Edyta Majorczyk

Background/Objectives: Sarcopenia is an age-related decline in muscle mass and strength, reducing mobility and functional independence and increasing the risk of falls. Non-pharmacological interventions remain the most effective strategies to prevent or delay its progression, with exercise recognized as the primary approach. Virtual reality (VR)-based training has recently emerged as a promising tool to promote physical activity; however, its application among the oldest-old individuals remains underexplored. This is a randomized controlled pilot study to evaluate the effects of VR-based intervention using the game “Beat Saber” on muscle strength and selected physical performance indicators related to sarcopenia risk in older adults. Methods: Thirty-eight residents (mean age: 87.2) of a long-term care facility were randomly assigned to either a VR group or a control group. The VR group participated in 12 supervised VR-based training sessions of 20 min per session, three times per week for four weeks. Handgrip strength, the arm curl test, 30-s chair stand, a 2-min step-in-place test, and an 8-foot up-and-go test were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: Linear mixed-model analyses revealed significant group-by-time interactions for upper- and lower-limb strength (handgrip, arm curl, chair stand; p < 0.05), favoring the VR group. Agility and endurance (8-foot up-and-go, 2-min step-in-place) showed no significant interactions. In the VR group, the 30-s chair stand performance correlated positively with the arm curl and the 2-min step-in-place tests results, while handgrip strength correlated with the arm curl performance. In the control group, the 30-s chair stand test results correlated strongly with the 8-foot up-and-go and 2-min step-in-place tests, but no significant correlations were found for handgrip strength. Conclusions: The findings indicate short-term functional benefits of VR exercise among the oldest-old adults. VR-based training appears to be an effective and well-tolerated method to enhance physical performance in individuals aged 80 and older and may represent a valuable strategy for improving functional performance indicators associated with sarcopenia risk in adults aged 80 years and older.

Background: The ageing process is associated with a decline in cognitive functions, including eye–hand coordination, attention concentration, and psychomotor reaction time. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of virtual reality–based therapy in enhancing cognitive functions in seniors. Methods: This study was conducted on 38 cases (29 women and 9 men) with a mean age of 87.2 years, who were divided into two groups: a VR group (with a 4-week, three-time-week training program using the game “Beat Saber”) and a control group (with a standard 4-week exercise program). Assessments of eye–hand coordination and attentional concentration were conducted at the beginning (T₀) and the end (T₁) of the training. Results: Analysis of eye–hand coordination and attentional concentration showed significant improvement in both groups (T₀ vs. T₁: p = 0.0002 for the intervention group and p = 0.007 for the control group). However, the effect in the VR group was almost three times greater than in the control group (1.689 vs. 0.615 in D effect). Moreover, in the VR group, an analysis of “good cuts” indicated improvements in both parameters after 4 weeks of VR training. The percentage of correctly received stimuli increased significantly across sessions (p < 0.00001). Furthermore, 84.3% of participants experienced a twofold improvement in performance over the 12 VR sessions (42% vs. 80% accuracy in successful hits). The distribution of results also suggests a positive subjective impact of VR therapy in maintaining mental activity. Conclusions: The findings indicate that VR-related training can support elderly individuals in recovering cognitive function, potentially enhancing their independence and life quality.

