There is limited evidence regarding the use of virtual reality (VR) and interactive video gaming for improving arm function because there are few such commercial devices and little relevant research. However, evidence of the greater effectiveness of upper extremity VR training over that of conventional therapy after stroke has recently grown due to the adoption of various therapeutic devices. VR applications are novel and potent technologies for upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke because the interface technologies, augmented reality technologies, and various sensorimotor feedback techniques are rapidly advancing. Going forward, VR technology should be designed to provide the possibility of intense functional repetitive practice for patients. The combination of VR with robotic devices, neuromodulation, mirror therapy, and telerehabilitation may synergistically improve upper extremity function after stroke. In severely injured patients, robotic interfaces should be considered, the level of difficulty should be fitted appropriately to the severity of the deficits, and the fact that it is difficult to train patients repeatedly and effectively in a real-world environment should be considered. Further research should be conducted on the application of VR programs in larger populations, VR involving various training paradigms, VR at different exercise levels, and the long-term sustained effects of VR. In addition, synergistically enhanced effects of combining other treatments and feedback paradigms with well-designed interfaces should be investigated.
Arm ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Rehabilitation* ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity*

The cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator(CUSA) has been used for the surgical removal of 26 cases of spinal intradural tumors. In 26 patients, total removal was possible in 77% and there was no neurological deterioration due to surgical removal using CUSA. 21 of 26 patients(84%) showed neurological improvement at long term follow-up examination. The cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator had advantages in the surgical removal of spinal intradural tumors, as follows:1) precise removal of tumor without excessive meahcnical manipulation of normal tissue;2) rapidity of action relative to the consistency of the tissue;3) direct visualization of the tissue being removed and good proprioceptive feedback for the surgeon;4) preservation of large vessel and very little bleeding;5) lack of thermal injury. The limitation of CUSA was obscuring of operation field by large and straight hand piece.
Feedback, Sensory ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Ultrasonics*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of self-postural control on foot pressure in subjects with forward head posture. METHODS: Forty-two healthy adults were recruited in this study. Participants were divided into two groups: The forward-head postural (FHP) group (craniovertebral angle<53°, n=22) and the control group (craniovertebral angle≥53°, n=20). In the FHP group, foot pressure was measured using three different standing postures: Comfortable standing posture (CSP), subjective neutral standing posture (SNSP), and neutral standing posture with visual feedback (NSP-VP). Each position was performed in random order. In the control group, foot pressure was measured only using the comfortable standing posture. RESULTS: With respect to CSP and SNSP, there was a significant difference on heel pressure between the two groups (p<0.05). Regarding NSP-VP, however, there was no significant differences on heel pressure between the two groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: We suggest that cervical posture control using visual feedback has a positive effect on the distribution of foot pressure in subjects with forward head posture.
Adult ; Feedback, Sensory* ; Foot* ; Head* ; Heel ; Humans ; Posture*

OBJECTIVE: To determine stability parameters in clinical balance tests and posturography that can assess age-related changes in posture control sensitively METHOD: Thirty nine healthy elderly people over 60 years old and twenty young controls were recruited. Elderly people were subdivided into 3 groups by age (aged 60~69, 70~79, over 80). Subjects were evaluated with clinical balance tests and posturography. In posturography, center of pressure (COP) parameters were obtained as total path distance, sway area, mean frequency of sway in comfortable standing. Visual feedback system (VFS) was added to posturography and then subjects were asked to move their COP into the target circle on monitor with active movement on force plate. In VFS, time to get in the circle, total path of deviation, time in the circle were measured. RESULTS: Time in the circle assessed by posturography with VFS showed significant difference between age groups (p<0.05). Significant correlations between time in the circle and clinical balance tests were also found (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: A posturography with VFS was considered to have clinical usefulness in sensitive evaluation of age-related change of balance control in healthy elderly people.
Aged* ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Postural Balance ; Posture

