Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud

Introduction: In recent years, pain neuroscience education (PNE) has been the focus of extensive research in the scientific literature in the field of physical therapy, but the results obtained are controversial and its clinical application remains unclear. The main aim of this umbrella review was to assess the effectiveness of PNE in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Methods: We searched systematically in PubMed (Medline), PEDro, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Methodological quality was analyzed using AMSTAR-2 scale and overlapping analysis using GROOVE tool. Results: 16 systematic reviews were included. A qualitative synthesis was performed for the following sets of patients with CMP: overall CMP, chronic spinal pain, patients with fibromyalgia and patients with osteoarthritis. In general terms, it seems that the addition of the PNE-based intervention to other treatments, mostly exercise-based interventions although we might refer to it in terms of a multimodal approach, leads to greater clinical improvements than the multimodal approach alone. We have found this especially in the reduction of the influence of psychosocial variables. However, it seems that studies testing the effectiveness of PNE in isolation, systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis did not show statistically significant improvements overall in terms of pain intensity, disability levels or psychosocial variables. Discussion: There is a great heterogeneity in the results obtained and the PNE protocols used, a critically low quality in the reviews included and a very high overlap, so there is a need to improve the studies in this field before clinical application.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint condition and one of the greatest causes of disability worldwide. The role of serum lipid and inflammatory biomarkers in the origin and development of the disease is not clear, although it could have important implications for diagnosis and treatment. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate differences of serum lipid and inflammatory biomarkers with knee EOA in comparison with matched controls, in order to determine the role of these factors in the origin of EOA. Methods: For this proposal, a cross-sectional study with a non-randomized sample was performed. 48 subjects with early osteoarthritis (EOA) and 48 matched controls were selected and serum lipid levels (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL) and inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid (UA) were analyzed. In addition, clinical (pain, disability) and functional (gait speed, sit-to-stand) variables were measured to establish their relationship to serum lipid levels and inflammatory biomarkers. Results: Patients with EOA showed higher levels of total cholesterol LDL, UA, and CRP. Higher levels of total cholesterol, LDL and CRP were correlated with higher levels of pain intensity and higher disability (p < 0.05). In addition, UA and CRP were inversely correlated with gait speed and sit-to-stand tests (r = -0.038 to -0.5, p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results highlight the relevance of metabolic and proinflammatory aspects in the early stages of knee OA and could be key to developing early diagnoses to prevent the onset and development of the disease.

Aims: Patients with heart failure (HF) can exhibit kinesiophobia, an excessive, debilitating, and irrational fear of movement. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of kinesiophobia in patients with HF by analysing associations with the following variables: musculoskeletal pain, quality of life, quality of sleep, functional capacity, disability, frailty, sex, and age. Methods and results: In this cross-sectional study, 107 participants were included, with ages ranging from 28 to 97 years (57% men, mean age 73.18 ± 12.68 years). Multiple regression analyses were performed with all variables, including polynomial regressions for variables with a non-linear relationship. Kinesiophobia was significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with musculoskeletal pain, quality of life, quality of sleep, functional capacity, disability, and being at risk of frailty, while age and sex were not statistically significant. Frailty disability and musculoskeletal pain intensity were variables linearly associated with kinesiophobia, while quality of sleep and disability had a non-linear relationship with kinesiophobia. Conclusion: Kinesiophobia needs to be evaluated and better understood in patients with HF to improve physical activity and exercise adherence. This study found that musculoskeletal pain intensity, quality of sleep, disability, and frailty risk have a significant association with kinesiophobia in patients with HF. Our results suggest multi-dimensional associations of kinesiophobia in patients with HF, which require further examination and understanding.

Purpose: Many patients with acute coronary syndrome experience problematic or altered sexual function. This aspect of the disease is frequently ignored or overlooked by the healthcare community even though it can strongly influence health-related patient quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of a specific cardiac rehabilitation programme focused on aerobic and neuromuscular strength-resistance training to those of a classic rehabilitation programme, both in terms of HRQoL and erectile dysfunction in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: This study reports both secondary and unregistered outcomes from a double-blinded, randomised, and controlled clinical trial. The proposed intervention was based on the completion of a 20-session (10-week) cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients with cardiovascular disease. The patient cohort had been diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and was recruited at the Cardiology Service of a private tertiary hospital. The outcomes assessed in this study were HRQoL and erectile disfunction assessed at baseline, after the intervention, and at a 6-month follow-up. Results: A total of 30 participants were randomly allocated to each study arm. The results of the two-way mixed ANOVAs showed significant group × time interactions for all the outcome measures (EQ-5D_index, p = 0.004; EQ-5D_VAS, p = 0.017; QLMI-Q, p ≤ 0.001; and IIEF-5, p = 0.001). Conclusion: The neuromuscular strength training programme was more effective than the classic strength training programme in terms of increasing the HRQoL and improving erectile dysfunction in patients following acute coronary syndrome, with differences still remaining between these groups at the 6-month follow-up.

