Background: Exergaming is a fun, engaging, and interactive form of exercising that may help overc... more Background: Exergaming is a fun, engaging, and interactive form of exercising that may help overcome some of the traditional exercise barriers and help improve adherence on the part of older adults, providing therapeutic applications for balance recovery and functional mobility. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the effects of exergames on mobility and balance in older adults. Methods: The PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. The following databases were searched from inception to August 2019: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, CINAHL, and INSPEC. We selected randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of exergames on balance or mobility of older adults without neurological conditions, in comparison to no intervention or health education. Two review authors independently screened the trials' titles and abstracts and identified trials for inclusion according to the eligibility criteria. An almost perfect agreement between the authors was observed with respect to interrater reliability of trial selection (kappa = 0.84; P < 0.001). We performed descriptive analysis of the quantitative data to summarize the evidence. Meta-analysis was carried out using RevMan. A random effects model was used to compute the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals. Results: After screening 822 records, 12 trials comparing exergames with no intervention were included. A total of 1520 older adults participated in the studies, with a mean age of 76 ± 6 years for the experimental group and 76 ± 5 years for the control group. Quantitative synthesis showed significant improvements in balance and mobility based on the center of pressure sway (SMD = − 0.89; 95%CI = − 1.26 to − 0.51; P = 0.0001; I 2 = 58%), Berg Balance Scale (MD = 2.15; 95%CI = 1.77 to 2.56; P = 0.0001; I 2 = 96%), and on Timed Up and Go test (MD = − 2.48; 95%CI = − 3.83 to − 1.12; P = 0.0003; I 2 = 0). Conclusions: Exergames improved balance and mobility in older adults without neurological disorders and motivate patients to keep performing balance exercises. High quality studies with standardized assessment protocols are necessary to improve the strength of the evidence.
We agree with Seemungal that vertigo is a well known risk for falls—for example, odds ratio 1.81 ... more We agree with Seemungal that vertigo is a well known risk for falls—for example, odds ratio 1.81 2 3—and that benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) causes balance impairment and can lead to falls. While symptomatic patients are often seen initially in primary care, diagnostic studies, including the Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre, and particularly treatment …
Reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia is often being conducted by employing analog media... more Reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia is often being conducted by employing analog media including pictures and videos organized and presented by a caregiver. However, such media lacks the immersive experience to support patient engagement and successful recollection of reminiscence events. Recently, Virtual Reality (VR) is gaining momentum as a potential technological tool to support dementia care due to its increased immersion, presence, and embodiment. Haptic artifacts can be used to enrich reminiscence therapy as part of the multi-sensory stimuli to increase immersion and patient engagement, as well as improving social connectedness and cognitive health. The purpose of this project is to explore the use of VR application to advance reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia. We have prototyped an immersive and non-immersive VR framework that allows caregivers to deliver reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia with varying stages in their disease progression. These reminiscence therapy sessions are built by employing a narrative storyboard and content management through a series of co-designing sessions with content experts at the Geriatric Dementia Unit in Ontario, Canada. A caregiver-led VR framework will be adopted to enable the caregiver to guide the persons with dementia to safely navigate through the interactive VR environment, while allowing the patients to engage with the interactive VR elements using a point-and-pinch gesture approach. We anticipate that the VR experiences hold the potential for improving the interactions between persons with dementia and caregivers, as well as enhancing the reminiscence experiences to promote the maximal therapeutic benefit of patient's recovery.