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of posture correction and real-time visual feedback using a video display on muscle activity and change of head position during overhead arm lift test in individuals with forward head posture. METHODS: Fifteen subjects with forward head posture and fifteen normal subjects who volunteered were included in this study. During both groups performed the overhead arm lift test, the muscle activity of the upper trapezius, serratus anterior, sternocleidomastoid, and lower trapezius muscle were measured using electromyography, and head position change was measured using photographs. Then, forward head posture group was asked to perform overhead arm lift test again after posture correction and real-time visual feedback using a video display respectively. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze four conditions: pre-test, posture correction, real-time visual feedback, and the control group. RESULTS: The upper trapezius and lower trapezius muscle activity significantly decreased posture correction, real-time visual feedback, and control group than pre-test of forward head posture group (p<0.05). The sternocleidomastoid muscle significantly decreased real-time visual feedback and control group than pre-test of forward head posture group. Head position change significantly decreased three conditions than pre-test of forward head posture group and real-time visual feedback and control group significantly decreased than posture correction. CONCLUSION: This study recommend for maintaining cervical stability during the overhead arm lift test, postural control using real-time visual feedback is more effective in subjects with forward head posture.
Arm ; Electromyography ; Feedback, Sensory ; Head ; Posture ; Superficial Back Muscles

Artificial prosthesis is an important tool to help amputees to gain or partially obtain abled human limb functions. Compared with traditional prosthesis which is only for decoration or merely has feedforward control channel, the perception and feedback function of prosthesis is an important guarantee for its normal use and self-safety. And this includes the information of position, force, texture, roughness, temperature and so on. This paper mainly summarizes the development and current status of artificial prostheses in the field of perception and feedback technology in recent years, which is derived from two aspects: the recognition way of perception signals and the feedback way of perception signals. Among the part of recognition way of perception signals, the current commonly adopted sensors related to perception information acquisition and their application status in prosthesis are overviewed. Additionally, from the aspects of force feedback stimulation, invasive/non-invasive electrical stimulation, and vibration stimulation, the feedback methods of perception signals are summarized and analyzed. Finally, some problems existing in the perception and feedback technology of artificial prosthesis are proposed, and their development trends are also prospected.
Amputees ; Artificial Limbs ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Prosthesis Design ; Prosthesis Implantation

As an important auxiliary tool for amputees to gain abled limb functions, prosthetic limbs with decoration or feedforward control channel could not meet the needs. In order to enable the prosthesis to deliver the information, includes temperature, pressure, position, shape and so on, a variety of sensory feedback methods have been integrated into the prosthesis. According to the position of the feedback terminal on the human body, the perceptual feedback systems include invasive and noninvasive sensory feedback. This review presents the research progress of these perceptual feedback techniques, and summarizes the problems in the application in artificial limbs. Finally, the development trend of sensory feedback technology in prostheses is prospected.
Amputees ; Artificial Limbs ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Prosthesis Design ; Technology

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of spinal stabilization exercises using visual feedback on the gross motor function and balance of the sitting posture in children with cerebral palsy.METHODS: The subjects were 18 children with cerebral palsy aged 8–15 years in the I–III stages of the Gross Motor Function Classification System. The subjects were divided into an experimental group (n=9) and control group (n=9). The experimental group was treated with 30 minutes of neurodevelopmental treatment and 20 minutes of spinal stabilization exercises using visual feedback. The control group was treated with 30 minutes of neurodevelopmental treatment and 20 minutes of spinal stabilization exercises without visual feedback. Both groups participated in the experiment twice a week for eight weeks. The Gross Motor Function Measurement was performed to evaluate the changes between pre- and the post-intervention in gross motor function. The Seated Limit of Stability Surface Area was measured to evaluate the changes in trunk balance.RESULTS: Both experimental and control groups showed a significant increase in the gross motor function and trunk balance (p<0.05). The experimental group showed a significant increase in gross motor function compared to the control group (p<0.05). The experimental group showed a significant increase in the dynamic trunk balance in all directions when measuring the Seated Limit of Stability Surface Area (p<0.05).CONCLUSION: Spinal stabilization exercises using visual feedback for the neurodevelopmental treatment of children with cerebral palsy can improve their gross motor function and trunk balance when in a sitting posture more effectively.
Cerebral Palsy ; Child ; Classification ; Exercise ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Posture

