Este artigo foi o trabalho de conclusão de curso do fi sioterapeuta Gleyson Luiz Bezerra Lopes e parte integrante do projeto Realidade Virtual no Contexto da Reabilitação de Pacientes, do departamento de Fisioterapia/UFRN. O resumo deste artigo foi apresentado no IV Congresso Anual de Saúde da Universidade de Aveiro com o tema "do gene a degeneração", nos dias 13 e 14 de abril de 2013, em Aveiro, Portugal.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a rehabilitation program using virtual reality (VR) in addition to conventional therapy for improvement of balance (BERG scale) and functional independence (FIM scale) in chronic stroke patients. Ten individuals, mean age of 51.4 (± 6.7 years), participated of eight 60-minute sessions comprising kinesiotherapy (15min), Nintendo Wii (30min) and Learning transfer (15min) exercises. After training, nonparametric statistical analysis showed significant improvement in total FIM (p= .01) and BERG scores (p= .00), and in some of their subitems: FIM - dressing lower body (p= .01), transfer to bathtub/shower (p= .02) and locomotion: stairs (p= .03); BERG - reaching forward with outstretched arm (p= .01), retrieving object from the floor (p= .04), turning 360º (p= .01), placing alternate foot on step (p≤ .01), standing with one foot in front (p= .01), and one leg stand (p= .03). These findings suggest a positive influence of virtual reality exercises adjunct to conventional therapy on rehabilitation of balance and functionality post stroke, and indicate the feasibility of the proposed VR-based rehabilitation program.

Microelectrode implants are an important tool in neuroscience research and in developing brain–machine interfaces. Data from rodents have consistently shown that astrocytes are recruited to the area surrounding implants, forming a glial scar that increases electrode impedance and reduces chronic utility. However, studies in non-human primates are scarce, with none to date in marmosets. We used glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunostaining to characterize the acute and chronic response of the marmoset brain to microelectrodes. By using densitometry, we showed that marmoset astrocytes surround brain implants and that a glial scar is formed over time, with significant increase in the chronic condition relative to the acute condition animal.

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Dual-task activities are common in daily life and have greater motor/cognitive demands. These are conditions that increase the risk of older adult falls. Falls are a public health problem. Brain mapping during dual-task activities can inform which therapeutic activities stimulate specific brain areas, improving functionality, and decreasing dependence and the risk of falls. The objective of the study was to characterize the brain activity of healthy older adults while performing a dual-task activity called the Functional Gait Test (FGT). Method : This observational study included 30 older adults aged 65 to 75 years, and it was approved by the institutional review board. The FGT consists of walking following a sequence of numbers (simple task), and a sequence of alternating letters and numbers (complex task). During the activity, the subjects had their cortical activation pattern measured using the Emotiv EPOC® electroencephalogram. Complete data was obtained for analysis on 13 participants. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), and paired T-tests to compare the brain activity during the conditions (simple vs. complex task). Results : Alpha brain waves were activated in the right and left hemispheres during the simple task, while Alpha brain waves’ activation during the complex task was predominant in the right hemisphere. However, the differences were not statistically significant. The Betha waves had predominant activation in the left hemisphere during the simple task, and predominant activation in the right hemisphere during the complex task. The difference was statistically significant in 11 out of the 14 channels evaluated ( P <0.04). Conclusion: The results corroborates the increased complexity of dual-tasks due to the predominant activation of the right hemisphere, which is related to motor learning process and new stimulus processing.