Biomechanics Commons^™

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 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 …

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 …

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 …