PROJE#1: TÜSEB (Türkiye Sağlık Enstitüleri Başkanlığı) B GRUBU AR-GE PROJESİ


Project Title: Development of Biofeedback Based Interactive Rehabilitation System and Evaluation of Its Effectiveness in Sensoriomotor Exercise Training
Project No: 40001
Project Team:
Project Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veysel ALCAN
Engineering Faculty
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department
 
Project Researcher: Assoc. Prof. Fatma Kübra ÇEKOK
Health Sciences Faculty
Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department
 
Project Researcher: Assoc. Prof. Nurel ERTÜRK
Health Sciences Faculty
Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department
 
Project Duration: 24 months

ABSTRACT
Sedentary lifestyle due to aging has a detrimental effect on postural control as a result of a more general age-related deterioration in sensory and neuromuscular control mechanisms, all of which lead to a risk of falls. Game-based exercises are suggested to be a promising strategy to improve the performance of postural balance control in older adults and to reduce falls in healthy older adults. However, despite significant interest in assessing the qualitative/functional and quantitative aspects of the involved muscles in aging-related neuromuscular disorders, very few studies have been conducted to determine the effects of computer game-supported physical activity exercise on muscle activity in older adults. Therefore, since the aging process causes numerous changes in the muscular and nervous systems, the underlying mechanisms to which game-based exercise intervention affects functional performance and its effectiveness on muscle functionality and balance remain unclear. The general aim of this proposed research project is to provide more objective and quantitative information on the effectiveness of game-based exercise intervention on muscle functionality and balance in healthy older adults and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of how it affects performance and to what extent it increases postural control, musculoskeletal strength, and executive motor control. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design will be used. Thirty healthy older adults over the age of 60 living independently at home or in residential facilities (elderly care facilities) will be included in the study. 15 individuals will receive traditional/standard physiotherapy balance exercises as the control group, while 15 individuals will receive game-based training in addition to these exercises as the intervention group. Nintendo Wii Fit games with a balance board will be used as games. Clinical tests will be applied before and after the intervention with the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go and Timed Up and Go Tests, and Functional Reach Test. During the reach test, surface EMG signals will be recorded from the tibialis anterior (TA) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles of both legs of the participants. In addition to traditional statistical analyses of surface EMG signals, nonlinear methods such as entropy will be used to measure the regularity/irregularity and complexity of muscle activations in order to obtain more information about the muscles and to identify new potential electrophysiological biomarkers.

 
PROJE#2: Tarsus Üniversitesi BAP (Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri) Projesi:
 
Project Title: Investigation of Physiological Biomarkers in Assessment of the Effects of Computer-Based Exercise on Muscle Performance in Older People
Project No: MF.23.001
Project Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veysel ALCAN
                                       Engineering Faculty
                                       Electrical-Electronics Engineering Department
 
Project Researcher: Assoc. Prof. Fatma Kübra ÇEKOK
                                       Health Sciences Faculty
                                       Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department
 
Project Duration: 24 months
 
ABSTRACT
Sedentary lifestyle due to aging has a detrimental effect on postural control as a result of a more general age-related deterioration in sensory and neuromuscular control mechanisms, all of which lead to a risk of falls. Game-based exercises are suggested to be a promising strategy to improve the performance of postural balance control in older adults and to reduce falls in healthy older adults. However, despite significant interest in assessing the qualitative/functional and quantitative aspects of the involved muscles in aging-related neuromuscular disorders, very few studies have been conducted to determine the effects of computer game-supported physical activity exercise on muscle activity in older adults. Therefore, since the aging process causes numerous changes in the muscular and nervous systems, the underlying mechanisms to which game-based exercise intervention affects functional performance and its effectiveness on muscle functionality and balance remain unclear. The general aim of this proposed research project is to provide more objective and quantitative information on the effectiveness of game-based exercise intervention on muscle functionality and balance in healthy older adults and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of how it affects performance and to what extent it increases postural control, musculoskeletal strength, and executive motor control. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design will be used. Thirty healthy older adults over the age of 60 living independently at home or in residential facilities (elderly care facilities) will be included in the study. 15 individuals will receive traditional/standard physiotherapy balance exercises as the control group, while 15 individuals will receive game-based training in addition to these exercises as the intervention group. Nintendo Wii Fit games with a balance board will be used as games. Clinical tests will be applied before and after the intervention with the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go and Timed Up and Go Tests, and Functional Reach Test. During the reach test, surface EMG signals will be recorded from the tibialis anterior (TA) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles of both legs of the participants. In addition to traditional statistical analyses of surface EMG signals, nonlinear methods such as entropy will be used to measure the regularity/irregularity and complexity of muscle activations in order to obtain more information about the muscles and to identify new potential electrophysiological biomarkers.