Effect of Kinesio taping on wrist kinematics and functional performance: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Kinesio taping (KT) is a popular adjunct treatment modality for musculoskeletal injuries, hand and wrist injuries. The effectiveness of KT on wrist kinematics has been analyzed during single plane movements in general, and no study has investigated its effectiveness during dart throwing motion (DTM). PURPOSE: To compare the effects of different KT techniques on wrist kinematics during DTM and functional performance of hand in healthy participants. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. METHODS: Seventy-two healthy participants were included. Dominant wrist kinematics during DTM was evaluated by a Leap motion controller and wrist functional performance was evaluated by Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test. In order to compare the effects of KT on different muscles and also the effects of KT and placebo taping (PT), wrists of participants were evaluated under 5 conditions: without any taping, KT on flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU), KT on extensor carpi radialis brevis and longus (ECRB/L), PT on FCU and PT on ECRB/L. Means of outcome measures without any taping and with different 4 tapings were compared by repeated measures analysis of variance. PT and KT effects were compared by Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: DTM range increased (P = .0) and Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test time decreased (P = .0) after KT and PT applications on FCU and ECRB/L muscles. Amount of change in wrist kinematics (P = .0; effect size = 0.2 and 0.3) and functional performance (P = .0; effect size = 0.6 and 0.8) were more obvious with KT applications, independent from the muscles they were applied on (P = .2 for wrist kinematics and P = .7 for functional performance). CONCLUSIONS: KT on either FCU or ECRB/L muscles improve wrist kinematics and functional performance, significantly. Further studies should investigate if these findings apply for the patients with different wrist injuries, for both immediate- and long-term effectiveness.

Investigation of Factors Associated With Pain Intensity in Office Workers With Non-Specific Low Back Pain.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is an important health problem causing serious physical, psychological, and economic losses in developed and developing countries. AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate comprehensively the factors related to the intensity of pain in office workers with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). METHODS: The study included 71 university office workers with NSLBP, aged 21-55 years. In addition to evaluating the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of office workers with NSLBP, visual analog scale (VAS), Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) outcome measurements were applied. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant association between the intensity of pain and TUG test (p = .000), job satisfaction (p = .015), percentages of disability (p = .000), quality of life (role difficulty due to physical limitation, p = .010; pain, p = .000; social the function, p = .044), and depression (p = .004). CONCLUSIONS: While the functional performance, job satisfaction level, and quality of life in office workers with NSLBP with severe-intensity pain were lower, level of disability, depression were higher in office workers with NSLBP with mild-to-moderate-intensity pain.

Artificial intelligence based on falling in older people: A bibliometric analysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze publications on artificial intelligence (AI) for falls in older people from a bibliometric perspective. Methods: The Web of Science database was searched for titles of English-language articles containing the words "artificial intelligence," "deep learning," "machine learning," "natural language processing,", "neural artificial network," "fall," "geriatric," "elderly," "aging," "older," and "old age." An R-based application (Biblioshiny for bibliometrics) and VOSviewer software were used for analysis. Results: Thirty-seven English articles published between 2018 and 2024 were included. The year 2023 is the year with the most publications with 16 articles. The most productive research field was "Engineering Electrical Electronic" with seven articles. The most productive country was the United States, followed by China. The most common words were "injuries," "people," and "risk factors." Conclusion: Publications on AI and falls in the elderly are both few in number and the number of publications has increased in recent years. Future research should include relevant analyses in scientific databases, such as Scopus and PubMed.

Sexual Function of Women with and without Pregnancy-Related Pelvic Girdle Pain and its Relationship with Physical Activity, Kinesiophobia and Body Image: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study.

The aim of this study was to compare the sexual function of women with and without pregnancy-related PGP, and to investigate its relationship with physical activity (PA), kinesiophobia, and body image (BI). Demographic characteristics, sexual function (Pregnancy Sexual Response Inventory), PA (Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire), kinesiophobia (Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale), and BI (Body Image in Pregnancy Scale) of 125 pregnant women were recorded. In the PGP group (n = 46), visual analogue scales were used to assess the pain intensity during resting and sexual activity, and Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire was used to evaluate the activity limitation. Although total sexual function and BI scores of the groups were similar (p > 0.05), dyspareunia during pregnancy and level of kinesiophobia were higher, and energy expenditure during moderate-intensity PA was lower in pregnant women with PGP (p < 0.05). The PGP group had moderate activity limitation and reported increased PGP intensity during sexual activities (p < 0.001). PA level was significantly correlated with sexual desire (r = 0.180), and overall sexual function was correlated with kinesiophobia (r = -0.344) and BI (r = -0.199) during pregnancy (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that pregnant women with PGP are more vulnerable to sexual dysfunctions, and there is a need to develop biopsychosocial framework-oriented management strategies which aim to improve PA level and to eliminate psychological factors such as kinesiophobia and negative BI.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05990361.

The Effect of In-Ear and Behind-Ear Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Autonomic Function: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study.

