BRAIN. Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience
Introduction: Functional rehabilitation of foot-drop syndrome due to lumbar disc herniation it is... more Introduction: Functional rehabilitation of foot-drop syndrome due to lumbar disc herniation it is a problem that concerns many researchers. Study objective was to investigate if specialized manual therapy techniques and functional electrical stimulation alone and combined can influence the overall neuromotor outcome. Methods: 90 subjects were randomized to 3 groups, 30 subjects allocated to control group (CG) which received physical therapy, 30 subjects in functional electrical stimulation group (FES) and 30 subjects in combined FES with manual therapy techniques (FES-MT). All groups received a number of 20 sessions. We evaluated nerve conduction study, dynamometry, goniometry, functional ankle disability index (FADI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Results: For Compound muscle action potential we have found significant modifications when comparing FES-MT vs CG (p<0.011). For dynamometry we registered as follows: FES-MT vs CG (0.0001), FES-MT vs F...
Background (1): Men’s football is a physically demanding contact sport that involves intermittent... more Background (1): Men’s football is a physically demanding contact sport that involves intermittent bouts of sprinting, jogging, walking, jumping and changes of direction. The physical demands of the game vary by level of play (amateur club, sub-elite and open club or international), but injury rates at all levels of the men’s football game remain the highest of all sports. Objective: The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of data from the epidemiological literature regarding the profile, severity and mechanisms of injuries and the frequency of recurrent injuries in professional and amateur football players. Methods (2): A systematic review, according to PRISMA guidelines, was performed up to June 2023 in the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Google academic, Google scholar and the Diva portal. Twenty-seven studies that reported data on the type, severity, recurrence and mechanisms of injury in professional and amateur men’s football were selected and analyzed. Two...
Biomarkers have emerged as valuable tools in the realm of elite sports, providing objective measu... more Biomarkers have emerged as valuable tools in the realm of elite sports, providing objective measures of athletes' physiological responses and potential for performance optimization. This article review delves into the significance and implications of biomarkers in elite sports, emphasizing their crucial role in supporting athletes' training, recovery, and overall success. The integration of biomarkers offers unprecedented opportunities for evidence-based decisions, personalized strategies, and injury prevention, revolutionizing the landscape of elite sports. Through comprehensive literature review and analysis, this article highlights the tremendous promise of biomarkers in optimizing athletic performance while also addressing the ethical considerations surrounding their implementation. As research continues to advance, biomarkers are poised to reshape the future of elite sports, enhancing performance and paving the way for the next generation of sporting legends.
Background (1): Football is the most popular sport among men, associated with a certain risk of i... more Background (1): Football is the most popular sport among men, associated with a certain risk of injury, which leads to short- and long-term health consequences. While the injury profile of professional footballers is known, little is known about the injury profile of amateur footballers; amateur football is a major and diverse area, the development of which should be a priority for football associations around the world and UEFA. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of epidemiological literature data on injuries in professional and amateur football players belonging to certain leagues. Methods (2): A systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines was performed until June 2023 in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, Google Academic, Google Scholar, and Diva portal. Forty-six studies reporting injury incidence in professional and amateur men’s football were selected and analyzed. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality using an ...
Nerve-transfer surgery is the treatment of choice for traumatic brachial plexus injuries (tBPIs).... more Nerve-transfer surgery is the treatment of choice for traumatic brachial plexus injuries (tBPIs). Combined electromyography (EMG) follow-ups and results obtained by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may provide useful follow-up of rehabilitation outcomes of elbow flexion in C5-C7 tBPIs. A total of 11 patients with complex tBPIs, operated by the Oberlin surgical technique, were assessed clinically (British Medical Research Council’s score—MRC) and by EMG + TMS after undergoing neuromuscular electrical stimulation and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Dynamometer quantitative muscle strength (DQMS) was also assessed for overall grip strength evaluation. Six patients continued rehabilitation three times a week, whereas five patients did not follow recommendations for continuous physical therapy (PT). All patients were assessed after 6 months as planned. Following a 6-month PT protocol, clinical improvements correlated with decreases of the Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) la...
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in various processes, including brain plasticity, le... more The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in various processes, including brain plasticity, learning and memory, neuronal development, nociception, inflammation, appetite regulation, digestion, metabolism, energy balance, motility, and regulation of stress and emotions. Physical exercise (PE) is considered a valuable non-pharmacological therapy that is an immediately available and cost-effective method with a lot of health benefits, one of them being the activation of the endogenous cannabinoids. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are generated as a response to high-intensity activities and can act as short-term circuit breakers, generating antinociceptive responses for a short and variable period of time. A runner’s high is an ephemeral feeling some sport practitioners experience during endurance activities, such as running. The release of eCBs during sustained physical exercise appears to be involved in triggering this phenomenon. The last decades have been characterized by an increased i...
