Adaptation to the driving simulator and prediction of the braking time performance, with and without distraction, in older adults and middle-aged adults

Abstract Context: Many studies show the importance of evaluating the adaptation time of subjects in a virtual driving environment, looking forwards to a response as closest as a possible real vehicle. Objectives: This study aimed to identify and analyze the adaptation to the driving simulator in older adults and middle-aged adults with and without a distraction, and a secondary aim was to identify predictors of safe performance for older adults' drives. Design: Male and female middle-aged adults (n = 62, age = 30.3 ± 7.1 years) and older adults (n = 102, age = 70.4 ± 5.8 years) were evaluated for braking time performance in a driving simulator; cognition performance assessment included the Mini-Mental State Examination; motor evaluation included ankle flexor muscle strength with the isokinetic dynamometer and handgrip strength; the postural balance was evaluated with Timed Up and Go test, with and without a cognitive distraction task. Results: Older adults (men and women) and middle-aged adult women require more time to adapt to the driving simulator. The distractor increases the adaptation time for all groups. The main predictors of braking time for older women are age, muscle strength, and postural balance associated with distraction, and for older men, muscle strength. Conclusions: Age, sex, and distractor interfere in the adaptation of the virtual task of driving in a simulator. The evaluation model developed with multi-domains demonstrated the ability to predict which skills are related to braking time with and without the presence of the distractor.

Effects of a multicomponent exercise program on the functional fitness in elderly women / Efeitos de um programa multicomponente de exercícios sobre a aptidão funcional de idosas / Efectos de un programa multicomponente de ejercicios sobre la aptitud funcional de ancianas

ABSTRACT Introduction: Aging is inevitable and irreversible, but with the advancement of technology, life expectancy is increasing every year, bringing proposals for various interventions to improve the quality of life. One such intervention is physical exercise programs. Objectives: To investigate the impact of multicomponent training in circuits on functional autonomy parameters in elderly women. Methods: Elderly were recruited and distributed in two groups: trained (N = 16) and non-trained (N = 15). Those in the trained group performed 75-minute training sessions twice a week over a 56-week period. The resistance training included upper and lower limbs with a relative intensity of 70% of 1RM, exercises using body weight, stretching and specific tasks for agility, performed in a circuit form and totaling three passages. Participants underwent functional autonomy (FA) assessment by the protocol of the Latin American Developmental Group for Maturity, the 6-minute walk test (T6M), and the sit-and-reach (SR) test. Results: The trained group had a significant decrease in body weight (p=0.02) and body mass index (p=0.015). Significant improvements (p=0,009) were also observed in FA, SR, and T6M after the intervention Compared with the untrained group, the trained group also obtained significant differences in all functional parameters analyzed. Conclusion: A long-term multicomponent training program conducted on a circuit and applied twice a week was enough to improve multiple components of the functional autonomy of elderly women. Level of Evidence II; Prognostic studies - Investigating the effect of a patient characteristic on the outcome of disease.

RESUMO Introdução: O envelhecimento é inevitável e irreversível, porém, com o avanço da tecnologia, a expectativa de vida está aumentando a cada ano, trazendo propostas de diversas intervenções para melhorar a qualidade de vida. Entre elas, encontram-se os programas de exercício físico. Objetivos: Investigar o impacto do treinamento multicomponente realizado em circuitos sobre os parâmetros de autonomia funcional em mulheres idosas. Métodos: Idosas foram recrutadas e distribuídas em dois grupos: treinado (N = 16) e não treinado (N = 15). As idosas do grupo treinado realizaram sessões de treino de 75 minutos, duas vezes por semana, durante um período de 56 semanas. Os exercícios resistidos abrangeram membros superiores e inferiores com intensidade relativa de 70% de 1RM, exercícios usando peso corporal, alongamento e tarefas específicas para agilidade, realizados em forma de circuito e totalizando três passagens. As participantes foram submetidas à avaliação da autonomia funcional (AF) pelo protocolo do Grupo de Desenvolvimento Latino-Americano para a Maturidade, ao teste de caminhada de seis minutos (T6M) e ao teste de sentar e alcançar (SA). Resultados: O grupo treinado teve diminuição significativa do peso corporal (p = 0,02) e do índice de massa corporal (p = 0,015). Foram observadas também melhoras significativas (p = 0,009) no AF, no SA e no T6M após a intervenção. Em comparação com o grupo não treinado, o grupo treinado também obteve diferenças significativas em todos os parâmetros funcionais analisados. Conclusão: Um programa de longa duração de treinamento multicomponente realizado em circuito e aplicado duas vezes por semana foi suficiente para melhorar múltiplos componentes da autonomia funcional de idosas. Nível de Evidência II; Estudos prognósticos - Investigação do efeito de característica de um paciente sobre o desfecho da doença.

