Acute Responses of Postural Alignment, Kinematic Synergy, and Intermuscular Coherence to Postural Muscle Facilitation

NCT05608850 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: 2021-288-RUC
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 15
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Clinicians frequently assess and intervene on postural alignment. However, research demonstrating the effects of exercise interventions in moving postural alignment toward an evidence-based standard is lacking. Part of the difficulty in establishing such evidence has been a lack of theory-motivated conceptions of what "good" posture is. In other words, the prevailing understanding of postural alignment is based on the negation of what has been observed to associate with bad outcomes. This study will build upon preliminary findings from our laboratory that define good postural alignment on theoretical grounds. The investigators will measure motion capture and muscle activation patterns during simple postural alignment tasks before and after 1) a corrective exercise intervention, or 2) a control intervention based designed to inhibit superficial muscle tension. The corrective exercise intervention is designed to counteract the natural patterns in which the human skeleton tends to collapse from a standing position under the influence of gravity. The control intervention consists of passive, partner-assisted stretching. Regardless of initial assignment, all participants will crossover (i.e. switch interventions) and repeat the study procedures after a 1-week washout period. Behavioral indicators of movement and nervous system coordination will be used to quantify alignment before and after exercise, as well as the consistency of those alignment patterns with theoretically-defined standards. The knowledge gained from this study will contribute to evidence-based definitions of healthy postural alignment and help identify effective interventions by which clinicians can promote good posture.

Conditions

Posture; Musculoskeletal Equilibrium; Electromyography; Kinematics

Keywords

Alignment; Posture; Motor control; Intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• Euclidean distance from the vector describing subject-specific, simulated gravitational collapse

  This outcome is a cumulative descriptor of segment angle distance from the pattern in which an individual's posture would collapse. The reference point for each individual is calculated using both pre and post-intervention data for a given day.

  Immediately before Intervention (Day 1)

• Euclidean distance from the vector describing subject-specific, simulated gravitational collapse

  This outcome is a cumulative descriptor of segment angle distance from the pattern in which an individual's posture would collapse. The reference point for each individual is calculated using both pre and post-intervention data for a given day.

  Immediately after Intervention (Day 1)

• Euclidean distance from the vector describing subject-specific, simulated gravitational collapse

  This outcome is a cumulative descriptor of segment angle distance from the pattern in which an individual's posture would collapse. The reference point for each individual is calculated using both pre and post-intervention data for a given day.

  Immediately before Intervention (Day 7)

• Euclidean distance from the vector describing subject-specific, simulated gravitational collapse

  This outcome is a cumulative descriptor of segment angle distance from the pattern in which an individual's posture would collapse. The reference point for each individual is calculated using both pre and post-intervention data for a given day.

  Immediately after Intervention (Day 7)

• Pooled intermuscular coherence

  Weighted average of frequency-domain correlations between muscle pairs belonging to anterior, posterior, and trunk muscle groups.

  Immediately before Intervention (Day 1)

• Pooled intermuscular coherence

  Weighted average of frequency-domain correlations between muscle pairs belonging to anterior, posterior, and trunk muscle groups.

  Immediately after Intervention (Day 1)

• Pooled intermuscular coherence

  Weighted average of frequency-domain correlations between muscle pairs belonging to anterior, posterior, and trunk muscle groups.

  Immediately before Intervention (Day 7)

• Pooled intermuscular coherence

  Weighted average of frequency-domain correlations between muscle pairs belonging to anterior, posterior, and trunk muscle groups.

  Immediately after Intervention (Day 7)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Top-down kinetic chain continuity

  Immediately before Intervention (Day 1)

• Top-down kinetic chain continuity

  Immediately after Intervention (Day 1)

• Top-down kinetic chain continuity

  Immediately before Intervention (Day 7)

• Top-down kinetic chain continuity

  Immediately after Intervention (Day 7)

Study Arms (2)

Exercise Then Stretch

OTHER

Participants in AB will perform the experimental (exercise) intervention first and the control (stretch) intervention second

Other: Exercise Then Stretch; Other: Stretch Then Exercise

Stretch Then Exercise

OTHER

Participants in BA will perform the experimental (exercise) intervention second and the control (stretch) intervention first

Other: Exercise Then Stretch; Other: Stretch Then Exercise

Interventions

Exercise Then Stretch OTHER

This arm (sequence) will perform an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention and then a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention, separated by a one-week washout period.

Exercise Then Stretch; Stretch Then Exercise

Stretch Then Exercise OTHER

This arm (sequence) will perform a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention and then an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention , separated by a one-week washout period.

Exercise Then Stretch; Stretch Then Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy adult
• years of age

You may not qualify if:

• Recent (\< 6 months) history of lower extremity injury
• Recent (\< 6 months) history of other musculoskeletal or neurological disorder affecting balance
• Contraindications to participation in physical activity

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Radford University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Radford University Carilion

Roanoke, Virginia, 24013, United States

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Stephen M Glass, PhD

CONTACT

540-831-1959; smglass1@radford.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 28, 2022
• First Posted: November 8, 2022
• Study Start: October 25, 2022
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2023
• Study Completion: May 1, 2023
• Last Updated: November 8, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: On request and indefinitely.

Locations

US (1)