[Purpose] This study aimed to determine the effect of forward head posture-improving exercises on rounded shoulder posture when employing the self-stretch exercise, the McKenzie exercise, and the Kendall exercise as intervention methods based on previous studies that reported negative effects of unbalanced posture and musculoskeletal problems on forward head posture and rounded shoulder posture. [Subjects and Methods] The selected 28 subjects were randomly assigned into the McKenzie exercise group (n=9), the self-stretch exercise group (n=10), and the Kendall exercise group (n=9). To compare the forward head posture, the craniovertebral angle was used. To measure the rounded shoulder posture, the scapular index was used. [Results] There were significant differences in the craniovertebral angle and scapular index within the groups and no significant differences between the groups. [Conclusion] The result of this study showed that all interventions increased the craniovertebral angle and the scapular index, which revealed that the applied exercises had a positive effect on forward head posture and rounded shoulder posture.

Forward head posture (FHP) is the most common postural deviation of the upper back. It is believed to be one of the predisposing factors for the development of mechanical neck pain (MNP). We propose doing a systematic review to find the effectiveness of interventions targeted on FHP with MNP and assess implementation fidelity associated with these interventions.

Neuroimaging is ubiquitous; however, neuroimagers seldom investigate the putative impact of posture on brain activity. Whereas participants in most psychological experiments sit upright, many prominent neuroimaging techniques (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)) require participants to lie supine. Such postural discrepancies may hold important implications for brain function in general and for fMRI in particular. We directly investigated the effect of posture on spontaneous brain dynamics by recording scalp electrical activity in four orthostatic conditions (lying supine, inclined at 45°, sitting upright, and standing erect). Here we show that upright versus supine posture increases widespread high-frequency oscillatory activity. Our electroencephalographic findings highlight the importance of posture as a determinant in neuroimaging. When generalizing supine imaging results to ecological human cognition, therefore, cognitive neuroscientists would benefit from considering the influence of posture on brain dynamics.

In two experiments with large samples of participants, we explored contextual memory effects associated with body posture, which was considered a physical and proprioceptive context and, therefore, potentially relevant to the encoding and retrieval of information. In Experiment 1 (N = 128), we studied the effect of context dependence on memory by manipulating the body posture adopted by the participants during the incidental encoding and subsequent recall of a series of action sentences not intrinsically associated with particular body postures (e.g., "to put on a pair of glasses", "to look at a postcard"). Memory performance was not affected by context manipulation, as reflected by the absence of significant differences between remembering while in the posture adopted at study or in a different posture. Experiment 2 (N = 85) was designed to analyze context congruency memory effects, and for that purpose we manipulated the participants' body posture during the recall of sentences that described actions usually performed in body postures that were congruent or incongruent with the posture of the participants (e.g., recalling the sentence "to travel by taxi" while sitting or while standing). A content-neutral posture (lying) was used for the incidental encoding phase. Memory performance was not affected by contextual congruency at the time of recall, as evidenced by the lack of significant differences between recalling in a posture congruent with the content to be recalled and recalling in an alternative posture. Bayesian analyses supported the strength of null findings in the two experiments, adding to the evidence that, when taken together, the results in this study clearly failed to show contextual memory effects of body posture on the recall of action-related verbal statements.

Feedback control of functional neuromuscular stimulation has the potential to improve daily function for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) by enhancing seated stability. Our fully implanted networked neuroprosthesis (NNP) can provide real-time feedback signals for controlling the trunk through accelerometers embedded in modules distributed throughout the trunk. Typically, inertial sensors are aligned with the relevant body segment. However, NNP implanted modules are placed according to surgical constraints and their precise locations and orientations are generally unknown. We have developed a method for calibrating multiple randomly oriented accelerometers and fusing their signals into a measure of trunk orientation. Six accelerometers were externally attached in random orientations to the trunks of six individuals with SCI. Calibration with an optical motion capture system resulted in RMSE below 5° and correlation coefficients above 0.97. Calibration with a handheld goniometer resulted in RMSE of 7° and correlation coefficients above 0.93. Our method can obtain trunk orientation from a network of sensors without a priori knowledge of their relationships to the body anatomical axes. The results of this study will be invaluable in the design of feedback control systems for stabilizing the trunk of individuals with SCI in combination with the NNP implanted technology.

