94 a b ilitie s , c h a r a c te ris tic s , b e h a v io u r a n d m o tiv a tio n in th e d e s ig n , d e v e lo p m e n t a n d e v a l u a ti o n o f sy s­ te m s w h ic h in v o lv e p e o p le ”. T h e p r o c e e d in g s o f th e f ir s t c o n f e r e n c e h a v e b e e n p u b l is h e d . I n it a re a n u m b e r o f p a p e r s w h ic h a re o f in te r e s t to p h y s io t h e r a p is ts . T h e p ro c e e d in g s o f th e se c o n d c o n f e r e n c e a re in th e p r o c e s s o f p u b lic a tio n . T h e r e w e re a fe w p a p e r s b y p h y s i o t h e r a p i s t s r e a d a t b o t h c o n fe re n c e s . Fisioterapie, A u g u s tu s 1986, d e e l 42 n< If y o u a re in te r e s te d in j o in i n g e s a o r in o b ta i n in g th e p r o c e e d in g s , w rite to: M r. B. K. H ill D e s ig n I n s ti tu t e S .A .B .S . P r i v a te B a g X l 9 l P r e t o r i a 0001 B. J a h o l k o w s k i ABSTRACTS H a le y S .M . S e q u e n ti a l a n a ly s e s o f p o s t u r a l r e a c tio n s in n o n h a n d ic a p p e d in fa n ts . P h y s T h e r 1986; 66(4): 531-536. T h e p u r p o s e o f th is s t u d y w a s to id e n tify a n e m p iric a lly v a lid a te d s e q u e n c e o f a u to m a t i c p o s t u r a l r e a c ti o n s in a sa m p le o f 40 n o n h a n d i c a p p e d in f a n ts . U s in g a c ro s s - s e c tio n a l d e s ig n , w e te s te d in f a n ts b e tw e e n th e ag es o f 2 a n d 10 m o n th s f o r th e p re s e n c e o f fu ll a n d p a r ti a l rig h tin g , e q u ilib r iu m a n d p ro te c tiv e re a c tio n s . T w o ty p e s o f s e q u e n tia l a n a ly s is w e re p e r fo r m e d . T h e T h u r s t o n e a b s o lu te s c a lin g t e c h n iq u e id e n tifie d a n a g e -re la te d s e q u e n c e , a n d t h e s c a lo g r a m t e c h n i q u e a m e a s u r e o f th e v a r ia b ility o f th e se q u e n c e . T h e s e q u e n c e o f p o s tu r a l r e a c tio n s d e fin e d in th is s t u d y is in g e n e r a l a g r e e m e n t w ith th e s e q u e n c e r e p o r t e d in p re v io u s c lin ic a l r e p o rts , a lth o u g h s o m e d iffe re n c e s in o r d e r i n g a re n o te d . A c o n s is te n c y i n d e x o f 72 7 in d ic a te d t h a t th e s e q u e n c e o f p o s t u r a l r e a c tio n s h a d f a ir l y g o o d p r e d ic ti v e a b ility . T h is s tu d y c o n tr i b u t e s a d a t a - b a s e d s e q u e n ti a l m o d e l o f p o s t u r a l r e a c tio n s a n d a n i n d ic a ti o n o f t h e d e g re e o f s e q u e n tia l v a r ia b il i ty in th e o r d e r o f e m e rg e n c e o f p o s tu r a l re a c tio n s in n o n h a n d ic a p p e d in fa n ts . D e fin itio n o f th e s e q u e n c e a n d th e o b s e r v e d v a r ia b il ity in n o n ­ h a n d ic a p p e d i n f a n t s is a n in itia l s te p in th e u n d e r ­ s ta n d in g o f th e p r o c e s s e s u n d e r ly in g th e d e v e l o p m e n t o f p o s t u r a l r e a c tio n s . A u t h o r ’s S u m m a r y L lo y d T . e t al. A re v ie w o f th e u s e o f e le c t r o - m o t o r s t i m u l a ti o n in h u m a n m u s c le s . A u s t r a l ia n J o u r n a l o f P h y s io th e r a p y 1986; 32(1): 18-30. T h e u se o f e le c tr ic a l s t i m u l a ti o n in r e h a b i l i t a t i o n is a lo n g e s ta b lis h e d p r o c e d u r e f o r th e m a n a g e m e n t o f a w id e v a r ie ty o f m u s c u lo - s k e l e ta l p r o b le m s . T h is p a p e r re v ie w s i m p