Background/Objectives: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (TaVNS) is a non-invasive method of electrical stimulation used to autonomic neuromodulation. Position and form of the electrodes are important for the effectiveness of autonomic modulation. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of TaVNS in-ear and behind-ear on autonomic variables. Methods: A total of 76 healthy participants (male: 40, female: 36) were randomized into four groups as in-ear TaVNS, behind-ear TaVNS, in-ear sham, and behind-ear sham. The TaVNS protocol included bilateral auricular stimulation for 20 min, 25 hertz frequency, a pulse width of 250 µs, and a suprathreshold current (0.13-50 mA). Heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured baseline and after stimulation. The parameters RMSSD (root mean square of consecutive differences between normal heartbeats), LF power (low-frequency), and HF power (high-frequency) were assessed in the HRV analysis. Results: HR decreased in the in-ear TaVNS after intervention (p < 0.05), but did not change in behind-ear TaVNS and sham groups compared to baseline (p > 0.05). SBP and DBP decreased and RMSSD increased in the in-ear and behind-ear TaVNS groups (p < 0.05), but did not change in sham groups compared to baseline (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in LF and HF power after TaVNS compared to baseline in all groups (p > 0.05). SBP was lower and RMSSD was higher in-ear TaVNS than behind-ear TaVNS after intervention (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In-ear TaVNS appears to be more effective than behind-ear TaVNS in modulating SBP and RMSSD, but this needs to be studied in larger populations.

Reliability and validity of Five Times Sit to Stand Test in pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder during pregnancy, and functional mobility evaluation is very important in reflecting the treatment effects. OBJECTIVES: To investigate reliability and validity of Five Times Sit-to-Stand (5TSS) test in pregnant women with and without PGP. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study. METHODS: One hundred sixty-seven women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy participated in two assessments one week apart. The 5TSS and Timed Up & Go (TUG) tests were used to assess functional mobility, in a randomized sequence, by two independent raters. Time to complete the tests were recorded. Perceived pain and difficulty during functional mobility tests were marked on two Visual Analogue Scales. Following tests of functional mobility, seven clinical tests were used to classify the subjects as with or without PGP. RESULTS: The 25% of subjects had PGP. Inter-rater reliability of 5TSS was excellent for subjects with and without PGP (ICC = 0.999, 95% CI = 0.999-1.000; ICC = 0.999, 95% CI = 0.999-0.999, respectively). Test-retest reliability of 5TSS was also very high for subjects with and without PGP (ICC = 0.986, 95% CI = 0.959-0.995; ICC = 0.828, 95% CI = 0.632-0.920, respectively). The 5TSS scores were positively correlated with TUG scores (r = 0.420, p = 0.006 and r = 0.404, p = 0.000, respectively). The subjects reported higher pain (95% CI = 0.322-0.824) and difficulty (95%Cl = 0.500-1.042) during 5TSS than the TUG test. CONCLUSIONS: The 5TSS test is a reliable and valid functional mobility outcome measure in pregnant women with and without PGP. Further psychometric properties of the measure such as responsiveness, should be investigated in the future.

Knowledge and practice of nursing home caregivers about urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate nursing home caregivers' knowledge and practice of urinary incontinence in Mugla-Turkey. METHODS: Knowledge and practice of urinary incontinence of 34 nursing home caregivers were assessed by a form originated from knowledge and practice instrument and urinary incontinence knowledge scale. Incontinence quiz was also used to assess knowledge about UI. RESULTS: According to the analysis of the items from the knowledge and practice instrument, 20.6% of caregivers never control the amount of urinary incontinence in residents with dementia, document the amount of urinary incontinence and set up a toilet plan for residents with no or slight mental incapacity. According to the analysis of the items from the urinary incontinence knowledge scale, majority of caregivers considered urinary incontinence as a normal result of aging. The mean incontinence quiz score of all participants was 5.5 ± 2.0, indicating poor knowledge about UI. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate the need of developing strategies for improving knowledge and effective practice of urinary incontinence of nursing home caregivers.

Nursing Home Residents' Level of Knowledge About Urinary Incontinence.

BACKGROUND: A common problem in nursing home residents, urinary incontinence (UI) can lead to hygiene and skin problems, sleep disturbance, and decreased quality of life. This study evaluated the level of knowledge regarding UI among nursing home residents in Mugla, Turkey. METHODS: This study included 64 (19 females, 45 males) nursing home resident volunteers. Their physical and sociodemographic characteristics; daily living activities (Barthel Index); and the presence, frequency, severity, and type of UI as well as its impact on daily living were evaluated (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form) and history of treatment was queried. An Incontinence Quiz was used to assess the residents' knowledge of incontinence. RESULTS: The participants were living in nursing homes for 34.48±33.16 months. Their educational level was low and most were single. The mean Barthel Index score was 89.75±13.00. Twenty-five participants had UI (18.8% urge, 4.7% stress, 15.6% mixed/other type), and the mean International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form score was 8.08±4.24. Forty-four percent of the participants had no treatment and none had physiotherapy for incontinence. The mean Incontinence Quiz score was 4.88±1.96, indicating a low level of knowledge. The items with the highest ratio of incorrect responses (second and 14th) were related to the causes of incontinence and care seeking. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the necessity of increasing knowledge among nursing home residents about the reasons and health care options for UI. Further studies on appropriate strategies to improve UI knowledge in this population will be of great value.