The purpose of this study was to help the women with stress urinary incontinence lead more comfortable life, by letting them to do pelvic muscle exercise and to learn by direct experience the effect that urinary incontinence is controlled. The research design was a one-group pretest-posttest design. The subjects were 16 middle-aged women(over 38) with stress urinary incontinence. The study was conducted from August 1, to October 11, 1999. Women trained themselves for muscular strength and endurance, every the other day for each exercise for six weeks at home(that means each exercise for more than three days a week) in the pelvic muscle exercise program which was developed by Dougherty et al., and filled out exercise participation card every week. They visited laboratory once a week to get visual feedback, by means of Perineometer, of how the pelvic muscle exercise was going on. Stress Urinary Incontinence Scale that Lee, Young-Sook revised and supplemented Hendrickson's original scale was used for measuring the frequency and situation scores of urinary incontinence, "30 minute pad test" was carried out for measuring the amount of urinary incontinence, and Perineometer was used for measuring maximum vaginal contraction pressure. Percentage, mean, standard deviation and Wilcoxon signed ranks test were used for data analysis by means of SPSS/PC+ WIN 9.0 program. The results were summarized as follows: The hypothesis 1 that after carrying out pelvic muscle exercise program on women with stress urinary incontinence, the weekly degree of urinary incontinence would reduce compared to before the exercise was supported. The hypothesis 1-1 that after carrying out pelvic muscle exercise program on women with stress urinary incontinence, the weekly frequency of urinary incontinence would reduce compared to before the exercise was supported (p=.003). The hypothesis 1-2 that after carrying out pelvic muscle exercise program on women with stress urinary incontinence, the situation scores of urinary incontinence would reduce compared to before the exercise was supported(p=.044). The hypothesis 2 that after carrying out pelvic muscle exercise program on women with stress urinary incontinence, the amount of urinary incontinence would reduce compared to before the exercise was supported(p=.001). The hypothesis 3 that after carrying out pelvic muscle exercise program on women with stress urinary incontinence, the maximum vaginal contraction pressure would increase compared to before the exercise was supported (p=.012). These results suggest that pelvic muscle exercise program has an effect on women with stress urinary incontinence in the degree and amount of urinary incontinence and maximum vaginal contraction pressure. So it is judged that training women with stress urinary incontinence for pelvic muscle exercise is an effective nursing intervention strategy in order to care urinary incontinence.
Feedback, Sensory ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Nursing ; Research Design ; Statistics as Topic ; Urinary Incontinence*

OBJECTIVE: To verify the influence of sour taste on swallowing and the presence of reflex cough when sour material was swallowed in patients with dysphagia secondary to brain injury. METHOD: Fifty dysphagic brain injury patients who underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) were recruited. The patients who had shown severe aspiration at 2 ml of liquid were excluded. The dysphagic patients were given 5 ml each of a sour tasting liquid (SOUR) and a thin liquid barium (LIQUID) in random order. An expert analyzed the result of VFSS by reviewing recorded videotapes. Analysis components consisted of the Penetration-Aspiration-Scale (PAS) score, oral transit time (OTT), pharyngeal transit time (PTT), pharyngeal delay time (PDT) and the reflex cough presence. RESULTS: The PAS score for SOUR was significantly lower than the one for LIQUID (p=0.03). The mean OTT for SOUR was significantly shortened compared to that for LIQUID (p=0.03). The mean PTT and PDT were also shortened in SOUR, although the differences were not statistically significant (p=0.26 and p=0.32, respectively). There was no significant difference between SOUR and LIQUID regarding the presence of reflex cough (p=1.00). CONCLUSION: The sour taste could enhance sensorimotor feedback in the oropharynx, thus lowering the chances of penetration-aspiration caused by shortening of the oropharyngeal passage times. There was no significant difference in the presence of reflex cough produced between LIQUID and SOUR.
Barium ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Cough ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Oropharynx ; Reflex ; Triazenes ; Videotape Recording