Spasticity is a complex neurological disorder, causing significant physical disabilities and affecting patients' independence and quality of daily lives. Current spasticity assessment methods are questioned for their non-standardized measurement protocols, limited reliabilities, and capabilities in distinguishing neuron or non-neuron factors in upper motor neuron lesion. A series of new approaches are developed for improving the effectiveness of current clinical used spasticity assessment methods with the developing technology in biosensors, robotics, medical imaging, biomechanics, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence. We investigated the reliabilities and effectiveness of current spasticity measures employed in clinical environments and the newly developed approaches, published from 2016 to date, which have the potential to be used in clinical environments. The new spasticity scales, taking advantage of quantified information such as torque, or echo intensity, the velocity-dependent feature and patients' self-reported information, grade spasticity semi-quantitatively, have competitive or better reliability than previous spasticity scales. Medical imaging technologies, including near-infrared spectroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and thermography, can measure muscle hemodynamics and metabolism, muscle tissue properties, or temperature of tissue. Medical imaging-based methods are feasible to provide quantitative information in assessing and monitoring muscle spasticity. Portable devices, robotic based equipment or myotonometry, using information from angular, inertial, torque or surface EMG sensors, can quantify spasticity with the help of machine learning algorithms. However, spasticity measures using those devices are normally not physiological sound. Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation can assess patients with severe spasticity, which lost voluntary contractions. Neuromusculoskeletal modeling evaluates the neural and non-neural properties and may gain insights into the underlying pathology of spasticity muscles. Telemedicine technology enables outpatient spasticity assessment. The newly developed spasticity methods aim to standardize experimental protocols and outcome measures and enable quantified, accurate, and intelligent assessment. However, more work is needed to investigate and improve the effectiveness and accuracy of spasticity assessment.

Background: Physical activity contributes to both physiological and psychosocial benefits for children and adolescents with disabilities. However, the prevalence of physical inactivity is notably higher among disabled young people compared to their healthy peers. Despite this, there is a lack of constructed knowledge structure, evolutionary path, research hotspots, and frontiers in studies related to physical activity in young people with disabilities.Methods: The literature related to the research of physical activity in children and adolescents with disabilities was retrieved from the core collection of the Web of Science. The annual publication numbers and the timing, frequency, and centrality of the co-occurrence network with respect to journals, countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords were analyzed. Additionally, clustering analysis and burst analysis were performed on the references and keywords. All analyses were conducted using CiteSpace. Results: A total of 1308 related articles were included. The knowledge structure of research on the physical activity of disabled children and adolescents, including annual publication numbers, influencing journals, countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords along with their respective collaborative networks, has been constructed. Furthermore, the research foundation, current hot topics, and research frontiers have been identified by analyzing references and keywords. Conclusions: Current research hotspots include interventions, therapies, and programs aimed at enhancing specific skills, as well as addressing the satisfaction of competence to improve motivation and the effectiveness of physical activity. There is also a focus on the development of scales for quantitative studies. Future directions may be toward personalized interventions or programs to enhance physical activity levels among youth with disabilities.

Introduction Stair ascent and descent require complex integration between sensory and motor systems; individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) have an elevated risk for falls and fall injuries, which may be in part due to poor dynamic postural control during locomotion. Tai chi exercise has been shown to reduce fall risks in the ageing population and is recommended as one of the non-pharmocological therapies for people with KOA. However, neuromuscular mechanisms underlying the benefits of tai chi for persons with KOA are not clearly understood. Postural control deficits in performing a primary motor task may be more pronounced when required to simultaneously attend to a cognitive task. This single-blind, parallel design randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the effects of a 12-week tai chi programme versus balance and postural control training on neuromechanical characteristics during dual-task stair negotiation. Methods and analysis Sixty-six participants with KOA will be randomised into either tai chi or balance and postural control training, each at 60 min per session, twice weekly for 12 weeks. Assessed at baseline and 12 weeks (ie, postintervention), the primary outcomes are attention cost and dynamic postural stability during dual-task stair negotiation. Secondary outcomes include balance and proprioception, foot clearances, self-reported symptoms and function. A telephone follow-up to assess symptoms and function will be conducted at 20 weeks. The findings will help determine whether tai chi is beneficial on dynamic stability and in reducing fall risks in older adults with KOA patients in community. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (#2018KY-006–1). Study findings will be disseminated through presentations at scientific conferences or publications in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number ChiCTR1800018028.

