ALEX, o wearable que o irá ajudar a manter a boa postura corporal

No meio das inúmeras vantagens que as novas tecnologias trouxeram para a nossa vida, há uma desvantagem inevitável: a má postura corporal. São as costas curvadas na cadeira a usar o PC, é o pescoço dobrado o dia todo a olhar para o smartphone, horas seguidas sentado… tudo isso contribui para que o nosso corpo se ressinta e para que as dores e outros problemas mais graves surjam de forma prematura.

Mas, mais uma vez, é a tecnologia que nos pode ajudar a resolver este problema. Conheça o wearable ALEX.

ALEX é um novo wearable que promete alertar o utilizador cada vez que ele está com uma postura incorrecta, com o objectivo de minimizar as dores nas costas e pescoço.

O dispositivo é colocado no pescoço, assente nas orelhas, e vibra a cada vez que detecta uma má postura corporal, para que o utilizador se posicione de forma mais correcta.

Especificações Gerais

• Motor de vibração: Vibra sempre que os utilizadores estejam com uma má postura corporal
• Acelerómetro: Mede o ângulo do pescoço em tempo real e compila os dados para a aplicação móvel
• Bluetooth 4.0: Mantém a ligação do wearable ao dispositivo móvel do utilizador
• Memória flash: Grava de forma temporária os dados relativos à postura corporal do utilizador até serem sincronizados com a aplicação móvel
• LED de notificações: O LED indica se está ligado ou desligado, o estado da ligação Bluetooth e o estado da bateria.

Especificações Gerais

• Motor de vibração: Vibra sempre que os utilizadores estejam com uma má postura corporal
• Acelerómetro: Mede o ângulo do pescoço em tempo real e compila os dados para a aplicação móvel
• Bluetooth 4.0: Mantém a ligação do wearable ao dispositivo móvel do utilizador
• Memória flash: Grava de forma temporária os dados relativos à postura corporal do utilizador até serem sincronizados com a aplicação móvel
• LED de notificações: O LED indica se está ligado ou desligado, o estado da ligação Bluetooth e o estado da bateria.

Este wearable deverá chegar ao mercado já em Maio do presente ano, já que actualmente se encontra sujeito a uma campanha de financiamento colectivo através da plataforma KickStarter. O pack mais simples onde pode investir inclui um dispositivo wearable ALEX, um cabo USB/microUSB e uma bolsa de transporte, por 49 dólares.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury: a meta-analysis

Fei Wang, Yong Wang, Tao Sun, Hua-lin Yu

Abstract

Compelling evidence suggests the advantage of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in traumatic brain injury. The present meta-analysis evaluated the outcomes of HBOT in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prospective studies comparing hyperbaric oxygen therapy vs. control in patients with mild (GCS 13–15) to severe (GCS 3–8) TBI were hand-searched from medical databases using the terms “hyperbaric oxygen therapy, traumatic brain injury, and post-concussion syndrome”. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) was the primary outcome, while Glasgow outcome score (GOS), overall mortality, and changes in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) score, constituted the secondary outcomes. The results of eight studies (average age of patients, 23–41 years) reveal a higher post-treatment GCS score in the HBOT group (pooled difference in means = 3.13, 95 % CI 2.34–3.92,P < 0.001), in addition to greater improvement in GOS and lower mortality, as compared to the control group. However, no significant change in the PTSD score was observed. Patients undergoing hyperbaric therapy achieved significant improvement in the GCS and GOS with a lower overall mortality, suggesting its utility as a standard intensive care regimen in traumatic brain injury.

