Visual perception and its related factors of distance for Paralympic athletes with physical disabilities / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of posture and sports experience on distance perception in Paralympic athletes with lower limbs disabilities. MethodsFrom May to August, 2019, athletes were selected from the wheelchair racing team (n = 19) and the wheelchair fencing team (n = 16) in Shanghai, China. The athletes were tested the relative distance perception and absolute distance perception using the successive equal-appearing distance and blind walking tasks. ResultsThe interaction effects between sport and posture (F = 4.118, P < 0.05), sports events and distance judgment (F = 8.913, P < 0.01), and posture and distance judgment (F = 11.894, P < 0.01) were significant; while the main effects of sport (F = 7.467, P < 0.01) and posture (F = 11.918, P < 0.01) were significant; the relative distance judgment accuracy was better in the athletes of wheelchair fencing than in those of wheelchair racing, and in standing posture than those in sitting posture. ConclusionThe relative distance judgment accuracy is better for the Paralympic athletes standing and playing wheelchair fencers. There was no significant difference in the accuracy of absolute distance judgment between the different postures and the different sports.

Percepção de dor e esforço em atletas de esgrima em cadeira de rodas / Perception of pain and stress in wheelchair fencing athletes

Esgrima em cadeira de rodas é uma modalidade paralímpica recente no Brasil, o que implica aprimorar conhecimentos tais como aspectos do treinamento. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar frequência de dor e esforço em sessões de treinamento entre atletas das categorias A, B e C. Da categoria A participam atletas amputados de membros inferiores e atletas com lesões baixa (lombares e sacrais), sendo que nesses casos, a mobilidade e equilíbrio de tronco encontram-se preservados. Da categoria B, participam atletas com lesões torácicas de T10 a T2, o que traz algum comprometimento para manutenção de equilíbrio de tronco em movimento. Da categoria C, participam atletas com altas lesões, de T1 a C5 (cervicais). Tais atletas encontram-se no quadro de tetraplegia, sendo necessária a fixação de bandagens ou fitas adesivas para acoplar a arma na mão, pois há dificuldade do movimento de preensão. Para essa pesquisa aplicaram-se questionários tipo "surveys" com questões relativas à prevalência de dor e esforço em sessões de treinamento. Foram dez questões relativas à intensidade de dor nos segmentos corporais e cinco relativas ao esforço. Participaram voluntariamente, 13 atletas, n=9, homens (n=5 categoria A, n=3 da categoria B, n=1 categoria C) e n=4, mulheres (n=3, categoria B e n=1, categoria A). Os questionários foram enviados e respondidos via e-mail pelos atletas (por meio da ferramenta "Google Docs") apontando pela escala de Likert, a frequência com que sentiam dores em segmentos corporais e cansaço numa sessão regular do treinamento. Atletas das categorias A e B apresentaram semelhantes frequências de dor e cansaço (média), sendo segmentos de apoio os que apresentam maior ocorrência de dor. O único atleta da categoria C apresenta maior prevalência de dores em segmentos armados e o cansaço é semelhante entre todos. As respostas dos níveis de frequência de dor e esforço são semelhantes entre atletas das categorias A e B, o atleta da categoria C apresenta particularidades pelo nível da lesão, que leva à alterações severas do organismo.

Wheelchair Fencing is a recent Paralympic modality in Brazil, which implies on improving knowledge about it, such as training aspects. The aim in this study was to verify the frequency of pain and effort during training sessions from athletes in the categories A, B and C. The A category has amputee athletes who lost lower limbs and athletes with low lesions (lumbar and sacral). In these cases, trunk mobility and equilibrium are preserved. In the B category, athletes with thoracic lesions from T10 to T2 participate,which brings impairment to keeping the trunk equilibrium in movement. In the C category, athletes with high lesions, from T1 to C5 (cervical), participate. Such athletes are in the tetraplegia condition, with the need of fixating the sword in the hand with bandage or adhesive tape, since there is difficulty with the griping movement. Survey questionnaires were applied in this study with questions regarding the prevalence of pain and effort during training sessions. Ten questions were related to the intensity of pain in the body segments and five questions were related to effort. A total of 13 athletes voluntarily participated in this study, N=9, male (n=5, A category; n=3, B category; n=1, C category) and n=4, female (n=3, B category; n=1, A category). Questionnaires were sent and answered by e-mail (through the "Google Docs" tool) pointing in the Likert scale, the frequency in which they felt pain in body segments and how tired they were (effort) after a regular training session. Athletes in both A and B categories display similar frequency of pain and effort (media), with their supporting segments displaying higher pain occurrence. The only athlete in the C category displays higher prevalence of pain in the armed segments and the perception of effort seems to be similar among all of them. The answers regarding pain frequency and the perception of effort were similar between A and B categories, the C category athlete displays singularities due to his level of lesion, which leads to severe changes in the functions of the organism.