Open loop motor control

The beautiful example of the open-loop type of motor control.
On the picture - Adelina Sotnikova - the gold medalist of Sochi 2014.

Wireless Blood Pressure Wrist Monitor by iHealth

The device attaches at the wrist using a small cuff and uses the oscillometric principle to measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as pulse rate. The wrist monitor also has motion sensors to detect the optimal wrist position to help users accurately take their blood pressure readings. 

Exercising against depression

There was a significant effect of exercise on depressive symptoms when higher intensity studies were pooled, but not for lower intensity exercise protocols.

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Open environment

A goor example of an open motor environment.
Lokomotion task with body movement and manipulation.
I mean the locomotion skill of #17 - Tereshenko.

Zensorium Tinké - an iPhone Connected Pulse Oximeter

Along with measuring oxygen levels, Tinké also tracks the heart rate, respiratory rate, and heart rate variability. The device, which weighs .4 oz (10.7g), works with a companion iOS app that displays the different cardiac metrics measured. The app displays a Vita index that is a fitness score computed from the user’s heart rate, blood oxygen level and respiratory rate. 

Falls associated with better functioning?

Of 241 falls in 122 patients seven main fall types were distingushed. One fall type (‘I’m giving it a go’) appeared quite different and was associated with better functioning at time of fall and better outcomes.

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How does exercise induces neuroplasticity?

Exercise and Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration in Rodent Models of PD:

Neuroplasticity is a process by which the brain encodes experiences and learns new behaviors and is defined as the modification of existing neural networks by adding or modifying synapses. Evidence is accumulating that both goal directed and aerobic exercise may strengthen and improve motor circuitry through mechanisms that include but are not limited to alterations and glutamate neurotransmission, as well as structural modifications of synapses. In addition, exercise may promote neuroprotection of substantia nigra neurons and their existing connections. Finally, exercise-induced alterations in blood flow and general brain health may promote conditions for neuroplasticity important for facilitating motor skill learning, including cognitive and automatic motor control and overall behavioral performance. While more studies are clearly needed, taken together these findings are supportive of a disease modifying effect of exercise.

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LumoBack - to monitor your posture

Vibrates to remind to correct posture - sit straight, stand tall.

Vibration improves motor status of elderly

Experimental group received a whole-body vibration exercise alone (vibration amplitude: 1–3 mm; frequency: 6–26 Hz; 4–5 bouts × 60 seconds; 3–5 times weekly). A control group, who received usual care and exercises for eight weeks.

The repeated-measures ANOVA showed that there were significant differences in the Timed Up and Go Test, 30-second chair stand test, bilateral knees extensor strength, activities-specific balance confidence score and general health status between the two groups (P < 0.05). No side-effects were observed during the training. Whole-body vibration exercise -

• reduced the time of the Timed Up and Go Test (40.47 ± 15.94 s to 21.34 ± 4.42 s)
• improved the bilateral knees extensor strength (6.96 ± 1.70 kg to 11.26 ± 2.08 kg)
• the posture stability improved (surface area ellipse: 404.58 ± 177.05 to 255.95 ± 107.28) 
• General Health Status improved (Short-form Health Survey score: 24.51 ± 10.69 and 49.63 ± 9.85 to 45.03 ± 11.15 and 65.23 ± 9.39, respectively)

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Reduced feedback - lower results

Nineteen children with spastic hemiplegic CP (nine males, 10 females; mean age 11y 7mo; range 8–16y) and 20 children with typical development (12 males, eight females; mean age 10y 8mo; range 8–14y) were assigned to 100% or reduced (62%) feedback subgroups as they practised 200 trials of a discrete arm movement with specific spatiotemporal parameters. Children with CP used their less involved hand. Learning was inferred by delayed (24h) retention and reacquisition tests.

All children improved in accuracy and consistency. Children with typical development demonstrated significantly greater accuracy than children with CP during acquisition (p=0.001), retention (p=0.031), and reacquisition (p=0.001), and greater consistency during retention (p=0.038). The typically developing group who received 100% feedback performed with significantly less error than the 62% feedback group during acquisition (p=0.001), and with greater retention (p=0.017). No statistically significant difference was found between feedback subgroups of children with CP, although the 100% feedback group consistently demonstrated less error.

