ABSTRACT
Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the effect of dual-tasking on spatiotemporal characteristics in subjects with and without Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency [ACLD] using linear dynamics
Methods: In this mixed model design study, spatiotemporal parameters were measured in 22 patients with ACLD [25.95 +/- 4.69 y] and 22 control subjects [24.32 +/- 3.37 y] while they were walking with different levels of gait velocity [high velocity, self-selected velocity, low velocity] in isolation or concurrently with auditory Stroop task. Coefficient of Variation [CV] was used to calculate variability of step length, step time and step width as dependent variables using custommade MATLAB code. Mixed model of analysis of variance and post hoc analyses were used for data analysis
Results: The results showed that interactions of group by gait velocity due to cognitive difficulty were not significant for all mentioned variables [P>0.05]. Group Interactions due to cognitive task difficulty were significant only in CV of step width [P=0.05]. Interactions of motor task difficulty by cognitive difficulty were significant for CV of step length, step time, and step width in all participants [P<0.05]. The main effects of gait velocity in all dependent variables were significant [P<0.05]
Conclusion: Results showed that step width variability is a more sensitive measure for detecting interaction of group due to cognitive task difficulty compared to variability of step length and step time. Future studies could test this hypothesis in ACL deficient subjects using different measures
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association of ultrasonography findings with pain, range of motion, disability, and pressure pain threshold in patients with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome
Methods: A total of 60 subjects with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome [mean age: 25.90 +/- 4.47 y; mean weight: 63.53 +/- 7.76 kg; mean height: 166.55 +/- 5.65 cm; and pain duration: 9.75 +/- 6.04 month] were selected with nonprobability convenient sampling method and examined. After methodological study, all participants were evaluated regarding their pain, cervical range of motion, functional disability, pressure pain threshold [PPT], maximum muscle and fascia thickness as well as strain ratio by the following instruments, respectively: visual analogue scale, goniometry, neck disability index, algometer, sonography, and sonoelastography
Results: The ICC values for intra- and inter-examiner reliability of variables were high to very high [0.72-0.96]. The correlation coefficients between pain [r=0.22], range of motion [r=0.11], disability [r=0.13], PPT [r=0.32], and maximum thickness of muscle were moderate. The correlation coefficients between pain [r=0.13], range of motion [r=0.23], disability [r=0.17], PPT [r=0.23] and maximum thickness of fascia were low. The correlation coefficients between pain [r=-0.65], range of motion [r=-0.23], disability [r=-0.41], PPT [r=0.71] were high. Values of betafor strain ratio and pain were -0.35 [P=0.01], range of motion, -0.14, [P=0.03]; disability, -0.19, [P=0.03]; and PPT, 0.41 [P<0.001]
Conclusion: Strain ratio of upper trapezius muscle in subjects with myofascial pain syndrome has strong correlation with pain, disability, and PPT. However, maximum muscle thickness and fascia of the upper trapezius are correlated with these variables poorly. PPT is the highly correlated factor with strain ratio