Background: Students require feedback on their self-regulated learning (SRL) processes to improve the performance of clinical examinations. The key SRL processes used by students can be identified by SRL-micro-analysis but, this method has not been previously applied to physiotherapy students. The aim of this pilot study was to test a research design that might allow the evaluation of the potential usefulness of SRL microanalysis for the identification of key SRL processes used by physiotherapy students during the performance of a clinical examination skill. The objectives of the pilot study were: 1) to evaluate whether SRL-microanalysis could identify differences in the use of SRL processes between successful and unsuccessful students; 2) to evaluate the reliability of SRL microanalysis ratings produced by different assessors. Methods: SRL-microanalysis was used with second year physiotherapy students of a Spanish university (n = 26) as they performed a goniometric task. The task required students to obtain a goniometric measurement of the shoulder joint of a peer. Two assessors evaluated student performance and conducted the SRL- microanalysis with all students. An analysis of inter-rater reliability was performed to evaluate the degree of agreement between assessors. Results: The SRL-microanalysis revealed differences in the use of key SRL processes between successful (n = 15: 57.0%) and unsuccessful performers (n = 11: 43.0%): The differences were particularly evident in strategic planning and self-monitoring skills. There was good inter-rater reliability for scoring of strategic planning (k = 0.792), self-monitoring (k = 0.946) and self-evaluation (k = 0.846). Conclusion: The use of SRL microanalysis characterized the key SRL processes of physiotherapy students performing a clinical skill with reliability between the assessors. This pilot study supports the potential usefulness of SRL-microanalysis for the identification of key SRL processes in physiotherapy education. Therefore, this study paves the way to the development of a full study, with a larger number of students and more diverse clinical tasks, to evaluate the SRL processes in successful and unsuccessful students.

The competitive calendars in sports often lead to fluctuations in the effort-recovery cycle and sleep quality. NESA noninvasive neuromodulation, achieved through microcurrent modulation of the autonomic nervous system, holds promise for enhancing sleep quality and autonomic activation during stressful situations. The objective of this study was to analyze the sleep and recovery responses of basketball players over six weeks of training and competition, with the integration of NESA noninvasive neuromodulation. A preliminary experimental study involving 12 participants was conducted, with a placebo group (n = 6) and an intervention group (n = 6) treated with NESA noninvasive neuromodulation. Sleep variables and biomarkers such as testosterone, cortisol, and the cortisol:testosterone ratio were analyzed to assess player recovery and adaptations. Significant differences were observed in total, duration, and REM sleep variables (p-value= < 0.001; 0.007; <0.001, respectively) between the intervention and placebo groups. The intervention group demonstrated increased duration of sleep variables. Cortisol levels showed normalization in the experimental group, particularly in the last two weeks coinciding with the start of playoffs. This study highlights the potential of NESA noninvasive neuromodulation to enhance sleep quality despite challenging circumstances, providing valuable insights into the management of athlete recovery in competitive sports settings.

Background/Objectives: Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting up to 1.7% of the global population. Current interventions do not treat the root cause, prompting research into novel treatments like non-invasive neuromodulation. The objective of this study is to examine the use of NESA technology in children with ASD, to determine if it generates changes in their conduct and their central symptoms related to the spectrum. Methods: In this study, twelve children with ASD underwent NESA neuromodulation therapy. We assessed the children’s (CSHQ) and parents’ sleep quality (Pittsburg scale), aberrant behavior (ABC-C), and sensory profile (SP-2). Results: In most cases (66.7%), we observed an improvement in the test results. A comparative analysis of NESA protocols revealed that the optimal programming strategy involves a longer duration of programs 7 and 8 of NESA microcurrents. Conclusions: Given the limited number of patients included in the data set, further investigations are necessary to draw more robust conclusions. This novel form of treatment offers the potential to address autism spectrum disorder by targeting the autonomic nervous system. This approach may influence underlying mechanisms of the autonomic nervous system. The pilot study has opened a new avenue for future research.

