Biomechanics Commons^™

Exploring Aging Using The Selection, Optimization, And Compensation (Soc) Framework In Conjunction With Kinematic Gait And Verbal Fluency Task Analysis In Healthy Adults, Emily Ann Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This multi-study dissertation examined dual-task performance in young and middle-aged adults using verbal fluency tasks (VFT) during different walking scenarios (baseline, performing a VFT, walking narrowly, and performing a VFT while walking narrowly) as well as the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model. Thirty adults (15 young adults (YA; 19-44 years) and 15 middle-aged adults (MA; 45-65 years) participated in this study. Overall, there were no significant differences between groups when data was examined in short (means of means approach) and long-form (incorporating all data), when analyzing clustering and switching strategies, gait speed variability, or dual-task costs. Overall, these three …

A Comparison Of Spatial-Temporal Gait Variability In Over-Ground And Treadmill Walking In Children With Autism, René Ubaldo Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience an increased sedentary lifestylewhich results in elevated risk for being overweight and obese. A low-cost and viable solution to increase physical activity while accommodating for social-behavioral barriers such as stereotypy, aggressive, or non-verbal characteristics, may be treadmill-related interventions. Gait variability during treadmill ambulation has not been extensively researched in the ASD population, therefore the aim of this study was to quantify the acute effects of treadmill usage on spatial-temporal gait parameter variability when compared to overground walking. Three-dimensional kinematic data were obtained through motion analysis where 5 children with ASD were outfitted with …

The Mobility And Cognitive Mechanisms Involved In Altering Gait Speed In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alyssa Olivas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Autism is a socio-behavioral disorder, and diagnoses are conducted through behavioral screening instruments. Recent research suggests motor deficits may be a core symptom of the disorder, as children with autism present with deficits in motor development, locomotor skills, and postural instability. In addition, children with autism often have affected, executive function, attention, and perception cognitive domains. Different gait speeds have been used to examine gait adaptations in other clinical populations. Additionally, individuals with decreased cognitive abilities have demonstrated difficulties in modulating their walking speed. There is limited research on mechanisms children with autism use to alter their gait speed, or …

An Investigation Of Upper Extremity Motor Impairments In Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Motor Planning Vs Motor Execution, Patrick Anthony Cereceres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically diagnosedwhen a child displays social and communication impairments, repetitive behaviors, and rhythmic movements like hand flapping. This disorder is unique because of the high variability of symptoms displayed between each individual who is diagnosed. Because of this, no neurological or physiological test exists to diagnose a child with ASD. Current diagnostic tests are various forms of interviews or observations which an experienced clinician must administer. While these tests have been instrumental in diagnosing children with ASD, many go undiagnosed, which can be detrimental as they transition into adulthood. Current literature indicates …

The Effects Of The Dual-Tasking: Walking While Texting On Slip Recovery Mechanics, Ileana Abril Jarquin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: The number of induced falls has increased exponentially over the last decade. Previous studies have determined that the cognitive demands of texting affect the processing of cognitive and motor tasks.Research question: What effect does the dual-tasking of texting and walking has on slip recovery mechanics? Methods: Three-dimensional kinematic data were collected while 20 participants between the ages of 18 and 30 years three different conditions; 1) baseline, 2) walking + slip perturbation, and 3) texting and walking + slip perturbation. Results: Walking speed, numbers of falls, and recovery time from the slip were not affected by the texting dual-task. …

Effects Of Different Stretching Modalities On The Antagonist And Agonist Muscles On Isokinetic Strength And Vertical Jump Performance, Samuel Montalvo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Warm-ups are essential components of all training sessions, sports, and physical activities. Warm-ups are typically composed of a variety of stretches. Two stretching modalities that are commonly performed before any physical activity are the static and dynamic stretching modalities. Historically, static stretching has been used as a preferred stretching modality during the warm-up period. However, research indicates that static stretching â?? if done prior to the training session â?? may inhibit the expression of muscular strength, muscular activation, and vertical jump height. On the contrary, dynamic stretching has been shown to improve the expression of muscular strength, muscular activation, and …

The Effects Of Advancing Stages Of Pregnancy On Balance And Stair Locomotion In Healthy Females, Heather Vanderhoof

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: One in four females fall while pregnant, which may lead to injury, hospitalization, or birth complications. No empirical research has been conducted on single-limb support (SLS) balance or joint kinematics during stair locomotion in pregnant and postpartum females. The aim of this study was to quantify possible alterations to postural control and stair kinematics in advancing stages of pregnancy when compared to non-pregnant females. Methods: This cross-sectional study compared eighteen females, consisting of six non-pregnant controls, five 2nd trimester, four 3rd trimester, and three postpartum. Center of pressure excursion area data were obtained during static balance trials on a …