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Withings Pulse measuring device

The Withings Pulse captures steps, burned calories, elevation climbed and distance traveled. 

You activate it from the menu option and then place your finger on the back of the device over a small sensor. So no, it wont do a constant heart rate like a Polar watch.

Metrics tracked

• Steps taken

• Elevation climbed actively

• Distance travelled: based on user’s profile for high precision

• Calories burned:

• Run: daily recap of duration and distance

• Instant heart rate

• Sleep duration

Vision in CP

In addition to these numbers:

Close to half (49.8%) - visual impairment. 

Of these 

• strabismus 55.7%
• refractive errors 20.7%
• severe visual loss 18.9

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Bodily maps of emotions

Monitoring the topography of emotion-triggered bodily sensations brings forth a unique tool for emotion research and could even provide a biomarker for emotional disorders.






Fulltext

Walking on uneven surface may improve knee flexion in stiff-knee walkers

Patients with cerebral palsy frequently experience foot dragging and tripping during walking due to reduced toe clearance mostly caused by a lack of adequate knee flexion in swing (stiff-knee gait). Walking on uneven surface has the potential to improve knee flexion in stiff-knee walkers.



Fulltext

Mio ALPHA - strapless continuous heart rate monitor

LED lights & an electro-optical cell “sense” the volume of blood under skin.

Intuitive 2-button navigation

Bluetooth® Smart wireless transmitter

USB charging dock with magnetic alignment

Rechargeable lithium polymer battery

Numbers about CP

• More than 1/2 of children with CP have bilateral spastic paraparesis (leg weakness)
• There are more boys born with Cerebral Palsy than girls (for every 100 girls there are 135 boys)
• About 1/2 of children with CP are born prematurely.
• 1 in 9 people with CP have features of Autism.
• 1 in 4 people with CP have epileptic seizures.
• 6 out of 10 people with CP have normal or superior intelligence.
• 1 in 11 children with CP are legally blind.
• About 3 of 10 children with CP have severe learning disabilities.
• 1 in 50 children with CP are deaf.
• 1 in 20 children with CP have tremor and ataxia.
• 1 in 3 children with CP cannot walk.
• 1 in 4 children with CP cannot feed or dress themselves

Walk to think

Exercise improves learning on 3 levels: first, it optimizes your mind-set to improve alertness, attention and motivation; second, it prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another, which is the cellular basis for logging in new information; and third, exercise spurs the development of new cells from stem cells.


Children solve problems better after exercising. Those, whose brain is alert "as during exercise" do cognitive tasks better even without exercising.



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Error-induced post-stroke walking training

Error-induced treatment on a split treadmill leads to longer-term improvements in gait deficits poststroke, as was tested 3 months after the training. The error augmentation strategy, which promotes stride-by-stride adjustment to reduce asymmetry and results in improved asymmetry during overground walking practice, appears to be critical for obtaining the improvements observed.

Repeated Split-Belt Treadmill Training Improves Poststroke Step Length Asymmetry.

Reisman DS, McLean H, Keller J, Danks KA, Bastian AJ.

Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2013 Feb 7. [Epub ahead of print]

Training to walk amid uncertainty with Re-Step: measurements and changes with perturbation training for hemiparesis and cerebral palsy, Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Informa Healthcare

Training to walk amid uncertainty with Re-Step: measurements and changes with perturbation training for hemiparesis and cerebral palsy.

Motivation for PT

From a discussion on ResearchGate:

"Exercise Motivation Inventory (Markland & Hardy, 1993) to measure motivation in an exercising environment. Although NOT specific to "rehab" per se, it may be suit your needs."

"The short form Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a 13-item instrument that assesses patient self-reported knowledge, skills and confidence for self-management of one’s health or chronic condition. It divides consumers and patients into one of four progressively higher activation levels that are associated with specific self-care and other health related behaviours."