Background/Objectives: Stroke is a sudden neurological event caused by disrupted cerebral blood flow and represents a leading cause of acquired disability worldwide. Motor impairments and spasticity are among the most prevalent sequelae, significantly limiting functional independence and quality of life. Non-invasive electrotherapy has emerged as a complementary strategy in neurorehabilitation aimed at enhancing neuroplasticity and improving motor recovery. To systematically review current evidence regarding the effectiveness of non-invasive electrotherapy modalities in the rehabilitation of motor sequelae and spasticity following stroke, and to examine their theoretical and clinical rationale. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The protocol was prospectively registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF). A comprehensive search was performed in Pubmed, Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus for studies published up to 14 November 2023, using the terms “Electric Stimulation Therapy” and “Stroke”. The methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. The levels of evidence were classified according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria, and the risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2). Results: Sixteen studies were included in the review. The analyzed interventions comprised neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), functional electrical stimulation (FES), neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation (NMES + rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and afferent electrical stimulation (AES). Overall, the methodological quality of the included studies ranged from moderate to high, with PEDro scores between 6 and 9 out of 10. According to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine classification, most studies corresponded to level 1b evidence, while a smaller proportion were classified as level 2b. A risk of bias assessment using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool showed that the majority of the included studies presented a low risk of bias across most domains, although some concerns were identified in the domains of randomization and measurement in a limited number of trials. Across modalities, consistency within group improvement in motor function and spasticity was reported. However, between group comparisons with conventional rehabilitation were often inconsistent and did not consistently demonstrate superiority. The variability in stimulation parameters, intervention duration, and outcome measures further limited direct comparisons across studies. Conclusions: Non-invasive electrotherapy appears to be a safe and promising adjunct to conventional stroke rehabilitation. Nevertheless, further high-quality studies are required to clarify the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms and to establish standardized treatment protocols.

Las tecnologías posibilitan la supresión de las barreras espaciales y temporales que la educación superior ha sufrido por la actual pandemia COVID-19, aportando nuevos escenarios educativos. El vídeo-análisis abre una ventana para la evaluación en la enseñanza clínica en Ciencias de la Salud. El objetivo de esta investigación es estudiar la viabilidad del vídeo-análisis para analizar habilidades en la entrevista clínica en fisioterapia. Se realizó un estudio exploratorio con análisis de video y lista de cotejo en estudiantes de primer año. Gracias a los videos recopilados, se determinó que los alumnos analizados tienen mejor desarrolladas las habilidades relacionadas con realizar preguntas apropiadas en la entrevista, mientras que por el contrario existen más dificultades en las habilidades de saber escuchar. Los resultados muestran que el video-análisis es una herramienta práctica y válida para analizar tareas en entornos de simulación en ciencias de la salud, como ha sido en esta actividad de entrevista clínica. Esta nueva forma de evaluación docente, además de aportar datos cuantificables, supone una nueva forma de justificar al alumno sus errores y aciertos durante la prueba, permitiendo establecer un potencial feedback para mejorar en sus habilidades clínicas. Así mismo, la posibilidad de evaluarse con un paciente simulado supone un acercamiento a la realidad profesional a la que se deben enfrentar una vez egresados.

La entrevista clínica se considera de gran importancia en la educación de los profesionales de la salud para que estos posean las habilidades necesarias para afrontar con éxito la relación terapeuta-paciente. Los objetivos de esta revisión bibliográfica exploratoria consisten en averiguar si, en la literatura actual, existen métodos de evaluación de forma escrita que permitan medir la entrevista clínica en Fisioterapia y en otras carreras de Ciencias de la Salud como Medicina o Enfermería. Y como segundo objetivo, si coinciden los métodos de evaluación utilizados en cada una de ellas, observando, además, la posible existencia o no desigualdades entre las mismas. Se revisó la información existente en los buscadores PubMed, Cochrane, PEDro, Google Académico o ScienceDirect, entre otros. Se utilizaron estudios realizados entre los años 2000 y 2020. Finalmente se aplicaron los criterios de inclusión y exclusión mediante la Declaración PRISMA. Se encontraron un total de 9 trabajos que expresan la existencia de cuestionarios o escalas en las titulaciones anteriormente referidas (Medicina, Enfermería y Fisioterapia) y nos permiten ver las diferencias entre unos métodos y otros. Además, la escala PRISMA aporta información de calidad que nos permite observar las similitudes y diferencias en cuanto al contenido de los artículos. Existe evidencia disponible en las distintas disciplinas y en todas ellas existe una coincidencia en cuanto a los cuestionarios o escalas utilizados. Se necesita mayor investigación futura en este campo, sobre todo en Fisioterapia.