Screening tests for body posture defects and abnormalities conducted over the past several decades have revealed a significant and constantly increasing problem of health risks in children. A sedentary lifestyle, which is considered to be the primary cause, can result in proprioceptive disorders leading to postural instability. The aim of the study was to find the correlation between the level of proprioceptive control and the number of postural disorders. The study involved a representative group of 1090 children aged 8-10 years, from randomly selected primary schools. Subjects who scored from 1 to 5 points in a prior postural screening test were qualified for the examination of the postural control system. The examination of the postural control system was carried out using an electronic station enabling assessment of postural stability and proprioception. A single leg stance test showed that the number of postural disorders does not significantly impact proprioceptive control. Proprioceptive control was found to significantly increase with the age of the children, and girls presented significantly better proprioceptive control in relation to the boys in each age group.

Syncope is a common and often benign disorder presenting at the pediatric emergency department. Long-QT syndrome may be presented with syncope, ventricular arrhythmias or sudden death and is vital to exclude as an underlying cause in children presented with syncope. Few studies have assessed QTc in relation to body posture in children. In this study, we assessed the QTc interval while laying down and during active standing in children with known long-QT syndrome compared to healthy controls.

Many experiments have documented the response of intraocular pressure (IOP) to postural change. External forces caused by gravitational orientation change produce a dynamic response that is encountered every day during normal activities. Tilting the body at a small downward angle is also relevant to studying the effects of hypogravity (spaceflight), including ocular changes. We examined data from 36 independent datasets from 30 articles on IOP response to postural change, representing a total population of 821 subjects (≥1173 eyes) with widely varying initial and final postures. We confirmed that IOP was well predicted by a simple quantity, namely the hydrostatic pressure at the level of the eye, although the dependence was complex (nonlinear). Our results show that posturally induced IOP change can be explained by hydrostatic forcing plus an autoregulatory contribution that is dependent on hydrostatic effects. This study represents data from thousands of IOP measurements and provides insight for future studies that consider postural change in relation to ocular physiology, intraocular pressure, ocular blood flow and aqueous humor dynamics.

[Purpose] The visual system is one of the sensory systems that enables the body to assess and process information about the external environment. In the absence of vision, a blind person loses contact with the outside world and develops faulty motor patterns, which results in postural deficiencies. However, literature regarding the development of such deficiencies is limited. The aim of this study was to discuss the effect of absence of vision on posture, the possible biomechanics behind the resulting postural deficiencies, and strategies to correct and prevent them. [Subjects and Methods] Various electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, and Google scholar were examined using the words "body", "posture", "blind" and "absence of vision". References in the retrieved articles were also examined for cross-references. The search was limited to articles in the English language. [Results] A total of 74 papers were shortlisted for this review, most of which dated back to the 1950s and 60s. [Conclusion] Blind people exhibit consistent musculoskeletal deformities. Absence of vision leads to numerous abnormal sensory and motor interactions that often limit blind people in isolation. Rehabilitation of the blind is a multidisciplinary task. Specialists from different fields need to diagnose and treat the deficiencies of the blind together as a team. Before restoring the normal mechanics of posture and gait, the missing link with the external world should be reestablished.

Evidence regarding the effect of a face-down posture (FDP) for large idiopathic macular hole (IMH) is inconsistent. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether a postoperative FDP is required for the treatment of large IMH. Eligible randomized controlled trials published before September 2021 were retrieved from the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. The efficacy outcome was the IMH closure rate and the visual acuity improvement rate. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. The "Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation" approach was implemented, and the numbers needed-to-treat (NNTs) were calculated. Seven studies comprising 640 patients were included. We performed a predefined subgroup analysis of IMH size using a cut-off point of 400 µm. Compared with non-FDP, a significant effect of FDP was found in the IMH > 400 µm group (OR = 3.34; 95% CI = 1.57-7.14; trial sequential analysis-adjusted CI = 1.20-11.58; NNTs = 7.9). After stratifying by the posturing periods, the beneficial effect of FDP lasting at least five days, but not three days was observed for large IMH. Maintaining a FDP for at least five days postoperatively is an effective strategy (certainty of evidence: "moderate") for treating large IMH.

