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Objectives The study aimed to explore the impact of various head positions on the distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) amplitudes, identifying the specific DPOAE frequencies showing the effect was also of interest. Materials and Methods DPOAEs were recorded from the right ears of 50 normal-hearing individuals in six head positions, supine, and five sitting positions (head erect, roll left, roll right, pitch backward, and pitch forward). DPOAEs were averaged and measured for their overall and frequency-specific amplitudes at 1 kHz, 1.5 kHz, 2 kHz, 3 kHz, 4 kHz, 6 kHz, and 8 kHz. Statistical Analysis To investigate the statistical significance of the observed mean differences, the data was tested using repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) following the Shapiro–Wilk normality test. The pair-wise comparison was tested using the Bonferroni post-hoc test and one-sided Bayesian paired sample t-test. Results The results of ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of head posture only at 1 kHz. The Bonferroni post-hoc test and one-sided Bayesian paired sample t-test results showed significantly higher DPOAE amplitude in the head erect compared to the supine position. There were no significant differences between other pairs of head postures. Conclusion Head posture is a trivial influencing factor of DPOAEs and hence, does not require consideration in interpreting DPOAEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess postural stability, specifically center of body sway during single-leg standing balance, among individuals with and without forward head posture (FHP) during smartphone use. Methods The research recruited 53 healthy smartphone users, aged 18–25, and categorized them into FHP group comprising 26 subjects and the normal (control) group with 27 subjects. Participants were assigned the task of maintaining balance while engaged in smartphone typing during single-leg standing. The experiment involved four specific conditions according to neck posture and stable of surface. The study meticulously quantified body center of pressure (COP) sway amplitudes using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Results The research revealed that individuals with FHP exhibited significantly greater body sway compared to the control group when using smartphones. Notably, distinct variations were observed in path length sway, anteroposterior (AP), and mediolateral (ML) sway amplitude, particularly evident when maintaining flexed neck positions on a soft surface while engaged with smartphones. Conclusion These findings strongly suggest that individuals with FHP encounter deteriorated postural stability during smartphone use, particularly in challenging head positions.

Objective: To assess postural stability, specifically center of body sway during single-leg standing balance, among individuals with and without forward head posture (FHP) during smartphone use. Methods: The research recruited 53 healthy smartphone users, aged 18–25, and categorized them into FHP group comprising 26 subjects and the normal (control) group with 27 subjects. Participants were assigned the task of maintaining balance while engaged in smartphone typing during single-leg standing. The experiment involved four specific conditions according to neck posture and stable of surface. The study meticulously quantified body center of pressure (COP) sway amplitudes using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Results: The research revealed that individuals with FHP exhibited significantly greater body sway compared to the control group when using smartphones. Notably, distinct variations were observed in path length sway, anteroposterior (AP), and mediolateral (ML) sway amplitude, particularly evident when maintaining flexed neck positions on a soft surface while engaged with smartphones. Conclusion: These findings strongly suggest that individuals with FHP encounter deteriorated postural stability during smartphone use, particularly in challenging head positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigates the relationship between malocclusion and body posture, head posture, podal system, and gait parameters in children. Methods: A systematic review of observational studies from 2010 to 2023 was conducted and 24 cross-sectional studies involving 6199 participants were identified. These studies were categorized into those dealing with body posture (10 studies, 3601 participants), cervical vertebral column and head posture (6 studies, 644 participants), the podal system (5 studies, 1118 participants), and gait (3 studies, 836 participants). Results: Evidence suggests a significant association between malocclusion and body posture, balance, podal system, and gait parameters. Notably, eight studies found a significant relationship between malocclusion and body posture, while five studies identified this relationship with the cervical vertebral column and head posture, five with the podal system, and three with gait parameters. Conclusions: Overall, the quality of evidence was strong for the association between malocclusion and body posture and the podal system and moderate for head posture and gait parameters. These findings offer insights for therapists to design interventions tailored to children with malocclusion based on considerations of body posture, head posture, podal system, and gait parameters, though further longitudinal cohort studies are needed for better predictive understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Background and objective: Human fatigue is a major cause of road traffic accidents. Currently widely used fatigue driving detection methods are based on eyelid closure, vehicle information or physiological parameter detection. However, the detection of each single feature has certain limitations. Which in turn affects the accuracy of detection and the possibility and efficiency of prediction. Methods: This paper introduces a novel driver fatigue detection framework that leverages facial features, head pose, and PPG signals to establish a fatigue detection model. To validate this approach, a real-road driving experiment was conducted, resulting in the acquisition of multi-source feature signal data from 30 drivers. Utilizing a method for locating 68 facial landmarks, we extracted 2D facial and 3D head feature parameters. Additionally, five-dimensional heart rate variability (HRV) features were extracted from PPG signals. These ten-dimensional features were fused to construct a fatigue driving dataset. Subsequently, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network model for fatigue detection was established and optimized using four optimization algorithms: Momentum, Rmsprop, Adam, and SGD. For comparison, Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) models were also evaluated. Within the dataset, 2880 samples were designated as the training set, while 720 samples served as the test set. Results: Adam's optimized LSTM fatigue detection model is the most effective, with a model accuracy of 97.36 %, precision of 97.4 %, recall of 97.4 %, and F1 of 0.97. It shows that the model can provide a more timely and accurate prediction and warning for drivers who are already fatigued.

