An Experimental Pilot Study of Global Postural Reeducation Concerning the Cognitive Approach of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Several recent studies have examined the positive effects of physical exercise and equilibrium on individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. OBJECTIVES: In this sense, this study based on an experimental design, tested whether global postural reeducation (GPR) can affect equilibrium and cognition, life quality, and psychological symptoms of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: One hundred thirty-five participants with mild and moderate AD diagnosis were assigned to 2 groups: experimental group (EG, n = 90) and control group (CG, n = 45). The GPR therapy was implemented in the EG for 6 months, while both groups underwent neuropsychological assessments prior and after the 6-month period. RESULTS: According to the repeated measures of analysis of variance, significant differences between groups were found at the 6-month follow-up period, in benefit of the EG such as Mini-Mental State Examination (P = .000), Geriatric Depression Scale (P = .000), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (P = .000), quality of life in AD/patient (P = .000), quality of life in AD/caregivers (P = .000), Barthel index (P = .000), and Tinetti Scale (P = .000), while the CG showed a low performance in the neuropsychological tests. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that GPR is a therapeutic option, which can improve the psychological, physical, and cognitive aspects of patients with AD.

The effect of surface electromyography biofeedback on the activity of extensor and dorsiflexor muscles in elderly adults: a randomized trial.

Surface electromyography-biofeedback (sEMG-B) is a technique employed for the rehabilitation of patients with neurological pathologies, such as stroke-derived hemiplegia; however, little is known about its effectiveness in the rehabilitation of the extension and flexion of several muscular groups in elderly patients after a stroke. Therefore, this research was focused on determining the effectiveness of sEMG-B in the muscles responsible for the extension of the hand and the dorsiflexion of the foot in post-stroke elderly subjects. Forty subjects with stroke-derived hemiplegia were randomly divided into intervention or control groups. The intervention consisted of 12 sEMG-B sessions. The control group underwent 12 weeks (24 sessions) of conventional physiotherapy. Muscle activity test and functionality (Barthel index) were determined. Attending to the results obtained, the intervention group showed a higher increase in the average EMG activity of the extensor muscle of the hand and in the dorsal flexion of the foot than the control group (p < 0.001 in both cases), which was associated with an increase in the patients' Barthel index score (p = 0.006); In addition, Fugl-Meyer test revealed higher effectiveness in the lower limb (p = 0.007). Thus, the sEMG-B seems to be more effective than conventional physiotherapy, and the use of this technology may be essential for improving muscular disorders in elderly patients with physical disabilities resulting from a stroke.