BACKGROUND: Activity levels and disturbances of the sleep-wake pattern affect health and quality ... more BACKGROUND: Activity levels and disturbances of the sleep-wake pattern affect health and quality of life and need to be further explored in patients with stroke. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate activity levels and their association with sleep-wake patterns in patients with stroke. METHODS: Ten adults with (51 ± 6 years) and 10 without stroke (52 ± 7 years) participated in the study; they were matched on age, sex and educational level. Neurological status, motor function, sleep quality, and activity levels were measured. The groups were compared using Student t-tests and the association between the measures was assessed using Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: Compared to people without stroke, those with stroke had worse sleep quality (p = 0.044), twice lower 24hactivity levels (p < 0.0001), higher interdaily stability and intradaily variability, lower activity during the most active 10 h and during the least active 5 h. Sleep quality was associated with activity level (r =-0.72) and with within-day activity variability (r = 0.53). CONCLUSIONS: Activity level and fragmentation are associated with sleep-wake patterns and sleep quality in patients with stroke.
Effects of exergames on the balance of older adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: protocol of a ... more Effects of exergames on the balance of older adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: protocol of a randomized clinical trial Efectos de los exergames en el equilibrio de los adultos mayores con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2: protocolo de un ensayo clínico aleatorizado Efeitos dos exergames no equilíbrio de idosos com Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2: protocolo de ensaio clínico randomizado
Resumen Antecedentes y objetivos Existe escasa informacion acerca de valores de referencia para e... more Resumen Antecedentes y objetivos Existe escasa informacion acerca de valores de referencia para el umbral de dolor a la presion (UDP) en el hombro. Nuestros objetivos fueron evaluar el UDP normal en cinco sitios de relevancia clinica del hombro y analizar la influencia de factores como el metodo de calculo, el sexo, la composicion corporal y la habilidad manual. Materiales y metodos Este estudio transversal incluyo 58 individuos asintomaticos de ambos sexos de entre 18 a 65 anos. El UDP fue evaluado a nivel del musculo infraespinoso (IE), del musculo deltoides medio (DM), de la insercion del musculo pectoral menor (IPM), de la articulacion acromioclavicular (AAC) y del musculo trapecio superior (TS). En cada sitio se tomaron 3 mediciones, eliminando la primera para el calculo del valor promedio. Se utilizo el test t de Student para comparar las diferencias entre grupos (nivel de significacion del 95%). Resultados El punto mas sensible fue el TS (4,31 ± 2,09 kg/cm2), seguido por la IPM (4,63 ± 1,85 kg/cm2), el DM (5,60 ± 2,28 kg/cm2), el IE (6,33 ± 2,25 kg/cm2) y la AAC (6,70 ± 2,26 kg/cm2). Solo el DM demostro una diferencia significativa entre ambos lados. Los hombres tuvieron valores de UDP superiores, excepto en el TS. Los sujetos con sobrepeso tuvieron valores superiores de UDP a nivel del DM y la IPM. Conclusiones No se encontraron diferencias significativas con los valores de referencia reportados previamente. Las discrepancias entre diferentes estudios podrian ser independientes de la metodologia utilizada para el calculo del UDP. Se encontro una correlacion estadistica entre el UDP del musculo DM y el dominio manual, aunque dicha asociacion puede no ser clinicamente relevante. Finalmente, este estudio demostro que el UDP a nivel del DM y la IPM es dependiente del indice de masa corporal (IMC).
