Sonia Gómez-Sánchez

Background/Objectives: Therapeutic exercise (TE) has been shown to be an effective tool for slowing physical and cognitive decline in patients with dementia. However, its true impact on physical and functional variables, as well as the duration of its effects once therapy is discontinued, remains unclear. The aim was to analyze the short- and medium-term effects of a structured and monitored TE program on motor function in patients with dementia. Methods: A pre–post clinical trial was conducted in individuals with a medical diagnosis of mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination scores between 10 and 23) who had not engaged in regular exercise during the previous 6 months. The study variables and their measurement tools included general motor function (Short Physical Performance Battery), trunk control (Trunk Control Test), balance (Berg Balance Scale), overall mobility and gait (Timed Up and Go Test), and degree of independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) (Barthel Index). Participants completed a 12-week TE intervention at moderate intensity, 3 days per week for 45 min sessions. The program included aerobic training and strength, coordination, flexibility, and balance exercises. TE intensity was monitored through heart rate and dynamic maximal resistance. Assessments were conducted at baseline (t0), immediately after the program (t1), and 6 months after completion (t2). Results: Significant global longitudinal effects of time were observed for general motor function, balance, trunk control, and mobility and gait, whereas no significant global effect was detected for independence in activities of daily living. Post-intervention changes were non-significant; however, several pairwise comparisons showed moderate-to-large effect sizes. Follow-up assessments revealed shifts in performance distributions consistent with functional decline. Conclusions: A structured TE program performed at moderate intensity may help slow or attenuate the physical decline experienced by individuals with dementia.

Ultrasound imaging (US) is a biosensing technique that is widely used in several healthcare disciplines (including physiotherapy) for assessing multiple muscle metrics, such as muscle morphology and quality. Since all biosensors need to be tested in order to demonstrate their reliability, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, identifying factors that affect their diagnostic accuracy is essential. Since previous studies analyzed the impact of sociodemographic but not body composition characteristics in US errors, this study aimed to assess whether body composition metrics are associated with ultrasound measurement errors. B-mode images of the lumbar multifidus muscle at the L5 level were acquired and analyzed in 47 healthy volunteers by two examiners (one experienced and one novice). The cross-sectional area, muscle perimeter, and mean echo intensity were calculated bilaterally. A correlation analysis and a multivariate linear regression model were used for assessing the inter-examiner differences with respect to body composition metrics. The results demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability estimates for the cross-sectional area, muscle perimeter, aspect ratio, roundness, circularity, and mean brightness metrics (all ICC > 0.85). However, solidity showed unacceptable reliability (ICC < 0.7). Age, height, total lean mass, trunk lean mass, and water volume were associated with inter-examiner disagreement on mean echo intensity. Cross-sectional area, perimeter, and roundness measurement errors were associated with lean mass and water volume.

Background: temporomandibular dysfunctions (TMD) are considered a collection of pathologies that involve bitting muscles, temporomandibular articulation, and associated bone structures. Case Summary: 21-year-old female, suffering from temporomandibular joint pain and joint sounds during jaw movements. A 14-day treatment plan was carried out in which manual therapy was performed on day seven and day 14, together with a home training plan every day. When comparing the data obtained, significant results were found for joint range, increased muscle strength, and increased pain. At the same time, non-significant results were obtained in terms of decreased range in mandibular opening and protrusion movements. In addition, the increased pressure sensation at the joint in this case report. Outcome Measures: A tape measure was used in the joint assessment, together with a pressure algometer to quantify pain and the Daniels scale in the muscle assessment. Conclusion: Therefore, this study confirms that manual therapy and a home-training schedule reduce pain and increase movement control over temporomandibular articulation.

Purpose: To study the prevalence of UI in female athletes, the category of sports with the highest number of cases, the most incident risk factors and the bio-psycho-social consequences. Methods: Preparation of a survey, based on two validated questionnaires answered by 63 participants, to carry out an analytical, transversal and observational study. All participants were European, adult, female athletes (mean age 30.78 years, standard deviation 12.16 years). Results: UI has a high prevalence (44.4%) in female athletes (compared to 10% in non-athletes), being more frequent in those who practice long-distance running. As age and years of sport practice increase, the incidence of this pathology increases. Absorbent pads are used by more than half of women with incontinence, while the rest wet their underwear. Menopause, childbirth and surgery in the region are risk factors for UI, while the presence of urinary tract infections or candidiasis is not. The results state that urine loss does not cause anxiety or depression, but it does affect sporting life. Conclusions: The prevalence of UI in this study is very high and more common in female athletes and the incidence increases with age and other risk factors. The salient consequence of this study is that urine loss affects their sporting environment, but does not induce depression or anxiety.