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Balance disorders are complications of stroke survivors. Aim of this study was the establish effectiveness of the biofeedback approach. In this intervention study 245 patients with early diagnosis of acute disturbance of cerebral circulation (ADCC) were examined. Patients able to move independently were treated by standard conservative ADCC therapy on an outpatient approach, but they continued to have problems with coordination of movement in upright position. Then they were submitted to an increasing physical activity based on five sessions of biofeedback, i.e., a complex rehabilitation of patients with motor pathology "Trust-M" according to TU 9442-001-63704475-2010. Mobility rates were assessed using a web camera. Patients' quality of life was evaluated by SF-36 questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). All parameters were recorded before and after 5 sessions of biofeedback. After treatment, the stability indicators improved and all patients showed a significant increase in motion rate and quality of life. At the same time, the severity of pain and of depression and anxiety decreased. Negative correlations of average strength between the quadrant and patient HADS scaling rates were obtained. In conclusion, our work shows effectiveness of the biofeedback technique for correcting coordination in stroke survivors.

Disorientation, nausea, confusion, dizziness, and displacement are frequently complained by headache-suffering children. Anyhow, the cause of these symptoms is still unclear, and a dysfunction of vestibular pathways or their alteration due to central pain pathways hyper-activation, has been proposed. The aim of this study is to use posturography to explore the balance function of headache-suffering children during pain-free periods. Posturography was performed on 19 migraineurs, 11 tension-type headache sufferers, and 20 healthy controls. Posturographic measures were performed during headache-free periods under different conditions: with eyes opened, eyes closed, and during right and left optokinetic stimulation. The last 2 conditions were used to mimic unreliable visual signals that can confound vestibular system. During eyes-closed conditions, headache-suffering children displayed higher displacements than healthy controls, since statokinesiogram surface was higher in tension-type headache sufferers and migraineurs compared with controls (P value = 0.0095). Romberg’s index, indicating the overall stability of the subject, was lower in healthy controls than in headache sufferers (P = 0.0139), thus suggesting a vestibular impairment in the seconds. Moreover, both during right and left optokinetic stimulation, the statokinesiogram length was higher in headache-suffering children (P

Este artículo se encuentra disponible en la página web de la revista en la siguiente URL: https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-019-1881-1 Background: The limb center of pressure (COP) path measures and quantifies the load distribution within a limb in a still or moving subject. Under this premise, the aim of this study was to test whether data derived from this parameter could detect the differences between sound and lame limbs in unilaterally lame dogs with elbow dysplasia. To accomplish this purpose, ten unilaterally lame dogs of similar conformation were walked over a pressure platform. Next, the COP path, in relation to the position of sound and lame limbs, was measured in a coordinate system over a standard paw template obtained by pedobarography during the whole support phase. To compare variables, force platform data (peak vertical force and vertical impulse) from the same animals were obtained. Sound and lame limb statokinesiograms were also obtained while the animals stood still. Results: The statistical analysis clearly showed that COP in lame limbs start cranially and were shorter than sound limbs. In addition, the value of the COP excursion index was lower in lame limbs. Finally, the area of statokinesiograms was greater in lame limbs. Conclusion: This methodology based in limb COP characteristics serves to discriminate between sound and lame limbs in dogs with elbow dysplasia.

Проведен сравнительный количественный анализ ряда двигательных показателей у пациентов с ранней стадией болезни Паркинсона (БП), получавших и не получавших медикаментозную терапию. Параметры фиксации и удержания взора на неподвижной мишени при горизонтальных движениях головы в положении сидя, при отсутствии включения полной функции постуральной стабильности были нарушены у пациентов обеих групп (p < 0,05), тогда как площадь статокинезиограммы у больных БП не отличалась от таковой у здоровых лиц. При оценке показателя энергозатрат по удержанию позы были выявлены как значимые различия между пациентами, получающими и не получающими лечение, так и отличия обеих групп больных БП от группы здоровых. Наряду с показателями теста на фиксацию и удержание взора этот показатель может служить маркером латентной стадии заболевания. Для повышения прогностического потенциала стабилометрии в оценке постуральной неустойчивости на ранних стадиях БП предлагается инструктировать обследуемых совершать определенные движения глаз и головы в течение сеанса стабилометрии., We carried out comparative quantitative analysis of several movement parameters in patients with early stage Parkinson’s disease (PD) who either received antiparkinsonian medications or were not on therapy. Parameters of gaze fixation and retention on an immobile target while sitting with horizontal head movements (i.e., without activating the whole function of postural stability) were abnormal in patients from both groups (p < 0.05); at the same time, the area of statokinesiogram in patients was similar to control group. Assessment of energy consumption while maintaining the posture revealed significant differences between patients on therapy and without therapy, as well as between both patient groups and the control group. This parameter, in addition to indices of gaze fixation and retention, may serve a marker of the latent stage of the disease. To improve a prognostic potential of stabilometry for the assessment of postural instability in early stage PD, one can ask the patients to perform certain eye and head movements during the stabilomeric examination.