RESUMEN Introducción: El envejecimiento es inevitable e irreversible, pero con el avance de la tecnología la expectativa de vida está aumentando cada año, trayendo propuestas de diversas intervenciones para mejorar la calidad de vida. Entre ellas, se encuentran los programas de ejercicio físico. Objetivos: Investigar el impacto del entrenamiento multicomponente realizado en circuitos sobre los parámetros de autonomía funcional en mujeres ancianas. Métodos: Las ancianas fueron reclutadas y distribuidas en dos grupos: entrenado (N = 16) y no entrenado (N = 15). Las ancianas del grupo entrenado realizaron sesiones de entrenamiento de 75 minutos, dos veces por semana, durante un período de 56 semanas. Los ejercicios resistidos abarcaron miembros superiores e inferiores con intensidad relativa del 70% de 1RM, ejercicios usando el peso corporal, estiramiento y tareas específicas para agilidad, realizados en forma de circuito y totalizando tres pasajes. Las participantes fueron sometidas a la evaluación de la autonomía funcional (AF) por el protocolo del Grupo de Desarrollo Latinoamericano para la Madurez, a la prueba de caminata de seis minutos (T6M) y a la prueba de sentarse y alcanzar (SA). Resultados: El grupo entrenado tuvo una disminución significativa del peso corporal (p = 0,02) y del índice de masa corporal (p = 0,015). Se observaron también mejoras significativas (p = 0,009) en el AF, en el SA y en el T6M después de la intervención. En comparación con el grupo no entrenado, el grupo entrenado también obtuvo diferencias significativas en todos los parámetros funcionales analizados. Conclusión: Un programa de larga duración de entrenamiento multicomponente realizado en circuito y aplicado dos veces por semana fue suficiente para mejorar múltiples componentes de la autonomía funcional entre las mujeres mayores. Nivel de Evidencia II; Estudios prognósticos - Investigación del efecto de características de un paciente sobre el desenlace de la enfermedad.

The effects of motor adaptation on ankle isokinetic assessments in older drivers

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to analyze the extent of motor adaptation in ankle plantar flexors and dorsiflexors among older drivers during clinical isokinetic testing. METHODS: One hundred older adults (70.4±5.7 years) participated in two bilateral ankle plantar flexor and dorsiflexor isokinetic assessments at 30°/sec. Peak torque (PTQ), PTQ adjusted for body weight (PTQ/BW), and total work (TW) were analyzed. RESULTS: On the dominant side, PTQ/BW and TW were significantly greater for the second plantar flexion test than were those for the first such test (p<0.001), whereas PTQ, PTQ/BW, and TW (p<0.001) were significantly greater for the second dorsiflexion test than were those for the first such test. On the non-dominant side, plantar flexion PTQ and TW were significantly lower for the second test than were those for the first test (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Older drivers demonstrated better performance with the dominant limb on the second test. The low variability in test execution showed the existence of a motor adaptation effect for the tested movements, despite the short recovery period between the assessments.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are associated with functional capacity but not with postural balance in osteoporotic postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVES: In post-menopausal women with osteoporosis, insufficient vitamin D levels decrease calcium fixation in the bones and calcium transport in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which impairs muscle strength, possibly leading to detrimental consequences for the preservation of functional capacity and postural balance, fall prevention, and fracture risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between vitamin D levels and knee muscle strength, postural balance and functional mobility among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 63 osteoporotic older women (aged 60.6±3.1 years). The subjects completed the Timed Up and Go Test to measure functional mobility, and postural balance was assessed on the AccuSway Plus portable force platform. Maximal strength was tested using an isokinetic dynamometer for knee flexion and extension. The subjects were assessed as a group and were divided into quartiles according to their vitamin D levels. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02771834. RESULTS: Vitamin D status was independently associated with the normalized peak torque of the knee extensors (β=0.59; p=0.04) and Timed Up and Go Test (β=-0.07; p<0.001). No between-group differences were observed in the demographic and clinical variables or postural balance; however, significant differences were observed in the Timed Up and Go Test, and the group with the highest vitamin D levels exhibited better performance than the group with the lowest vitamin D levels (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The serum vitamin D levels were independently associated with normalized knee extension strength and functional mobility in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

The effects of foot morphology and anthropometry on unipodal postural control

The maintenance of posture is a constant challenge for the body, as it requires rapid and accurate responses to unforeseen disturbances, which are needed to prevent falls and maintain balance. The purpose of the present study was to compare different types of plantar arch in relation to postural balance, and analyze the relationships between variations the plantar arch and anthropometric characteristics of the feet with unipedal static balance. We evaluated 100 men and women between the ages of 20 and 40 years old, to determine anthropometry and posturography with a force platform. There was a weak correlation between plantar arches and anthropometric measurements and postural balance, except for the length of the male foot, which showed a correlation between increased size and poorer static balance. We conclude that the type of plantar arch does not influence postural balance, and of the anthropometric factors, only foot length was related to postural balance.

