Effects of physical activity and body awareness on stability of body movement and muscle power output in frail elderly and physically disabled children.

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15500473
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: TOYAMA MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: IWAOKA Kensuke Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Associate Professor, 薬学部, 助教授 (50223368)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Keywords: Physically disabled children / Muscle power output / Frail elderly / Mechanomyogram / Body awareness / Reproducibility

Research Abstract

To examine the effects of physical activity and body awareness of movable possibility on stability of body movement and muscle power output in frail elderly and physically disabled children, we conducted a series of measurements as follows ;
1.Reproducibility of body movement was assessed by using Motion Capture System in cerebral palsy child during her creative dance expression. The precisely reproduced result clearly showed the possibility of evaluation for this kind of body movement by tracing body segment in physically disabled children.
2.Relations of physical fitness and body awareness were examined in institutionalized 15 flail elderly in contrast to age-matched local resident elderly in teams of maximal knee extension strength, maximal walking velocity and 2 types of bar clearance test. Muscle strength and walking velocity of frail elderly were significantly lower than those of local resident. The discrepancy between visual inspection and actual trial during bar clearance test was larger in frail elderly, especially in such patients as hemiplegia induced by cerebrovascular diseases. In these frail elderly not only physical fitness but also body awareness of movable ability seemed to be deteriorated with decrease of physical activity.
3.Stability of muscle power out put of cerebral palsy children was compared with non-disabled children in terms of electromyogram and mechanomyogram during submaximal voluntary contraction. CP children showed a tendency of being different in these muscle physiological measures, however, some notable discrepancies were observed compared to previous studies and it must be needed to develop more suitable measurement situation for clarifying the effects of physical activity and physical disability. Also, the intervention study must be needed to ascertain these properties in physically disabled children.