Benefits of Multimodal Exercise Intervention for Postural Control and Frontal Cognitive Functions in Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease: A Controlled Trial

Objective To verify the effects of a systematized multimodal exercise intervention program on frontal cognitive function, postural control, and functional capacity components of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD).DesignNonrandomized controlled trial with pre- and posttraining tests in a training group and a control group.SettingKinesiotherapy program for seniors with AD, SAo Paulo State University.ParticipantsConvenience sample of older adults with AD (n=30) were assigned to a training (n=14; aged 78.67.1) and a control (n=16; aged 77.06.3) group.InterventionThe intervention program was structured with the aim of simultaneously promoting better balance and frontal cognitive capacity. The participants attended a 1-hour session three times a week for 16weeks, whereas the control group did not participate in any activity during the same period.MeasurementsFrontal cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Clock Drawing Test, the Frontal Assessment Battery, and the Symbol Search Subtest. Postural control (center of pressure area) was analyzed under four dual-task conditions. Functional capacity components were analyzed using the Timed Up and Go Test, the 30-second sit-to-stand test, the sit-and-reach test, and the Berg Functional Balance Scale.ResultsIntervention group participants showed a significant increase in frontal cognitive function (P<.001, partial (2)=0.838), with less body sway (P=.04, partial (2)=0.04) during the dual tasks, and greater functional capacity (P=.001, partial (2)=0.676) after the 16-week period.ConclusionIntervention participants performed better on dual-task activities and had better postural balance and greater functional capacity than controls.

Efeito do treinamento com haste vibratória na biomecânica da marcha com dupla-tarefa em idosas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comparação dos parâmetros espaçotemporais da marcha durante a execução do TUG associado à dupla tarefa em adultos jovens

Introduction: Biomechanical analysis of gait can be used effectively to identify changes in movement patterns and functional decline. Objective: To analyze the effect of dual task on gait spatio-temporal variables. Methods: The sample was made up of 32 subjects of both genders aged between 18 and 25 years. The test Timed Up and Go was performed under two conditions: original form and associated with a cognitive task (verbalize backwards the months of the year). We evaluated the total execution time, number of steps, cadence, time spent to lift, average speed and variability of the step time. Results: Significant changes were observed with the addition of the cognitive task in many gait spatio-temporal variables analyzed. Conclusion: The tests showed that the increase of cognitive tasks during walking may lead to changes in the performance of this task.

Temporo-spatial gait parameters during street crossing conditions: a comparison between younger and older adults

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efeito de tarefa dupla no controle postural de adultos idosos: acoplamento sensório-motor

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeitos de uma tarefa dupla e demandas da tarefa no controle postural de adultos jovens

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Controle motor em pacientes com doença de Parkinson: terapia do espelho, foco de atenção e tarefa dupla

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Conductivity in the gravity dual to massive ABJM and the membrane paradigm

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

An active/reactive predispatch model incorporating ramp rate constraints solved by dual decomposition/lagrangian relaxation

The Predispatch model (PD) calculates a short-term generation policy for power systems. In this work a PD model is proposed that improves two modeling aspects generally neglected in the literature: voltage/reactive power constraints and ramp rate constraints for generating units. Reactive power constraints turn the PD into a non-linear problem and the ramp rate constraints couple the problem dynamically in time domain. The solution of the PD is turned into a harder task when such constraints are introduced. The dual decomposition/ lagrangian relaxation technique is used in the solution approach for handing dynamic constraints. As a result the PD is decomposed into a series of independent Optimal Power Flow (FPO) sub problems, in which the reactive power is represented in detail. The solution of the independent FPO is coordinated by means of Lagrange multipliers, so that dynamic constraints are iteratively satisfied. Comparisons between dispatch policies calculated with and without the representation of ramp rate constraints are performed, using the IEEE 30 bus test system. The results point-out the importance of representing such constraints in the generation dispatch policy. © 2004 IEEE.

An unequivocal normalization-based paradigm to solve dynamic economic and emission active-reactive OPF (optimal power flow)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)