La respiration est une activité motrice autonome rythmique au cours de laquelle de nombreux muscles se contractent de manière coordonnée afin de produire des mouvements ventilatoires adaptés aux contraintes environnementales et aux exigences de l'organisme. Cette fonction vitale doit être fiable et adaptable à très court terme, c’est pourquoi elle est influencée, entre autres, par un grand nombre d’activités motrices. Par exemple, lors d’exercices physiques, le rythme respiratoire peut se coupler au rythme locomoteur. Les objectifs de ce travail doctoral sont centrés sur l’exploration des mécanismes neurogènes à la base du couplage entre ces deux fonctions motrices chez le rat nouveau-né. Pour une grande partie, cette étude a été réalisée sur préparation isolée in vitro de tronc cérébral-moelle épinière de rat nouveau-né (0 à 3 jours), ce modèle permettant de conserver dans leur intégrité les centres responsables des rythmes respiratoire et locomoteur. Compte tenu de l’accessibilité directe aux réseaux neuronaux, les mécanismes de couplage et d'entraînement respiratoire ont été abordés par des approches combinées électrophysiologique, neuroanatomique, pharmacologique et lésionnelle. Dans ce contexte, un des principaux résultats de ce travail doctoral est le rôle crucial joué par les informations sensorielles en provenance des membres antérieurs et postérieurs dans l'entraînement respiratoire observé lors de séquences locomotrices. Ainsi, les afférences proprioceptives spinales capables de réinitialiser et d'entraîner l’activité des centres respiratoires bulbaires via un relais pontique, établissent également des connexions sur l’ensemble des populations de motoneurones spinaux respiratoires phréniques, intercostaux et abdominaux. / Respiration is an autonomous rhythmic motor activity that requires the coordinated contractions of diverse muscles to produce ventilatory movements adapted to organismal needs. This crucial physiological function must be reliable and adaptable on a short-term basis, and requires coordianted movements with various other motor activities. For instance, respiratory rhythmicity becomes coupled to locomotion during physical exercise. My doctoral work aimed to explore the neurogenic mechanisms underlying the interactions between these two motor functions in the neonatal rat. This work was mainly conducted on isolated in vitro brain stem-spinal cord preparations of newborn rats (0-3 days), an experimental model that allows the maintenance of the still functional respiratory and locomotor CPGs in vitro. Due to the easy access to the neuronal networks in these preparations, locomotor-respiratory coupling and respiratory entrainment mechanisms were investigated by combined electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, pharmacological and lesional approaches. A major finding was the crucial played by sensory information from fore- and hindlimb in respiratory entrainment induced by locomotor rythmicity. Spinal sensory afferents can reset and entrain the activity of the medullary respiratory centres via a pontine relay, as well as making direct connections with the various spinal respiratory motoneuron (phrenic, intercostal and abdominal) populations.

Thesis name: The evaluating of the change of walking quality in dancers in comparison with the normal population Thesis goal: This thesis deals with effect of long-term ballet dance on kinematic parameters of gait. The theoretical part includes basic characteristics of gait cycle and kinesiological and biomechanical findings of ballet movement and its compensatory mechanisms in musculoskeletal system. There is analyzed angular parameters of gait cycle in ballet dancers in performance of walking in the experimental part. The results will show if the many-years intensive training of dance affects the alignment of particular joints of the body during human walk. Method: Kinematic analysis by Qualisys system allowing automatic processing of record obtained with infrared cameras. Qualisys uses its own high-frequency cameras for precise movement tracking of the measured object using active or passive markers. Gathered data from device were processed and statictically evaluated with Microsoft Office Excel. Keywords: gait, bipedal locomotion, dance, gait analysis, gait of dancers, ballet, kinematics analysis

