Thesis (M.S.)--Purdue University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-188).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Wayne J. Book, Committee Member ; Young-Hui Chang, Committee Member ; T. Richard Nichols, Committee Member ; Lena H. Ting, Committee Co-Chair ; Stephen P. DeWeerth, Committee Co-Chair.

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-32).

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-41).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Texas State University--San Marcos, 2008. / Vita. Appendix: leaves 48-56. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-65). Also available on microfilm.

What is the ideal human upright posture? Where did it come from, how did it develop, what is its significance, how is it measured? What are the cause and effect of malposture? Much has been published on the role of posture in physical as well as mental and emotional states of the individual. This study was undertaken to investigate these issues, while at the same time aiming to find the position and role of posture in the physical and psychological context of human life. The first aspect of posture investigated was its definition. What constitutes good posture is still a debated issue. The conclusion drawn was that good posture represents the state of balance in an individual at rest and during motion. Ideally this state should be achieved with all the body parts aligned on top of each other requiring minimal effort and energy expenditure. The evolutionary origin of the upright posture in man was traced in order to come to a clearer understanding of the anatomical, biomechanical and physiological mechanisms involved in posture. The positions and functions of some muscles and bones have remained, and some have changed during the development of the upright human from its quadrupedal ancestors. Maintenance of balanced posture depends mainly on the coordinated action of the stabilizing mono-articulated muscles, and their place and purpose in upright man were viewed in the light of their origins. By so doing one is able to uncover their intended use and to identify misuse of these muscles. Development throughout childhood mimics the evolutionary process. A series of postural exercises was described, which follows the childhood/evolutionary pattern, and have proven to be successful in postural rehabilitation and body¬mind integration. In order to understand the concept of the upright standing posture, control mechanisms responsible for maintaining upright posture were reviewed. These included the sensory and the neuromusculo-skeletal systems. This was duly undertaken in accordance with existing literature, it was concluded that posture is controlled in association with all human functions. Following the concept that posture affects the mind and emotions, the work and theories of prominent researchers in the body-mind and postural integration field such as Frederick Alexander, Raymond Dart, Moshe Feldenkrais, Alexander Lowen, Wilhelm Reich and Ida Rolf were reviewed and distilled. This led to evidence that treatment of the body has an effect on the mind, that structure influences function and that postural equilibrium has a beneficial influence on both mind and body. According to numerous workers malposture in man is pandemic. Ensuing literature and empirical research on total body posture, and the position of each area of the body, from the head to the feet, revealed divergent causes of this problem as well as effects of malposture, including negative self-image, psycholological problems, pain, fatigue and the inability to achieve the full human potential. Although there is no obvious cause of postural imbalance, there are many ways of preventing or rectifying the disorder. During the course of a postural rehabilitation therapy, there is a good chance of uncovering the underlying cause of the postural imbalance. This can be as deep seated as a personality disorder or as clear as the fear of an old sport injury. The incidence and extent of postural defects were investigated in two small groups of subjects with the aim to determine the range of postural deviations, and the body areas most commonly affected. All subjects studied, leaned forward with the gravity line anterior to the ankle joint. Postural defects were prevalent in all subjects. Most of the subjects were categorized as having severe postural defects or gross deformity. Postural asymmetry and kyphosis were the most common defects. The conclusions drawn from these studies were that most people, in any age group, suffer from some type of postural defect, supporting the general consensus that malposture is a pandemic condition. The effects of postural rehabilitation were also investigated. Postures improved in all the subjects over a period of twelve weeks, with a more vertical body alignment the most obvious change. Postural rehabilitation has physical and psychological consequences. This was demonstrated by improvement in posture and increased body awareness, a decrease in the tendency to become fatigued, an decrease in back and neck stiffness and improvement in mental attitudes. Postural training in general could therefore be profitable for both body and mind, and an appreciation of good posture and its resulting efficiency represents the best kind of preventative medicine. Postural training should have a place in both Education and Health. / Thesis (D Phil (HMS))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Arts, Languages and Human Movement Studies Education / Unrestricted