There has been a recent development of the work physical therapy area in Brazil. The relationship... more There has been a recent development of the work physical therapy area in Brazil. The relationship between work physical therapy and rehabilitation ergonomics needs to be highlighted to avoid segregation and fragmentation of these complementary fields. For these reasons, the purpose of this article was to review and clarify the scope of the areas of work physical therapy and rehabilitation ergonomics. Method. The available literature discussing the roles of the areas of interest was critically reviewed. Results. Both areas are concerned with workers' health and safety and they complement each other. Conclusions. Work physical therapy can be considered as rehabilitation ergonomics practiced by physical therapists with their specific interests. Hopefully, this paper will contribute to further interaction between the areas of work physical therapy and rehabilitation ergonomics not only in Brazil but worldwide. This may contribute to improved occupational disability prevention and rehabilitation.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Apr 19, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases characterized by insulin resistance.... more Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases characterized by insulin resistance. MetS has high prevalence among women, which is impacted by food intake. MetS is related to high level of inflammation; however, the impacts of whole diets on biochemical and anthropometrical markers and the effects on MetS need to be further elucidated. In this case, the objective of this study was to assess the relationship between food intake, biochemical and anthropometrical markers in women with MetS. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, in which 1 hundred and 22 women participated in the assessment of biochemical (glycated hemoglobin, glycaemia, insulin, uric acid, total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, triglycerides, C-reactive protein) and anthropometrical (body mass, height, waist circumference-WC) variables. Participants also performed blood pressure and 24-hour dietary recall assessments. Out of the 122 participants, 44 (36%, age: 59 ± 11 years) had MetS and were included in the analysis. Results: The consumption of monounsaturated fats had direct relationship with glycaemia (b = 7.48), whereas the consumption of fibers had inverse relationship with body mass (b = − 0.71) and WC (b = − 0.56). Conclusion: The intake of monounsaturated fats and fiber was related to higher blood sugar levels and lower body mass and WC, respectively. These relationships elucidate and highlight the significance and importance of adequate diet in women with MetS.
C-statistics of 0.67, 0.71, 0.71, 0.75 for mortality (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.66); ... more C-statistics of 0.67, 0.71, 0.71, 0.75 for mortality (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.66); 0.59, 0.64, 0.63, 0.70 for hospitalization (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.58); and 0.64, 0.63, 0.63, 0.70 for activities-of-daily-living disabilities (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.61), respectively. Conclusions: The choice of a claims-based frailty measure results in a meaningful variation in the identification of frail older adults at high risk for adverse health outcomes. Claimsbased frailty measures that included demographic variables offer limited risk adjustment beyond age and sex.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of daily cognitive task on stiffness o... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of daily cognitive task on stiffness of old and young female adults during the gait. The study included 17 physically active younger and 18 older women, with low risk of falls. The volunteers were asked to walk on the treadmill at two different gait conditions: normal gait and functional dual-task gait. The electromyographic signals were collected of the lower limb muscles. The percentage of coactivation for the tibialis anterior/gastrocnemius lateralis and tibialis anterior/soleus were significantly higher in elderly than in younger in the normal gait and dual-task gait. Our results suggest that the elderly have a greater stiffness in the ankle joint during gait normal and daily dual task gait. Thus, we conclude that challenging cognitively situations during the gait may increase the risk of falls in this population.
Prevenção e reabilitação de desordens músculo-esqueléticas relacionadas ao trabalho: uma visão in... more Prevenção e reabilitação de desordens músculo-esqueléticas relacionadas ao trabalho: uma visão integrada para promoção de saúde ocupacional
The structural and cellular organization of the liver has unique features that define it as both ... more The structural and cellular organization of the liver has unique features that define it as both a metabolic and immunological organ. Noteworthy, liver resident macrophages, named Kupffer cells, represent the most frequent tissue resident macrophage population in the human body. Nonetheless, upon acute or chronic tissue injury, Kupffer cells seem rather static and may undergo cell death, while the liver is massively infiltrated by circulating immune cells such as bone-marrow derived macrophages, also termed monocyte-derived macrophages, which drastically alter the hepatic immune landscape. Over the last decade, our knowledge on liver macrophage populations during homeostasis and liver diseases has greatly expanded. This particularly holds true in light of the recent fast-paced technological advances that brought novel dimensions to our knowledge, either in single cell suspensions, in a two-dimensional plane or a three-dimensional space, or even in timelapse (intravital) microscopy. This novel understanding goes from unravelling a previously
Sedentary behavior is prevalent in older adults. Older adults often underutilize public parks for... more Sedentary behavior is prevalent in older adults. Older adults often underutilize public parks for exercising because the parks do not support their needs and preferences. Engaging older adults on the redesign of parks may help promote active lifestyles. e objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate (1) the effects of wearing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) glasses on balance; (2) the effects of different virtual walls separating the walking trail from the roadway on older adults' gait, and (3) the preferences of the participants regarding wall design and other features. e participants were ten older adults (68 ± 5 years) who lived within two miles from the park. Balance and gait were assessed using a force plate and an instrumented mat. It was feasible to use AR with older adults in the park to evaluate features for redesign. Motion sickness was not an issue when using AR glasses, but balance was affected when wearing VR goggles. e area of postural sway increased approximately 25% when wearing AR glasses, and it increased by close to 70% when wearing VR goggles compared to no glasses. is difference is clinically relevant; however, we did not have enough power to identify the differences as statistically significant because of the small sample size and large variability. Different walls did not significantly affect the participants' gait either because they did not alter the way they walked or because the holograms were insufficiently realistic to cause changes. e participants preferred a transparent wall rather than tall or short solid walls to separate the park from the roadway.
Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics, Jun 21, 2019
Abstract Inadequate protein intake contributes to poor nutritional status, reduced muscle mass, s... more Abstract Inadequate protein intake contributes to poor nutritional status, reduced muscle mass, strength and function, and increased mortality. Evaluating differences in protein intake and related health indicators among racial/ethnic groups enables the development of targeted interventions. This study’s purpose was to determine differences in protein intake, nutritional status, and muscle strength/function among 273 older African, European, and Hispanic Americans. Protein intake, nutritional status, grip strength, timed-up-and-go (TUG), and chair stand assessments were conducted. Protein intake was significantly greater among Hispanic Americans (0.96 g/kg body weight) followed by European Americans (0.83 g/kg body weight), and African Americans (0.64 g/kg body weight). Intakes by all groups were below recommendations. Low nutritional status, grip strength, chair rise, and TUG scores were observed in African Americans and European American females and were consistent with lower protein intakes. Results show significant differences among the groups and the need for interventions to improve diet and physical health.
Background: Exergaming is a fun, engaging, and interactive form of exercising that may help overc... more Background: Exergaming is a fun, engaging, and interactive form of exercising that may help overcome some of the traditional exercise barriers and help improve adherence on the part of older adults, providing therapeutic applications for balance recovery and functional mobility. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the effects of exergames on mobility and balance in older adults. Methods: The PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. The following databases were searched from inception to August 2019: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, CINAHL, and INSPEC. We selected randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of exergames on balance or mobility of older adults without neurological conditions, in comparison to no intervention or health education. Two review authors independently screened the trials' titles and abstracts and identified trials for inclusion according to the eligibility criteria. An almost perfect agreement between the authors was observed with respect to interrater reliability of trial selection (kappa = 0.84; P < 0.001). We performed descriptive analysis of the quantitative data to summarize the evidence. Meta-analysis was carried out using RevMan. A random effects model was used to compute the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals. Results: After screening 822 records, 12 trials comparing exergames with no intervention were included. A total of 1520 older adults participated in the studies, with a mean age of 76 ± 6 years for the experimental group and 76 ± 5 years for the control group. Quantitative synthesis showed significant improvements in balance and mobility based on the center of pressure sway (SMD = − 0.89; 95%CI = − 1.26 to − 0.51; P = 0.0001; I 2 = 58%), Berg Balance Scale (MD = 2.15; 95%CI = 1.77 to 2.56; P = 0.0001; I 2 = 96%), and on Timed Up and Go test (MD = − 2.48; 95%CI = − 3.83 to − 1.12; P = 0.0003; I 2 = 0). Conclusions: Exergames improved balance and mobility in older adults without neurological disorders and motivate patients to keep performing balance exercises. High quality studies with standardized assessment protocols are necessary to improve the strength of the evidence.
