSST with a dual task were 0.22 and 0.18, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study showed a significant correlation between the FTSST both with and without a dual task and the TUG as well as good inter- and intra-rater reliability when used in older adults with MCI. These findings support using these tests as outcome measures in older adults with MCI.

Background:There is a lack of evidence whether the combined visual and verbal cues could improve dynamic trunk control in the sitting position in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP). Objective:To investigate the immediate effects of visual, verbal, and combined visual and verbal cues on dynamic trunk control in the sitting position in children with and without SDCP. Methods:Twenty children with SDCP and 20 typically developing (TD) children aged eight to 12 years in sitting positions maneuvered their trunks to lean forward, backward, to the left, and to the right under conditions of no sensory cues, visual cues, verbal cues, and combined visual and verbal cues. Dynamic trunk control in the sitting position was assessed using the center of force (CoF) trajectory and limit of stability (LOS). Results:Verbal cues and combined visual and verbal cues could improve CoF trajectories in the forward, backward, and leftward directions in TD children and children with SDCP. Combined visual and verbal cues could improve the LOS in both groups. Conclusion:This study provides evidence that combined visual and verbal cues are more effective at enhancing dynamic trunk control than either visual or verbal cues alone in TD children and children with SDCP.

Background Sit-to-stand (STS) movement is an important transition movement for daily life. STS movement is typically seen in children aged 1 year and older. According to the motor development process, the ability of children in different age groups to perform STS movement would be different before they meet the mutuality. However, it is still unclear whether there are changes in the STS movement of growing children and adults. Research question Are there any differences in the movement time, joint angles, and peak joint moments of STS in typically developing (TD) children? Methods Motion analysis and the force plate system were used to analyze the STS movement in 77 healthy participants. All participants were asked to perform the STS movement using an adjustable bench with a self-selected pattern. Statistical analysis was done with respect to age (4–6, 7–9, 10–12, 18–25 years) and body height (1.00–1.20, 1.20–1.40, 1.40–1.60, 1.60–1.80 meters). Results Children aged 4–6 years (or 1.0–1.20 m height) took less time to accomplish STS movement than adults (or 1.60–1.80 m height). Children aged 4–9 years performed STS movement by using more trunk and hip flexion and anterior pelvic tilt, but less knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion than children aged 10–12 years and adults. At the final standing position, children aged 4–12 years exhibited more knee extension and more ankle plantar flexion than adults. In addition, children aged 4–12 years had more peak trunk-pelvic extension and less peak knee extension moments than adults. Significance Different strategies to achieve the STS task were found among children aged 4–12 years in terms of total movement time, joint angle, and joint moments. Adult-like kinematic and kinetic STS patterns were not seen in children up to 12 years old.

Anterior seat inclination has been applied in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) to adjust alignment during sitting. However, there has been a lack of evidence reporting the effects of anterior seat inclination on sit-to-stand (STS) performance in children with SDCP. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effects of anterior seat inclination on STS performance in children with SDCP.Fourteen children with SDCP (aged 8.74 (1.79) years, GMFCS levels I and II) participated in this study. All participants performed STS in four conditions of the seat including the horizontal seat (HS), anterior seat inclination of 5° (A5), 10° (A10) and 15° (A15). Three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to capture STS movements.The total movement time and total mechanical work during the STS with A5, A10 and A15 were significantly lower than STS with HS. At the beginning of the task, STS with A5, A10 and A15 showed less trunk and hip flexion than HS.Anterior seat inclination with 5°, 10° and 15° could improve STS performance in children with SDCP. Therefore, applying these seats would be another option for children with SDCP to enhance STS performance.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAnterior seat inclination could improve sitting posture in children with diplegia.Children with diplegia spent less time when STS from the anterior seat inclination.Children with diplegia used less energy when STS from the anterior seat inclination.