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Author's first name and surname: Michaela Opálková Title of the master thesis: Evaluation of selective voluntary muscle control in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Impact on the severity of spasticity and gross motor function level. Department: Department of rehabilitation and sports medicine, Charles University in Prague, 2nd Faculty of Medicine Supervisor: doc. PaedDr. Pavel Kolář, PhD. The year of presentation: 2012 Abstract: This thesis should provide comprehensive information about pathophysiological mechanisms underlying spasticity and spastic movement disorder with special attention to children with cerebral palsy. Spasticity and selective voluntary motor control assessment possibilities will be summarized. Classification systems of the gross motor functions (levels of locomotion) are also mentioned. The main objective is to elaborate selective motor control ability scale (IP) which is newly proposed in this study. The need for such instrument and its feasibility for clinical practice intend to be confirmed. The level of locomotion of 25 children with spastic cerebral palsy is compared with IP outputs, spasticity measurement outputs using Ashworth scale respectively. Keywords: spasticity, selective voluntary motor control, locomotion, scale

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the influence of Vojta's reflex locomotion on the activity of the shoulder girdle's muscles with surface electromyography. We also observed the activity of some of the trunk's muscles. We tested phasic and support function of the upper extremity in several movements on 15 healthy people. It didn't bring many significant values. It could be caused by different sensitivities of the participants for the stimulation, the short time of the stimulation, individual motoric stereotypes or not so strongly expressed muscle dysbalantion within healthy individuals.

Title Gait Analysis in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review. Aim The role of spine is vital as a gait stabilizer. Gait analysis may provide a more holistic view of how the body behaves to idiopathic scoliosis among adolescents. The aim of this thesis is to review the effectiveness and validity of gait analysis in examining AIS, and secondly to assess how the gait of AIS patients differ from adolescents without scoliosis. Method A systematic review of the topic was conducted. Information was gathered from six e-databases, and seventeen articles were selected, of which seven focusing solely on AIS subjects (i.e. non-comparative) and ten were focusing on AIS in relation to control subjects (i.e. comparative). Results Spatio-temporal (STP), kinematic, kinetic and EMG parameters show significant changes in AIS subjects during walking. But variations between results, lack of data for certain parameters and no significant relationship between gait parameters and scoliosis was also seen. Furthermore, AIS subjects differ in performance compared to non-scoliosis adolescents in at least one gait parameter across all studies. This includes abnormalities in muscle activity, less economical use of the body, poorer performance in kinematic parameters and differences in STP such as step...

The majority of previous research investigating the role of vision in controlling adaptive gait has predominantly focused on over-ground walking or obstacle negotiation. Thus there is a paucity of literature investigating visuomotor control of step descent. This thesis addressed the importance of the lower visual field (lvf) in regulating step descent landing control, and determined when visual feedback is typically used in regulating landing control prior to/during step descent. When step descents were completed from a stationary starting position, with the lvf occluded or degraded, participants adapted their stepping strategy in a manner consistent with being uncertain regarding the precise location of the foot/lower leg relative to the floor. However, these changes in landing control under conditions of lvf occlusion were made without fundamentally altering stepping strategy. This suggests that participants were able to plan the general stepping strategy when only upper visual field cues were available. When lvf was occluded from either 2 or 1 step(s) prior to descending a step during on-going gait, stepping strategy was only affected when the lvf was occluded in the penultimate step. Findings suggest that lvf cues are acquired in the penultimate step/few seconds prior to descent and provide exproprioceptive information of the foot/lower leg relative to the floor which ensures landing is regulated with increased certainty. Findings also highlight the subtle role of online vision used in the latter portion of step descent to 'fine tune' landing control.

Background: Virtual Reality (VR) devices are becoming more and more common as game systems. Even though modern VR Head Mounted Displays (HMD) allow the user to walk in real life, it still limits the user to the space of the room they are playing in and the player will need virtual locomotion in games where the environment size exceeds that of the real life play area. Evaluations of multiple VR locomotion techniques have already been done, usually evaluating motion sickness or usability. A common theme in many of these is that the task is search based, in an environment with low focus on interaction. Therefore in this thesis, four VR locomotion techniques are evaluated in an environment with focus on interaction, to see if a difference exists and whether one technique is optimal. The VR locomotion techniques are: Arm-Swinging, Point-Tugging, Teleportation, and Trackpad. Objectives: A VR environment is created with focus on interaction in this thesis. In this environment the user has to grab and hold onto objects while using a locomotion technique. This study then evaluates which VR locomotion technique is preferred in the environment. This study also evaluates whether there is a difference in preference and motion sickness, in an environment with high focus in interaction compared to one with low focus. Methods: A user study was conducted with 15 participants. Every participant performed a task with every VR locomotion technique, which involved interaction. After each technique, the participant answered a simulator sickness questionnaire, and an overall usability questionnaire. Results: The results achieved in this thesis indicated that Arm-Swinging was the most enjoyed locomotion technique in the overall usability questionnaire. But it also showed that Teleportation had the best rating in tiredness and overwhelment. Teleportation also did not cause motion sickness, while the rest of the locomotion techniques did. Conclusions: As a conclusion, a difference can be seen for VR locomotion techniques between an environment with low focus on interaction, to an environment with high focus. This difference was seen in both the overall usability questionnaire and the motion sickness questionnaire. It was concluded that Arm-Swinging could be the most fitting VR locomotion technique for an interactive environment, however Teleportation could be more optimal for longer sessions.