Objectives: To analyse the relationship between spirometric parameters measured with a face mask versus a mouthpiece, as well as the feasibility of face mask spirometric evaluation in a head and neck surgery (HNS) decannulation context. Furthermore, we examine peak inspiratory flow (PIF) cut-off values before and after decannulation. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Otolaryngology HNS Department of a university teaching hospital. Participants: Twenty-four patients were selected. A maximal flow-volume loop was conducted before (with mouthpiece) and after (with mouthpiece and face mask) decannulation. Main outcome measures: Recorded outcomes were forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second, peak expiratory flow, PIF, forced expiratory flow at 50% of FVC and forced inspiratory flow at 50% of FVC. Spearman correlation coefficients between spirometric parameters measured with a face mask versus a mouthpiece were calculated. Wilcoxon test was used to check differences between mouthpiece and face mask values. Results: Correlation between mouthpiece and face mask spirometric values was moderate to high (r = 0.46–0.95). All parameters measured by spirometry were significantly lower with a face mask than those obtained with a mouthpiece (p < 0.05). Before decannulation, the lowest PIF value (tested with mouthpiece) that allowed successful decannulation was 1 L/s. After decannulation, the lowest PIF value tested with mouthpiece and face mask for successful completion of the decannulation process were 0.77 and 0.56 L/s, respectively. Conclusion: Face mask is a feasible option to perform a spirometry when face diseases hinder spirometric evaluation through a mouthpiece in an HNC surgery context.

Introduction: In recent years, innovative educational strategies of learning have appeared, to generate greater motivation in the students. Gamification has become popular in the educational area, including Escape Rooms. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate if this gamification activity led to better knowledge acquisition by the students, improving performance in their final exam. As a secondary objective, we surveyed the satisfaction of the students participating in the Educational Escape Room. Material and methods: An observational study of cases and controls was carried out. We designed an escape room based on the cardiovascular area of physiotherapy, titled Escape-Cardio. We provided scaffolded learning activities through the activity. Primary outcomes corresponded to the students’ qualifications and the number of correct answers in the final exam. Qualitative questionnaire results of students of both courses were collected using a self-created survey, which was completed after the activity. Results: 58 students participated in the Escape-Cardio. We observed better performance in the intervention group, improving their average mark and number of correct answers in the exam, with a statistically significant difference compared to the control group (p-value<0.05). In the qualitative assessment, students answered the survey, and all of them scored unanimously each item with the maximum score, aiming for 100% satisfaction. Conclusion: Escape-Cardio students improved their professional knowledge application in the cardiovascular physiotherapy area in a statistically significant way. An excellent qualitative evaluation was achieved by them.

Critical medical and surgical advances have led to a shift in the care and management of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). These patients present with muscle deconditioning, which negatively influences their response to exercise, functional capacities, and quality of life. This study evaluates the influence of a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program (CPRP) on the function of peripheral musculature of children with CHD. A single-center prospective cohort study was designed. Fifteen CHD subjects, between 12 and 16 years of age, with reduced aerobic capacity on a cardiopulmonary exercise test, were included in a three-month, 24-session CPRP. Measurements of the subjects’ handgrip strength, biceps brachii and quadriceps femoris strength, and triceps surae fatigue process were collected at the beginning of the program, after completion, and six months after the end of the intervention. A substantial and statistically significant improvement was observed in the subjects’ handgrip strength (kg) (p < 0.001), biceps brachii and quadriceps femoris strength (N) (p < 0.001), as well as triceps surae fatigue process (repetitions) (p = 0.018), with a maintenance of the results six months after the intervention. These results suggest that a CPRP could potentially improve the peripheral muscle function of children with CHD. Additional research is needed to confirm and expand on this hypothesis.

Critical surgical and medical advances have shifted the focus of congenital heart disease (CHD) patients from survival to achievement of a greater health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL is influenced, amongst other factors, by aerobic capacity and respiratory muscle strength, both of which are reduced in CHD patients. This study evaluates the influence of a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program (CPRP) on respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity. Fifteen CHD patients, ages 12 to 16, with reduced aerobic capacity in cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) were enrolled in a CPRP involving strength and aerobic training for three months. Measurements for comparison were obtained at the start, end, and six months after the CPRP. A significant improvement of inspiratory muscle strength was evidenced (maximum inspiratory pressure 21 cm H2O, 23%, p < 0.01). The six-minute walking test showed a statistically and clinically significant rise in walked distance (48 m, p < 0.01) and a reduction in muscle fatigue (1.7 out of 10 points, p = 0.017). These results suggest CPRP could potentially improve respiratory muscle function and functional capacity, with lasting results, in children with congenital heart disease, but additional clinical trials must be conducted to confirm this finding.

The aim of the present clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of neuromuscular versus classical strength-resistance training as part of a cardiac rehabilitation programme in patients following acute coronary syndrome. The study is designed as a double-blinded, randomised, and controlled clinical trial. Thirty participants suffering from acute coronary syndrome who meet our inclusion criteria will be recruited by a private tertiary hospital. The intervention group will follow 20 sessions of a cardiac rehabilitation programme divided into two parts: aerobic training and neuromuscular strength-resistance training. The control group will complete the same aerobic training as well as a classical strength-resistance training workout programme. The primary outcome of the study will be the mean difference in change from baseline in the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test. The secondary outcomes will be the cardiorespiratory fitness of the patients (assessed by means of the Chester Step Test), lower-limb performance (assessed with the 30-Second Chair Stand Test and Single- Leg Squat Test), lower-limb strength (hip flexor handheld dynamometry), sexual dysfunction assessment (Sex Health Inventory for Men) and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). This work will provide evidence for the effectiveness of a neuromuscular versus a classic strength-training programme in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-limb performance capacities and quality of life, in cardiac patients. The data obtained could lead to more effective and functional workouts which, in turn, may enhance the speed at which these patients can return to their everyday activities of life and improve the efficiency of their movement patterns and heart responses. Furthermore, patients may find neuromuscular workout routines more motivating and engaging, thus encouraging them to adopt healthier lifestyle patterns.