Effect of light touch on postural sway in individuals with balance problems: a systematic review.

The aim of the present review was to examine the experimental, case-control studies that investigated the effect of light touch on postural sway in individuals with balance problems due to aging, brain lesion or other motor or sensory deficits. Articles published before the end of March of 2013 were searched in PubMed, Scielo and Lilacs databases using terms related to postural control and sensory information. Twelve studies that assessed the postural sway of individuals with balance problems during quiet standing with the light touch using a force plate were reviewed. Two reviewers rated all selected articles as having good quality. The effect of light touch on postural control was reported by all eligible studies regardless of the cause of the balance problem of the participants. Such effect was more evident when the applied vertical force was greater than 1N, but if individuals with poor balance took more advantage of the light touch than healthy ones it depended on the source of their balance problems and not the amount of the applied force. These findings suggested that the maintenance of the fingertip lightly touching an external surface could provide additional somatosensory information for individuals with poor balance and then it could be used as a strategy to improve the control of upright standing during intervention programs.

Individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis are able to use additional sensory information to reduce postural sway.

The present study aimed to investigate whether stroke survivals are able to use the additional somatosensory information provided by the light touch to reduce their postural sway during the upright stance. Eight individuals, naturally right-handed pre-stroke, and eight healthy age-matched adults stood as quiet as possible on a force plate during 35s. Participants performed two trials for each visual condition (eyes open and closed) and somatosensory condition (with and without the right or left index fingertip touching an instrumented rigid and fixed bar). When participants touched the bar, they were asked to apply less than 1N of vertical force. The postural sway was assessed by the center of pressure (COP) displacement area, mean amplitude and velocity. In addition, the mean and standard deviation of the force vertically applied on the bar during the trials with touch were assessed. The averaged values of COP area, amplitude and velocity were greater for stroke individuals compared to healthy adults during all visual and somatosensory conditions. For both groups, the values of all variables increased when participants stood with eyes closed and reduced when they touched the bar regardless of the side of the touch. Overall, the results suggested that, as healthy individuals, persons with post-stroke hemiparesis are able to use the additional somatosensory information provided by the light touch to reduce the postural sway.

Técnicas radiográficas intra e extrabucal na avaliação dentária de cães com doença periodontal / Comparison between intra e extraoral radiologic procedures on dental evaluation of dogs with periodontal disease

Foram avaliadas as técnicas radiográficas dentárias intra (TIB) e extrabucal (TEB) em 50 cães com doença periodontal, no intuito de padronizar os procedimentos de diagnóstico dessa síndrome. A TIB revelou que 16 animais não apresentaram lesões ósseas visíveis, enquanto a TEB apontou que 39 pacientes foram negativos para as mesmas lesões. Em resumo, a TIB foi mais eficaz na detecção de sinais radiográficos, especialmente as chamadas lesões finas, que a TEB, sendo a técnica de escolha na síndrome periodontal.

The intra (IOT) and extraoral (EOT) dental radiographic techniques in 50 dogs with periodontal disease were compared to standardize the most appropriate procedure for accurate diagnosis of abnormalities that occur in this syndrome. For IOT, 16 animals showed no visible radiographic lesions, whereas in EOT, 39 patients were negative for the same radiographic lesions. For incisor and canine teeth, IOT presented the highest sensitivity of lesion detection, while there was no significant difference for the premolar and molar teeth group. It is concluded that IOT is more effective in detecting radiographic signs (especially the so-called thin lesions) than the EOT and should therefore be the technique of choice in the periodontal syndrome.