Risk factors for overuse injuries in runners´ ankles: a literature review / Fatores de risco para lesões de esforço em tornozelos de corredores: revisão da literatura

INTRODUCTION: In spite of the numerous benefits to human health and given the increase of running as an exercise that has become popular worldwide, this type of sport may be the cause of a number of different injuries. The foot, ankle and lower leg comprise almost 40% of the injuries. However, the etiology of these types of injury is still not completely understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the causes of the onset of overuse injury in runners. METHODS: A systematic search of the electronic database was made: Bireme, Pubmed and PEDro, which were selected that addressed clinical trials, control cases, prospective and cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: The search through the descriptors yielded 324 references. Using our predefined inclusion criteria (case studies, clinical trials, prospective studies and cross studies that addressed adult runners, amateur or professional) 68 articles remained; 24 citations were excluded after reading the title, and 35 were excluded after reading the abstract and the full text. Therefore nine studies that met the criteria for analysis were included. CONCLUSION: The etiology of overuse injuries in runners is multifactorial. This review showed that distance, soil type and footwear, as well as a history of previous injuries, biomechanical changes such as increased dorsiflexion and eversion ankle, and greater knee flexion are risk factors that influence the occurrence of these injuries.

INTRODUÇÃO Apesar dos inúmeros benefícios para a saúde humana e considerando o aumento da corrida como exercício, atividade mundialmente popular, este tipo de esporte pode ser a causa de uma série de diferentes lesões. O pé, tornozelo e parte inferior da perna compreendem quase 40% das lesões. No entanto, a etiologia destas lesões permanece mal compreendida. OBJETIVO: investigar as causas do aparecimento da lesão de esforço em corredores. MÉTODOS: Uma busca sistemática foi realizada nas seguintes bases de dados: Bireme, PubMed e PEDro, selecionando-se ensaios clínicos, casos controle, estudos prospectivos e de corte transversal. RESULTADOS: A pesquisa através dos descritores rendeu 324 referências. Usando critérios de inclusão pré-definidos (estudos de casos, ensaios clínicos, estudos prospectivos e estudos transversais que abordavam adultos corredores indivíduos, amador ou profissional) permaneceram 68 artigos; 24 citações foram excluídos depois de ler o título, e 35 foram excluídos após a leitura do resumo e do texto integral. Portanto nove estudos que preencheram os critérios de análise foram incluídos. CONCLUSÃO: A etiologia das lesões de esforço em corredores é multifatorial. Esta revisão mostrou que a distância, tipo de solo e calçados, bem como uma história de lesões prévias, alterações biomecânicas como o aumento da dorsiflexão e eversão do tornozelo, e uma maior flexão do joelho são fatores de risco que influenciam a ocorrência dessas lesões.

The foundations of cross cultural management / Fundamentos da gestão transcultural

We trace the roots of current cross cultural management research that draws from each of the generic social sciences - anthropology, sociology, psychology, and economics - as well as the major topic areas or viewpoints within these disciplines. We emphasize the direct predecessors of major current projects and lines of research. The core of the analysis is the literature that we have used in a series of doctoral courses and seminars over a 10 year period (Soendergaard & Peterson, 2007). These courses and seminars are designed to identify major theoretical perspectives and traditions in current cross cultural management research, then look backward to trace their heritage.

Neste artigo, analisamos as raízes da atual pesquisa em gestão intercultural, as quais podem ser encontradas nas ciências sociais, como antropologia, sociologia, psicologia e economia; e discutimos as principais abordagens ou perspectivas dentro dessas disciplinas. Enfatizamos os predecessores diretos dos maiores projetos e linhas de pesquisa atuais. O aspecto central da análise é a literatura utilizada em vários cursos de pós-graduação e seminários conduzidos ao longo de um período de dez anos (Soendergaard & Peterson, 2007). Esses cursos e seminários foram planejados para identificar as grandes perspectivas e tradições teóricas na pesquisa contemporânea sobre gestão intercultural, cuja herança teórica retorna-se ao passado para reconhecer.