Currently, there are more than 1.55 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Spain. Of these, it is estimated that around 45% will present respiratory complications, which represents approximately 620,000 patients who will need respiratory rehabilitation. The health system has no resources for this huge quantity of patients after the hospital discharge to finish the complete recovery and avoid the chronicity of the symptoms. We propose an application named RespiraConNosotros. The application has been created and designed to guide users in performing respiratory rehabilitation exercises, especially for COVID-19 patients, and it also facilitates patient–physiotherapist contact via chat or video calling to help patients. It is accessible for all users and on all devices. All exercises would be guided and supervised by a specialized physiotherapist who suggests, adapts, and guides the exercise according to the function level of each patient. Data obtained was satisfactory; all patients pointed out the easy access, the intuitive format, and the advantage of communicating with an expert. Concerning functional assessment, all participants improved their score on the Borg scale after performing the intervention with the application.This platform would help respiratory patients to make rehabilitation treatments to recover their pulmonary function and to decrease or eliminate the possible complications they have. It never substitutes any prescribed treatment. In conclusion, RespiraConNosotros is a simple, viable, and safe alternative for the improvement and maintenance of respiratory capacity and patient’s functionality affected by COVID-19. It could be used as a complement to face-to-face treatment when the situation allows it.

No abstract

No abstract

In recent years, the utilization of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a transformative approach in education, revolutionizing traditional teaching methods. This study seeks to explore the efficacy of AR and VR as pedagogical resources for enhancing the teaching of the solar system. The research process involved the development of an application comprising two modules, AR and VR, which were evaluated to assess their impact on the teaching process. Furthermore, a comparative study was conducted to evaluate the immersiveness, interactivity, and ease of use offered by these technologies. The findings demonstrate that both AR and VR demonstrate promise in supporting the teaching process, with the VR module garnering particularly positive evaluations. However, it is crucial to acknowledge existing barriers in underprivileged communities, where public schools face limited investments in technology infrastructure. These limitations hinder the widespread implementation of such immersive experiences and their potential to foster new knowledge acquisition.

Reflex locomotion therapy (RLT) was developed by Vaclav Vojta in 1954 as a diagnostic and treatment tool. This therapy is mainly used to rehabilitate children with motor disorders and risk of cerebral palsy. It is also used for adults with neurological and motor impairment. RLT is based on specific postures and regular stimulation points through which a series of reflex responses are triggered. The neurophysiological mechanisms of this therapy have recently been discovered. This study aims to objectively evaluate muscular responses at the abdominal level after stimulation in the first phase of reflex rolling by showing, with surface electromyography analysis (sEMG), the muscular activity in trunk stabilizing muscles (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and serratus anterior) before, during, and after the application of RLT. A total sample of 27 healthy subjects over 18 years of age was recruited. An experimental study on a cohort was conducted. Two experimental conditions were considered: stimuli according to the Vojta protocol, and a control non-STI condition. Regarding muscular electrical activity, statistically significant differences were determined in all muscles during right-sided stimulation in the VSTI condition (p < 0.001), but not in the non-STI condition. The mean increase in muscle activity in the VSTI condition during the first stimulation ranged from 7% to 20% in the different abdominal muscles. In conclusion, an sEMG response was observed in the abdominal muscles during stimulation of the pectoral area as described in RLT, compared to stimulation of non-described areas.

IntroductionUnilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a stroke complication of stroke. Optokinetic stimulation (OKS) is one of the treatments, but its effects on motor symptoms, such as poverty or alterations in movements on the affected side, are not clear yet. The aim of this study will be to evaluate the OKS effects on the perceptual and postural complications of patients with USN.Methods and analysisRandomised double-blinded clinical trial, with an intervention group that will undergo OKS and a control placebo group. The research will take place at the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Salamanca, 102 patients older than 18 years with diagnosed USN will participate. The intervention group will receive 2 weekly OKS session for 10 weeks. Virtual reality glasses will be used for the application of a video. The video will project OKS at a preset speed and will request the participant’s attention throughout the session. The control group will receive a placebo treatment, through a virtual reality video. The measurement variables will be posturography, Fluff test, line bisection, Fullerton Advance Balance Scale and Diller’s cancellation test.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Ethics Committee University of Salamanca on February 2020 (registration number: 584). All patients in the study will be informed about the objective of the study and will give their written informed consent to participate in the study. The anonymised database will be available from the publication of the results for 10 years in the repository of the University of Salamanca GREDOS (https://gredos.usal.es/). The trial results will be shared with the scientific community at international conferences and by publication in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration numberNCT04663646.

No abstract

No abstract