Unfortunately, there are many causes of neck pain, the most prevalent ones are long periods of sitting, bad workplace ergonomics and keeping an unnatural neck posture. Studies show that small-scale industries lack awareness of and comprehension of ergonomics. Unpredictable schedules, long hours, hazardous workplaces, and all these problems, including inadequate vocational training, may negatively impact employees' HRQOL and restrict their capacity to take part in and carry out activities. Progressive resisted training, neuromuscular training exercises, stretching, and ergonomic recommendations are all recommended. To enhance the quality of life of industrial workers, fitness programs must be implemented. The aim is to ascertain how a work-based exercise program affects industrial workers with nonspecific neck discomfort in terms of activity limitation and participation restriction. To determine the risk of nonspecific neck discomfort among industrial workers, the RULA scale was administered to 92 individuals in the study who had VAS values ranging from 3-6. Neck ROM was also recorded. An ICF documentation form was used to ascertain the engagement and involvement. Over the course of two weeks, the subjects received a work-based exercise program on alternate days. ROM, RULA, and ICF documentation were among the outcome variables that were assessed both before and after the intervention. The result was that there was a noteworthy distinction noted between the RULA, ROM pretest and post-test scores as well as ICF codes. Differences between the pre and post-test of VAS were significant difference (Z=8.3290, p=0.0001). To conclude the study found that industrial workers lacked knowledge about ergonomics. Therefore, exercises and ergonomics helped manage neck pain and improve the range of motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Head posture deviation is seen in 52.5 % of children aged 6–15 years. Studies have shown that poor posture habits can impair muscle function during craniofacial growth and development. A muscle imbalance causes abnormal positioning of dental and skeletal structures, a condition that exerts negative impacts, such as changes in facial morphology. Objective: To determine through photometric analysis the relationship between craniovertebral angle as a function of head posture and glabella-subnasale-pogonion (G-Sn-Pg) angle as a function of facial profile in 10–12-year-old children, and the results will help to avoid facial development issues. Methods: Thirty-three subjects met the inclusion criteria. Their craniovertebral angles and facial profiles were measured using lateral photometry and ImageJ. The craniovertebral angle was determined by connecting the tragus and C7 with a horizontal line, whereas the facial profile angle was determined by connecting the glabella, subnasale, and pogonion. The relationship between the craniovertebral and G-Sn-Pg angle values was analyzed using the Pearson correlation test. Results: A significant relationship was observed between the craniovertebral angle and the G-Sn- Pg angle (p

Head posture deviation is seen in 52.5 % of children aged 6–15 years. Studies have shown that poor posture habits can impair muscle function during craniofacial growth and development. A muscle imbalance causes abnormal positioning of dental and skeletal structures, a condition that exerts negative impacts, such as changes in facial morphology. To determine through photometric analysis the relationship between craniovertebral angle as a function of head posture and glabella-subnasale-pogonion (G-Sn-Pg) angle as a function of facial profile in 10–12-year-old children, and the results will help to avoid facial development issues. Thirty-three subjects met the inclusion criteria. Their craniovertebral angles and facial profiles were measured using lateral photometry and ImageJ. The craniovertebral angle was determined by connecting the tragus and C7 with a horizontal line, whereas the facial profile angle was determined by connecting the glabella, subnasale, and pogonion. The relationship between the craniovertebral and G-Sn-Pg angle values was analyzed using the Pearson correlation test. A significant relationship was observed between the craniovertebral angle and the G-Sn- Pg angle (p < 0.05), although such a relationship was weak (r = 0.373). A more forward head posture is associated with a more convex facial profile, and this relationship is useful for the early prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of head and cervical spine posture and estimation of sample size. Thirty eligible participants who required functional therapy were randomly assigned to the Control group (C), Twin Block group (TB), or the Bionator group (B). Randomization was accomplished by means of blocks of fixed size stratified by sex and age, with the allocations concealed in opaque and sealed envelopes. Significant differences were identified between the pre -and post-functional SNB (p = 0.024) and ANB (p = 0.034) angles in the Twin Block group and SNA (p = 0. 019) and ANB (p = 0. 028) angles in the Bionator group. No statistically significant changes were seen in the head or cervical variables in the three groups. The functional appliance did not cause any statistical change in head posture or cervical spinal column in comparison with the non-treatment group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Class II skeletal malocclusion is comorbid with an elongated head posture. Balancing the head will involve the skull, spine, mandible, hyoid bone, respiratory tract, muscles, and tongue. The hyoid bone functions to maintain the balance of the head posture. To see the relationship of comorbid skeletal class II malocclusion with head posture, the relationship of the head posture of skeletal class II malocclusion with the width of the respiratory tract, and the relationship of the head posture of skeletal class II malocclusion with the hyoid bone position. Observational analytical study with a cross-sectional design using a sample of 60 skeletal class II malocclusion cephalograms divided into three subgroups. Skeletal class II malocclusion group with prognathic maxillary and normal mandible, normal maxillary and retrognathic mandible group, prognathic maxillary and retrognathic mandibular group. The cephalogram was traced and then scanned and measurements were taken using the CorelDRAW application. The chi-square test showed no significant relationship between the skeletal class II malocclusion and the head posture (P> 0.05). There is no significant relationship between the head posture in the skeletal class II malocclusion and the respiratory tract (P> 0.05). There is no meaningful relationship exists between the head posture in the skeletal class II malocclusion with vertical position and angular hyoid bone (P> 0.05). There is a significant relationship in the posture head of skeletal class II malocclusion subgroup prognathic maxillary and retrognathic mandibular with the anteroposterior position of the hyoid bone. The hyoid bone position is more posterior in the skeletal class II malocclusion subgroup prognathic maxillary and retrognathic mandibular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Cell phone usage is highly prevalent among young adults. They are used for multiple purposes including communication, studies, social networking and entertainment. However, its excessive usage has been associated with adverse health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to find the association of cell phone usage with musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and its associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on young adult students from a low-middle income country over a period of 3 months from December 2018 to February 2019. A structured questionnaire based on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH scoring) was used to record the musculoskeletal discomfort. RESULTS: Out of 803 questionnaires, data of 754 (94%) were entered and the remaining questionnaires (n = 49) were discarded due to incomplete answers. The mean age was 20.83 (1.62) years. In our study, there were 194 (25.7%) males and 560 (74.3%) female participants. Neck and shoulder were the most frequently affected regions. A significant difference in QuickDASH score was observed between genders (p-value p ≤ 0.001). Left-handed individuals scored significantly higher on QuickDASH score compared to right-handed individuals (p < 0.05). Increased musculoskeletal discomfort was reported by individuals with daily cell phone use of more than four hours (p < 0.05). A positive significant correlation was found between continuous one hour cell-phone use and higher mean QuickDASH scores (correlation coefficient 0.124, p value 0.001). Shorter eye-to-screen distance was significantly associated with MSD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal discomfort is associated with the female gender, duration of cell phone use and a small eye-to-screen distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distracted driving is one of the main causes of road crashes. Therefore, effective distinguishing of distracted driving behaviour and its category is the key to reducing the incidence of road crashes. To identify distracted driving behaviour accurately and effectively, this paper uses the head posture as a relevant variable and realizes the classification of distracted driving behaviour based on the relevant literature and investigation. Adistracted driving discrimination algorithm based on the facial feature triangle is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, the Bayesian network is employed to judge driving behaviour categories. The proposed algorithm is verified by experiments using data from 20 volunteers. The experimental results show that the discrimination accuracy of the proposed algorithm is as high as 90%, which indicates that the head posture parameters used in this study are closely related to the distracted driving state. The results show that the proposed algorithm achieves high accuracy in the discrimination and classification of distracted driving behaviour and can effectively reduce the accident rate caused by distracted driving. Moreover, it can provide a basis for the research of distracted driving behaviour and is conducive to the formulation of the corresponding laws and regulations.