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore methods for generating neuroplastic changes in healthy individuals using transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) and perturbation-based training in order to improve balance performance. This was done to gain an understanding of their effects on healthy individuals, which could then be used in designing treatments for both healthy and motor-impaired subjects. Three studies were undertaken. First, we set out to show that the Robotic Upright Stand Trainer (RobUST) could generate improvements in balance after perturbation balance training (PBT). In this same study, we showed that the assist-as-needed support of RobUST generates postural control improvements. Balance performance metrics including (i) margin of stability (MOS), (ii) metrics based on the center of pressure (COP) and center of mass (COM) excursions, (iii) postural muscle activations, (iv) balance strategy selection (between ankle and hip strategies) were used in this study. Electromyographic data were also collected from 11 subjects who participated in this study. Subjects were split into a RobUST assisted group (FF) and a non-assisted group (NF). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out to identify the main effects of the two factors, i.e., training and grouping. We also studied the interaction effects between the two factors in the performance variables. After training, the threshold of the forces that destabilize balance increased for all participants. In addition, the area within which they could withstand perturbations without falling also increased. Muscle activation decreased in most muscles for subjects in both groups indicating that subjects improved balance while demonstrating more energetically efficient strategies. The post-training behavior of the two groups differed in the following way: the NF group adapted towards faster reactions to perturbations, greater use of the hip strategy, and more use of the erector spinae muscle, while the FF group adapted towards slower responses and less MOS. These results show that although balance adaptations with RobUST-assisted PBT are not the same as without RobUST, it is still a platform capable of improving balance performance. Second, the effect of TSCS as a means of boosting neuroplasticity and a replacement for epidural stimulation were tested. Eight subjects were given TSCS for 30 mins while lying supine, and their neurophysiological and balance performance measures were tested before and after the intervention. T-tests were used to assess the difference in performance, and it was found that TSCS caused hypopolarisation of the sensory neurons, which increased the synaptic efficacy of sensory afferent–motoneuron synapses. This change was evidenced by increased H-reflex recovery and a leftward shift of the H-reflex recruitment curve. No improvement in fall frequency was observed, although balance adjustments were made that reduced muscle activity. This experiment showed that TSCS could be used to modulate the excitability of the spinal cord in healthy subjects. Third, TSCS was combined with a training intervention in order to study how these two sources of plasticity interact. TSCS was applied to eleven subjects while they underwent a training intervention in which they played a game in virtual reality (VR) while their balance was perturbed by forces applied by RobUST. Balance characteristics were measured both with and without TSCS, before and after the intervention. It was found that TSCS initially caused an increase in muscle activity and an increase in fall frequency for perturbations in the forward direction. With more practice, though, muscle activity decreased. It was postulated that the CNS adjusted to the initial elevated levels of muscle activity caused by TSCS by suppressing muscle activity in order to ensure successful motor control. These results suggest that TSCS can be used to elevate the resting potential of neurons in the dorsal (close to the back of the body) root, making them more easily excited by cortical signals. These changes induced by TSCS can be beneficial to spinal cord injury patients.

Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Various ways exist whereby balance abilities of the individual can be assessed. However, most of these are subjective methods. This thesis strives to demonstrate the effectiveness of a new device, the Dorsiflexometer that can be used to objectively assess one’s balance abilities. The Dorsiflexometer was constructed and mathematically modelled using appropriate simplifying assumptions. After its construction, the Dorsiflexometer was tested using two experimental set-ups to obtain raw data. Both these set-ups consisted of the two tiltable platforms equipped with three load cells each, the bridge amplifiers and the personal computer (PC). The only difference in the two experimental set-ups is in the type of test that was performed as well as the bridge amplifiers used. Numerous parameters, such as the radius of movement and the Lyapunov number can be extracted from the raw data. A computer program was written to analyse the raw data and present the results in a user-friendly manner. A new parameter, the Sway Index, was used to obtain a single balance value for the tested individual. This parameter proved useful in quantifying balance. An advanced patent search was carried out before the device was constructed. This was necessary to provisionally patent the device – official application number: 2003/6702.