A displasia coxofemoral é uma desordem do desenvolvimento da articulação coxofemoral canina, é uma das afecções ortopédicas mais usuais e acomete mais freqüentemente raças de grande porte. A análise objetiva da locomoção do cão através do sistema de baropodometria (Tekscan®) propicia informações sobre as forças de reação do solo que podem ser usadas para estudar membros com função normal e anormal. O objetivo deste presente estudo foi avaliar objetivamente a locomoção de cães displásicos e compará-la com a locomoção de cães normais. Para tanto foram formados 2 grupos, o grupo I composto por 10 cães hígidos das raças Rottweiler e Golden Retriever, após avaliação clínica e radiográfica, e o grupo II, formado por 20 animais adultos com evidência clínica e radiográfica de displasia coxofemoral, encaminhados ao Serviço de Cirurgia de Pequenos Animais do HOVET FMVZ/USP. Os animais foram conduzidos sobre a plataforma de baropodometria, ao passo, do lado esquerdo do condutor a uma velocidade constante, semelhante entre os 2 grupos. Foram registradas 20 passagens para a formação do banco de dados das forças máximas verticais, impulsos verticais, e tempo de apoio dos membros torácicos e pélvicos dos cães com DCF e o mesmo para cães hígidos. Cinco passagens válidas foram utilizadas para análise estatística. Entre os cães as forças foram normalizadas de acordo como o peso corpóreo e expressas em porcentagem (%) de peso corpóreo (%PC). A média de tempo de apoio para membros torácicos e pélvicos do grupo I foi de 0,442 segundos ±0,09, e de 0,437 segundos ± 0,088, respectivamente. Nos animais do grupo II os valores foram 0,482 segundos ±0,002 para membros torácicos e 0,451 segundos ±0,006 para membros pélvicos. No grupo I a força pico vertical (FPV) e Impulso Vertical (IV) para membros torácicos foram de 44,03%PC ± 4,7 e 12,52 %PC/s ± 4,04, respectivamente e de 27,87%PC ± 4,5 e 7,88 %PC/s ± 2,9 para membros pélvicos. No grupo II os valores da FPV e IV para membros torácicos foram de 44,04%PC ± 6,7 e 13,08%PC/s ± 4,5, respectivamente. Para membros pélvicos o valor da média da FPV foi de 21,75%PC ± 5,7 e o valor da média do IV foi de 6,3%PC/s ± 2,7. Quando foi realizada a comparação estatísitca entre os valores de tempo de apoio para membros torácicos e pélvicos, FPV e IV de membros torácicos e pélvicos entre o grupo I e o grupo II houve diferença significante (P=0.062) apenas nos valores da FPV de membros pélvicos, sendo menor em cães displásicos. Isso indica uma menor força de apoio nos membros pélvicos dos animais portadores de DCF, durante a locomoção. Com esses resultados formou-se um banco de dados de valores de cães displásicos conduzidos ao passo que poderá servir em futuras avaliações de vários modelos de tratamento para displasia coxofemoral. / Hip dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the coxofemoral joint. The disease is one of most common orthopedics diseases and it is more common in large breed dogs. The objective gait analysis of the dog with pressure walkway measurement systems provided information about ground reaction forces that is used to study limbs with normal and abnormal function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate objective gait analysis of the dog with hip dysplasia and to compare with healthy dogs locomotion. Prior to study the dogs were put in 2 groups. Group I - composed for 10 healthy dogs after clinical and radiographic evaluation. Group II -formed for 20 dogs with hip dysplasia determined on the basis of results of complete physical and radiographic evaluation of the hip joints. The dogs were examined at the Small Animal Surgery Service - HOVET - FMVZ/USP. The animals were handled across force platform, at the walk, on the left side of the handler, at a constant speed. Twenty trials were recorded to database formation of peak vertical forces (PVF), vertical impulses (VI) and stance phase of forelimbs and hind limbs of the dogs with hip dysplasia and the same to healthy dogs. Five valid trials were obtained for statistical analysis. Among dogs, ground reaction forces were normalized and expressed as percentage of body weight (%BW). The average of stance phase for forelimbs and hind limbs of group I was 0,442 s ± 0,09, e 0,437s ± 0,088, respectively. In group II the values were 0,482 s ± 0,002 for forelimbs and 0,450 s ± 0,006 for hind limbs. In group I, the peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) for forelimbs were 44,03%BW ± 4,7 and 12,52 %BW/s ± 4,04, respectively, and 27,87%BW ± 4,5 and 7,88 %BW/s ± 2,9 for hind limbs. In group II, the values of PVF and VI for forelimbs were 44,04%BW ± 6,7 e 13,08%BW/s ± 4,5,respectively. For hind limbs the average value of PVF 21,75%BW ± 5,7 and the average of VI was 6,3%BW/s ± 2,7. Peak vertical force was significantly decreased in hind limbs of group II when compared with group I (p=0.062). The other values of stance phase, PVF e VI for fore and hind limbs had no statistical difference. These values indicated decreased loading function in hind limbs of dogs with hip dysplasia, during the locomotion. The database of dogs with hip dysplasia, at the walk, was formed with these results and can be used in futures evaluations of various models of treatment for hip dysplasia.