o r t a n t f in d in g s f r o m s tu d ie s o n th e e le c tr o ­ m o t o r s t i m u l a t i o n ( E M S ) o f h u m a n m u s c le s . I t is p a r t i c u l a r l y c o n c e r n e d w ith th e r e s u lts o f E M S in n o r m a l s u b j e c t s a n d in t h e r e h a b i l i t a t i o n s e t ti n g , f o c u s in g o n th e s tim u lu s p a r a m e t e r s a n d tr a i n i n g p r o t o ­ c o ls u se d b y v a r io u s a u th o r s . A b r ie f a c c o u n t is a ls o g iv e n o f s o m e o f th e p h y s i o l o g ic a l e ffe c ts o f E M S o n m u s c le . A t t e n t i o n is d r a w n to t h e u r g e n t n e e d f o r a m o r e s y s te m a tic a p p r o a c h to e s ta b lis h th e o p tim a l s tim u la ti o n a n d tr a i n i n g p a r a m e te r s . T h e s e f a c to r s m u s t b e c o n s id e r e d w h e n e v a l u a t i n g s t u d ie s c o n c e r n e d w ith th e e ffic a c y o f E M S - b a s e d r e h a b i li t a t i o n p r o g r a m m e s . A u t h o r s ’ S u m m a r y C h a n C .W .Y . S o m e te c h n iq u e s f o r th e r e lie f o f s p a s ­ t i c i t y a n d t h e i r p h y s i o l o g i c a l b a s i s . P h y s i o t h e r a p y C a n a d a 1986; 3 8 (2): 85-89. A n u m b e r o f a p p r o a c h e s h a v e b e e n a d v o c a te d f o r th e m a n a g e m e n t o f s p a s tic ity . T h e p u r p o s e o f th is re v ie w is to d is c u s s th e e x p e r i m e n ta l s tu d ie s t h a t in v e s tig a te d th e u n d e r ly i n g m e c h a n is m s , as w e ll as th e c lin ic a l b e n e fits , o f t h r e e o f th e s e t e c h n iq u e s : lo c a l c o o lin g , v ib r a t i o n t h e r a p y , a n d e le c tric a l s t im u la ti o n . F ir s t, p r o lo n g e d lo c a l c o o lin g o f t h e s p a s tic m u s c le h a s b e e n f o u n d to re lie v e s p a s tic ity b y r e d u c in g th e h y p e r e x c it a b il ity o f t e n d o n re fle x e s a n d a n k le c lo n u s . O f c lin ic a l sig n ific a n c e is th e lo n g - te r m f u n c ti o n a l im p r o v e m e n t d e m o n s t r a t e d b y a n in c re a s e in ra n g e o f m o v e m e n t a n d v o l u n ta r y p o w e r o f th e a n ta g o n i s t . S e c o n d , lo w a m p litu d e , h ig h - f r e q u e n c y v i b r a t i o n o f th e p a r a ly ti c a n ta g o n i s t o f a s p a s tic m u s c le is b e lie v e d to re d u c e th e h y p e r to n u s o f th e s p a s tic m u s c le t h r o u g h r e c ip r o c a l i n h ib it io n , w h ile f a c i li t a t i n g m o v e m e n t o f t h e p a r a l y ti c m u s c le th r o u g h g e n e r a ti o n o f th e t o n ic v i b r a t i o n re fle x c o n d u c te d v ia s p in d le a ffe r e n ts . H o w e v e r, th e l o n g - te r m im p r o v e m e n t in n e u r o m u s c u l a r f u n c tio n h a s so f a r b e e n f o u n d to be a n in c r e a s e in th e a c tiv e ra n g e o f m o v e m e n t, w i t h o u t a s ig n if ic a n t in c r e a s e in th e v o l u n ta r y p o w e r o f e ith e r v ib r a te d o r n o n v ib r a te d m u sc le s. T h ir d , s u rfa c e e le c tric a l s t i m u l a t i o n o f p e r ip h e r a l n e r v e s , a n d o f s p a s tic o r p a r a ly tic m u sc le s, h a s b e e n fo u n d to s u p p r e s s s p a s tic ity . O f i m p o r t a n c e t o th e t h e r a p is t is t h e lo n g p e r io d o f re d u c e d s p a s tic ity o b s e rv e d a f te r th e s ti m u la tio n . A u t h o r ’s S u m m a r y R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )