Effects of regular exercise and dual tasking on spatial and temporal parameters of obstacle negotiation in elderly women.

This study investigated the effects of regular exercise and dual tasking on bilateral spatial and temporal parameters of obstacle negotiation in elderly women. Sedentary (n=12) and physically active (n=12) elderly women volunteered to participate in this study. Gait kinematics were recorded during obstacle crossing when performing a dual task and when not performing a dual task. Physically active participants crossed obstacles more safely, in terms of clearance or distance to or over the obstacle, both with and without dual tasking, and usually for both lead and trail legs. Performing the dual task increased toe distance, and decreased heel distance and gait speed in the active participants, and increased toe clearance and heel distance, and decreased gait speed in the sedentary participants. Differences between preferred and non-preferred leg were accentuated for toe clearance in the lead limb. These results suggest that specialized exercises may not be needed for improvement in obstacle avoidance skills in the elderly, and participation in multi-activities, including aerobic exercises, may be sufficient.

Comportamento angular do andar de crianças com síndrome de Down após intervenção com equoterapia / Angular kinematics of the gait of children with Down's syndrome after intervention with hippotherapy

OBJETIVO: Verificar o efeito de um programa de equoterapia no comportamento angular do tornozelo e joelho de crianças com síndrome de Down (SD). MÉTODO: Fizeram parte do estudo três crianças do sexo masculino com média de idade de 7,3 anos (±2,08). As análises foram realizadas intra-sujeitos, sendo o pós-teste realizado após treze sessões de tratamento. As intervenções com equoterapia tiveram duração de cinqüenta minutos, com intervalos de sete dias. A análise do andar foi realizado pelo Sistema Peak MotusTM. RESULTADOS: Observaram-se alterações significativas para a articulação do tornozelo para todos os sujeitos. Para a articulação do joelho, diferenças foram verificadas em momentos distintos do ciclo, não apresentando uma tendência observável. CONCLUSÃO: A equoterapia promoveu alterações positivas no comportamento angular da articulação do tornozelo, com pouco efeito sobre o joelho.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a program of horseback riding therapy on the angular kinematics of the ankle and knee in children with Down's syndrome. METHOD: The study group was composed of three male children with a mean age of 7.3 years (±2.08). The analyses were done individually and the post-test was performed after thirteen treatment sessions. The duration of each horseback riding therapy session was fifty minutes, and the interval between sessions was seven days. The gait analysis was carried out using the Peak MotusTM system. RESULTS: Statistical differences in ankle joint were observed for all subjects. For knee joint, differences were found at different moments of the cycle, without presenting any observable trend. CONCLUSION: Horseback riding therapy produced positive changes in the angular behavior of the ankle and little effect on the knee.