This study assessed the relationship between head posture displacements and biomechanical parameters during gait and jumping. One hundred male and female students (20 ± 3 yrs) were assessed via the PostureScreen Mobile® app to quantify postural displacements of head rotations and translations including: (1) the cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) (°), (2) anterior head translation (AHT) (cm), (3) lateral head translation in the coronal plane (cm), and (4) lateral head side bending (°). Biomechanical parameters during gait and jumping were measured using the G-Walk sensor. The assessed gait spatiotemporal parameters were cadence (steps/min), speed (m/s), symmetry index, % left and right stride length (% height), and right and left propulsion index. The pelvic movement parameters were (1) tilt symmetry index, (2) tilt left and right range, (3) obliquity symmetry index, (4) obliquity left and right range, (5) rotation symmetry index, and (6) rotation left and right range. The jump parameters measured were (1) flight height (cm), (2) take off force (kN), (3) impact Force (kN), (4) take off speed (m/s), (5) peak speed (m/s), (6) average speed concentric phase (m/s), (7) maximum concentric power (kW), (8) average concentric power (kW) during the counter movement jump (CMJ), and (9) CMJ with arms thrust (CMJAT). At a significance level of p ≤ 0.001, moderate-to-high correlations (0.4 < r < 0.8) were found between CVA, AHT, lateral translation head, and all the gait and jump parameters. Weak correlations (0.2 < r < 0.4) were ascertained for lateral head bending and all the gait and jump parameters except for gait symmetry index and pelvic symmetry index, where moderate correlations were identified (0.4 < r < 0.6). The findings indicate moderate-to-high correlations between specific head posture displacements, such as CVA, lateral head translation and AHT with the various gait and jump parameters. These findings highlight the importance of considering head posture in the assessment and optimization of movement patterns during gait and jumping. Our findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge and may have implications for clinical practice and sports performance training. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and establish causality in these relationships, which could potentially lead to the development of targeted interventions for improving movement patterns and preventing injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coordination between the trunk and head is considered important for walking stability. Recent studies have reported that wearing complete dentures could improve trunk stability during walking; however, its effect on the head has not been clarified. Objective: This study aimed to clarify the effect of complete dentures on head stability during walking in edentulous older adults. Methods: Twenty edentulous older adults (11 men and 9 women; mean age, 78.6 ± 5.8 years) who used complete dentures were included in the study. Acceleration and angle rate sensors were placed on the participants' brow, chin and waist, and they were asked to walk a 20‐m passage under two conditions: with and without dentures. The outcomes used to assess head stability were the variance values of acceleration and angle rate, the peak‐to‐peak values, harmonic ratio, root mean square, integrated values of the difference and dynamic time warping data obtained from the sensors. The variance values of the brow acceleration were compared using a paired t‐test, and other outcomes were compared using a Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. All significance levels were set at 5%. Results: In acceleration without dentures, the variance values of the chin and the peak‐to‐peak values of the brow and chin were significantly larger than with dentures. Angle rate without dentures, the variance values and the peak‐to‐peak values of the brow and chin were also significantly larger than with dentures. Conclusion: Wearing complete dentures while walking might improve head stability and contribute to walking stability in edentulous older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes of head and cervical spine posture of skeletal class malocclusion in adolescent with maxillary protraction. Thirty cases of skeletal class malocclusion were randomly selected from the Stomatological Hospital of Shanxi Medical University. High-quality lateral cephalograms were collected including pre- and posttreatment to compare the changes of head and cervical spine posture. Data were processed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software. The paired-t test was used to compare pre- and posttreatment mean angular measurements. A significant difference in the SNA(p<0.001), SNB(p<0.01), and ANB(p<0.001) between T1 and T2 showed an improvement in the sagittal relationships. A significant change was observed in middle cervical spine posture, while upper cervical spine posture variables showed no significant difference after treatment. Skeletal class with maxillary protraction appliance not only led to the improvement of sagittal relationship, but also changed the middle cervical spine posture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technology has affected practically every aspect of modern life. Sitting is something that humans do for a number of purposes, including work (particularly for those who work in the computer industry), and for enjoyment. Daily computer use causes frequent neck and back pain. Flexed head and neck postures might cause neck pain during work. Pauses and postural modifications help avoid pain and sickness. Recent wearables can sense spinal alignment and provide immediate feedback on improper posture. Posture monitoring can help treat or change a user's posture. In this narrative review, Google Scholar, PubMed, Cross-Ref, Cochrane, and ResearchGate were searched for English-only papers using review-specific keywords and fifty-one items were found. The search was narrowed by using more particular terms, such as "wearable postural correction sensors," "forward head posture," "neck discomfort in smartphone or computer users," and "neck workouts." Only current papers from 2015 onwards were considered. After filtering for relevancy, twenty-five articles were included. Researcher should identify intervention functions, policy categories, and tactics for behaviour change. Researchers have also examined neck discomfort, forward head posture in young individuals while using smartphones and computers, and posture correction using a wearable postural correction sensor. And also appropriate arrangement and support to administering a home and workplace fitness programme that eliminates pain and impairment while enhancing Forward Head Posture (FHP) and endurance. This review aimed to thoroughly examine existing literature for evidence concerning prevalent problems among smartphone and computer users such as neck discomfort and forward head position, postural correction sensor, and impact of exercises on neck discomfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technology has affected practically every aspect of modern life. Sitting is something that humans do for a number of purposes, including work (particularly for those who work in the computer industry), and for enjoyment. Daily computer use causes frequent neck and back pain. Flexed head and neck postures might cause neck pain during work. Pauses and postural modifications help avoid pain and sickness. Recent wearables can sense spinal alignment and provide immediate feedback on improper posture. Posture monitoring can help treat or change a user’s posture. In this narrative review, Google Scholar, PubMed, Cross-Ref, Cochrane, and ResearchGate were searched for English-only papers using review-specific keywords and fifty-one items were found. The search was narrowed by using more particular terms, such as “wearable postural correction sensors,” “forward head posture,” “neck discomfort in smartphone or computer users,” and “neck workouts.” Only current papers from 2015 onwards were considered. After filtering for relevancy, twenty-five articles were included. Researcher should identify intervention functions, policy categories, and tactics for behaviour change. Researchers have also examined neck discomfort, forward head posture in young individuals while using smartphones and computers, and posture correction using a wearable postural correction sensor. And also appropriate arrangement and support to administering a home and workplace fitness programme that eliminates pain and impairment while enhancing Forward Head Posture (FHP) and endurance. This review aimed to thoroughly examine existing literature for evidence concerning prevalent problems among smartphone and computer users such as neck discomfort and forward head position, postural correction sensor, and impact of exercises on neck discomfort.