Oxidative stress is induced by tobacco smoking and is also associated with exposure to air pollut... more Oxidative stress is induced by tobacco smoking and is also associated with exposure to air pollution, which are two of the most important risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to correlate tobacco use and exposure to air pollution with oxidative stress markers useful in clinical practice in patients with COPD. A total of 102 patients were included and the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), malondialdehyde, uric acid and number of packs-years (PY) were determined. Also, six different ratios were used to assess the source of exposure. The results obtained in this study show an admission of pollutants according to smoking status (former smokers/smoker/non-smokers) quantified in average total concentrations for the group of patients with COPD of 4.12 ng/mL, 6.76 ng/mL, 6.04 ng/mL. The six ratios used show that in COPD, the content of PAHs in the blood could be a result of diesel emissions and fuel combustion. Uric acid l...
Background: Static and dynamic balance are factors of major importance in the manifestation of hu... more Background: Static and dynamic balance are factors of major importance in the manifestation of human motor skills at a higher level. Purpose: The determination of vari-ations in the performance of balance tests for young women students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (48 cases in the 1st year of bachelor's degree), divided and analyzed 3 BMI levels (underweight / 7 cases, normal weight / 34 cases and overweight / 7 cases) and comparing these results with other similar research. Material and method: The testing of the group was scheduled at the Research Center for Human Performance, be-longing to the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports in Galați, in the month of April of the 2018-2019 academic year. For the assessment of balance, 7 tests were used, of which 4 associated with dynamic postural stability (Walk and turn field sobriety test/errors, Func-tional reach test/cm, Fukuda test/degrees of rotation, Bass test/ points) and 3 measuring static stability (Flam...
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common public health problems which cannot be cured ... more Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common public health problems which cannot be cured and ultimately leads to disability. Current management is largely limited to the treatment of the symptoms. To avoid the late stages of KOA that lead to knee replacement, the key point is to control and reduce destructive processes using efficient pharmacological products combined with physiotherapy (PT). Herein, we perform a monocentric observational study to compare the effect of combining a multi-modal physiotherapy regime and intra-articular (IA) injection with hyaluronic acid (HA) on the non-surgical treatment of KOA. Patients with mild KOA were randomly assigned to two groups to receive an HA injection with PT or an HA injection only. The assessment tools for pain, clinical disease severity, and disability were the total score on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) (scores range from 0 to 96, with higher scores indicating worse pain, function,...
Managing cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19 remains a global challenge due ... more Managing cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19 remains a global challenge due to the facets of this virus. The technologies used in the rehabilitation of post-COVID-19 patients fail to keep pace with the global epidemiological developments. The purpose of this article is to review the medical technologies used in post-COVID-19 cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and the innovations that have allowed us to adapt and care for our patients. The pandemic highlighted the need for seismic changes in diagnostic and rehabilitation paradigms. We discuss advances in telemedicine and telemedicine-based rehabilitation, remote patient monitoring and emerging technologies used in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. The rapid adoption of modern technologies in the practice of post-COVID-19 cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is promising and can improve patients’ access to complex rehabilitation programs with outstanding results.
Leisure activities, their dynamics in ontogenesis and the way of managing the time allocated to t... more Leisure activities, their dynamics in ontogenesis and the way of managing the time allocated to them are a topic that is frequently researched. Purpose: to investigate students' attitudes, aiming at aspects related to forms of leisure, depending on specialization and level of physical activism, by applying a questionnaire. Material and method: The research took place in the academic year 2019-2020, on a number of 180 students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports in Galați. The differences for the pairs of independent specialty variables (PES / physical education and sport and PT / physical therapy), respectively physical activity (HLPA / high level of physical activity, and LLPA / low level of physical activity were analyzed, by applying the techniques of MANOVA and ANOVA calculation. Results: Multivariate analysis indicates significant effects of the physical activity variable on the items of the questionnaire for leisure budget factors, preferred leisure activities,...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
A sense of balance is required in sports activities, conditioning the quality of movements and ph... more A sense of balance is required in sports activities, conditioning the quality of movements and physical performance. (1) The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of gender and the specificity of sports activities on body balance. The investigated participants are 157 students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports/Bachelor’s degree: 109 men (age = 20.49 ± 2.03, body mass index, BMI = 22.96 ± 3.20), and 48 women (age = 20.21 ± 1.51, BMI = 21.05 ± 2.78). (2) Design: Cross-sectional study, with the definition of the variables gender and sport activity with three stages (non-athletes/NA, team sports games/TSG, and individual sports/IS). The evaluation was based on four dynamic balance tests (Bass test/points, Functional reach test/cm, Fukuda test/degrees of rotation, and Walk and turn field sobriety test/errors) and three static balance tests (Flamingo test/falls, Stork test, and One-leg standing test with eyes closed/s). (3) Results: The variance analysis (mult...