Background Sit-to-stand (STS) is one of the most common fundamental activity in daily life. The pathology of the neuromuscular control system in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) could contribute to atypical movement patterns leading to the inefficiency performance including the STS task. However, there was also a lack of evidence about kinematics, kinetics, and especially mechanical work during the STS task in children with SDCP aged 7–12 years old. Research question What were the differences in mechanical work, kinematics and kinetics during STS task between children with SDCP and typically developing (TD) children? Methods Eleven children with SDCP (GMFCS I-II) and eleven age and gender-matched control TD children with an age range of 7–12 years were enrolled. Motion analysis and force plate systems were used to collect data. All participants performed the STS task from an adjustable chair. Independent sample t-test and two-way analysis of variance were used in this study. Results The children with SDCP took a longer time and used more mechanical work during STS than TD children. At the beginning of the STS task, children with SDCP showed more trunk flexion and posterior pelvic tilting; in addition, during the STS task they also presented more trunk, hip, and knee flexion than TD children. However, the children with SDCP showed less ankle dorsiflexion compared with TD children. For the kinetic variables, asymmetry was found in children with SDCP. The maximum hip and knee extension moment, plantar flexion moment, and peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) of the non-dominant leg were higher than the values of the dominant leg in these children. Significance Even though, children with SDCP who are able to independently STS. They were also a mechanically less efficient performance during STS task. Therefore, this task still needs to be trained during rehabilitation sessions.

The present study aimed to compare the effects of chair height and anterior seat inclination on sit-to-stand (STS) performance in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP). Twelve children with SDCP were tested with three conditions of STS task: low chair with horizontal seat (control), low chair with anterior seat inclination (AiC), and high chair with horizontal seat (HiC) conditions. A 3D motion analysis system and two force plates were used to collect and analyze the movement time, mechanical work, kinematics, and kinetics. The results showed that in the AiC and HiC conditions, movement time and mechanical work during STS were significantly reduced when compared with the control condition. In addition, in the AiC condition, trunk alignment at the beginning of the STS task improved and the range of pelvis movement reduced, whereas in the HiC condition, the range of movement of hip, knee, and ankle joint and maximum hip and knee extension moment were reduced in children with SDCP when compared with the control condition. These results suggest that chair height and anterior seat inclination may have a positive effect on STS ability in children with SDCP. Trial register No. TCTR20170619003.

Background The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is one of the most popular functional dynamic balance tests in children with typical and atypical development. However, the TUG protocol varies in terms of turning-point markers and verbal commands. Research question Would the outcomes of TUG be different if a different TUG protocol, especially turning-point markers and verbal commands, was used in different age and gender? Methods Two hundred and ten typically developing children aged 6–12 years participated in the study. They were separated into 7 groups according to age. All participants were randomly selected to perform the TUG test in 6 conditions of a cone, a line, and a picture as turning-point markers under nonqualitative and qualitative verbal instructions in terms of the walking speed. The best TUG score (in seconds) of 3 trials in each condition was obtained for analysis. Results The time to complete the TUG test was decreased by age. The fastest time was found in the picture condition under qualitative and nonqualitative verbal instructions in all age groups. Additionally, using qualitative verbal instruction resulted in faster times than nonqualitative verbal instruction for all turning-point markers and in all age groups. Significance This study provided evidence that the outcome of the TUG test was influenced by turning-point markers and verbal instructions in all age groups. Therefore, a reliable TUG test protocol should be considered in order to measure the change in functional dynamic balance of children.

Vajira Medical Journal, 63, 1,

To study the immediate effects of interferential current stimulation (IFC) on shoulder pain and pain-free passive range of motion (PROM) of the shoulder in people with hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP).Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Institutional physical therapy clinic, neurologic rehabilitation center.A population-based sample of people with HSP (N=30) was recruited.Participants were divided into 2 groups--an IFC group and a placebo group--by using a match-paired method (age, sex, and Brunnstrom motor recovery stage). In the IFC group, participants received IFC for 20 minutes with an amplitude-modulated frequency at 100 Hz in vector mode. The current intensity was increased until the participants felt a strong tingling sensation.Pain intensity and pain-free PROM of the shoulder until the onset of pain were measured at baseline and immediately after treatment.Participants reported a greater reduction in pain during the most painful movement after treatment with IFC than with placebo (P.05). The IFC group showed a greater improvement in posttreatment pain-free PROM than the placebo group in shoulder flexion (P.01), abduction (P.01), internal rotation (P.01), and external rotation (P.01).This study provides evidence that IFC is effective for the relief of pain during movement and also increases the pain-free PROM of the shoulder in people with HSP.