We agree with Seemungal that vertigo is a well known risk for falls—for example, odds ratio 1.81 ... more We agree with Seemungal that vertigo is a well known risk for falls—for example, odds ratio 1.81 2 3—and that benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) causes balance impairment and can lead to falls. While symptomatic patients are often seen initially in primary care, diagnostic studies, including the Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre, and particularly treatment …
Reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia is often being conducted by employing analog media... more Reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia is often being conducted by employing analog media including pictures and videos organized and presented by a caregiver. However, such media lacks the immersive experience to support patient engagement and successful recollection of reminiscence events. Recently, Virtual Reality (VR) is gaining momentum as a potential technological tool to support dementia care due to its increased immersion, presence, and embodiment. Haptic artifacts can be used to enrich reminiscence therapy as part of the multi-sensory stimuli to increase immersion and patient engagement, as well as improving social connectedness and cognitive health. The purpose of this project is to explore the use of VR application to advance reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia. We have prototyped an immersive and non-immersive VR framework that allows caregivers to deliver reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia with varying stages in their disease progression. These reminiscence therapy sessions are built by employing a narrative storyboard and content management through a series of co-designing sessions with content experts at the Geriatric Dementia Unit in Ontario, Canada. A caregiver-led VR framework will be adopted to enable the caregiver to guide the persons with dementia to safely navigate through the interactive VR environment, while allowing the patients to engage with the interactive VR elements using a point-and-pinch gesture approach. We anticipate that the VR experiences hold the potential for improving the interactions between persons with dementia and caregivers, as well as enhancing the reminiscence experiences to promote the maximal therapeutic benefit of patient's recovery.
BACKGROUND: Activity levels and disturbances of the sleep-wake pattern affect health and quality ... more BACKGROUND: Activity levels and disturbances of the sleep-wake pattern affect health and quality of life and need to be further explored in patients with stroke. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate activity levels and their association with sleep-wake patterns in patients with stroke. METHODS: Ten adults with (51 ± 6 years) and 10 without stroke (52 ± 7 years) participated in the study; they were matched on age, sex and educational level. Neurological status, motor function, sleep quality, and activity levels were measured. The groups were compared using Student t-tests and the association between the measures was assessed using Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: Compared to people without stroke, those with stroke had worse sleep quality (p = 0.044), twice lower 24hactivity levels (p < 0.0001), higher interdaily stability and intradaily variability, lower activity during the most active 10 h and during the least active 5 h. Sleep quality was associated with activity level (r =-0.72) and with within-day activity variability (r = 0.53). CONCLUSIONS: Activity level and fragmentation are associated with sleep-wake patterns and sleep quality in patients with stroke.
Effects of exergames on the balance of older adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: protocol of a ... more Effects of exergames on the balance of older adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: protocol of a randomized clinical trial Efectos de los exergames en el equilibrio de los adultos mayores con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2: protocolo de un ensayo clínico aleatorizado Efeitos dos exergames no equilíbrio de idosos com Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2: protocolo de ensaio clínico randomizado
Resumen Antecedentes y objetivos Existe escasa informacion acerca de valores de referencia para e... more Resumen Antecedentes y objetivos Existe escasa informacion acerca de valores de referencia para el umbral de dolor a la presion (UDP) en el hombro. Nuestros objetivos fueron evaluar el UDP normal en cinco sitios de relevancia clinica del hombro y analizar la influencia de factores como el metodo de calculo, el sexo, la composicion corporal y la habilidad manual. Materiales y metodos Este estudio transversal incluyo 58 individuos asintomaticos de ambos sexos de entre 18 a 65 anos. El UDP fue evaluado a nivel del musculo infraespinoso (IE), del musculo deltoides medio (DM), de la insercion del musculo pectoral menor (IPM), de la articulacion acromioclavicular (AAC) y del musculo trapecio superior (TS). En cada sitio se tomaron 3 mediciones, eliminando la primera para el calculo del valor promedio. Se utilizo el test t de Student para comparar las diferencias entre grupos (nivel de significacion del 95%). Resultados El punto mas sensible fue el TS (4,31 ± 2,09 kg/cm2), seguido por la IPM (4,63 ± 1,85 kg/cm2), el DM (5,60 ± 2,28 kg/cm2), el IE (6,33 ± 2,25 kg/cm2) y la AAC (6,70 ± 2,26 kg/cm2). Solo el DM demostro una diferencia significativa entre ambos lados. Los hombres tuvieron valores de UDP superiores, excepto en el TS. Los sujetos con sobrepeso tuvieron valores superiores de UDP a nivel del DM y la IPM. Conclusiones No se encontraron diferencias significativas con los valores de referencia reportados previamente. Las discrepancias entre diferentes estudios podrian ser independientes de la metodologia utilizada para el calculo del UDP. Se encontro una correlacion estadistica entre el UDP del musculo DM y el dominio manual, aunque dicha asociacion puede no ser clinicamente relevante. Finalmente, este estudio demostro que el UDP a nivel del DM y la IPM es dependiente del indice de masa corporal (IMC).
