Background It is known that adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is often accompanied by balance deficits. This reciprocal relationship must be taken into account when prescribing new therapeutic modalities because these may differently affect postural control, interacting with therapy and influencing its results. Objective The purpose was to compare postural control in girls with AIS while wearing the Chêneau brace (BRA) or performing active self-correction (ASC) with their postural control in a quiet comfortable stance. Methods Nine subjects were evaluated on a force plate in three series of two 20-s quiet standing trials with eyes open or closed; three blocks were randomly arranged: normal quiet stance (QST), quiet stance with BRA, and quiet stance with ASC. On the basis of centre-of-pressure (COP) recordings, the spatial and temporal COP parameters were computed. Results and Discussion Performing ASC was associated with a significant backward excursion of the COP mean position with eyes open and closed (ES = 0.56 and 0.65, respectively; p < 0.05). This excursion was accompanied by an increase in the COP fractal dimension (ES = 1.05 and 0.98; p < 0.05) and frequency (ES = 0.78; p = 0.10 and ES = 1.14; p < 0.05) in the mediolateral (ML) plane. Finally, both therapeutic modalities decreased COP sample entropy with eyes closed in the anteroposterior (AP) plane. Wearing BRA resulted in ES = 1.45 (p < 0.05) while performing ASC in ES = 0.76 (p = 0.13). Conclusion The observed changes in the fractal dimension (complexity) and frequency caused by ASC account for better adaptability of patients to environmental demands and for their adequate resources of available postural strategies in the ML plane. These changes in sway structure were accompanied by a significant (around 25 mm) backward excursion of the mean COP position. However, this improvement was achieved at the cost of lower automaticity, i.e. higher attentional involvement in postural control in the AP plane. Wearing BRA may have an undesirable effect on some aspects of body balance.

Due to balance deficits that accompany adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the potential interaction between activities of daily living and active self-correction movements (ASC) on postural control deserves particular attention. Our purpose was to assess the effects of ASC movements with or without a secondary mental task on postural control in twenty-five girls with AIS. It is a quasi-experimental within-subject design with repeated measures ANOVA. They were measured in four 20-s quiet standing trials on a force plate: no task, ASC, Stroop test, and both. Based on the center-of-pressure (COP) recordings, the COP parameters were computed. The ASC alone had no effect on any of the postural sway measures. Stroop test alone decreased COP speed and increased COP entropy. Performing the ASC movements and Stroop test together increased the COP speed and decreased COP entropy as compared to the baseline data. In conclusion, our results indicate that AIS did not interfere with postural control. The effects of the Stroop test accounted for good capacity of subjects with AIS to take advantage of distracting attentional resources from the posture. However, performing both tasks together exhibited some deficits in postural control, which may suggest the need for therapeutic consultation while engaging in more demanding activities.

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to evaluate the subjective impression of trunk deformity in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and to compare the results of the Trunk Appearance Perception Scale (TAPS) with the Cobb angle, extra-school physical activity, and scoliosis occurrence in the family.MethodsOverall, 26 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (mean age, 13.5 ± 2.3 years; 100% women) and no prior surgical treatment were included. Each patient completed TAPS and underwent a complete radiographic study of the spine (Cobb angle). Additionally, questions were asked on participation in extracurricular physical activity (yes/no) and scoliosis in the family (parents, siblings – yes/no). A correlation analysis between all variables was performed with chi-square test and Spearman correlation coefficient.ResultsThe average TAPS score was 3.4. The patients most often assessed their body deformity between 3 and 4. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between TAPS and the Cobb angle (<i>r</i> = –0.7). Nonsignificant correlation was found between TAPS and extra-school physical activity and scoliosis occurrence in the family.ConclusionsBigger angles of spinal curvature were accompanied by lower values of subjective impression of body posture, determined by TAPS. Patients noticed the distorted posture caused by scoliosis and were aware of changes in their silhouette. We did not find the impact of participation in extra-school physical activity or the occurrence of scoliosis in the family on own body image perception.

Poznawczy model depresji Aarona T. Becka stał się podstawą analizy czynników poznawczych jako istotnych korelatów i predyktorów depresji. Psychologiczne mechanizmy depresji odnoszące się do depresyjnej triady poznawczej, specyfiki schematów poznawczych oraz błędów w przetwarzaniu poznawczym określiły kierunki kolejnych badań nad depresją. Przedstawiona analiza wybranych badań potwierdza i poszerza założenia Becka o roli czynników poznawczych w rozwoju i podtrzymywaniu objawów depresyjnych. Analiza badań psychologicznych, neuroobrazowych i biochemicznych określa szerszą perspektywę rozumienia zarówno etiologii, jak i mechanizmów podtrzymujących objawy depresji. Rozwój badań neuroobrazowych poszerzył wiedzę o mechanizmach mózgowych depresji – przedstawione badania łączą teoretyczne konstrukty poznawczej koncepcji depresji z charakterystyką aktywności struktur mózgowych i ich funkcjonalnych połączeń. Dla praktyki klinicznej szczególnie istotne wydają się następujące wnioski: 1) upośledzenie funkcji hamowania poznawczego w depresji ogranicza kontrolę negatywnych myśli automatycznych – istotne znaczenie ma wzmacnianie pamięci operacyjnej; 2) odmienne mózgowe mechanizmy przetwarzania nagród i kar u osób cierpiących na depresję i u osób zdrowych wyjaśniają kształtowanie samooceny – wiedza ta może być ważnym elementem psychoedukacji w pracy terapeutycznej; 3) badania neuroobrazowe wskazują na neuronalne korelaty zniekształceń poznawczych obserwowanych w depresji – dla dalszych badań nad depresją szczególnie istotne byłoby monitorowanie zmian aktywności mózgowej w przebiegu jej leczenia.

The aim of the study was to assess the condition of foot morphological structure of young Disco-Dance dancers compared to their untrained peers.The research was carried out among professional female Disco-Dance dancers, aged 9 ± 1.07, members of Opole dance groups. The control group consisted of 33 females in the same age range, not subject to regular professional training. The condition of morphological structure of their feet was evaluated with the use of the photogrammetric method.Status of the dancers’ longitudinal foot arch fit the norm. Considerable toe V varus was observed.In both groups defective positioning of hallux and toe V was stated. Monitoring morphological architecture of feet of young dancers, especially those entering the adolescence is very important because it will allow for early detection of disorders that may result from excessive stress and enable early prevention measures to be undertaken.