Active clinical trials for "Somatosensory Disorders"

The optimisation of drug absorption through skin is of great value in modern therapy.Phonophoresis is the use of therapeutic ultrasound to increase percutaneous drug absorption. However,few studies have compared pulsed and continuous modes of therapeutic ultrasound.This study compared these two modes by investigating the effect of lidocaine phonophoresis on sensory blockade. Ninety-three healthy volunteers, assigned at random to one of three ultrasound groups:pulsed(ultrasound+lidocaine),continuous(ultrasound+lidocaine)and control(sham ultrasound+lidocaine). Lidocaine was administered transdermally using a transducer.Two point discrimination, touch and maximum pain thresholds were assessed before and after the intervention in each group. Pulsed ultrasound with topical lidocaine gel induced greater anaesthetic effect compared with continuous ultrasound with topical lidocaine gel and lidocaine application alone. The mechanical properties of pulsed ultrasound appear to be responsible for greater drug penetration.

Strength and proprioception exercises are used to improve the strength and unipodal balance of lower limbs in Taekwondo players. The moments of unipodal support in Taekwondo require a great demand that is necessary to adapt the athlete through the development of strength and proprioception. The main objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of strength work with elastic bands and balance exercises in increasing strength and unipodal proprioception in taekwondists aged 18 to 30 years. Randomized, single blind clinical study 30 taekwondists will be randomized to the two study groups: experimental (strength training and proprioception) and control (without intervention). The intervention will last 4 weeks, with 2 weekly sessions each session will be approximately 15 minutes each. The study variables will be: unipodal muscle strength (jump test), and lower limb balance (Y-Balance test). The sample distribution will be calculated using a Kolmogorov-Smmirnof analysis. The changes after each evaluation will be analyzed with the t-student test and with an ANOVA of repeated measures the intra and intersubject effect will be observed. The effect size will be calculated using Cohen's formula. After the training period it is intended to obtain improvement in the strength of the lower limbs, as well as an increase in balance during unipodal support during the execution of a movement.

Distal radius fracture is the most common upper extremity fracture with peak incidence among older women after the fifth decade of life. Proprioception is one constituent of a complex Sensory motor control process. Proprioception requires the reception and central integration of incoming afferent signals. Although various sensory and motor deficits have been correlated with significant functional impairment after wrist trauma, limited research exists on the effects of proprioception and multi sensory training after distal radius fracture.

This research focuses on the effects of rehabilitation on balance, in patients with acquired chronic demyelinating neuropathy. Rehabilitation will be performed with or without vision. It is planned to include 40 subjects consulting for walking instability related to sensitivity disorders. This multicenter study will take place in Paris's area. Each participant will benefit from 20 rehabilitation sessions with a Physical Therapist and 3 assessments. Thanks to randomization, patient will be allocated in one of the 2 following groups: Control group, Patients will benefit from balance rehabilitation with open eyes. Experimental group, they will perform the same exercises while keeping their eyes closed or their vision will be obstructed by a mask or disturbed by moving luminous dots projected on the environment in darkness.

Background: Several studies have indicated that infants who had undergone postnatal painful procedures appear to be hypersensitive to pain, with a lower threshold to tactile stimulations later on life. Objective: To study the effect of early exposure to pain on cerebral somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) response to thermal stimulation (550C), in preterm and full term born adolescents (15-18 years old), who have undergone painful procedures during their neonatal period. As well as to study the effect of early exposure to thermal and tactile sensory thresholds and pain thresholds to thermal and tactile stimuli, by using the TSA and von Frey hairs. Design: Case-control study. Participants: Four groups of 20 adolescents (aged 15-18 years), two of which are full term and preterm-born who were exposed to painful procedures during the neonatal period. The other two groups are term and preterm-born adolescents who were not exposed to such procedures. Main Outcome Measures: Cerebral SEP response (P300, Medoc Ltd., Israel) to thermal stimulation (550C). Warm-sensation threshold (WST), heat-pain threshold (HPT), Cold sensation threshold (CST) and cold pain threshold (CPT) by using Thermal sensory analyzer (TSA-2001,Medoc Ltd., Israel). Pain threshold to tactile stimulation will be measured by using Von-Frey hairs.