Introduction: COVID-19 was the turning point of 2020, endangering the health of the entire popula... more Introduction: COVID-19 was the turning point of 2020, endangering the health of the entire population around the world. Among other therapeutic methods and supportive measures, physiotherapy represents a useful intervention applied on COVID-19 patients suffering from respiratory symptoms, this being supported by recent literature data. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on 45 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (28 men, 17 women, mean age = 65.03, standard deviation = 14.83). They participated for 2 weeks (the required period of hospitalization) to a series of 14 physiotherapy sessions, which included: position changing, respiratory control, passive joint movements, bed workout, and walking exercises. Depending on the status of the patient, two distinct types of physiotherapy were performed (mild and active). The status of the patients was assessed through a basic assessment of the vital signs, range of motion, degree of dyspnea, and also through the UZ Leuven Start To Move...
2021 International Conference on e-Health and Bioengineering (EHB), 2021
In this paper an evaluation method for neuromotor rehabilitation level is proposed. The method is... more In this paper an evaluation method for neuromotor rehabilitation level is proposed. The method is completely non-invasive, based on the analysis of video sequences in which the patient performs certain relevant activities. In the first step, the position of the patient who is walking in the frontal plane is estimated in all frames of the video sequence using a pre-trained VGGNet convolutional neural network. Then, the joint angles between the body segments are computed. In this approach, the patient's condition is assessed by studying the variation of angles between the leg segments during movement. A statistic was made for these angles and the appearance of abnormal values by their number and amplitude indicates either the level of recovery or the presence of locomotion injuries. The method was applied for a reduced number of cases, but the work is still in progress and many improvements can be made.
BRAIN. Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience
Introduction: Functional rehabilitation of foot-drop syndrome due to lumbar disc herniation it is... more Introduction: Functional rehabilitation of foot-drop syndrome due to lumbar disc herniation it is a problem that concerns many researchers. Study objective was to investigate if specialized manual therapy techniques and functional electrical stimulation alone and combined can influence the overall neuromotor outcome. Methods: 90 subjects were randomized to 3 groups, 30 subjects allocated to control group (CG) which received physical therapy, 30 subjects in functional electrical stimulation group (FES) and 30 subjects in combined FES with manual therapy techniques (FES-MT). All groups received a number of 20 sessions. We evaluated nerve conduction study, dynamometry, goniometry, functional ankle disability index (FADI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Results: For Compound muscle action potential we have found significant modifications when comparing FES-MT vs CG (p<0.011). For dynamometry we registered as follows: FES-MT vs CG (0.0001), FES-MT vs F...
Background (1): Men’s football is a physically demanding contact sport that involves intermittent... more Background (1): Men’s football is a physically demanding contact sport that involves intermittent bouts of sprinting, jogging, walking, jumping and changes of direction. The physical demands of the game vary by level of play (amateur club, sub-elite and open club or international), but injury rates at all levels of the men’s football game remain the highest of all sports. Objective: The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of data from the epidemiological literature regarding the profile, severity and mechanisms of injuries and the frequency of recurrent injuries in professional and amateur football players. Methods (2): A systematic review, according to PRISMA guidelines, was performed up to June 2023 in the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Google academic, Google scholar and the Diva portal. Twenty-seven studies that reported data on the type, severity, recurrence and mechanisms of injury in professional and amateur men’s football were selected and analyzed. Two...
Biomarkers have emerged as valuable tools in the realm of elite sports, providing objective measu... more Biomarkers have emerged as valuable tools in the realm of elite sports, providing objective measures of athletes' physiological responses and potential for performance optimization. This article review delves into the significance and implications of biomarkers in elite sports, emphasizing their crucial role in supporting athletes' training, recovery, and overall success. The integration of biomarkers offers unprecedented opportunities for evidence-based decisions, personalized strategies, and injury prevention, revolutionizing the landscape of elite sports. Through comprehensive literature review and analysis, this article highlights the tremendous promise of biomarkers in optimizing athletic performance while also addressing the ethical considerations surrounding their implementation. As research continues to advance, biomarkers are poised to reshape the future of elite sports, enhancing performance and paving the way for the next generation of sporting legends.
