Ana Lucia Cervi Prado

Thoroughly Approach to Upper Limb Rehabilitation Using Serious Games for Intensive Group Physical Therapy or Individual Biofeedback Training

Several studies have shown that game-based rehabilitation is a viable option to improve the treatment of patients with physical disabilities. Even though many games are built focusing on rehabilitation, the majority does not present a broad study about the right approach on the many types of existing conditions and also the physiological and medical implications of this games in the patients treatments. The actual level of integration between Unity and the body-tracking device supported by Microsoft Kinect, has provided a solid tool to build a serious game focusing the rehabilitation paradigm. This work presents the steps and foundation regarding the subject to build a serious game with focus in rehabilitation of the upper limb, more specifically of those patients with hemiplegia or hemiparesis, with the use of biofeedback analysis to evaluate the patients development. It also shows the possibility of the multiplayer perspective into the rehabilitation treatment to help with the learning phase and bring motivation to the gaming experience.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels are Lower in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Relation with Manganese-dependent Superoxide Dismutase ALA16VAL Single Nucleotide Polymorphism through Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Caspases Pathways

The manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) Ala16Val single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has shown to be associated to risk factors of vascular diseases. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) plays an essential role in the plasticity and neuronal regeneration of the brain after vascular injuries. However, little is known about interaction between MnSOD Ala16Val SNP on stroke, a frequent neurologic disease that involves various interacting pathways, such as vascular dysfunctions, inflammation, and neurotrophic factors. In this sense, the objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between MnSOD Ala16Val SNP with BDNF levels on stroke and also its influence on nitrosative stress, inflammatory, apoptotic, and DNA damage parameters. For this, 88 subjects were investigated, 44 subjects poststroke and 44 healthy controls. Questionnaires were applied to clinical characteristics and after laboratorial exams were collected. We analyzed levels of oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammatory, apoptotic, and DNA damage markers. We showed a higher proportion of VV genotype in poststroke as compared to healthy subjects. Nitrite/nitrate, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Caspase 3 (CASP 3) and 8 (CASP 8) activation, Acethylcholinesterase (AChE), and Picogreen levels were higher in VV poststroke group, as well as BDNF and ACh levels were lower in VV and AV poststroke. We may suggest that V allele carries a worse outcome profile after stroke, relating to nitrosative stress, inflammatory, and apoptotic response. These events associated to a BDNF reduction, probably, contribute to the appearance or reincidence of stroke.

Investigation of the cardiovascular risk profile in a south Brazilian city: surveys from 2012 to 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular risk profile of the participants recruited from stroke awareness campaigns in Santa Maria RS, Brazil, from 2012 to 2016, using the simplified version of the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). Questionnaires were used to evaluate 1,061 participants from 20 to 74 years old. Data on cardiovascular risk factors were obtained. The prevalence of risk factors and mean FRS for men and women were estimated. The FRS for women was 11.8% (moderate risk) and 24.7% for men (high risk). The vascular age for women was 61.6 years, whereas the vascular age for men was 66 years. Two percent of women had hypertension and diabetes, while both these risk factors were present in 5% of men. Based on the data, the prevalence of stroke risk factors is worrisome, as are the numbers of individuals with moderate and high cardiovascular risk in Santa Maria.

Projeto Semana Nacional do Cérebro: uma proposta neurocientífica

A Semana Nacional do Cerebro e uma campanha global de divulgacao dos avancos resultantes do estudo do cerebro. O objetivo dessa proposta foi sensibilizar os escolares de Santa Maria sobre a importância do cerebro. Os escolares foram questionados acerca de conhecimentos basicos do cerebro; trocas de experiencias ocorreram e Capacetes de Cerebro foram confeccionados, promovendo-se o despertar da curiosidade sobre as neurociencias. O publico-alvo alcancado foi de cinco professores e mais de sessenta alunos; a avaliacao realizada mostrou que a escola julgou positiva a proposta, considerou-se satisfeita com os objetivos e aspirou a novas edicoes.

EFEITO DA ADIÇÃO DE CARGA NO TRONCO SOBRE A MARCHA DE UM SUJEITO COM ATAXIA

O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever as alteracoes sobre a cinematica da marcha apos a adicao de carga no tronco de um sujeito com ataxia. A avaliacao da marcha foi realizada sem e com o uso de colete (modelo A e B). Para a obtencao dos dados referentes as variaveis estudadas foi utilizado o sistema de cinemetria VICON Os principais resultados encontrados apontam que para a situacao com o colete A houve um menor tempo de apoio simples e um maior tempo de apoio duplo em comparacao a situacao sem colete. Ja em relacao a velocidade da marcha podemos notar que a velocidade foi maior na situacao com o colete B. Por outro lado na situacao sem colete o sujeito teve um comprimento de passo maior e uma largura do passo menor. Conclui-se que a adicao de carga no tronco da forma utilizada neste estudo nao se mostrou benefica para a marcha. Descritores: Marcha; Ataxia; Equipamentos de Autoajuda; Aparelhos Ortopedicos.

Physical therapy performance in the rehabilitation of survivors of the Kiss nightclub tragedy: an experience report

Introduction : As a result of a fire in the Kiss nightclub that occurred in the city of Santa Maria - RS, 242 people were killed, of whom 235 died on the day of the episode, asphyxiated by the inhalation of toxic smoke. Approximately 1,000 more were injured. Objective : To report the experience of a group of physical therapists, professors at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), in the rehabilitation of survivors of the fire, victims of burns and inhalation injury. Materials and methods : Quantitative and qualitative study, in which an evaluation protocol of physical functional ability was designed to identify rehabilitation needs. Results : Two hundred seventy patients (147 men, mean age 26.72 ± 9.5 years) were examined, of which approximately 70% had some type of clinical modification or functional impairment that indicated the need for rehabilitation. The most prevalent respiratory signs and symptoms were: dry or productive cough (59.2%); abnormal respiratory pace (11.4%); fatigue (35.92%); dyspnea (17.7%); and chest pain (16.6%). Neurological symptoms such as persistent headache (88.51%), memory loss (11.4%), and paresthesia (8.1%) were also reported. Musculoskeletal injuries (14.7%) and extensive burns (8.8%) were also observed. One hundred and eighty-nine patients were referred to outpatient physical therapy and, of these, 22 still remain at the Outpatient Physical Therapy Unit of the University Hospital of (HUSM). Conclusions : Despite the vast professional experience of this group of physical therapists, the situations experienced were unique and unprecedented, both professionally and personally, and reinforced the importance of joining forces within an emergency care unit, as well as the importance of comprehensive and multi-professional outpatient monitoring.