A Full Collegiate Volleyball Season Does Not Influence Jumping Or Landing Performance In Freshmen And Sophomore Players, Christian Noel Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Knee injuries are devastating and typically experienced by athletes when performing jumping and landing tasks throughout a complete collegiate volleyball season. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in lower extremity strength, frontal plane knee angles and moments, jump performance during a countermovement and approach jump before and after a complete Division I collegiate volleyball season in female volleyball freshman and sophomores. Eight freshman/sophomore female collegiate volleyball players participated in the study. Lower extremity strength was assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer, kinematic and kinetic data were obtained through three-dimensional motion capture system and force platforms, respectively. Participants performed …

The Effects Of A 6-Week Controlled Whole-Body Vibration Training Program In Reducing Falls Risk Among Healthy Older Adults, Fabricio Saucedo Jr.

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Falling is the second leading cause of accidental or injury-related death in the aging population worldwide and a leading cause of serious injury. Whole-body vibration (WBV) training has been implemented as a way to improve functional performance among the elderly and reduce the falls risk. The purposes of this study were: 1) examine to what extent a six-week course of WBV training reduced falls risk and improved fall outcomes in response to slips, and 2) examine whether the benefits of WBV training could be retained at least 2 months after the completion of the entire training session. A total of …

The Influence Of Over-Ground Versus Treadmill Walking On Gait Mechanics In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emily Ann Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Treadmill (TM) walking may be a way to combat obesity and socio-behavioral barriers associated with children with Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD), though tripping-risk has not yet been assessed for this population through use of spatial-temporal gait analysis. The aim of this project/study was to examine spatial-temporal walking mechanics and lower extremity tripping descriptors between over ground (OG) and TM gait conditions in children with ASD compared to children with neurotypical development (NT). Kinematics data were obtained through tridimensional motion analysis where participants, 10 children with ASD and 9 age- and sexmatched NT controls, were outfitted with retroreflective markers on their …

A New Approach To Multiplanar, Real-Time Simulation Of Physiological Knee Loads And Synthetic Knee Components Augmented By Local Composition Control In Fused Filament Fabrication, Joshua Taylor Green

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite numerous advances in biomedical engineering, few developments in surgical simulation have been made outside of computational models. Cadavers remain the primary media on which surgical research and simulation is conducted. Most attempts to quantify the effects of orthopedic surgical methods fail to achieve statistical significance due to limited quantities of cadaver specimen, large variations among the cadaver population, and a lack of repeatability among measurement techniques. The general purpose of the research covered in this dissertation is to develop repeatable simulation of physiological loads and develop techniques to fabricate a synthetic-based replacement of cadaver specimens. Future work applying this …

Validation Of An Error Sonification Auditory Feedback Training Program On Proper Sagittal Plane Squat Technique, Rena Hale

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative joint diseases that hinders an individual's quality of life. A large portion of knee OA instances can be correlated to previous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Knee joint injury leading to OA is most prevalent in males aged 20-55 years old and can be caused by improper form during execution of a given task or lack of neuromuscular control. Screening protocols are used to assess deficits of an athlete, with the goal of reducing the risk of injury during both training and in competition. Neuromuscular training programs have been created to …

Treadmill-Based Perturbation Training For Preventing Falls Among Young Adults, Patrick Anthony Cereceres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Falls present a serious challenge not only among older adults, but for young adults, especially those whose working conditions exposes them to a high fall hazard. Treadmill-based perturbation training, as a task-specific training modality, has emerged as a new paradigm used to prevent falls. However, the training program in previous studies contained up to 30 perturbation trials. It is unclear if a reduced number of perturbation trials could still induce positive effect in preventing falls. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a treadmill-based perturbation training paradigm consisting of 8 slip perturbations on reducing slip-related falls …

Development And Initial Testing Of A Low-Cost, Electronic, Microprocessor-Controlled Prosthetic Knee, Lucas Jonathan Galey

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cost-effective lower-limb prostheses have been successful in restoring mobility, independence, and a way of life to millions of global amputees who do not have the means to afford more sophisticated prosthetics. Comprehensively, the current above knee (AK) prosthetic market is segmented into two extremes â?? very affordable relief style knees that offer basic functionality with high risk of accident due to falls, and very expensive styles that offer electronic microprocessor stumble control and adaptive cadence. There remains a gap for a middle-ground system that provides stumble control and greater stability within an achievable price bracket for the developing world. This …

Effects Of Controlled-Whole Body Vibration Training On Reducing Risk Of Falls In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Maria Cristal Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Falls present a serious challenge among people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Controlled whole-body vibration (CWBV) training has been recently introduced into the physical therapy field to prevent falls in older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an 8-week vibration-training program in reducing the risk of falls in people living with MS. The study adopted a single-group pre-test â?? post-test longitudinal design. Twenty-five adults with clinicallyâ??confirmed MS were enrolled in this study to undergo the 8-week intervention on a side-alternating vibration machine. The training was delivered three times a week for eight weeks a …

