A systematic review of the application of deep learning techniques in the physiotherapeutic therapy of musculoskeletal pathologies.

Physiotherapy is a critical area of healthcare that involves the assessment and treatment of physical disabilities and injuries. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in physiotherapy has gained significant attention due to its potential to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes. Nevertheless, it is still a rather innovative field of application of these techniques and there is a need to find what aspects are highly developed and what possible job niches can be exploited. This systematic review aims to evaluate the current state of research on the use of a particular AI called deep learning models in physiotherapy and identify the key trends, challenges, and opportunities in this field. The findings of this review, conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, provide valuable insights for researchers and clinicians. The most relevant databases included were PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Astrophysics Data System, and Central Citation Export. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to determine which items would be considered for further review. These criteria were used to screen the items during the first and second peer review processes. A set of quality criteria was developed to select the papers obtained after the second screening. Finally, of the 214 initial papers, 23 studies were selected. From our analysis of the selected articles, we can draw the following conclusions: Concerning deep learning models, innovation is primarily seen in the adoption of hybrid models, with convolutional models being extensively utilized. In terms of data, it's unsurprising that body signals and images are predominantly used. However, texts and structured data present promising avenues for groundbreaking work in the field. Additionally, medical tests that involve the collection of 3D images, Functional Movement Screening, or thermographies emerge as novel areas to explore applications within the scope of physiotherapy.

The effects of global postural re-education on sleep quality and stress in university women lecturers: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of global postural re-education (GPR) on sleep quality and stress in female health science lecturers. Methods: A total of 24 female university lecturers were allocated in this randomized controlled trial into intervention (n = 12) and control (n = 12) groups. The intervention group underwent familiarization and training on the therapy to execute an 8-week treatment with GPR. Data collected on sleep quality were analyzed using 24-h accelerometry (Actigraphy GT3X+) in addition to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire score as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) anxiety questionnaire. Data on stress were collected by measuring salivary cortisol. Results: After comparing the GPR of the groups, there was a main effect of the group (F = 5.278, p = 0.044) for PSQI. The post-hoc analysis revealed that both groups decreased scores between pre- and post-treatment. Additionally, post-treatment, there were differences between groups. For sleep latency, there were main effects of group (F = 6.118, p = 0.031) and score × group (F = 9.343, p = 0.011) interactions. The post-hoc analysis revealed that treatment groups decreased scores between pre- and post-treatment, and there were differences between groups (all p < 0.050). Conclusion: The self-administered GPR improves sleep quality in female university lecturers, providing a valuable self-regulation tool for enhanced sleep quality and enhanced academic performance. Further study may help to develop this as a potential tool to help university lecturers' job performance.

Impact of time-of-day and chronotype on neuromuscular performance in semi-professional female volleyball players.

This study aimed to determine if time-of-day could influence physical volleyball performance in females and to explore the relationship between chronotype and volleyball-specific performance. Fifteen young female athletes participated in a randomized counterbalanced trial, performing a neuromuscular test battery in the morning (9:00 h) and the evening (19:00 h) that consisted of volleyball standing spike, straight leg raise, dynamic balance, vertical jump, modified agility T-test and isometric handgrip tests. Chronotype was determined by the morningness-eveningness questionnaire. Compared to the morning, an increased performance was found in the standing spike (4.5%, p = .002, ES = 0.59), straight leg raise test (dominant-limb) (6.5%, p = .012, ES = 0.40), dynamic balance (non-dominant-limb) (5.0%, p = .010, ES = 0.57) and modified T-test (2.1%, p = .049, ES = 0.45) performance in the evening; while no statistical differences were reported in vertical jump tests or isometric handgrip strength. Moreover, no associations were found between chronotype and neuromuscular performance (r = -0.368-0.435, p = .052-0.439). Time-of-day affected spike ball velocity, flexibility in the dominant-limb, dynamic balance in the non-dominant-limb and agility tests. However, no association was reported among these improvements and the chronotype. Therefore, although the chronotype may not play critical role in volleyball-specific performance, evening training/matches schedules could benefit performance in semi-professional female volleyball players.

Acute Effects of Global Postural Re-Education on Non-Specific Low Back Pain. Does Time-of-Day Play a Role?

Low back pain is one the most common forms of musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, several physiotherapeutic strategies (e.g., global postural re-education therapy) have been used for reducing low back pain. The aim of this study was to determinate if acute application of global postural re-education session associated effects are influenced by the time-of-day when this physical therapy is applied. Eight participants in a randomized, counterbalanced order were acutely tested both before and 24 h after a global postural re-education therapy session (10 min session) in three different time-of-day points; morning (i.e., AM; 7:00-9:00 h), midday (i.e., AM; 12:00-14:00 h) and afternoon (i.e., PM; 18:00-20:00 h). In each session, low back pain Visual Analogue Pain Scale [VAS]), flexibility, function capacity (Roland Morris Questionnaire [RMQ], and physical functioning Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]) were recorded. Results showed a pain reduction (VAS Scale) 24 h post Global postural re-education [GPR] session (p = 0.001) and increasing of flexibility pre-post GPR session in all the time-of-day points (morning, midday, and afternoon) (p = 0.001) while no differences were reported in RMQ (p = 0.969) and ODI (p = 0.767). Thus, acute GPR session produces the same effects on flexibility, low back pain, function capacity, and physical functioning values independently of time-of-day when it is applied.