Background (1): Football is the most popular sport among men, associated with a certain risk of i... more Background (1): Football is the most popular sport among men, associated with a certain risk of injury, which leads to short- and long-term health consequences. While the injury profile of professional footballers is known, little is known about the injury profile of amateur footballers; amateur football is a major and diverse area, the development of which should be a priority for football associations around the world and UEFA. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of epidemiological literature data on injuries in professional and amateur football players belonging to certain leagues. Methods (2): A systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines was performed until June 2023 in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, Google Academic, Google Scholar, and Diva portal. Forty-six studies reporting injury incidence in professional and amateur men’s football were selected and analyzed. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality using an ...
Nerve-transfer surgery is the treatment of choice for traumatic brachial plexus injuries (tBPIs).... more Nerve-transfer surgery is the treatment of choice for traumatic brachial plexus injuries (tBPIs). Combined electromyography (EMG) follow-ups and results obtained by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may provide useful follow-up of rehabilitation outcomes of elbow flexion in C5-C7 tBPIs. A total of 11 patients with complex tBPIs, operated by the Oberlin surgical technique, were assessed clinically (British Medical Research Council’s score—MRC) and by EMG + TMS after undergoing neuromuscular electrical stimulation and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Dynamometer quantitative muscle strength (DQMS) was also assessed for overall grip strength evaluation. Six patients continued rehabilitation three times a week, whereas five patients did not follow recommendations for continuous physical therapy (PT). All patients were assessed after 6 months as planned. Following a 6-month PT protocol, clinical improvements correlated with decreases of the Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) la...
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in various processes, including brain plasticity, le... more The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in various processes, including brain plasticity, learning and memory, neuronal development, nociception, inflammation, appetite regulation, digestion, metabolism, energy balance, motility, and regulation of stress and emotions. Physical exercise (PE) is considered a valuable non-pharmacological therapy that is an immediately available and cost-effective method with a lot of health benefits, one of them being the activation of the endogenous cannabinoids. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are generated as a response to high-intensity activities and can act as short-term circuit breakers, generating antinociceptive responses for a short and variable period of time. A runner’s high is an ephemeral feeling some sport practitioners experience during endurance activities, such as running. The release of eCBs during sustained physical exercise appears to be involved in triggering this phenomenon. The last decades have been characterized by an increased i...
Oxidative stress is induced by tobacco smoking and is also associated with exposure to air pollut... more Oxidative stress is induced by tobacco smoking and is also associated with exposure to air pollution, which are two of the most important risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to correlate tobacco use and exposure to air pollution with oxidative stress markers useful in clinical practice in patients with COPD. A total of 102 patients were included and the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), malondialdehyde, uric acid and number of packs-years (PY) were determined. Also, six different ratios were used to assess the source of exposure. The results obtained in this study show an admission of pollutants according to smoking status (former smokers/smoker/non-smokers) quantified in average total concentrations for the group of patients with COPD of 4.12 ng/mL, 6.76 ng/mL, 6.04 ng/mL. The six ratios used show that in COPD, the content of PAHs in the blood could be a result of diesel emissions and fuel combustion. Uric acid l...
Background: Static and dynamic balance are factors of major importance in the manifestation of hu... more Background: Static and dynamic balance are factors of major importance in the manifestation of human motor skills at a higher level. Purpose: The determination of vari-ations in the performance of balance tests for young women students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (48 cases in the 1st year of bachelor's degree), divided and analyzed 3 BMI levels (underweight / 7 cases, normal weight / 34 cases and overweight / 7 cases) and comparing these results with other similar research. Material and method: The testing of the group was scheduled at the Research Center for Human Performance, be-longing to the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports in Galați, in the month of April of the 2018-2019 academic year. For the assessment of balance, 7 tests were used, of which 4 associated with dynamic postural stability (Walk and turn field sobriety test/errors, Func-tional reach test/cm, Fukuda test/degrees of rotation, Bass test/ points) and 3 measuring static stability (Flam...
