Reliability of a Battery of cognitive tests in Young, healthy people / Fiabilidad de una batería de pruebas cognitivas en personas jóvenes y sanas

Cognitive performance is an essential aspect of sports. Still, few studies provide reliable cognitive tests for training and evaluating cognitive aspects related to sports, particularly in a healthy and/or youthful population. This study assessed the intraday and interday reliability of a cognitive test battery related to sports performance. In the research, seventeen healthy volunteers participated. DynavisionTMD2, Bassin Anticipation Timer, Go/No-Go, Eriksen Flanker, and the Trail Making Test (TMT) were analyzed. TMT-A and TMT-B (intraday), as well as the following variables in the interday analysis, exhibited significant differences: "Physical RT - Fastest" (Test 1), "Visual RT - Fastest" and "Physical RT - Fastest" (Test 2), "Visual RT - Fastest" (Test 4) and TMT-A. Thirteen of the thirty-one variables analyzed on the intraday exam had moderate Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), six were good, and one was exceptional. In the interday analysis, 15 variables with moderate ICC and 5 variables with excellent ICC were identified. Reliable tests include "Reaction Time" (Tests 5 and 6) and "Red and Green Lights" of the DynavisionTMD2, the 15 mph speed of the Bassin Anticipation Timer, and the Go/No-Go, Eriksen Flanker, and TMT tests.(AU)

Changes in electromyographic activity of latent trigger points after a dry needling intervention: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the effects of dry needling (DN) in upper trapezius latent trigger points (LTrPs) on pressure pain threshold (PPT) and surface electromyography (sEMG). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial. SETTINGS: Sports Rehabilitation Laboratory, University of Castilla-La Mancha. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-six participants (18-35 years old) with LTrP in the upper trapezius were divided into two groups: DN-group and Sham-DN-group. INTERVENTIONS: In the DN-group, the needle was inserted 10-times through the skin, and it was manipulated up and down using a "fast in and out" technique. In the Sham-DN-group, non-penetrating needles were used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PPT, sEMG at rest, and sEMG in isometric contraction of the LTrP of the upper trapezius muscle were evaluated at baseline, 30 min after treatment, and after 24 h, and 72 h of follow-up. RESULTS: The mean change in sEMG at rest between baseline and 30 min was - 0.38 (0.38) %refRMS for the DN group and - 0.05 (0.31) %refRMS for the Sham-DN group (mean difference -0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference: - 0.54 to - 0.13), and between baseline and 24 h was - 0.35 (0.35) %refRMS for the DN group and - 0.06 (0.58) %refRMS for the Sham-DN group (mean difference -0.29, 95% CI: -0.57 to -0.01). In addition, the DN-group showed higher values of PPT than the Sham-DN group at 72 h (5.22 (1.23) to 4.65 (1.03) kg/cm2; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A single session of DN intervention was effective in reducing the electromyographic activity, muscle fatigue and pain of the upper trapezius muscle in LTrP. CONTRIBUTION OF PAPER: In healthy volunteers dry needling is effective.

Características del tendón rotuliano y de Aquiles en jugadores senior de bádminton / Characteristics of the patellar and Achilles tendon in senior badminton players

Los objetivos del estudio fueron describir las propiedades estructurales y mecánicas de los tendones rotuliano y de Aquiles en jugadores senior (>35 años) de bádminton y detectar posibles asimetrías entre el lado dominante y no dominante. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 206 jugadores senior de bádminton (Edad: 52.2±9.6 años) que participaron en el campeonato de Europa Senior en 2018. Se evaluaron las propiedades estructurales (grosor, anchura y área de sección transversal) por medio de un ecógrafo Logiq® S8 y las propiedades mecánicas (elasticidad, tono, rigidez e índice de elastografía) con miotonometría y sonoelastografía de los tendones rotuliano y de Aquiles. Los resultados mostraron que fueron mayores el grosor (5.34±19.90%, p = 0.027) y la anchura (1.57±8.52%, p=0.036) en el tendón de Aquiles no dominante mientras que el tendón rotuliano dominante mostró unos valores mayores para el tono (2.09±12.96%, p=0.002) y para la rigidez (4.41±21.11%, p=0.002) respecto al no dominante. (AU)

The purposes of the study were to describe the structural and mechanical properties of the patellar and Achilles tendons in senior badminton players (>35 years) and to detect possible asymmetries between dominant and non-dominant lower limb. Two hundred and six senior badminton players (52.2±9.6 years old) who participated in the 2018 Senior European Championship volunteered to participate in the study. The structural properties (thickness, width and cross-sectional area) by a Logiq® S8 ultrasound system and the mechanical properties (elasticity, tone, stiffness and elastography index) with myotonometry and sonoelastography of the patellar and Achilles tendons were assessed. Non-dominant Achilles tendon showed greater values for the thickness (5.34±19.90%, p=0.027) and width (1.57±8.52%, p=0.036) than those of the dominant tendon, while the dominant patellar tendon showed higher values for tone (2.09±12.96%, p=0.002) and stiffness (4.41±21.11%, p=0.002) compared to the non-dominant one. (AU)

Effects of dry needling on mechanical and contractile properties of the upper trapezius with latent myofascial trigger points: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Latent trigger point (LTrP) can cause motor dysfunction and disturb normal patterns of motor recruitment. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of DN in the upper trapezius (UT) LTrP on pain and the mechanical and contractile properties of the muscle. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blinded, parallel-group-trial. METHODS: Fifty healthy volunteers with LTrPs in the UT were randomly divided into a DN-group (n = 26) and a Sham-DN-group (n = 24) and received one session of DN or placebo treatment. Mechanical and contractile properties of the muscle and pressure pain perception (PPP) were evaluated before treatment and in a 30min, 24 h and 72 h follow-up after treatment. RESULTS: In the mechanical properties, the DN-group showed lower values than the Sham-DN-group for dynamic stiffness at 72 h (p = 0.04). The DN-group showed lower values for dynamic stiffness at 72 h from baseline (278.74 ± 38.40 to 261.54 ± 33.64 N/m; p = 0.01) and for tone at 72 h from 30min (16.62 ± 1.27 to 15.88 ± 1.31 Hz; p = 0.01). In the contractile properties, the DN-group showed higher values for maximal radial displacement (Dm) of the muscle belly at 72 h from baseline (5.38 ± 1.67 to 6.13 ± 1.70 mm; p = 0.04), higher values for contraction time at 30min (28.53 ± 8.80 s; p = 0.03) and lower ones at 72 h (24.74 ± 4.36 s; p = 0.04) from baseline (26.97 ± 6.63 s). The DN-group showed a decrease of PPP from baseline to 72 h after treatment (5.16 ± 1.33 to 4.02 ± 0.97 mm; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The application of DN in healthy volunteers over LTrPs in the UT decreased dynamic stiffness, tone and contraction time and increased Dm at 72 h after treatment. Additionally, the PPP showed a decrease at 72 h after needling. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT04466813.