Terror birds (Aves, Phorusrhacidae) comprise the most outstanding group of South American Cenozoic avifauna, and have been considered dominant predators. Terrestrial habits were inferred using the reduction of their forelimbs and high body mass. Phorusrhacids were considered functionally tridactyl with three relatively short digits II-IV and a small, elevated digit I. The function of the ungual phalanges of digit II have been debated, including the utility of the ungual for retention or stabbing of prey. Incomplete or lack of preservation of foot bones have hampered understanding of the evolution and diversification of Phorusrhacidae. Here we show the first known and well-preserved footprints of Phorusrhacidae with a didactyl posture, which are named Rionegrina pozosaladensis igen. et isp. nov. These footprints yield unprecedented information on the locomotor habits of the group. The finding implies that medium-sized, Late Miocene (~ 8 Ma) phorusrhacids developed strong cursorial adaptations; achieved through reduction of digit II, raised metatarso-phalangeal pad, main body support in a large and thick digit III, and digit IV as outrigger. Raised and long claw of digit II was probably used in pining of prey. Phorusrhacid footprints differ from the Early Cretaceous didactyl footprints of deinonychosaurian dinosaur affinity by its larger size and strong mesaxony.

No abstract available

Since the ability to train the horse to be ambidextrous is considered highly desirable, rider asymmetry is recognized as a negative trait. Acquired postural and functional asymmetry can originate from numerous anatomical regions, so it is difficult to suggest if any is developed due to riding. The aim of this study was therefore to assess symmetry of posture, strength and flexibility in a large population of riders and to determine whether typical traits exist due to riding. 127 right handed riders from the UK and USA were categorized according to years riding (in 20 year increments) and their competition level (using affiliated test levels). Leg length, grip strength and spinal posture were measured and recorded by a physiotherapist. Standing and sitting posture and trunk flexibility were measured with 3-D motion capture technology. Right-left differences were explored in relation to years riding and rider competitive experience. Significant anatomical asymmetry was found for the difference in standing acromion process height for a competition level (-0.07±1.50 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.02±1.31 cm Novice; 0.43±1.27 cm Elementary+; p=0.048) and for sitting iliac crest height for years riding (-0.23±1.36 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.01±1.50 cm Novice; 0.86±0.41 cm Elementary+; p=0.021). For functional asymmetry, a significant interaction was found for lateral bending ROM for years riding x competition level (p=0.047). The demands on dressage riders competing at higher levels may predispose these riders to a higher risk of developing asymmetry and potentially chronic back pain rather than improving their symmetry.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is characterized by repeated episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep.

The concept of kinematic chains has been systematically applied to biological systems since the 1950s. The course of a ski jump can be characterized as a change between closed and open kinematic chains. The purpose of this study was to determine a relationship between adjacent segments within the ski jumper's body's kinematic chain during the in-run phase of the ski jump. The in-run positions of 267 elite male ski jumpers who participated in the FIS World Cup events in Innsbruck, Austria, between 1992 and 2001 were analyzed (656 jumps). Two-dimensional (2-D) kinematic data were collected from the bodies of the subjects. Relationships between adjacent segments of the kinematic chain in the ski jumper's body at the in-run position are greater nearer the chain's ground contact. The coefficient of determination between the ankle and knee joint angles is 0.67. Changes in the segments' positions in the kinematic chain of the ski jumper's body are stable during longitudinal assessment. Changes in shank and thigh positions, in the sense of increase or decrease, are the same.

Different visual stimuli have been shown to recruit different mental imagery strategies. However the role of specific visual stimuli properties related to body context and posture in mental imagery is still under debate. Aiming to dissociate the behavioural correlates of mental processing of visual stimuli characterized by different body context, in the present study we investigated whether the mental rotation of stimuli showing either hands as attached to a body (hands-on-body) or not (hands-only), would be based on different mechanisms. We further examined the effects of postural changes on the mental rotation of both stimuli. Thirty healthy volunteers verbally judged the laterality of rotated hands-only and hands-on-body stimuli presented from the dorsum- or the palm-view, while positioning their hands on their knees (front postural condition) or behind their back (back postural condition). Mental rotation of hands-only, but not of hands-on-body, was modulated by the stimulus view and orientation. Additionally, only the hands-only stimuli were mentally rotated at different speeds according to the postural conditions. This indicates that different stimulus-related mechanisms are recruited in mental rotation by changing the bodily context in which a particular body part is presented. The present data suggest that, with respect to hands-only, mental rotation of hands-on-body is less dependent on biomechanical constraints and proprioceptive input. We interpret our results as evidence for preferential processing of visual- rather than kinesthetic-based mechanisms during mental transformation of hands-on-body and hands-only, respectively.