Introduction: Ultrasonography (USG) is a widely recognised, non-invasive imaging technique extensively applied in musculoskeletal diagnostics. Its capacity to provide real-time visualisation of muscle structure and function underpins its utility in clinical practice and scientific research. Nevertheless, the reliability and accuracy of USG measurements remain pivotal concerns influencing its efficacy in muscle assessment.Objective: The of this study is to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of USG-based muscle thickness measurements for four critical postural stabilisers: longus colli, serratus anterior, transversus abdominis and multifidus. These muscles play essential roles in postural stability due to their tonic characteristics, making them central to rehabilitation interventions.Methods: Twenty healthy participants were recruited for this investigation. Muscle thickness of the four target muscles was assessed in a resting state using standardised USG protocols. Both intra- and inter-rater reliability were analysed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC). Measurement precision was quantified through Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and Minimal Detectable Change (MDC), ensuring a robust evaluation of reliability metrics.Results: The analysis revealed excellent intra-rater reliability for all muscles, with ICC values ranging from 0.97 to 0.99. Inter-rater reliability was highest for the serratus anterior (ICC = 0.89-0.95) and transversus abdominis (ICC = 0.79-0.85), while moderate agreement was observed for the longus colli (ICC = 0.52-0.89). The transversus abdominis demonstrated the highest measurement precision, with the lowest Standard Error of Measurement (SEM = 0.79-1.05 mm) and Minimal Detectable Change (MDC = 2.19-2.91 mm). In contrast, the multifidus exhibited greater variability (SEM > 2.1 mm; MDC > 6.0 mm), reflecting the inherent challenges in ultrasonographic assessment of deep spinal musculature. Despite these differences, all assessed muscles achieved acceptable reliability levels, supporting the clinical utility of ultrasonography in rehabilitation monitoring.Conclusion: Ultrasonography proves to be a reliable and precise modality for assessing muscle thickness in a resting state, particularly for the transversus abdominis and serratus anterior. These findings substantiate the utility of USG in evaluating key postural stabilisers within rehabilitation settings. Standardising measurement protocols and enhancing operator training are recommended to further optimise their application and ensure consistent results.

Lactate analysis plays an important role in sports science and training decisions for optimising performance, endurance, and overall success in sports. Two parameters are widely used for these goals: aerobic (AeT) and anaerobic (AnT) thresholds. However, determining AeT proves more challenging than AnT threshold due to both physiological intricacies and practical considerations. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine AeT and AnT thresholds using machine learning modelling (ML) and to compare ML-obtained results with the parameters’ values determined using conventional methods. ML seems to be highly useful due to its ability to handle complex, personalised data, identify nonlinear relationships, and provide accurate predictions. The 183 results of CardioPulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) accompanied by lactate and heart ratio analyses from amateur athletes were enrolled to the study and ML models using the following algorithms: Random Forest, XGBoost (Extreme Gradient Boosting), and LightGBM (Light Gradient Boosting Machine) and metrics: R², mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE) and root mean square error (RMSE). The regressors used belong to the group of ensemble learning algorithms that combine the predictions of multiple base models to improve overall performance and counteract overfitting to training data. Based on evaluation metrics, the following models give the best predictions: for AeT: Random Forest has an R²value of 0.645, MAE of 4.630, MSE of 44.450, RMSE of 6.667; and for AnT: LightGBM has an R²of 0.803, the highest among the models, MAE of 3.439, the lowest among the models, MSE of 20.953, and RMSE of 4.577. Outlined research experiments, a comprehensive review of existing literature in the field, and obtained results suggest that ML models can be trained to make personalised predictions based on an individual athlete’s unique physiological response to exercise. Athletes exhibit significant variation in their AeT and AT, and ML can capture these individual differences, allowing for tailored training recommendations and performance optimization.

The aim of this study was to compare soccer goalkeepers’ decision-making times following a shot on goal and to determine goalkeepers’ movement pattern structures using EMG in a typical game situation (two-on-one). Two groups of goalkeepers (n = 60) took part in the study: Group A, the senior group (22.00 ± 2.35 years of age), and Group B, the youth group (15.38 ± 1.32 years of age). The goalkeepers’ decision-making times were measured by using EMG from the moment the attacker struck the ball until the completion of the saving action by the goalkeeper. Subsequently, the goalkeepers’ movement pattern structure was determined (for both Groups A and B), and the values of muscle bioelectrical tension during a typical defensive situation in training conditions were revealed. The findings clearly indicate a significantly (p = 0.001) shorter decision-making time in experienced goalkeepers (250–260 ms) than in novices (300–320 ms). In addition, the movement pattern structure confirmed the hypotheses on the economization of effort and the visual-muscular coordination of the postural muscles (calf muscles) that affect soccer goalkeepers. The study also demonstrated a lower bioelectric tension of the gastrocnemius muscle (GAS.MED. RT—p = 0.008; GAS.LAT. RT—p = 0.030) in the expert goalkeepers.

