The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the anthropometric factors of height, body mass, body mass index and postural balance and to compare the balance indices between genders in the upright standing position, in healthy adult subjects under conditions of instability. Forty individuals were subjected to functional tests of body stability using the Biodex Balance Sy...

INTRODUCTION Subjects with sensorial losses present balance deficits. Although such condition is often observed among elderly, there is discussion concerning the dependence on sensorial information for body sway control in the elderly without sensorial losses. PURPOSE We investigated the effects of foot sensitivity manipulation on postural control during upright standing in young adults and i...

The ability to stand upright and walk is generally taken for granted, yet control of balance utilizes many processes involving the neuromuscular and sensory systems. As we age, balance function begins to decline and can become problematic for many older adults. In particular, adults 65 years of age and older exhibit a higher incidence of falls than younger adults, and falls are a leading cause ...

Potassium has been shown to suppress plasma renin activity (PRA). This study was designed to study the role of increased aldosterone production in the mediation of such a response. Five patients with adrenal insufficiency were placed on a diet of 60 meq potassium and 100-150 meq of sodium while receiving a constant amount of cortisone acetate and Florinef. Upright PRA was determined each day fo...

Aging is associated with a shift from an automatic to a more cortical postural control strategy, which goes along with deteriorations in postural stability. Although balance training has been shown to effectively counteract these behavioral deteriorations, little is known about the effect of balance training on brain activity during postural tasks in older adults. We, therefore, assessed postur...

Aldosterone responsiveness to angiotensin II (A II) was evaluated in 64 subjects with "normal renin" hypertension. Plasma aldosterone (PA) and plasma renin activity (PRA) levels were determined with the subjects supine and after 2 72 hours in the upright position while they were in metabolic balance on a 10 mEq of sodium/100 mEq of potassium diet. The increment in PA between supine and upright ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Patients with preascitic liver cirrhosis display significant renal sodium retention in the upright posture and an exaggerated natriuresis during recumbency. To date, intrarenal sodium handling in these patients has not been studied using lithium clearance and fractional excretion techniques during recumbency and orthostatism. METHODS Ten patients with preascitic (Child-Pug...

We want to go beyond “passive rag-doll like” simulation characters towards more “active” intelligent self-driven solutions. The “puppet on strings” approach lacks dynamic interactive properties for engaging realistic and immersive virtual environments. This paper focuses on “Self-Driven character” (e.g., procedural physics-based techniques) that balance and react in a life-like manner using phy...

BACKGROUND Achieving independent upright posture has known to be one of the main goals in rehabilitation following lower limb amputation. The purpose of this study was to compare postural steadiness of below knee amputees with visual alterations while wearing three different prosthetic feet. METHODS Ten male below-knee amputees were instructed to stand quietly on the Biodex® balance platform ...