Characterization of Cervical-Cranial Muscle Network in Correlation with Vocal Features

Objective evaluation of physiological responses using non-invasive methods has attracted great interest regarding the assessment of vocal performance and disorders. This paper, for the first time, demonstrates that the topographical features of the cervical-cranial intermuscular coherence network generated using surface electromyography (sEMG) have a strong potential for detecting subtle changes in vocal performance. For this purpose, in this paper, 12 sEMG signals were collected from six cervical and cranial muscles bilaterally. Data were collected from four subjects without a history of a voice disorder performing a series of vocal tasks. The vocal tasks were varied phonation (an /a/ sustained for the maximal duration with combinations of two levels of loudness and two levels of pitch), a pitch glide from low to high, singing a familiar song, spontaneous speech, and reading with different loudness levels. The varied phonation tasks showed the median degree, and weighted clustering coefficient of the coherence-based intermuscular network ascends monotonically, with a high effect size (|rrb| = 0.52). The set of tasks, including pitch glide, singing, and speech, was significantly distinguishable using the network features as both degree and weighted clustering coefficient had a very high effect size (|rrb| > 0.83) across these tasks. Also, pitch glide has the highest degree and weighted clustering coefficient among all tasks (degree > 0.6, weighted clustering coefficient > 0.6). Spectrotemporal features performed far less effective than the proposed functional muscle network metrics to differentiate the vocal tasks. The highest effect size for spectrotemporal features was only |rrb| = 0.19. In this paper, for the first time, the power of a cervical-cranial muscle network has been demonstrated as a neurophysiological window to vocal performance. The results also shed light on the tasks with the highest network involvement, which may be potentially used in monitoring vocal disorders and tracking rehabilitation progress.

Evaluación de activación conductual en universitarios que consumen mariguana: estudio piloto

Introduction: In Mexico, marijuana consumption has increased in adults and university students, triggering problems in attention, concentration, anxiety, depression, dependence, and cardio-respiratory difficulties. Psychological interventions like brief motivational treatment (BMT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have reported some difficulties such as a low and medium effect size, decreased consumption without reaching abstinence, and heterogeneity in the use of both cognitive and behavioral techniques. The use of behavioral techniques in Behavioral Activation has reported effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and recently in alcohol and tobacco. Objective: to evaluate the effect size of a Behavioral Activation treatment in abstinence of marijuana (BA-M) measured in units, occasions, and quantity of consumption. Method: in a sample of university students (n = 8), the intervention of behavioral activation was applied, which includes functional analysis, planning and goal setting, contingency management, skills training, and relapse prevention. It was carried out a multielement single case design with eight replications, calculating the effect size through the non-overlapping index of all pairs. Results: high effect size was obtained in the consumption pattern, ranging between 91.10% and 100%, 5 university students achieved abstinence. Discussion and conclusions: treatment in BA-M obtained a high effect size in abstinence and a decrease in marijuana abuse these results are similar to those reported in alcohol and tobacco.

Turning movements in real life capture subtle longitudinal and preataxic changes in cerebellar ataxia

OBJECTIVES: Clinical and regulatory acceptance of upcoming molecular treatments in degenerative ataxias might greatly benefit from ecologically valid endpoints which capture change in ataxia severity in patients real life. This longitudinal study aimed to unravel quantitative motor biomarkers in degenerative ataxias in real life turning movements which are sensitive for changes both longitudinally and at the preataxic stage. METHODS: Combined cross-sectional (n=30) and longitudinal (n=14, 1 year interval) observational study in degenerative cerebellar disease (including 8 pre-ataxic mutation carriers) compared to 23 healthy controls. Turning movements were assessed by three body-worn inertial sensors in three conditions: (1) instructed laboratory assessment, (2) supervised free walking, and (3) unsupervised real-life movements. RESULTS: Measures which quantified dynamic balance during turning, lateral velocity change (LVC) and outward acceleration, but not general turning measures such as speed, allowed differentiating ataxic against healthy subjects in real life with high effect size (δ=0.68), with LVC also differentiating preataxic against healthy subjects (δ=0.53). LVC was highly correlated with clinical ataxia severity (SARA score, effect size ρ=0.79) and subjective balance confidence (ABC score, ρ=0.66). Moreover, LVC in real life but not general turning measures, gait measures, or the SARA score allowed detecting significant longitudinal change in one-year follow-up with high effect size (rprb=0.66). CONCLUSIONS: Measures of turning allow to capture specific changes of dynamic balance in degenerative ataxia in real life, with high sensitivity to longitudinal differences in ataxia severity and to the preataxic stage. They thus present promising ecologically valid motor biomarkers for capturing change in real life, even in the highly treatment-relevant early stages of degenerative cerebellar disease.