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common public health problems which cannot be cured ... more Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common public health problems which cannot be cured and ultimately leads to disability. Current management is largely limited to the treatment of the symptoms. To avoid the late stages of KOA that lead to knee replacement, the key point is to control and reduce destructive processes using efficient pharmacological products combined with physiotherapy (PT). Herein, we perform a monocentric observational study to compare the effect of combining a multi-modal physiotherapy regime and intra-articular (IA) injection with hyaluronic acid (HA) on the non-surgical treatment of KOA. Patients with mild KOA were randomly assigned to two groups to receive an HA injection with PT or an HA injection only. The assessment tools for pain, clinical disease severity, and disability were the total score on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) (scores range from 0 to 96, with higher scores indicating worse pain, function,...
Managing cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19 remains a global challenge due ... more Managing cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19 remains a global challenge due to the facets of this virus. The technologies used in the rehabilitation of post-COVID-19 patients fail to keep pace with the global epidemiological developments. The purpose of this article is to review the medical technologies used in post-COVID-19 cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and the innovations that have allowed us to adapt and care for our patients. The pandemic highlighted the need for seismic changes in diagnostic and rehabilitation paradigms. We discuss advances in telemedicine and telemedicine-based rehabilitation, remote patient monitoring and emerging technologies used in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. The rapid adoption of modern technologies in the practice of post-COVID-19 cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is promising and can improve patients’ access to complex rehabilitation programs with outstanding results.
Leisure activities, their dynamics in ontogenesis and the way of managing the time allocated to t... more Leisure activities, their dynamics in ontogenesis and the way of managing the time allocated to them are a topic that is frequently researched. Purpose: to investigate students' attitudes, aiming at aspects related to forms of leisure, depending on specialization and level of physical activism, by applying a questionnaire. Material and method: The research took place in the academic year 2019-2020, on a number of 180 students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports in Galați. The differences for the pairs of independent specialty variables (PES / physical education and sport and PT / physical therapy), respectively physical activity (HLPA / high level of physical activity, and LLPA / low level of physical activity were analyzed, by applying the techniques of MANOVA and ANOVA calculation. Results: Multivariate analysis indicates significant effects of the physical activity variable on the items of the questionnaire for leisure budget factors, preferred leisure activities,...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
A sense of balance is required in sports activities, conditioning the quality of movements and ph... more A sense of balance is required in sports activities, conditioning the quality of movements and physical performance. (1) The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of gender and the specificity of sports activities on body balance. The investigated participants are 157 students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports/Bachelor’s degree: 109 men (age = 20.49 ± 2.03, body mass index, BMI = 22.96 ± 3.20), and 48 women (age = 20.21 ± 1.51, BMI = 21.05 ± 2.78). (2) Design: Cross-sectional study, with the definition of the variables gender and sport activity with three stages (non-athletes/NA, team sports games/TSG, and individual sports/IS). The evaluation was based on four dynamic balance tests (Bass test/points, Functional reach test/cm, Fukuda test/degrees of rotation, and Walk and turn field sobriety test/errors) and three static balance tests (Flamingo test/falls, Stork test, and One-leg standing test with eyes closed/s). (3) Results: The variance analysis (mult...
Introduction: COVID-19 was the turning point of 2020, endangering the health of the entire popula... more Introduction: COVID-19 was the turning point of 2020, endangering the health of the entire population around the world. Among other therapeutic methods and supportive measures, physiotherapy represents a useful intervention applied on COVID-19 patients suffering from respiratory symptoms, this being supported by recent literature data. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on 45 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (28 men, 17 women, mean age = 65.03, standard deviation = 14.83). They participated for 2 weeks (the required period of hospitalization) to a series of 14 physiotherapy sessions, which included: position changing, respiratory control, passive joint movements, bed workout, and walking exercises. Depending on the status of the patient, two distinct types of physiotherapy were performed (mild and active). The status of the patients was assessed through a basic assessment of the vital signs, range of motion, degree of dyspnea, and also through the UZ Leuven Start To Move...
2021 International Conference on e-Health and Bioengineering (EHB), 2021
In this paper an evaluation method for neuromotor rehabilitation level is proposed. The method is... more In this paper an evaluation method for neuromotor rehabilitation level is proposed. The method is completely non-invasive, based on the analysis of video sequences in which the patient performs certain relevant activities. In the first step, the position of the patient who is walking in the frontal plane is estimated in all frames of the video sequence using a pre-trained VGGNet convolutional neural network. Then, the joint angles between the body segments are computed. In this approach, the patient's condition is assessed by studying the variation of angles between the leg segments during movement. A statistic was made for these angles and the appearance of abnormal values by their number and amplitude indicates either the level of recovery or the presence of locomotion injuries. The method was applied for a reduced number of cases, but the work is still in progress and many improvements can be made.
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