Cerebellar dysfunction leads to postural instability. Recent work in freely moving rodents has transformed investigations of cerebellar contributions to posture. However, the combined complexity of terrestrial locomotion and the rodent cerebellum motivate development of new approaches to perturb cerebellar function in simpler vertebrates. Here, we used a powerful chemogenetic tool (TRPV1/capsaicin) to define the role of Purkinje cells - the output neurons of the cerebellar cortex - as larval zebrafish swam freely in depth. We achieved both bidirectional control (activation and ablation) of Purkinje cells while performing quantitative high-throughput assessment of posture and locomotion. Activation disrupted postural control in the pitch (nose-up/nose-down) axis. Similarly, ablations disrupted pitch-axis posture and fin-body coordination responsible for climbs. Postural disruption was more pronounced in older larvae, offering a window into emergent roles for the developing cerebellum in the control of posture. Finally, we found that activity in Purkinje cells could individually and collectively encode tilt direction, a key feature of postural control neurons. Our findings delineate an expected role for the cerebellum in postural control and vestibular sensation in larval zebrafish, establishing the validity of TRPV1/capsaicin-mediated perturbations in a simple, genetically-tractable vertebrate. Moreover, by comparing the contributions of Purkinje cell ablations to posture in time, we uncover signatures of emerging cerebellar control of posture across early development. This work takes a major step towards understanding an ancestral role of the cerebellum in regulating postural maturation.

An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is an electronic device that measures and track the orientation of a body. We conducted this study in accordance with the STARD guidelines to evaluate the accuracy of IMU (index test) for measuring head posture compared to the current gold standard using a cervical range of motion (CROM) device. The reproducibility of the hunter and mirror-guided head posture was also evaluated. In vitro and in vivo tests were carried out to assess the validity of the IMU. To assess reproducibility, thirty healthy young adults were asked to look at four different locations in two different sessions while the head posture was recorded. Excellent correlation (r = 0.99; p < 0.001) was found between the IMU and CROM device with an absolute mean difference of 0.45° ± 0.58° (p = 0.85) for the in vitro test and 0.88° ± 1.20° (p = 0.99) for the in vivo test. For the reproducibility test, moderate to good correlation coefficients were found (r = 0.55 to 0.89; all p < 0.05) between the two sessions. The intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from moderate to excellent reliability (ICC from 0.74 to 0.96). These results suggest that the IMU sensors, when calibrated correctly, can be adequate to analyze head posture.

Cervical dystonia (CD) is a focal dystonia characterized by sensorimotor integration abnormalities and proprioceptive dysfunction. Since proprioception is essential for bodily awareness, we hypothesized that CD patients may have an impairment in dystonic posture awareness. More information on this issue could be useful to better understand whether dystonic posture affects bodily perception in CD and could help in the development of specific rehabilitation strategies based on proprioceptive input manipulation to restore bodily awareness.

The aim of this study was to design a new canine posture estimation system specifically for working dogs. The system was composed of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) that are commercially available, and a supervised learning algorithm which was developed for different behaviours. Three IMUs, each containing a 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, were attached to the dogs' chest, back, and neck. To build and test the model, data were collected during a video-recorded behaviour test where the trainee assistance dogs performed static postures (standing, sitting, lying down) and dynamic activities (walking, body shake). Advanced feature extraction techniques were employed for the first time in this field, including statistical, temporal, and spectral methods. The most important features for posture prediction were chosen using Select K Best with ANOVA F-value. The individual contributions of each IMU, sensor, and feature type were analysed using Select K Best scores and Random Forest feature importance. Results showed that the back and chest IMUs were more important than the neck IMU, and the accelerometers were more important than the gyroscopes. The addition of IMUs to the chest and back of dog harnesses is recommended to improve performance. Additionally, statistical and temporal feature domains were more important than spectral feature domains. Three novel cascade arrangements of Random Forest and Isolation Forest were fitted to the dataset. The best classifier achieved an f1-macro of 0.83 and an f1-weighted of 0.90 for the prediction of the five postures, demonstrating a better performance than previous studies. These results were attributed to the data collection methodology (number of subjects and observations, multiple IMUs, use of common working dog breeds) and novel machine learning techniques (advanced feature extraction, feature selection and modelling arrangements) employed. The dataset and code used are publicly available on Mendeley Data and GitHub, respectively.