There has been a recent development of the work physical therapy area in Brazil. The relationship... more There has been a recent development of the work physical therapy area in Brazil. The relationship between work physical therapy and rehabilitation ergonomics needs to be highlighted to avoid segregation and fragmentation of these complementary fields. For these reasons, the purpose of this article was to review and clarify the scope of the areas of work physical therapy and rehabilitation ergonomics. Method. The available literature discussing the roles of the areas of interest was critically reviewed. Results. Both areas are concerned with workers' health and safety and they complement each other. Conclusions. Work physical therapy can be considered as rehabilitation ergonomics practiced by physical therapists with their specific interests. Hopefully, this paper will contribute to further interaction between the areas of work physical therapy and rehabilitation ergonomics not only in Brazil but worldwide. This may contribute to improved occupational disability prevention and rehabilitation.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Apr 19, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases characterized by insulin resistance.... more Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases characterized by insulin resistance. MetS has high prevalence among women, which is impacted by food intake. MetS is related to high level of inflammation; however, the impacts of whole diets on biochemical and anthropometrical markers and the effects on MetS need to be further elucidated. In this case, the objective of this study was to assess the relationship between food intake, biochemical and anthropometrical markers in women with MetS. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, in which 1 hundred and 22 women participated in the assessment of biochemical (glycated hemoglobin, glycaemia, insulin, uric acid, total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, triglycerides, C-reactive protein) and anthropometrical (body mass, height, waist circumference-WC) variables. Participants also performed blood pressure and 24-hour dietary recall assessments. Out of the 122 participants, 44 (36%, age: 59 ± 11 years) had MetS and were included in the analysis. Results: The consumption of monounsaturated fats had direct relationship with glycaemia (b = 7.48), whereas the consumption of fibers had inverse relationship with body mass (b = − 0.71) and WC (b = − 0.56). Conclusion: The intake of monounsaturated fats and fiber was related to higher blood sugar levels and lower body mass and WC, respectively. These relationships elucidate and highlight the significance and importance of adequate diet in women with MetS.
C-statistics of 0.67, 0.71, 0.71, 0.75 for mortality (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.66); ... more C-statistics of 0.67, 0.71, 0.71, 0.75 for mortality (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.66); 0.59, 0.64, 0.63, 0.70 for hospitalization (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.58); and 0.64, 0.63, 0.63, 0.70 for activities-of-daily-living disabilities (versus C-statistic for age and sex: 0.61), respectively. Conclusions: The choice of a claims-based frailty measure results in a meaningful variation in the identification of frail older adults at high risk for adverse health outcomes. Claimsbased frailty measures that included demographic variables offer limited risk adjustment beyond age and sex.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of daily cognitive task on stiffness o... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of daily cognitive task on stiffness of old and young female adults during the gait. The study included 17 physically active younger and 18 older women, with low risk of falls. The volunteers were asked to walk on the treadmill at two different gait conditions: normal gait and functional dual-task gait. The electromyographic signals were collected of the lower limb muscles. The percentage of coactivation for the tibialis anterior/gastrocnemius lateralis and tibialis anterior/soleus were significantly higher in elderly than in younger in the normal gait and dual-task gait. Our results suggest that the elderly have a greater stiffness in the ankle joint during gait normal and daily dual task gait. Thus, we conclude that challenging cognitively situations during the gait may increase the risk of falls in this population.