The monitoring of head posture is crucial for interactive learning, in order to build feedback with learners' attention, especially in the explosion of digital teaching that occurred during the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, conventional monitoring based on computer vision remains a great challenge in the multi-freedom estimation of head posture, owing to low-angle annotation and limited training accuracy. Here, we report a fully integrated attachable inertial device (AID) that comfortably monitors in situ head posture at the neck, and provides a machine learning-based assessment of attention. The device consists of a stretchable inertial sensing unit and a fully integrated circuit-based system, as well as mechanically compliant encapsulation. Due to the mechanical flexibility, the device can be seamlessly attach to a human neck's epidermis without frequent user interactions, and wirelessly supports six-axial inertial measurements, thereby obtaining multidimensional tracking of individual posture. These head postures (40 types) are then divided into 10 rotation actions which correspond to diverse situations that usually occur in daily activities of teaching. Benefiting from a 2D convolutional neural network (CNN)-based machine learning model, their classification and prediction of head postures can be used to analyze and infer attention behavior. The results show that the proposed 2D CNN-based machine learning method can effectively distinguish the head motion posture, with a high accuracy of 98.00%, and three actual postures were successfully verified and evaluated in a predefined attention model. The inertial monitoring and attention evaluation based on attachable devices and machine learning will have potential in terms of learning feedback and planning for learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. It is well known that previously has been demonstrated a correlation between respiratory function and the harmonious craniofacial development and head posture respectively.

Inclinometry and video analyses can provide objective measures of physical workloads. The study aim was to measure and observe arm, back and head postures and movements among forklift truck operators (FLTOs) during a working day, analyzing differences between types of forklift trucks and to assess reported workload and health. Twenty-five male FLTOs in a high-level warehouse were randomly included. The data collected comprised technical measurements, video analyses of postures and movements, and a questionnaire measuring health, pain and workload. On average, the FLTOs rotated their head more than 45°, in total, 232 times/h. Video analysis revealed that FLTOs periodically drive the forklift truck sideways with the head rotated in the direction of travel, and in periods look upwards, in which the head is highly rotated and extended. Inclinometry and observations during the working day has the potential to be a valuable part of risk assessment promoting occupational safety and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Background and objective: Human fatigue is a major cause of road traffic accidents. Currently widely used fatigue driving detection methods are based on eyelid closure, vehicle information or physiological parameter detection. However, the detection of each single feature has certain limitations. Which in turn affects the accuracy of detection and the possibility and efficiency of prediction., Methods: This paper introduces a novel driver fatigue detection framework that leverages facial features, head pose, and PPG signals to establish a fatigue detection model. To validate this approach, a real-road driving experiment was conducted, resulting in the acquisition of multi-source feature signal data from 30 drivers. Utilizing a method for locating 68 facial landmarks, we extracted 2D facial and 3D head feature parameters. Additionally, five-dimensional heart rate variability (HRV) features were extracted from PPG signals. These ten-dimensional features were fused to construct a fatigue driving dataset. Subsequently, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network model for fatigue detection was established and optimized using four optimization algorithms: Momentum, Rmsprop, Adam, and SGD. For comparison, Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) models were also evaluated. Within the dataset, 2880 samples were designated as the training set, while 720 samples served as the test set., Results: Adam's optimized LSTM fatigue detection model is the most effective, with a model accuracy of 97.36 %, precision of 97.4 %, recall of 97.4 %, and F1 of 0.97. It shows that the model can provide a more timely and accurate prediction and warning for drivers who are already fatigued., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. T, (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between seat armrest height and human neck comfort when using a smartphone while sitting on a passenger seat during the flight. Material and Methods The authors used a wireless angle-measuring instrument and subjective comfort scale to evaluate the changes of head flexion angle and neck comfort level of 24 young smartphone users in an aircraft simulated cabin. Results The study results indicated that using a smartphone while sitting on a passenger seat during the flight would pose a larger discomfort to the neck, and the discomfort would be higher for gaming than reading tasks. Seat armrest height is related to the comfort level of the neck when using a smartphone, increasing the height of the armrest can effectively alleviate discomfort in this state. Conclusions Considering the prevalence of passengers using smartphones in aircraft, a seat armrest that can be properly adjusted in height, which can effectively reduce the risk of passenger head flexion angle and neck discomfort. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(2):199–208

BackgroundThe relationship of trunk balance with head posture and plantar pressure is unknown in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship of trunk balance with head posture and plantar pressure by analyzing the imaging data of patients with AIS.Materials and methodsThis retrospective study was performed on 80 AIS patients who had whole spine frontal and lateral radiographs, and the imaging parameters were measured and analyzed.ResultsThe coronal trunk imbalance rate was 67.5%, the trunk offset direction was towards left in 65 cases and right in 15 cases, and the head offset direction was towards left in 66 cases and right in 14 cases. The sagittal trunk imbalance rate was 57.25%. The distance of apical vertebrae and head offset in the coronal trunk balance group was significantly (P