The aim of this study was to investigate facial wrinkling in COPD patients, its relationship with lung function parameters, and the differences in wrinkling between COPD patients and smokers without COPD. The study included 56 patients with COPD with smoking history and 84 controls. Wrinkle intensity was measured and classified using Daniell’s grading system, and the total length of wrinkles was also estimated. The predominant grades of Daniell’s scale were IV–V for COPD patients (89.3% of current and 75.0% of former smokers), III–V for controls who currently smoke (89.2%), and II–III for former (92.9%) and never smokers (100%) controls. These distributions were statistically significantly different, but current and former smokers with COPD and COPD former smokers and control current smokers did not differ. In terms of the total length of wrinkles, the COPD patients possessed significantly longer wrinkles than the control subgroups (all p-values were <0.004). Negative correlations between wrinkle length and lung parameters were found. This phenomenon seems to be independent of smoking, but the length of wrinkles is related to lung function parameters. It seems that not only smoking but also COPD damages skin beauty and quality.

To identify the clinical factors predicting the outcome of treatment with methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis, we examined 312 patients (253 females, 59 males) with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. All patients included in this analysis began treatment with a regimen of oral MTX 7.5 mg weekly, with the dosage increasing to 15 mg weekly after 4 weeks, in combination with folic acid (1 mg daily). Good responders were defined as patients who had a DAS28 of ≤2.4 at 6 months (patients with remission of disease symptoms). Poor responders were defined as patients who had a DAS28 of >2.4. In this study, we analyzed the association between clinical parameters such as sex of patients, age of patients, age at disease onset, disease duration, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies, ESR values, presence of joints erosions, presence of extra-articular manifestations and the response to MTX in RA patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed four independent factors significantly associated with good response to MTX treatment: older age at disease onset, low ESR, no erosive disease and negative RF. The results of our study suggest that a younger age at disease onset, the presence of RF, erosive disease, as well as a high level of ESR are associated with worse response to MTX therapy.

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of microkinesitherapy treatment on intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma. The study included a group of 32 patients (21 women and 11 men) from the Glaucoma Outpatient Clinic at Dr Alfred Sokołowski Specialist Hospital in Walbrzych. Patients were divided into two groups: an experimental group that received microkinesitherapy, and a control (placebo) group. In all subjects, two measurements of intraocular pressure were made using the AIR PUFF method. The data analysis did not show statistically significant changes in both groups (p<0.13 vs. p<0.08). In the experimental group, a decrease in mean pressure values was observed, while in the control group, an increase in mean pressure values of intraocular pressure was observed. The results obtained in the present study show that the aforesaid novel therapeutic method has the potential to reduce intraocular pressure, but it cannot unambiguously be stated that it offers an alternative approach to treat glaucoma.

Most glycosyltransferases show remarkable gross and fine substrate specificity, which is reflected in the old one enzyme-one linkage paradigm. While human Gb3/CD77 synthase is a glycosyltransferase that synthesizes the Galα1→4Gal moiety mainly on glycosphingolipids, its pigeon homolog prefers glycoproteins as acceptors. In this study, we characterized two Gb3/CD77 synthase paralogs found in pigeons (Columba livia). We evaluated their specificities in transfected human teratocarcinoma 2102Ep cells by flow cytofluorometry, Western blotting, high-performance thin-layer chromatography, mass spectrometry and metabolic labelling with ¹⁴C-galactose. We found that the previously described pigeon Gb3/CD77 synthase (called P) can use predominately glycoproteins as acceptors, while its paralog (called M), which we serendipitously discovered while conducting this study, efficiently synthesizes Galα1→4Gal caps on both glycoproteins and glycosphingolipids. These two paralogs may underlie the difference in expression profiles of Galα1→4Gal-terminated glycoconjugates between neoavians and mammals.