Summary Muscle fatigue is a serious problem commonly occur in older ages. Muscle fatigue disturbs both daily life activities and rehabilitation tolerance in elderlies. Muscle fatigue happens due to the motor or sensory dysfunctions. The previous interventions focused mainly on the motor causes of muscle fatigue, however the important role of the sensory system in driving the motor system. It has been demonstrated that proprioceptors are mainly responsible for sensing the muscle fatigue. Objectives: This study will be conducted to investigate 1. The effect of proprioception training on reducing the occurrence of muscle fatigue in elderlies. 2. The effect of proprioceptive training on delaying the deterioration in electromyographical data from muscles of lower limbs.

Hypotheses The investigators hypothesize that among individuals who suffer from panic disorder there is higher incidence of co-morbid balance impairment than in the healthy population. The investigators hypothesize that the treatment of panic disorder, through the treatment of co-morbid balance impairment using virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy environment, is more effective than the exposure to still pictures from the same scene in VR without balance challenge or comparing to standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of panic disorder. Rationale This research relies on previous studies, which have shown mutuality between anxiety and balance impairment, even if only sub-clinical. The VR-based training environment enables multi-sensorial stimulus in a dynamic interactively changing setting. With the addition of a cognitive task (dual task distracting the fear), the investigators can add cognitive load and therefore challenge the control of balance even more. Individuals who suffer from balance impairment avoid their exposure to many balance-challenging situations - a fact that may increase their anxiety. The investigators assume that a considerable number of PD individuals also experience balance control impairments - mostly subclinical ones. Moreover, balance impairment accompanies other psychiatric disorders, though not enough literature exists on the subject.

Self paring study, double blind placebo controlled with chronic tinnitus patients attended at the Tinnitus Research Group HC- FMUSP, complaining of neck and/or cervical pain and with myofascial trigger point in the head, neck and/or shoulder. They were submitted to a complete otolaryngologist evaluation which included history, physical examination and myofascial trigger point checkup. Patients also performed blood tests, tonal and vocal audiometry, and psychoacoustic tinnitus measures. Self paring study, double blind placebo controlled. Each patient will be subjected to the dry needling placebo, 4 sessions, 1 per week, with placebo stretching, followed by washout period of two weeks, and 4 more dry needling therapeutic sessions and active stretching. On the first day of the study will be conducted the following evaluation: questionnaires THI and NDI, quantification of cervical pain and tinnitus through the Visual analogue scale (VAS), search and confirmation of the presence of PGM and cervical pain, psychoacoustic measures and somatic tests. This evaluation will be repeated at the end of the four placebo sessions, at the beginning of therapeutic needling sessions and at the end of the same.

The osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and degenerative disease which brings articular cartilage degeneration. As a consequence, balance and proprioception could be dangerously reduced after total knee arthroplasty. Several studies demonstrated the correlation between OA, proprioception reduction and increased risk of falling. The aim of this study is to evaluate the proprioception improvement in patients with total knee arthroplasty.

Persons with HIV can present vestibular system impairments, affecting postural stability. There is scarce literature related to the contribution of the visual and somatosensory systems in maintaining postural stability in persons with HIV. The purpose of this study is to describe the sensory systems used to maintain postural stability and how the sources of sensory information contributes to postural stability in asymptomatic persons with HIV. Postural stability was measured in 20 asymptomatic persons with HIV (11 male, 9 female, aged 43 ± 8 years). Static postural stability was evaluated during eight conditions that perturbed the visual, somatosensory and vestibular inputs. A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare center of pressure (COP), antero-posterior displacement (APD) and right-left displacement (RLD) on stable and unstable surface and to characterize each balance sensory system. There was a significant difference in the COP and APD of eyes open condition compared to the remaining conditions on stable surface. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the COP, APD and RLD for the eyes open on a foam surface compared to the remaining conditions on an unstable surface. Postural instability can be detected in asymptomatic persons with HIV under challenging conditions, previous to the evident appearance of balance impairments.