Early detection of driver mental fatigue is one of the active areas of research in smart and intelligent vehicles. There are various methods, based on measuring the physiological characteristics of the driver utilising sensors and computer vision, proposed in the literature. In general, driver behaviour is unpredictable that can suddenly change the nature of driving and dynamics under mental fatigue. This results in sudden variations in driver body posture and head movement, with consequent inattentive behaviour that can end in fatal accidents and crashes. In the process of delineating the different driving patterns of driver states while active or influenced by mental fatigue, this paper contributes to advancing direct measurement approaches. In the novel approach proposed in this paper, driver mental fatigue and drowsiness are measured by monitoring driver’s head posture motions using XSENS motion capture system. The experiments were conducted on 15 healthy subjects on a MATHWORKS driver-in-loop (DIL) simulator, interfaced with Unreal Engine 4 studio. A new modified bidirectional long short-term memory deep neural network, based on a rectified linear unit layer, was designed, trained and tested on 3D time-series head angular acceleration data for sequence-to-sequence classification. The results showed that the proposed classifier outperformed state-of-art approaches and conventional machine learning tools, and successfully recognised driver’s active, fatigue and transition states, with overall training accuracy of 99.2%, sensitivity of 97.54%, precision and F1 scores of 97.38% and 97.46%, respectively. The limitations of the current work and directions for future work are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in craniocervical posture are a critical issue in modern society. Alterations of the mandible position in the anterior-posterior direction in association with head and neck posture are reported. The objective of the present review was to evaluate the relationship between craniocervical posture and sagittal position of the mandible and to evaluate the risk of bias inthe included studies. Electronic databases used to perform the search were PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Cochrane. Only clinical trials that assessed sagittal craniocervical posture and mandible position in lateral cephalograms were included. Selected inclusion criteria were used to assess the finally selected studies. The upper and lower cervical spine was evaluated by seven and six studies, respectively. The risk of bias in the included studies varied from low to moderate. Literature research identified 438 records from 3 databases. Eventually, seven eligible clinical trials were included in this review. Evaluating the relationship between craniocervical posture and mandible position in the sagittal plane, it can be concluded that increased cervical inclination and head upright position are associated with the posterior position of the mandible. Attention to patients' craniocervical posture should be paid as a part of clinical evaluation since it might be the reason for the changed mandible position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has tested whether culture moderates the relationship between head tilt and perceptions of a cooperation-relevant construct. In this paper, we replicated the effects of head posture on perceived traits and compared Chinese and American participants to explore whether difference in cultural background (collectivist and individualist) affects perceptual attribution. Specifically, we investigated how head posture (level, up or down) affects perceptions of cooperativeness. In Experiment 1, Chinese and American participants rated Asian and Caucasian faces in three postures for perceived cooperativeness on a seven-point Likert scale. In Experiment 2, participants ranked the cooperativeness of the three postures of the same faces. In Experiment 3, participants scrolled through face images and manually manipulated vertical head angle to maximise apparent cooperativeness. We found that for both Chinese and American participants a neutral head level posture was perceived as more cooperative than head up and down postures. The optimal head posture for maximised apparent cooperativeness was close to level but with a slight downward rotation. While there was cross-cultural consistency in perceptions, Chinese participants exhibited greater sensitivity to postural cues in their judgments of cooperation compared to American participants. Our results suggest a profound effect of posture on the perception of cooperativeness that is common across cultures and that there are additional subtle cross-cultural differences in the cues to cooperativeness.

الملخص: أهداف البحث: فحص نشاط عضلات العمود الفقري لدى السيدات ذوات قوام الرأس المتقدمة إلى الأمام ومقارنته بالسيدات ذوات القوام السليم. طرق البحث: شاركت ٦٠ سيدة في الدراسة من مؤسسة واحدة، تراوحت أعمارهن بين ١٨ و٢٩ عاما. تم قياس الزاوية بين الجمجمة والعمود الفقري من المستوى السهمي لتوزيع المشاركات إلى مجموعتين: مجموعة قوام الرأس المتقدمة إلى الأمام (٣٠ سيدة) الزاوية بين الجمجمة والعمود الفقري (٥٣.١ ± ٢.٣)، ومجموعة قوام الرأس السليم/ المجموعة الضابطة (٣٠ سيدة) الزاوية بين الجمجمة والعمود الفقري (٤٣.٠ ± ٣.٦ ). كما تم استخدام جهاز تخطيط العضلات لقياس نشاط العضلات الكهربي لثماني عضلات شوكية (مستويات الرقبة، وأعلى الظهر، وأسفل الظهر) أثناء الوقوف وأثناء حمل وزن باليدين. النتائج: كانت الزاوية بين الجمجمة والعمود الفقري أقل بكثير في مجموعة الرأس المتقدمة للأمام مقارنة بالمجموعة الضابطة (قوام الرأس السليم). وأظهرت مجموعة قوام الرأس المتقدمة للأمام قيم أعلى لنشاط العضلات العنقية الشوكية مقارنة بالمجموعة الضابطة. كما أظهرت عضلات العمود الفقري العنقية اليمنى واليسرى (٧٣٪ و٨٧٪) على التوالي نشاطا للعضلات أعلى من المجموعة الضابطة أثناء مهمة حمل الوزن. ولم يُستدل على اختلاف كبير بين عضلات أعلى الظهر أو العضلات القطنية بين المجموعات. الاستنتاجات: تشير النتائج إلى زيادة الجهد العضلي على عضلات الرقبة والناتج عن قوام الرأس المتقدمة للأمام لموازنة انخفاض زاوية الرقبة ودعمها. قد يتطلب النشاط المتزايد لعضلات الرقبة في حالات قوام الرأس المتقدمة للأمام مجهودا أكبر من عضلات الرقبة وقد يزيد من خطر إصابات العمود الفقري. وفقا لذلك، يوصَى بشدة بالعلاج المبكر لـقوام الرأس المتقدمة للأمام لتجنب التحميل الزائد على عضلات العمود الفقري. Abstract: Objective: This study aims to examine the electromyographic activity of the regional spinal muscle between patients with forward head posture (FHP) and those with a normal cranio-vertebral (CV) angle. Methods: We recruited 60 adult women aged between 18 and 29 years from a single institution. The CV angle was measured in the sagittal plane, which helped us to assign the participants in the FHP group (n = 30) with a large CV angle (53.1 ± 2.3) and the control group (n = 30) with a normal CV angle (43.0 ± 3.6). The surface electromyography (EMG) was used to measure the magnitude of normalised muscle activity of eight spinal muscles (cervical, lumbar, and thoracic levels) while standing and performing a specific manual handling task. Results: The CV angle was significantly lower in the FHP group than in the control group (p = .001). The cervical erector spinae (CES) muscle activity was significantly increased in the FHP group compared to that in the control group. The right and left CES of those in the FHP group exhibited 73% and 87%, respectively, higher normalised muscle activity than those in the control group while performing the manual handling task (p = .001). No significant difference was detected for the thoracic or lumbar segment muscles between groups. Conclusion: Our results indicate that greater neck muscle demands result from anterior head translation in FHP. This effect is a counterbalance to the reduced CV angle and to support the neck. The increased activity of the neck muscles in FHP could demand more support from the neck muscles and might increase the risk of spinal injuries. Management of FHP is essential to avoid overloading the spinal muscles.