Thesis (MSportwet)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Proprioception is generally defined as the sense of position and movement of the limbs. The sense arises through activity in sensory neurons located in skin, muscles and joint tissues. Joint proprioception provides the neurological feedback needed for the control of muscle actions, and serves as protection against excessive strain on passive joints. The rationale for this study was that if proprioception improves, functional balance will improve. Improvements in functional balance will contribute to improvements in functional skills. An improvement in functional skills can decrease dependence on others, which in turn w\could increase quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a proprioceptive training programme, using only low technology apparatus, on the proprioception and functional balance of older adults. Twenty-five older adults (M = 73.1 years) were assigned to either a control (n = 10) or intervention group (n = 15). The Berg Balance Scale was used for assessment of the functional balance of the participants, while the Harrison’s Recovery Test was used to assess proprioception. The intervention group was placed on an eight-week proprioceptive training programme consisting of three, twenty-minute sessions a week. Using paired and unpaired t-tests for the statistical analysis, significant improvements were observed in the intervention group for both proprioception and functional balance (p<0.05). It was concluded that the proprioception and functional balance of older adults could be significantly improved with a proprioceptive programme using only low technology apparatus. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Propriosepsie kan gedefinieer word as die liggaam se vermoë om die posisie en die beweging van die afsonderlike liggaamsdele waar te neem. Dit vind plaas deur die registrering van die aktiwiteit van sensoriese neurone wat in die vel, spiere en die sagte weefsel van die gewrigte is. Die neurologiese terugvoer wat noodsaaklik is vir die doeltreffende beheer van spieraksies, is afkomstig van die proprioreseptore in die gewrigte. Dit is as gevolg van hierdie neurologiese terugvoer, dat propriosepsie dien as beskermingsmeganisme teen oormatige stremming op die liggaam se gewrigte. Die beginsel van hierdie studie was dat as propriosepsie verbeter, dit sal lei tot verbeteringe in funksionele balans. Verbetering in funksionele balans sal weer lei tot verbeteringe in funksionele vaardighede. Dit is heel moontlik dat verbetering in funksionele vaardighede ‘n persoon minder afhanklik sal maak van ander. Hoe meer onafhanklik ‘n mens van ander is hoe beter is jou lewenskwaliteit, aangesien jy baie meer dinge kan ervaar en doen. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of ‘n propriosepsie inoefenings program, wat slegs van lae tegnologiese apparaat gebruik maak, suksesvol gebruik kan word om die propriosepsie en ook die funksionele balans van ouer volwassenes te verbeter. Vyfen- twintig ouer volwassenes (M = 73.1 jaar) het deelgeneem aan die studie en was òf deel van die kontrole group (n = 10) òf van die oefen groep (n = 15). Funksionele balans is gemeet deur van die “Berg Balance Scale” gebruik te maak, terwyl die “Harrison’s Recovery Test” gebruik is om propriosepsie te meet. Die oefengroup het deelgeneem aan ‘n propriosepsie oefenprogram wat bestaan het uit drie, oefensessies van twintig minute elk vir ag weke. Gepaarde en ongepaarde t-toetse is gebruik gedurende die statistiese analise. Die resultate was statisties betekenisvol vir beide die propriosepsie en die funksionele balans van die oefen groep (p<0.05). Die studie het getoon dat die propriosepsie en funksionele balans van ouer volwassenes statisties betekenisvol verbeter kan word deur middel van ‘n inoefeningsprogram vir die verbetering van propriosepsie waar slegs van lae tegnologiese apparaat gebruik maak word.