Influencia del calzado en el movimiento del pie durante la marcha y la carrera en niños y niñas de 6 y 7 años (Influence of footwear on foot movement during walking and running in boys and girls aged 6-7)

La elección del calzado infantil durante el desarrollo del niño/a puede ser determinante en la aparición o prevención de problemas asociados con el pie por las diferentes características intrínsecas de los niños. Por ello, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar los movimientos del pie durante el apoyo en marcha y carrera con y sin calzado. Participaron 12 niños y 12 niñas de primaria. El sistema de captura del movimiento Vicon fue utilizado para obtener variables cinemáticas del movimiento del pie. Los resultados mostraron una reducción significativa en la flexión en la articulación metatarsofalángica con calzado en ambos géneros y en ambas habilidades de en torno a 20º (p < .05 y tamaño del efecto alto), pudiendo asociarse a un mecanismo de protección. Así mismo se constató un aumento de la velocidad de caída del pie en carrera con calzado, especialmente en chicas, al contrario de la marcha, posiblemente por cambios en la técnica de pisada y/o características propias del calzado según el género. Por último, se encontró un desajuste en el eje de flexión de los metatarsos de aproximadamente 1 cm hacia la parte anterior del pie con calzado (p < .05 y tamaño del efecto alto), lo que lleva a recomendar que el diseño del calzado se ajuste con más precisión a la población que lo utiliza.Abstract. The choice of children's shoes can be decisive in the appearance or prevention of problems associated with children’s feet individual characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate foot movements during the support phase of walking and running gait, with and without shoes. Twenty-four primary school students (12 boys and 12 girls) participated in the study. Vicon 3D motion analysis system was used to obtain foot kinematic variables. Results showed a significant decrease in the flexion of metatarsophalangeal joint with shoes in both genders in walking and running around 20º (p < .05 and high effect size), which can be associated with a protection mechanism. We also found an increased foot fall speed when running with shoes, especially in girls, but not in walking gait, probably due to changes in the technique and/or characteristics of the shoes according to gender. Finally, data show a 1-cm forward displacement of the metatarsal flexion axis with shoes (p < .05 and high effect size), which suggests that shoes design should be more accurately adapted to children population.

Effects of Physical Activity Programs on the Improvement of Dementia Symptom: A Meta-Analysis

Objective. To confirm that physical activity program improves the symptoms of dementia and the most effective physical activity was selected to help establish exercise programs.Methods. Three databases, PubMed, Science Direct, and Willey online, were used to collect articles. The databases were published between January 2005 and December 2015. Keywords such as “dementia,” and “physical activity” were used in searching for papers. As a result, nine studies were selected in the second screening of the meta-analyses.Results. The improvement in the dementia symptom of physical capacity was 1.05 (high effect size, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.73), ability of activity of daily living was 0.73 (slightly high effect size, 95% CI: 0.23 to 1.23), cognitive function was 0.46 (medium effect size, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.66), and psychological state was 0.39 (lower than the medium effect size, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.77).Conclusion. The physical activity for patients with dementia had an effect on the improvement of physical capacity and combined exercise was the most effective physical activity.