The accidents caused by human factors in coal mine accidents are mainly caused by misoperation caused by fatigue and inattention of underground operating personnel. The existing personnel fatigue detection method based on physiological signals or eye images has the problems of complex implementation, poor adaptability, low accuracy and easy false negatives and false positives. In order to solve the above problems, a perception device of fatigue state of underground personnel based on head posture monitoring is designed. When the underground personnel is in a fatigue state, the head droop motion will occur, and the brain senses the head imbalance through the cochlea. In order to restore balance and keep awake, the brain will control the neck to carry out recovery head-raising motion, thus forming a periodic nodding motion. A nine-axis posture sensor is installed on the safety helmet to collect angular velocity, acceleration and magnetic field strength, and head posture data is obtained through data fusion. The head posture angle is calculated by using the quaternion method, and nodding motion is captured according to the head posture angle. When the proportion of nodding motion in unit time exceeds a threshold value, it is judged that the personnel is in a fatigue state, voice and light early warning occurs and an early warning signal is sent to a monitoring terminal on the ground through a wireless mode. The experimental results show that the device can accurately obtain the head posture angle, capture the fatigue characteristic motion, and judge whether the underground personnel is in a fatigue state effectively. The device has the characteristics of small volume, light weight, low power consumption and easy implementation, which can provide technical reference for operation fatigue monitoring in production operation practice.

Copyright of Journal of Mine Automation is the property of Industry & Mine Automation Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and Study Aim. The present study investigated the effect of a 5x5 exercise program on sleep quality, fatigue, neck pain, head posture, daily walking, sitting, sleeping and smartphone usage time. Material and Methods. An exercise program was applied to 54 university students (17 males, 37 females) between October and November 2019. The five exercises lasted approximately 15- 20 minutes in each training session (diaphragmatic breathing, axial neck extension, cervical stabilization, pectoral stretch, and shoulder retractor strengthening) that was performed 5 times a day, 5 days a week for 5 weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Forward Head Posture (FHP), number of daily steps, sitting time, sleep time, and smartphone usage time were compared before and after the exercise program. The Paired Samples t-test was used to compare differences between the pre-exercise and post-exercise variables. Statistical significance level was set at 0.05. Results. Following the 5-week exercise program, sleep quality improved, and levels of neck disability and fatigue were lower and the differences were statistically significant (p0.05). Conclusion. The 5-week program of posture correction, stretching and strengthening exercises improved sleep quality, fatigue levels, and neck disability. The findings of this study can be used to improve the sleep quality, fatigue and neck problems of both students and sedentary workers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Abnormal head posture can lead to pain, physical limitations, falls and fractures that have a negative impact on people's quality of life. Since head orientation in sagittal view varies according to different body postures, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of two standing and sitting postures on sagittal view. METHODS: This observational study was performed on 70 elderly people referred to Elderly Health Center of Babol University of Medical Sciences. In order to measure the craniovertebral angle to determine the direction of the head in the sagittal view, participants were photographed in both standing and sitting positions. After initial evaluation, participants were divided into two groups of head posture (forward head posture and normal head posture) based on craniovertebral angle, with an angle of less than 51° as abnormal head posture. FINDINGS: The mean age of the subjects was 67.9±3.8. The size of the craniovertebral angle in sitting position (52±8.3) was greater than in standing position (48.1±6.5) (P

The monitoring of head posture is crucial for interactive learning, in order to build feedback with learners’ attention, especially in the explosion of digital teaching that occurred during the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, conventional monitoring based on computer vision remains a great challenge in the multi-freedom estimation of head posture, owing to low-angle annotation and limited training accuracy. Here, we report a fully integrated attachable inertial device (AID) that comfortably monitors in situ head posture at the neck, and provides a machine learning-based assessment of attention. The device consists of a stretchable inertial sensing unit and a fully integrated circuit-based system, as well as mechanically compliant encapsulation. Due to the mechanical flexibility, the device can be seamlessly attach to a human neck’s epidermis without frequent user interactions, and wirelessly supports six-axial inertial measurements, thereby obtaining multidimensional tracking of individual posture. These head postures (40 types) are then divided into 10 rotation actions which correspond to diverse situations that usually occur in daily activities of teaching. Benefiting from a 2D convolutional neural network (CNN)-based machine learning model, their classification and prediction of head postures can be used to analyze and infer attention behavior. The results show that the proposed 2D CNN-based machine learning method can effectively distinguish the head motion posture, with a high accuracy of 98.00%, and three actual postures were successfully verified and evaluated in a predefined attention model. The inertial monitoring and attention evaluation based on attachable devices and machine learning will have potential in terms of learning feedback and planning for learners.

Head posture influences the collapsibility of the passive upper airway during anaesthesia. However, little is known about the impact of head posture during sleep. The objective of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to measure head posture during supine sleep and to apply this instrument to investigate the influence of head posture on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity. A customized instrument to quantify head flexion and rotation during supine sleep was developed and validated in a benchtop experiment. Twenty‐eight participants with suspected OSA were successfully studied using diagnostic polysomnography with the addition of the customized instrument. Head posture in supine sleep was discretized into four categories by two variables: head flexed or not (flexion >15°); and head rotated or not (rotation >45°). Sleep time in each posture and the posture‐specific apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) were quantified. Linear mixed‐effect modelling was applied to determine the influence of flexion and rotation on supine OSA severity. Twenty‐four participants had ≥15 min of supine sleep in at least one head‐posture category. Only one participant had ≥15 min of supine sleep time with the head extended. Head flexion was associated with a 12.9 events/h increase in the AHI (95% CI: 3.7–22.1, p =.007). Head rotation was associated with an 11.0 events/h decrease in the AHI (95% CI: 0.3–21.6, p =.04). Despite substantial interparticipant variability, head flexion worsened OSA severity, and head rotation improved OSA severity. Interventions to promote rotation and restrict flexion may have therapeutic benefit in selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate how exercise programs not directly applied to the cervical spine affect office workers with forward head posture (FHP). Patients and methods: Between March 2018 and June 2018, a total of 32 office workers with FHP (13 males, 19 females; mean age 36.63 years; range, 23 to 57 years) were randomized either to experimental (n=16) or control groups (n=16). Scapular stabilization and thoracic extension exercises were applied to the experimental group and cervical stabilization and stretching exercises to the control group. The results of the pre-intervention and after six weeks measurement of the craniovertebral angle (CVA), respiration, pain, and disability were compared and analyzed. Results: For intra-group comparison, both groups showed significant differences (p<0.05) in CVA, forced expiratory volume at 1 sec (FEV1), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and neck disability index at pre- and post-intervention, while only the experimental group showed a significant difference (p<0.05) in maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, and forced vital capacity. For inter-group comparison, a significant difference (p<0.05) between FEV1 and VAS was observed. Conclusion: The combination of scapular stabilization and thoracic extension exercises, not directly applied to the cervical spine, has an effect on improving the posture, respiration, neck pain, and disability in office workers with FHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:In many studies, the relationship between postural status and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) have been investigated, however there is no consensus on this regard. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between postural irregularities forward head posture (FHP) and different shoulder levels (DSL) and TMD prevalence in different dentition stages.Materials and Methods:This study, which included children between 4 and 14 years of age attending public schools in Ankara, was planned as a cross-sectional study. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) was examined intra- and extra-orally. After the examination, the relationship between TMD and body posture (FHP and DSL) was investigated. For statistical analysis, chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used with significance level of p

