Implementação de um sistema eletrônico para avaliar a distribuição da força na região plantar de pacientes

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Long-term multimodal exercise program enhances mobility of patients with Parkinson's disease

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a long-period multimodal exercise program on balance, mobility and clinical status of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods. Thirty-three PD patients were assigned into two groups: a training group (TG—n = 22; aged 67.23 ± 8.39 years) and a control group (CG—n = 9; aged 71.56 ± 8.50 years). The TG patients were enrolled in a 6-month multimodal exercise program. This program was designed to improve physical capacity components and to reduce PD impairments. Balance and mobility were assessed immediately before and after the training protocol using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the “Timed up and go” (TUG), and the Posture Locomotion Test (PLM). Also, clinical variables were assessed (disease stage and impairments). Results. The TG showed an improvement in the TUG (P = 0.006) while CG were not influenced by the 6-months period. Both groups showed no differences for BBS and PLM and for their disease impairments—assessed through the Unified Parkinson’s disease Scale. Conclusions. Long-term multimodal exercise programs are able to improve mobility of patients with Parkinson’s disease and therefore should be used on clinical day life.

Visual conditions and postural directions affect postural sway variability in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Postural sway variability was evaluated in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients at different stages of disease. Twenty PD patients were grouped into two groups (unilateral, 14; bilateral, 6) according to disease severity. The results showed no significant differences in postural sway variability between the groups (p ≥ 0.05). Postural sway variability was higher in the antero-posterior direction and with the eyes closed. Significant differences between the unilateral and bilateral groups were observed in clinical tests (UPDRS, Berg Balance Scale, and retropulsion test; p ≤ 0.05, all). Postural sway variability was unaffected by disease severity, indicating that neurological mechanisms for postural control still function at advanced stages of disease. Postural sway instability appears to occur in the antero-posterior direction to compensate for the stooped posture. The eyes-closed condition during upright stance appears to be challenging for PD patients because of the associated sensory integration deficit. Finally, objective measures such as postural sway variability may be more reliable than clinical tests to evaluate changes in balance control in PD patients.

Qualidade pós-colheita dos frutos de jabuticaba tratada por hidrotermia

This study aimed to evaluate the hydrothermal effect on conservation of two jabuticaba fruits, Myrciaria jabuticaba Vell. Berg. Fruits were subjected to thermal treatment by 10 min at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ºC and wrapped into expanded polystyrene trays, stored at 9 ºC and 85-90% RH, being evaluated every 5 d. Shelf life, weight loss, respiratory rate, soluble solids, titrable acidity, texture, C vitamin, pH, total and soluble pectin and polypheno loxidase activity were evaluated. Lower shelf life was observed for control treatment (31 d) and largest was found at 15, 20 and 25 ºC (45 d). A sligthly delay was observed in the breathing pick at 15, 20 and 25 ºC at 25 d and not in the 20 d as observed in the other treatments. Soluble solids increased with storage time for all of temperature treatment, but at 15, 20 and 25 ºC increase was smaller. Texture an C vitamin were higher in fruits stored at 25 ºC. Soluble pectin was smaller at the end of storage period, at temperatures of 20 and 25 ºC. Polyphenoloxidase activity decreased along 30 d regardless storage temperature. Treatments at 20 and 25 ºC were the most effective for mainteining posthaverst quality of the jabuticaba fruits.