Cognitive training was applied during 14-day bed rest in older adults. Greater post-BR declines were seen in normal and complex (dual-task) walking for the control as compared to intervention group, suggesting that computerized spatial navigation training can successfully moderate detrimental BR effects. Findings underline the generalization of cognitive-based intervention to the motor domain and potentially support their use to supplement BR interventions (e.g., exercise and nutrition).
COBISS.SI-ID: 1537418692
Ageing and inactivity both contribute to systemic inflammation, but the effects of inactivity on inflammation in healthy elderly individuals have not been elucidated. Our study showed that as little as 14 days of complete physical inactivity (BR14) negatively affected markers of low-grade inflammation in both groups, but the inflammation after BR14 was more pronounced in older adults. The effect of BR14 on IL-6 and resistin differed between young and older adults. Inflammatory responses to BR14 in older adults differed from those reported in the literature for obese or subjects in pathological states, suggesting potentially different mechanisms between inactivity- and obesity-induced inflammations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 1538001092
We investigated the effects of bed rest (BR) immobilization, with and without computerized cognitive training with virtual spatial navigation task (CCT), on vascular endothelium on older subjects using EndoPAT, a noninvasive and user-independent method. We found that the control subjects had a greater increase in EndoPAT index after 28-day recovery (+0.018) compared to subjects who had cognitive training (+0.11) (calculated from the first day of BR study), therefore it is possible that cognitive training during BR does not improve endothelial function but rather contributes to slowing down the impairment of endothelial function.
COBISS.SI-ID: 1537234884
Walking with a lower limb prosthesis comes at a high cognitive workload for amputees, possibly affecting their mobility, safety and independency. A biocooperative prosthesis which is able to reduce the cognitive workload of walking could offer a solution. Therefore, we wanted to investigate whether different levels of cognitive workload can be assessed during symmetrical, asymmetrical and dual-task walking and to identify which parameters are the most sensitive. The results showed that breathing frequency and heart rate significantly increased, and heart rate variability significantly decreased with increasing cognitive workload during walking (p(.05). As a result, psychophysiological measures are the most sensitive to identify changes in cognitive workload during walking.
COBISS.SI-ID: 1537165508
Contractile properties of skeletal muscle are studied for various purposes and mainly by means of force or torque twitch responses. This study compared contractile properties estimated from isometric longitudinal and transversal vastus lateralis twitch mechanical actions using torque and tensiomyography (TMG) as assessment methods, respectively. As a result, the tensiomyography and torque gives different information reflecting that different mechanisms affect longitudinal and transversal twitch skeletal muscle deformations. Tensiomyographic response of skeletal muscle’s transversal actions likely reflects more intrinsic contractile properties
COBISS.SI-ID: 1537583812