Copyright of Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Changes in craniocervical posture are a critical issue in modern society. Alterations of the mandible position in the anterior-posterior direction in association with head and neck posture are reported. The objective of the present review was to evaluate the relationship between craniocervical posture and sagittal position of the mandible and to evaluate the risk of bias inthe included studies. Electronic databases used to perform the search were PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Cochrane. Only clinical trials that assessed sagittal craniocervical posture and mandible position in lateral cephalograms were included. Selected inclusion criteria were used to assess the finally selected studies. The upper and lower cervical spine was evaluated by seven and six studies, respectively. The risk of bias in the included studies varied from low to moderate. Literature research identified 438 records from 3 databases. Eventually, seven eligible clinical trials were included in this review. Evaluating the relationship between craniocervical posture and mandible position in the sagittal plane, it can be concluded that increased cervical inclination and head upright position are associated with the posterior position of the mandible. Attention to patients’ craniocervical posture should be paid as a part of clinical evaluation since it might be the reason for the changed mandible position.

Objective: The incidence of abnormal breathing and its consequences on craniofacial development is increasing, and is not limited to children with adenoid faces. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cephalometric differences in craniofacial structures and head posture between nasal breathing and oral breathing children and teenagers with a normal facial growth pattern. Method: Ninety‐eight 7–16 year‐old patients with a normal facial growth pattern were clinically and radiographically evaluated. They were classified as either nasal breathing or oral breathing patients according to the predominant mode of breathing through clinical and historical evaluation, and breathing respiratory rate predomination as quantified by an airflow sensor. They were divided in two age groups (G1: 7–9) (G2: 10–16) to account for normal age‐related facial growth. Results: Oral breathing children (8.0 ± 0.7 years) showed less nasopharyngeal cross‐sectional dimension (MPP) (p = 0.030), whereas other structures were similar to their nasal breathing counterparts (7.6 ± 0.9 years). However, oral breathing teenagers (12.3 ± 2.0 years) exhibited a greater palate length (ANS‐PNS) (p = 0.049), a higher vertical dimension in the lower anterior face (Xi‐ANS‐Pm) (p = 0.015), and a lower position of the hyoid bone with respect to the mandibular plane (H‐MP) (p = 0.017) than their nasal breathing counterparts (12.5 ± 1.9 years). No statistically significant differences were found in head posture. Conclusion: Even in individuals with a normal facial growth pattern, when compared with nasal breathing individuals, oral breathing children present differences in airway dimensions. Among adolescents, these dissimilarities include structures in the facial development and hyoid bone position.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and associated risk factors.Methods: This study was conducted using 212 university students. Based on the Fonseca anamnestic index, the population was divided into two groups: those with TMD and those without TMD. The two groups were compared in terms of global body posture, craniohorizontal and craniovertebral angles, neck and temporomandibular joint range of motion, stress level, and sleep quality.Results: Stress level, sleep quality, and left cervical rotation were found to have statistical differences between the groups (p = 0.00, 0.00, and 0.046, respectively). Sleep quality and stress level were found to be important risk factors for the presence of TMD (p = 0.017 and 0.00, respectively).Discussion: In the prevention and treatment of TMD, a holistic approach that evaluates mechanical factors and psychosocial factors should be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Forward head posture (FHP) means that the head is in an anterior position in relation to the postural line and it is considered to coexist with hyperextension of upper cervical spine, flattening of lower cervical spine, rounding of the upper back and elevation and protraction of the shoulders. Because of associated problems, assessment of head posture has become increasingly important in clinical practices in evaluating and designing treatment regimens. For clinical diagnosis, angle measurements have been utilized as information for evaluating physical characteristics, determining the effects of rehabilitation and preventing injury induced by physical activity. There are various software’s available for measuring angles, one of them being Surgimap. In recent years, angle measurements using Electronic head posture instrument (EHPI) have been clinically researched as new angle measurement methods for the forward head posture apart from photographic measurement methods. Thus, this study evaluated the validity and reliability of the EHPI in measuring Head posture angles with Surgimap photograhic method in young healthy subjects. Methodology: Ethical approval for the study was granted and cross sectional observational study was conducted for validity and reliability at outpatient department. After written consent the subjects were made to understand the purpose of the study. Craniovertebral angle, Cranio-horizontal angle and Sagittal shoulder angle was measured using Electronic Head Posture Instrument and Photographic Method through Surgimap software. The research constituted of three researchers and intra rater reliability, inter rater reliability and validity was analyzed. Results: Data analysis was done using SPSS 20.0 version and the statistical significance level was set at p<0.05. Intra rater reliability was found to be CHA=0. 95, CVA=0.92 and SSA=0.96, Inter rater reliability was found to be CHA= 0.98, CVA= 0.90 and SSA= 0.78. Correlation between different angles was found as CHA=0.95, CVA=0.79 and SSA=0.62. Conclusion: EHPI is a valid and reliable tool in clinically assessing and evaluating CHA, CVA and SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Interpreting the personality and the disposition of people is important for social interaction. Both emotional expression and facial width are known to affect personality perception. Moreover, both the apparent emotional expression and the apparent width-to-height ratio of the face change with head tilt. We investigated how head tilt affects judgements of trustworthiness and dominance and whether such trait judgements reflect apparent emotion or facial width. Sixty-seven participants rated the dominance, emotion, and trustworthiness of 24 faces posing with different head tilts while maintaining eye gaze at the camera. Both the 30° up and 20° down head postures were perceived as less trustworthy and more dominant (less submissive) than the head-level posture. Change in perceived trustworthiness and submissiveness with head tilt correlated with change in apparent emotional positivity but not change in facial width. Hence, our analysis suggests that apparent emotional expression provides a better explanation of perceived trustworthiness and dominance compared with cues to facial structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to determine the impact of smartphone use in head posture and functional ability of upper extremity in adolescents