This study aims to explore the dynamic balance of human beings and investigate the relationship between functional structure as well as functional connectivity. Through a comprehensive bibliometric and visual analysis of the research literature from 1995 to 2022, we quantitatively display the development of the dynamic balance and brain structure as well as functional connection. Our objective is to present new trends and frontiers in the study of dynamic balance and brain function through bibliometrics software, providing valuable insights for future research in this domain. The literature on dynamic balance, brain structure and functional connectivity between 1995 and 2022 was retrieved from the Web of Science database. We employed CiteSpace software to analyze various aspects, including the year of publication, journal, authors, keywords, institutions, countries, and references. Based on the analysis results, a co-reference map was generated to visually observe research hotspots and knowledge structures. A total of 1533 records were retrieved during the survey period (1995–2022), with a gradually increase in the number of annual publications. Notably, the data suggests a notable increase in publications between 2020 and 2021. The number of publications increased by 20 % from 2020 to 2021. The journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)” emerged as the most prolific journal. Among the cited authors, Deco and Gustavo ranked at the top. Key research terms in this field include "neural network", "functional connectivity", "dynamic", "model" and "brain". Particularly, the keyword "neural network" exhibited the strongest growth. The analysis of keywords cluster revealed the top 10 clusters of research themes. Oxford University stood out as the most productive institution, while the United States held the greatest influence with the highest number of publications and centrality. The reference cluster analysis further demonstrated the top 10 clusters in the literature. Through the use of CiteSpace software, this study performed a comprehensive bibliometric and visual analysis of the Web of Science research literature on human dynamic balance and brain structural as well as functional connectivity over the past few decades. This may help researchers identify new perspectives on potential collaborators as well as collaborating institutions, hot topics, and research frontiers in the research field. The results provided an intuitive displayed overview of research trends, hotspots and frontiers in this field, facilitating a general understanding of its progression. Through unremitting efforts, it provides valuable guidance and reference for future research work.

Background and Purpose: To compare the effects of Tai Chi and balance and postural control training on spatiotemporal parameters and dual‐task costs during stair negotiation in knee osteoarthritis participants.Methods: Sixty‐nine knee osteoarthritis participants were randomly assigned to either the Tai Chi group or the balance and postural control training group. All participants underwent interventions twice a week for 12 weeks. Pain scores, spatiotemporal parameters and dual‐task costs during stair ascent and descent were measured before and after the intervention.Results: Both groups reported significant reductions in pain and improvements in spatiotemporal parameters following the intervention. The Tai Chi group exhibited a significantly greater reduction in initial double stance time during stair descent compared with the balance and posture control training group under both single‐task (F = 8.177, p = 0.006, η² = 0.143) and dual‐task (F = 5.007, p = 0.03, η² = 0.093) conditions. Meanwhile, the balance and posture control training group showed significant reductions in the dual‐task cost values of cadence (p = 0.003) and speed (p = 0.038), although no significant between‐group differences were observed.Discussion: Both Tai Chi and balance and postural control training alleviated pain and improved spatiotemporal parameters during stair negotiation in participants with knee osteoarthritis. However, improvements in dual‐task cost of cadence and speed were limited, potentially due to insufficient intervention or gait strategy adaptations. Only the balance and postural control group showed a significant reduction in dual‐task cost during stair descent, indicating its advantage in maintaining stability under cognitive load.Trial Registration: ChiCTR1800018028