Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-55)

Thesis (M.S.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-47).

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-55). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Theses (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains viii, 37 pages. Includes curriculum vitae. Bibliography: p. 16-18.

Thesis (M.S.)--Western Washington University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-56). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Western Washington University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-56).

Abstract Human motor performance and motor skills are essential aspects of various daily activities, and their importance is especially great in traffic, sports and unexpected situations. There is evidence that physically active subjects have better performance in some motor tasks (e.g. reaction time) than less active ones, and a few longitudinal intervention studies have shown that training improves certain aspects of motor performance, but there are also contradictory results. Despite the difficulty of improving motor performance, many physiotherapy programs and treatments are expected to do precisely that. However, the previous literature contains little information on these issues. The aim of the present doctoral project was to examine human motor performance (reaction time, speed of movement, tapping speed and coordination) and the effects of some of the most commonly used physiotherapy treatments on it in normal healthy volunteers. In addition, the reliability of the motor performance measurements performed with the HPM/BEP system is presented. Study I was a cross-sectional study of the population of Oulu, where 200 healthy randomly selected subjects (100 men and 100 women aged 21–70 years) were stratified by gender and by ten-year age group into ten groups. The test battery consisted of six motor performance tests for both hands and feet. The studies II, III and V were non-controlled intervention studies, and study IV was a cross-over intervention study. The participants in the studies were healthy, voluntary staff members (n = 14–30) of the Oulu University Hospital, and the interventions between the measurements consisted of strapping of the ankle and wrist joints (study II), hot and cold pack treatments of the hand (study III), one-hour hand strength training session (study IV) and a ten -week hand strength training program (study V). The results showed that motor performance was poorer in the older age groups in both genders. The average speed of movement and tapping speed values were higher for men than for women, but there were no gender differences in the coordination tests or the hand reaction time tests. All values (except the hand reaction times) were better for the dominant than the nondominant side. The strapping of the ankle and wrist joints decreased some aspects of the motor performance and muscle strength of these joints in healthy subjects. The hot pack treatment of healthy subjects caused only minor changes in the motor performance of the treated area, while the cold pack treatment decreased almost all of the measured aspects, and these changes were especially notable in fine motor movements. A one-hour hand strength training session decreased acutely muscle strength and EMG activity, but muscle fatigue had no effects on the motor performance functions of the hand. It seems that the feeling of incompetence to perform speed and accurate movements with fatigued muscles is mainly a subjective feeling, and that the real effect of muscle fatigue on motor performance is less than generally expected. A ten-week hand strength training period increased muscle strength and EMG activity in the trained muscles. There was also a suggestion that even non-task-specific training may improve some aspects of the motor performance of the hand, and an increase in the activation of motor units during muscle contraction may improve motor performance in some motor tasks. In addition, the results indicated that the HPM / BEP system is a potentially useful tool for studying motor performance, and the reliability of the system is acceptable.

The main purpose of this study was to observe the changes in muscular strength and endurance of the extensor muscles of the hand after the arm had been exposed to electrical stimulation. Twenty-four university students were chosen for this study. The subjects were divided into three groups of eight,, attempting to make each group homogeneous with respect to their Maximal Voluntary Iscitetric Contraction of the extensor muscles of the hand. All subjects were trained with the hand at 150 degrees with respect to the forearm (Position 1) . Group 1 (ES) received five minutes of electrical stimulation to the dorsal surface of the forearm each weekday for a four week period. The placement of the electrodes were at the musculotendonous area of the extensor muscles of the hand. The intensity of the faradic stimulation was just below the subjects pain threshold. Each contraction elicited by the electrical stimulation was for a duration of 880 msec, and the relaxation between each contraction was 1030 msec. Group 2 (VI) performed four sets of eight Maximal Voluntary Contractions, where each contraction was held for a duration of two seconds. Training took place on the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week for a four week duration. Group 3 (ES+VIj performed the training of Groups 1 and 2 for four weeks. Subjects were tested for their Maximal Voluntary Contraction in both Position 1 and Position 2 (180 degrees with respect to the forearm). Endurance was calculated on the subjects fatigue curve. The time in seconds to 65% of their MVC (for each testing period) was used as a measure of their relative endurance. The testing of strength and endurance was done before any training took place, after two weeks of training, and at the duration of the four week period. Significant strength gains occurred in all three groups between the Pre test and Mid-Post in Position 1 and Position 2. During the Mid-Post training period only the ES+VI group had significant strength gains in Position 1; whereas in Position 2 both the ES and ES+VI groups yielded significant strength gains. It was illustrated that individual strength gains in the ES and VI groups were not additive in either position tested, and that one training method is not significantly better than another when observing mean strength gains over time. During the four week training period the endurance of the muscles did not alter significantly when locking at the mean of all three groups. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

No description available.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic)--Durban University of Technology, 2008 / The core stability, club head velocity and ball carry in golfers with and without low back pain – a comparative study. Objective: The aims of this study was to establish whether an observable difference exists in the abdominal core stability of two comparable groups of golfers: one asymptomatic and the other suffering from low back pain, and whether an observable reduction of performance, expressed as club head velocity and ball carry can be observed in those with low back pain. First Objective was to differentiate the groups at baseline with respect to core stability strength between asymptomatic golfers and golfers suffering from low back pain. Whereas the Second Objective was to establish whether a relationship exists between abdominal core stability, CHV and ball carry in the two population groups under study. Following the above the Third Objective was to establish which other factors besides core stability strength have an effect on CHV and ball carry. And lastly the Fourth Objective was to establish the correlation between CHV and ball carry. Design: A comparative study was carried out between the two sample groups. A sample of forty patients were selected for this study, where twenty patients were asymptomatic and had no current episode of low back pain and were able to maintain a core contraction; and the other twenty patients low back pain and could not maintain a core contraction. Because the patients presented in a random manner, the patients were matched as close as possible according to age, so as to have better comparative value between the groups (the maximum age difference of a year was instituted). This allowed for comparisons among similar ages, with the difference being their low back pain and core contraction status. Outcome Measure: Each golfer was required to hit 5 balls using a standard club (in this study, a standard driver was used), after which an average value v was calculated for CHV and ball carry. All measurements were carried out using the Flightscope Pro machine at the Durban Pro Shop. Results: Core stability and low back pain did not influence CHV. However there was a non significant trend which indicated higher ball carry in the group with better core stability and no low back pain than in the group with low back pain and poor core stability. Increasing age and handicap reduced the CHV and ball carry values significantly. Ball carry and CHV were positively correlated together in both groups.