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Motor Control

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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Full-Text Articles in Biomechanics

Effects Of Occupational Tasks And Personal Protective Equipment On Static And Functional Balance Among Career Firefighters, Petra Kis Jan 2023

Effects Of Occupational Tasks And Personal Protective Equipment On Static And Functional Balance Among Career Firefighters, Petra Kis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal injuries are commonly incurred on the fireground among firefighters. Most injuries are attributable to overexertion, fall, jump, slip, and trip mechanisms. These injuries may be caused by many factors, including the independent and collective effects of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and the fatigue induced by performing occupational tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PPE and fire suppression tasks on static and functional balance among firefighters. METHODS: 32 healthy male career structural firefighters (Age: 31.8±9.5 yr) volunteered for this study. Static and Functional Balance Tests (FBT) were performed in …

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The Development Of A Novel Throwing Assessment For Children With Cerebral Palsy, Cory Cribb Jan 2022

The Development Of A Novel Throwing Assessment For Children With Cerebral Palsy, Cory Cribb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Cerebral palsy is one of childhood's most common developmental disabilities. Cerebral palsy leads to dysfunction in the upper extremities due to symptoms such as low muscle power, spasticity, and increased tone. A modified throwing assessment was constructed to examine throwing performance as a measure of upper extremity function. Purpose: To determine if the modified throwing assessment is a reliable measure of throwing performance and if the modified throwing assessment is a valid measure of upper extremity power in children with CP. Methods: The study employed a test-retest design aimed at determining the reliability of a modified throwing assessment. Seven …

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Development Of A Novel Haptic Feedback System For Gait Training Applications, Mohsen Alizadeh Noghani Aug 2021

Development Of A Novel Haptic Feedback System For Gait Training Applications, Mohsen Alizadeh Noghani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Until recently, study and correction of motor or gait functions required costly sensors and measurement setups (e.g., optical motion capture systems) which were only available in laboratories or clinical environments. However, due to (1) the growing availability and affordability of inertial measurement units (IMUs) with high accuracy, and (2) progress in wireless, high bandwidth, and energy-efficient networking technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), it is now possible to measure and provide feedback in real-time for biomechanical parameters outside of those specialized settings. To enable gait training without an expert who can provide verbal feedback, augmented feedback, which is divided …

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The Effects Of A Mirror On Cognitive Strategy And Performance Of A Muscular Endurance Task, Brianna M. Simmons Jan 2021

The Effects Of A Mirror On Cognitive Strategy And Performance Of A Muscular Endurance Task, Brianna M. Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Mirrors are common-place in exercise facilities, however, the effect the mirror has on cognitive strategy (i.e., where the mind’s at) and performance time has not been examined in a muscular endurance task (i.e., a wall sit). Objective: To determine, (1) the mirror’s effect on cognitive state during a wall sit to volitional exhaustion, (2) the mirror's effect on time to volitional exhaustion during a wall sit, and (3) the mirror’s effect on the participant’s rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during the wall sit. Design: Repeated measures design. Setting: Indoor exercise facility. Participants: Twenty resistance-trained Georgia Southern University Students (9 …

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Current Recommendations For Lower Body Aerobic Exercise In Chronic Unilateral Stroke - A Systematic Review, Jordan N. Brown Jan 2021

Current Recommendations For Lower Body Aerobic Exercise In Chronic Unilateral Stroke - A Systematic Review, Jordan N. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Chronic stroke patients (i.e., > six months since the onset of stroke) continue to experience persistent gait complications. Once formal physical therapy concludes, exercise professionals can implement exercise interventions designed to improve quality of life and reduce risk of secondary stroke. This systematic review aimed to evaluate whether lower-body aerobic exercise transferred to gait improvements in chronic unilateral stroke. Methods: An electronic search of the following databases were undertaken: MEDLINE, CINHAL, Ovid, and SPORTdiscus. Two independent reviewers selected articles using predetermined inclusion criteria: adults (i.e., >18 years old) who suffered from a chronic unilateral stroke. Additionally, all included studies were …

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Longitudinal Tracking Of Physiological State With Electromyographic Signals., Robert Warren Stallard May 2018

Longitudinal Tracking Of Physiological State With Electromyographic Signals., Robert Warren Stallard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrophysiological measurements have been used in recent history to classify instantaneous physiological configurations, e.g., hand gestures. This work investigates the feasibility of working with changes in physiological configurations over time (i.e., longitudinally) using a variety of algorithms from the machine learning domain. We demonstrate a high degree of classification accuracy for a binary classification problem derived from electromyography measurements before and after a 35-day bedrest. The problem difficulty is increased with a more dynamic experiment testing for changes in astronaut sensorimotor performance by taking electromyography and force plate measurements before, during, and after a jump from a small platform. A …

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Trunk Stability And Postural Stability In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Derek Tolbert Jan 2018

Trunk Stability And Postural Stability In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Derek Tolbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disease which affects an estimated 2.5million people worldwide. People with Multiple Sclerosis often experience high rates of falls, which have been associated with age, disability, and increased postural sway. Additionally, people with Multiple Sclerosis often exhibit muscular weakness and poor responses to perturbations. PURPOSE: To determine if trunk stability and postural control are altered among PwMS and if trunk muscle activity is correlated with postural stability. METHODS: Ten participants with a physician's diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (9 female, 1 male) were included in this study. Ten healthy controls were matched for age, height, weight, and …

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The Effect Of Repetitive Head Impacts On Postural Control Over The Course Of A Single Season, Katelyn E. Grimes Jan 2017

The Effect Of Repetitive Head Impacts On Postural Control Over The Course Of A Single Season, Katelyn E. Grimes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Recently neurocognitive dysfunction has been linked to poor postural control in concussed athletes. While the detrimental effect of repetitive head impacts on cognitive function have been shown to mirror the effects of concussive injury, very little research has investigated the physical consequences of repetitive head impacts. PURPOSE: To observe the effects of RHI on postural control, both static and dynamic, in NCAA Division I athletes over the course of a single season. METHODS: 9 NCAA Division I football athletes (CON) were recruited from a single university as the experimental group, as well as 9 NCAA Division I baseball players …

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