A Methodology For Physically-Based Contact And Meniscus Properties In Rigid-Body Computational Knee Modeling, Stephen Wilson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Determining natural inner knee mechanics is a longstanding goal for researchers with applications to prevention and treatment of knee trauma and osteoarthritis. Physical testing has only provided limited information of knee mechanics due to technical challenges and cost. Modeling has been used for decades to obtain some of this otherwise inaccessible information, and recently finite element analysis (FEA) has become a popular means to this end. However, FEA requires time intensive mesh-creation and has large computational requirements. Ideally, model creation should be easy and simulations should be fast to allow for sensitivity analysis. Although allowing easier model creation and offering …

Effects Of Controlled Whole-Body Vibration Training On Reducing Risk Of Falls Among Young Adults With Obesity, Jose Jesus Munoz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Among people with obesity, several factors increase the risk of falls: an abnormal body mass distribution, muscle weakness, and postural instability. Although standard exercise-based training could change these factors, a significant portion of people with obesity may be unable or unwilling to comply with long duration and high intensity training programs. Therefore, alternative training methods are highly demanded. Growing evidence supports that controlled whole-body vibration (CWBV) training can reduce risk of falls among older adults. No study has yet investigated the potential effect of CWBV training on reducing risk of falls among obese populations. The purpose of this study …

Modulation Of Vestibular Evoked Reflexes In Postural Muscles During Self-Motion Experiences In Virtual Environments, Fabricio Saucedo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND & AIM: Maintaining posture requires the input from three primary sensory systems. These systems include somatosensory, visual, and vestibular components. Of these three systems, the visual and vestibular systems work closest to maintain balance and posture due to visual-vestibular interactions that take place during static and dynamic activities. They are mainly responsible for identifying stimuli and using sensory information to orient the body in space. Thus, understanding how visual and vestibular components integrate may be critical to understand how visual and vestibular sensory information is weighted to control balance. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if visual …

Evaluation Of Static And Dynamic Postural Control In Athletes With Concussions During Recovery, Nicholas Murray

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Approximately seventy-six percent of individuals with a sport-related concussion present with reduced balance. Current Return-to-Play (RTP) protocols rely heavily on measures of static balance that are not environmentally relevant. However, due to the variable nature of symptom presentation, research has not clearly defined a requisite time for balance recovery following a sport-related concussion. The use of novel procedures such as monitoring postural control during an environmentally relevant dynamic balance tasks could refine the timeline for recovery of postural control and aid in mitigating the potential severe consequences of Second Impact Syndrome. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate …

Examining The Role Of Attention In Steering Using A Dual Task Paradigm, Venkata Naga Pradeep Ambati

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Changing the direction of locomotion, often referred to as "steering", is an integral component of human locomotion. Steering requires maintaining dynamic balance while translating and rotating the body in the new travel direction. Given the level of sensation thought to be involved in sub serving goal directed modifications in steering, it is highly likely that steering control may require attention. Since attention resources decline with increasing age, we may see the influence of age on steering performance when attention resources are limited. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the role of attention in steering using a dual task paradigm in …

Modeling The Human Gait Phases Using Granular Computing, Melaku Ayenew Bogale

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Gait analysis is applied for the provision of diagnosis, evaluation, and for the design of therapeutic intervention for subjects suffering from neurological disorders. The benefits accruing from gait analysis are well established. People with neurological disorders like mild traumatic brain injury, Cerebral Palsy and Multiple Sclerosis, suffer associated functional gait problems. The symptoms and sign of these gait deficits are different from subject to subject and even for the same subject at different stage of the disease. Identifying these gait related abnormalities helps in the treatment planning and rehabilitation process.

The dynamic behavior of gait parameters is cyclic and the …

Validating The Nike+ Wireless Sport Kit For Estimating Pace, Distance, And Energy Expenditure During Treadmill Walking And Running, Derek Joseph Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The use of accelerometry based physical activity monitors among recreational athletes to meet or exceed recommended physical activity guidelines has grown in popularity. In the interest of capitalizing on this demand, Adidas developed the miCoach Pacer System which allows the user to observe pace, distance, and energy expenditure during walking or running. Purpose. To validate the accuracy of the Adidas miCoach activity monitor in estimating energy expenditure (EE) (kcal/min), pace (min/km), and distance (km) during treadmill walking and running, and for two different sensor configurations. Methods. Nine male and 9 female moderately endurance trained volunteers (mean ± SD age: 28.83 …