Prevenção e reabilitação de desordens músculo-esqueléticas relacionadas ao trabalho: uma visão in... more Prevenção e reabilitação de desordens músculo-esqueléticas relacionadas ao trabalho: uma visão integrada para promoção de saúde ocupacional
The structural and cellular organization of the liver has unique features that define it as both ... more The structural and cellular organization of the liver has unique features that define it as both a metabolic and immunological organ. Noteworthy, liver resident macrophages, named Kupffer cells, represent the most frequent tissue resident macrophage population in the human body. Nonetheless, upon acute or chronic tissue injury, Kupffer cells seem rather static and may undergo cell death, while the liver is massively infiltrated by circulating immune cells such as bone-marrow derived macrophages, also termed monocyte-derived macrophages, which drastically alter the hepatic immune landscape. Over the last decade, our knowledge on liver macrophage populations during homeostasis and liver diseases has greatly expanded. This particularly holds true in light of the recent fast-paced technological advances that brought novel dimensions to our knowledge, either in single cell suspensions, in a two-dimensional plane or a three-dimensional space, or even in timelapse (intravital) microscopy. This novel understanding goes from unravelling a previously
Sedentary behavior is prevalent in older adults. Older adults often underutilize public parks for... more Sedentary behavior is prevalent in older adults. Older adults often underutilize public parks for exercising because the parks do not support their needs and preferences. Engaging older adults on the redesign of parks may help promote active lifestyles. e objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate (1) the effects of wearing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) glasses on balance; (2) the effects of different virtual walls separating the walking trail from the roadway on older adults' gait, and (3) the preferences of the participants regarding wall design and other features. e participants were ten older adults (68 ± 5 years) who lived within two miles from the park. Balance and gait were assessed using a force plate and an instrumented mat. It was feasible to use AR with older adults in the park to evaluate features for redesign. Motion sickness was not an issue when using AR glasses, but balance was affected when wearing VR goggles. e area of postural sway increased approximately 25% when wearing AR glasses, and it increased by close to 70% when wearing VR goggles compared to no glasses. is difference is clinically relevant; however, we did not have enough power to identify the differences as statistically significant because of the small sample size and large variability. Different walls did not significantly affect the participants' gait either because they did not alter the way they walked or because the holograms were insufficiently realistic to cause changes. e participants preferred a transparent wall rather than tall or short solid walls to separate the park from the roadway.
Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics, Jun 21, 2019
Abstract Inadequate protein intake contributes to poor nutritional status, reduced muscle mass, s... more Abstract Inadequate protein intake contributes to poor nutritional status, reduced muscle mass, strength and function, and increased mortality. Evaluating differences in protein intake and related health indicators among racial/ethnic groups enables the development of targeted interventions. This study’s purpose was to determine differences in protein intake, nutritional status, and muscle strength/function among 273 older African, European, and Hispanic Americans. Protein intake, nutritional status, grip strength, timed-up-and-go (TUG), and chair stand assessments were conducted. Protein intake was significantly greater among Hispanic Americans (0.96 g/kg body weight) followed by European Americans (0.83 g/kg body weight), and African Americans (0.64 g/kg body weight). Intakes by all groups were below recommendations. Low nutritional status, grip strength, chair rise, and TUG scores were observed in African Americans and European American females and were consistent with lower protein intakes. Results show significant differences among the groups and the need for interventions to improve diet and physical health.
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Papers by Edgar R Vieira