A prática de atividade física, em especial a corrida de rua, vem atraindo bastante o interesse de idosos e a cada dia ganha mais adeptos com idade superior a 60 anos. Porém, o avanço da idade traz além de alterações estruturais, mudanças funcionais na coluna de idosos, o que pode influenciar o padrão de movimento do corpo durante a atividade esportiva. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar as diferenças nos movimentos da coluna, pelve e quadril entre idosos corredores e adultos jovens corredores durante a caminhada e a corrida e paralelamente observar se os movimentos da coluna teriam relação com a absorção de impacto durante a corrida. Realizou-se uma análise cinemática dos segmentos de interesse nas duas tarefas e a força reação do solo vertical foi mensurada na corrida em dois grupos, um formado por adultos jovens corredores (n = 22) e outro por idosos corredores (n = 21). Na caminhada, a principal diferença entre os grupos foi a menor extensão de quadril e a maior anteversão pélvica nos idosos. Na corrida a amplitude de movimento torácica nos idosos se mostrou menor e a amplitude de movimento lombar positivamente correlaciona ao pico de impacto com o solo. A extensão de quadril nos idosos também foi menor na corrida, porém não apresentou correlação com a anteversão pélvica. Este trabalho mostrou diferenças entre idosos e adultos corredores como resultados de déficits articulares dos idosos e ressaltou possíveis pontos de intervenção, como a extensão de quadril, extensão torácica e movimento da coluna lombar / Practice of physical activity, especially running, has been attracting the interest of elderly people and gains more adepts older than 60 years old each day. However, aging brings structural and functional alterations on the spine, and this can influence the movement pattern of the body during sport practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in spine, pelvis and hip movements between elderly runners and young adult runners during gait and running, and also to investigate the relationship between spine range of motion and impact absorption during running. Kinematic analysis of the segments of interest for both tasks was performed and the ground reaction force was measured during running for two groups, one formed by elderly runners (n=21) and the other formed by young adult runners (n=22). For gait, the main difference between the groups was the lesser hip extension and greater pelvic anterior tilt of the elderly. For running the thoracic range of motion of the elderly was lesser and the lumbar range of motion was positively correlated with the ground impact peak. The hip extension of the elderly was also lesser in running, but did not present correlation with the anterior pelvic tilt. This study showed differences between elderly and young adult runners as results of joint deficiencies of the elderly and directed treatment possibilities on the hip extension, thoracic extension and lumbar spine movement