and the correlation between them. Design: Cross sectional design. Method: Forty adolescents divided into two groups (group I and group II) based on the smartphone time use per day. They were assessed for neck pain by Visual analogue scale (VAS), the disability of the upper extremity by Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI) and the head posture angles by AutoCAD photographic analysis. Results: The results of this study represented significant differences in all measurable variables in the group (II) as compared to the group (I). Also, the results of this study represent there were significant strong relationships between the measurable variables. Conclusion: We could conclude that the prolonged duration of smartphone use had significant effects on the head posture and functional ability of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Abnormal head posture can lead to pain, physical limitations, falls and fractures that have a negative impact on people's quality of life. Since head orientation in sagittal view varies according to different body postures, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of two standing and sitting postures on sagittal view. METHODS: This observational study was performed on 70 elderly people referred to Elderly Health Center of Babol University of Medical Sciences. In order to measure the craniovertebral angle to determine the direction of the head in the sagittal view, participants were photographed in both standing and sitting positions. After initial evaluation, participants were divided into two groups of head posture (forward head posture and normal head posture) based on craniovertebral angle, with an angle of less than 51° as abnormal head posture. FINDINGS: The mean age of the subjects was 67.9±3.8. The size of the craniovertebral angle in sitting position (52±8.3) was greater than in standing position (48.1±6.5) (P<0.0001). In addition, two subgroups of forward head posture and normal posture showed increased craniovertebral angle in sitting position (forward head posture: 48.3±7.2, normal: 59.6±4.6) comapred to standing position (forward head posture: 43.7±6.5, normal: 56.9±4.2) (P<0.003, P<0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: According to the results, the craniovertebral angle increases in sitting position compared to the standing position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine whether patients with myogenous or mixed (ie, myogeneous plus arthrogeneous) temporomandibular disorders (TMD) had different head and cervical posture measured through angles commonly used in clinical research settings when compared to healthy individuals. Methods: One hundred fifty-four persons participated in this study. Of these, 50 subjects were healthy, 55 subjects had myogenous TMD, and 49 subjects had mixed TMD (ie, arthrogenous plus myogenous TMD). A lateral photograph was taken with the head in the self-balanced position. Four angles were measured in the photographs: (1) Eye-Tragus-Horizontal, (2) Tragus-C7- Horizontal, (3) Pogonion-Tragus-C7, and (4) Tragus-C7-Shoulder. Alcimagen software specially designed to measure angles was used in this study. All of the measurements were performed by a single trained rater, a dental specialist in orthodontics, blinded to each subject's group status. Results: The only angle that reached statistical significance among groups was the Eye-Tragus-Horizontal (F = 3.03, P = .040). Pairwise comparisons determined that a mean difference of 3.3 degrees (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.15, 6.41) existed when comparing subjects with myogenous TMD and healthy subjects(P = .036). Postural angles were not significantly related to neck disability, jaw disability, or pain intensity. Intrarater and interrater reliability of the measurements were excellent, with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values ranging between 0.996-0.998. Conclusion: The only statistically significant difference in craniocervical posture between patients with myogenous TMD and healthy subjects was for the Eye-Tragus-Horizontal angle, indicating a more extended position of the head. However, the difference was very small (3.3 degrees) and was judged not to be clinically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To carry out a systematic review to assess the evidence concerning the association between head and cervical posture and temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Methods: A search of Medline, Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Lilacs, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted in all languages with the help of a health sciences librarian. Key words used in the search were posture, head posture, cervical spine or neck, vertebrae, cervical lordosis, craniomandibular disorders or temporomandibular disorders, temporomandibular disorders, and orofacial pain or facial pain. Abstracts which appeared to fulfill the initial selection criteria were selected by consensus. The original articles were retrieved and evaluated to ensure they met the inclusion criteria. A methodological checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the selected articles and their references were hand-searched for possible missing articles. Results: Twelve studies met all inclusion criteria and were analyzed in detail for their methodology and information quality. Nine articles that analyzed the association between head posture and TMD included patients with mixed TMD diagnosis; 1 article differentiated among muscular, articular, and mixed symptomatology; and 3 articles analyzed information from patients with only articular problems. Finally, 2 studies evaluated the association between head posture and TMD in patients with muscular TMD. Several methodological defects were noted in the 12 studies. Conclusion: Since most of the studies included in this systematic review were of poor methodological quality, the findings of the studies should be interpreted with caution. The association between intra-articular and muscular TMD and head and cervical posture is still unclear, and better controlled studies with comprehensive TMD diagnoses, greater sample sizes, and objective posture evaluation are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess and compare the occlusal contacts in dentate and edentulous patients wearing complete denture with varying head posture. Materials and Methods: Ad hoc sampling of 30 subjects (15 dentate and 15 edentulous) based on inclusion and exclusion criteria was done. Subjects were divided into two groups: dentate and edentulous. Each group was further divided into two subgroups based on two head postures-upright 90° and ventroflexed 30°. For recording of every posture, a new sensor was used, and the subject was asked to clench on the sensor in maximum intercuspation position at the two head postures. Results: Data were summarized as mean ± standard error and compared by Student's t-test using SPSS software (windows version 17.0 IBM corporation, New York, USA). A statistically significant correlation between head posture and contact area was found in dentate and denture wearers, i.e., tooth contact area varies with head posture. Conclusion: It was concluded that the occlusal contacts vary at different head posture in dentate as well as in denture wearers. With ventroflexion, the number of tooth contact decreased as compared to upright-erect position in both groups. Clinical implication - since the number of tooth contacts varies with varying head postures, it is recommended that the balancing of the contacts should be done at varying head postures.