Parkinson's disease (PD) presents several motor signs, including tremor and bradykinesia. However, these signs can also be found in other motor disorders and in neurologically healthy older adults. The incidence of bradykinesia in PD is relatively high in all stages of the disorder, even when compared to tremor. Thus, this research proposes an objective assessment of bradykinesia in patients with PD (G : 15 older adults with Parkinson's disease, 65.3 ± 9.1 years) and older adults (G: 12 healthy older adults, 60.1 ± 6.1 years). The severity of bradykinesia in the participants of G was assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Movement and muscular activity were detected by means of inertial (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) and electromyographic sensors while the participants performed wrist extension against gravity with the forearm on pronation. Mean and standard error of inertial and electromyographic signal parameters could discriminate PD patients from healthy older adults (p value<0.05). In discriminating patients with PD from healthy older adults, the mean sensitivity and specificity were respectively 86.67 and 83.33%. The discrimination between the groups, based on the objective evaluation of bradykinesia, may contribute to the accurate diagnosis of PD and to the monitoring of therapies to control parkinsonian bradykinesia, and opens the possibility for further comparative studies considering individuals suffering from other motor disorders.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can disrupt various brain functions. Over a one-year period, we aimed to assess brain activity and cognitive function in 53 COVID-19 patients and 30 individuals without COVID-19 (or asymptomatic). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Trail Making Test Parts A and B (TMT-A and B), and Digit Span Test were used to assess cognitive function. Cognitive variables and electroencephalography (EEG) data (activity, mobility, and complexity) were compared between the groups at rest and during cognitive demand (F3-F7, Fz-F3, Fz-F4, and F4-F8). There was a reduction in F3-F7 activity during the TMT-B in the COVID-19 group at 6-12 months compared to the controls (p = 0.01) at baseline (p = 0.03), a reduction in signal complexity at F3-F7 at rest in the COVID-19 group at baseline and 6-12 months compared to the controls (p < 0.001), and a reduction in Fz-F4 activity at rest from 6-12 months in the post-COVID group compared to baseline (p = 0.02) and 3-6 months (p = 0.04). At 6-12 months, there was a time increase in TMT-A in the COVID-19 group compared to that in the controls (p = 0.04). Some correlations were found between EEG data and cognitive test in both groups. In conclusion, there was a reduction in brain activity at rest in the Fz-F4 areas and during high cognitive demands in the F3-F7 areas. A reduction in signal complexity in F3-F7 at rest was found in the COVID-19 group at 6-12 months after acute infection. Furthermore, individuals with COVID-19 experience long-term changes in cognitive function.

Palavras-chaves:Envelhecimento. Acidentes por Quedas. Tarefa de Controle Duplo. Idoso. ResumoIntrodução: Define-se "dupla tarefa" como a capacidade de efetivar uma ação primordial incorporada a uma segunda atividade. Em idosos, é presumível que a execução de ações simultâneas comprometa o equilíbrio postural, favorecendo quedas nesta população. AbstractIntroduction: Dual task can be defined as the ability to perform a primary action embedded in a second activity. In the elderly, it is presumed that the performance of concurrent actions disturb the postural balance, favoring falls in this population. Aims: To evaluate the effect of dual tasks in functional mobility of active seniors and correlate the time used for its realization with the individual's age. Methods: Cross-sectional, observational study with a convenience sample. Nineteen elderly from Universidade Aberta à Terceira Idade, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, aged between 60 and 87 years, classified as physically active by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and with a minimum score that reaches 23 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were evaluated during 9 sequential tests. The first one required a single task, which was represented by the Timed Up & Go (TUG) test, used to assess functional mobility of seniors. TUG was repeated in all other tests, in which was included a second action -manual activity in two tests and cognitive activity in six tests. Results: The elderly spent longer period performing associated tasks considering both motor and motor-cognitive combined actions when compared with time spent during the simple task. Positive correlation between age and the tests that incorporate cognitive activity to achieve the TUG was established. Conclusion: Physically active seniors require a longer period to perform the dual motor task involving distinct functions and coordinates between the upper limbs, and the same occurs for the performance of motor-cognitive dual tasks. The higher the age, the greater the time to perform double tasks, especially when associated with activities requiring short-term memory.

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INTRODUÇÃO: A Facilitação Neuromuscular Proprioceptiva (FNP) está entre as várias opções de tratamento fisioterapêutico para que o paciente com doença de Parkinson (DP) possa atingir uma função motora eficiente, porém poucos estudos exploram os efeitos dessa abordagem nessa população. OBJETIVOS: Com base no exposto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo explorar os efeitos de uma intervenção fisioterapêutica baseada na FNP em sujeitos DP. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram estudados quatro sujeitos com DP, com idade média de 65,25 ± 10,11 anos, nos quais foram aplicadas as avaliações antes do início do tratamento baseado na FNP e após dois meses de sua aplicação. Foram utilizadas a Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde (CIF), a Escala Unificada de Avaliação da Doença de Parkinson (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale - UPDRS), o questionário de qualidade de vida SF36 e o software de avaliação postural (SAPO). RESULTADOS: Os resultados revelam que o tratamento baseado na FNP proporcionou melhora nos quatro sujeitos investigados, especialmente nos aspectos cinéticos funcionais e na execução das atividades de vida diária. CONCLUSÃO: Todos os ganhos observados podem ser relacionados à terapia baseada na FNP, que englobou atividades corporais totais facilmente incorporadas às atividades cotidianas.