Mechanisms of head stability during gait initiation in young and older women: A neuro-mechanical analysis.

Decreased head stability has been reported in older women during locomotor transitions such as the initiation of gait. The aim of the study was to investigate the neuro-mechanical mechanisms underpinning head stabilisation in young and older women during gait initiation. Eleven young (23.1 ±â€¯1.1 yrs) and 12 older (73.9 ±â€¯2.4 yrs) women initiated walking at comfortable speed while focussing on a fixed visual target at eye level. A stereophotogrammetric system was used to assess variability of angular displacement and RMS acceleration of the pelvis, trunk and head, and dynamic stability in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions. Latency of muscle activation in the sternocleidomastoid, and upper and lower trunk muscles were determined by surface electromyography. Older displayed higher variability of head angular displacement, and a decreased ability to attenuate accelerations from trunk to head, compared to young in the anteroposterior but not mediolateral direction. Moreover, older displayed a delayed onset of sternocleidomastoid activation than young. In conclusion, the age-related decrease in head stability could be attributed to an impaired ability to attenuate accelerations from trunk to head along with delayed onset of neck muscles activation.

Effect of whole body vibration frequency on neuromuscular activity in ACL-deficient and healthy males.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) has been shown to enhance muscle activity via reflex pathways, thus having the potential to contrast muscle weakness in individuals with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The present study aimed to compare the magnitude of neuromuscular activation during WBV over a frequency spectrum from 20 to 45 Hz between ACL-deficient and healthy individuals. Fifteen males aged 28±4 with ACL rupture and 15 age-matched healthy males were recruited. Root mean square (RMS) of the surface electromyogram from the vastus lateralis in both limbs was computed during WBV in a static half-squat position at 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 Hz, and normalized to the RMS while maintaining the half-squat position without vibration. The RMS of the vastus lateralis in the ACL-deficient limb was significantly greater than in the contralateral limb at 25, 30, 35 and 40 Hz (P<0.05) and in both limbs of the healthy participants (dominant limb at 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 Hz, P<0.05; non dominant limb at 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 Hz, P<0.05). The greater neuromuscular activity in the injured limb compared to the uninjured limb of the ACL-deficient patients and to both limbs of the healthy participants during WBV might be due to either augmented excitatory or reduced inhibitory neural inflow to motoneurons of the vastus lateralis through the reflex pathways activated by vibratory stimuli. The study provides optimal WBV frequencies which might be used as reference values for ACL-deficient patients.

Effects of repeated ankle plantar-flexions on H-reflex and body sway during standing.

The study investigated relations between effects of repeated ankle plantar-flexion movements exercise on the soleus Hoffmann (H) reflex and on postural body sway when maintaining upright stance. Ten young volunteers performed five sets of ankle plantar-flexions of both lower limbs. Assessment of the feet centre-of-pressure (COP) displacement and H-reflex tests were carried out in quiet stance before, during and after the exercise. H-max and M-max responses were obtained in 8 subjects and reported as the peak-to-peak amplitudes of the right soleus muscle electromyographic waves. Mean dispersion of COP along the antero-posterior direction increased significantly during the exercise; whilst the overall H-reflex response indicated a reduction without a concomitant modification in the M-max response. H-reflex responses, however, varied between participants during the first sets of exercise, showing two main trends of modulation: either depression or early facilitation followed by reduction of the H-reflex amplitude. The extent of reflex modulation in standing position was correlated to the concentric work performed during the exercise (r=0.85; p<0.01), but not to the antero-posterior COP dispersion. These results suggest that during a repeated ankle plantar-flexions exercise, modulation of the H-reflex measured in upright stance differs across individuals and is not related to changes of postural sway.

Control of head stability during gait initiation in young and older women.

Transition tasks between static and dynamic situations may challenge head stabilization and balance in older individuals. The study was designed to investigate differences between young and older women in the upper body motion during the voluntary task of gait initiation. Seven young (25+/-2.3 years) and seven older healthy women (78+/-3.4 years) were required to stand on a force platform and initiate walking at their self-selected preferred speed. Angles of head, neck and trunk were measured by motion analysis in the sagittal plane and a cross-correlation analysis was performed on segments pairs. Variability of head and neck angular displacements, as indicated by average standard deviation, was significantly greater in the older than in the young participants. The young women maintained dynamic stability of the upper body, as forward flexion of the trunk was consistently counteracted by coordinated head-neck extension. Differently, movement patterns employed by the older women also included a rigid motion of all upper body segments leaning forward as a single unit. These results demonstrated that older women perform the transition from standing to walking with greater variability in the patterns of upper body motion compared to young women.

Violence against women and the assaulted staff action program.

Women have been subjected to high rates of victimization at home, in the community, and at work. An earlier study found female inpatient staff to be at risk for same-gender patient assaults in psychiatric hospitals and female community residential staff to be at increased risk for assaults from male patients in residences. This study sought to revisit the original 2-year findings during a subsequent 6-year period. Inpatient and community assault data were gathered within the context of the Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP), a post-incident crisis response approach. Female inpatient staff were again found to be at increased risk in both inpatient and community settings. However, in this second study, female community residential staff were found to be at increased risk for assault from both male and female patients. The findings and their implications are discussed.

[Changes in the psychophysical experience of orgasm in pregnancy]. / Modificazioni del vissuto psicofisico dell'orgasmo in gravidanza.

A semistructured questionnaire was used as the basis for an examination of qualitative and quantitative changes in orgasm among 200 pregnant women brought to term. The frequency of orgasm gradually diminished over the 9 months in most women, only occasionally increasing. A total of 149 women (79.5%) said they had felt no pain during orgasm, 20.5% reported increased pleasure or incomplete post-orgasmic resolution. It should be pointed out that none of the women had experienced painful orgasm prior to their pregnancy.