1. 1.
   Xie Z, Zhuang M, Lin L, Xu H, Chen L, Hu L (2007) Changes of plasma C-reactive protein in patients with craniocerebral injury before and after hyperbaric oxygenation: a randomly controlled study. NRR 2(5):314–317
2. 2.
   Hills BA (1999) A role for oxygen-induced osmosis in hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Med Hypotheses 52(3):259–263PubMedCrossRef
3. 3.
   Neubauer RA, James P (1998) Cerebral oxygenation and the recoverable brain. Neurol Res 20(Suppl 1):S33–S36PubMed
4. 4.
   Bennett MH, Trytko B, Jonker B (2004) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the adjunctive treatment of traumatic brain injury. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (4):CD004609
5. 5.
   Bennett MH, Trytko B, Jonker B (2012) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the adjunctive treatment of traumatic brain injury. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 12:CD004609
6. 6.
   Rockswold SB, Rockswold GL, Vargo JM, Erickson CA, Sutton RL, Bergman TA, Biros MH (2001) Effects of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy on cerebral metabolism and intracranial pressure in severely brain injured patients. J Neurosurg 94(3):403–411PubMedCrossRef
7. 7.
   Golden ZL, Neubauer R, Golden CJ, Greene L, Marsh J, Mleko A (2002) Improvement in cerebral metabolism in chronic brain injury after hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Int J Neurosci 112(2):119–131PubMedCrossRef
8. 8.
   Boussi-Gross R, Golan H, Fishlev G, Bechor Y, Volkov O, Bergan J, Friedman M, Hoofien D, Shlamkovitch N, Ben-Jacob E, Efrati S (2013) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve post concussion syndrome years after mild traumatic brain injury-randomized prospective trial. PLoS One 8(11):e79995PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
9. 9.
   Huang L, Obenaus A (2011) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury. Med Gas Res 1(1):21PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
10. 10.
    Wolf G, Cifu D, Baugh L, Carne W, Profenna L (2012) The effect of hyperbaric oxygen on symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 29(17):2606–2612PubMedCrossRef
11. 11.
    Cifu DX, Hart BB, West SL, Walker W, Carne W (2014) The effect of hyperbaric oxygen on persistent postconcussion symptoms. J Head Trauma Rehabil 29(1):11–20PubMedCrossRef
12. 12.
    Walker WC, Franke LM, Cifu DX, Hart BB (2013) Randomized, sham-controlled, feasibility trial of hyperbaric oxygen for service members with postconcussion syndrome: cognitive and psychomotor outcomes 1 week postintervention. Neurorehab Neural Re 28(5):420–432CrossRef
13. 13.
    Harch PG, Andrews SR, Fogarty EF, Amen D, Pezzullo JC, Lucarini J, Aubrey C, Taylor DV, Staab PK, Van Meter KW (2012) A phase I study of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy for blast-induced post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder. J Neurotrauma 29(1):168–185PubMedCrossRef
14. 14.
    Rockswold SB, Rockswold GL, Zaun DA, Zhang X, Cerra CE, Bergman TA, Liu J (2010) A prospective, randomized clinical trial to compare the effect of hyperbaric to normobaric hyperoxia on cerebral metabolism, intracranial pressure, and oxygen toxicity in severe traumatic brain injury. J Neurosurg 112(5):1080–1094PubMedCrossRef
15. 15.
    Murray GD, Teasdale GM, Braakman R, Cohadon F, Dearden M, Iannotti F, Karimi A, Lapierre F, Maas A, Ohman J, Persson L, Servadei F, Stocchetti N, Trojanowski T, Unterberg A (1999) The European Brain Injury Consortium survey of head injuries. Acta Neurochir 141(3):223–236PubMedCrossRef
16. 16.
    Thurman DJ, Alverson C, Dunn KA, Guerrero J, Sniezek JE (1999) Traumatic brain injury in the USA: A public health perspective. J Head Trauma Rehabil 14(6):602–615PubMedCrossRef
17. 17.
    Higgins JPL, Altman DG, Gøtzsche PC, Jüni P, Moher D, Oxman AD, Savovic J, Schulz KF, Weeks L, Sterne JA, Cochrane Bias Methods Group; Cochrane Statistical Methods Group (2011) The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ 343:d5928PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
18. 18.
    Sutton AJ, Duval SJ, Tweedie RL, Abrams KR, Jones DR (2000) Empirical assessment of effect of publication bias on meta-analyses. BMJ 320(7249):1574–1577 (PubMed PMID: 10845965) PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
19. 19.
    Rockswold SB, Rockswold GL, Zaun DA, Liu J (2013) A prospective, randomized Phase II clinical trial to evaluate the effect of combined hyperbaric and normobaric hyperoxia on cerebral metabolism, intracranial pressure, oxygen toxicity, and clinical outcome in severe traumatic brain injury. J Neurosurg 118(6):1317–1328PubMedCrossRef
20. 20.
    Lin JW, Tsai JT, Lee LM, Lin CM, Hung CC, Hung KS, Chen WY, Wei L, Ko CP, Su YK, Chiu WT (2008) Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on patients with traumatic brain injury. Acta neurochirgica Supplement 101:145–149CrossRef
21. 21.
    Ren H, Wang W, Ge Z (2001) Glasgow Coma Scale, brain electric activity mapping and Glasgow Outcome Scale after hyperbaric oxygen treatment of severe brain injury. Chin J Traumatol 4(4):239–241PubMed
22. 22.
    Rockswold GL, Ford SE, Anderson DC, Bergman TA, Sherman RE (1992) Results of a prospective randomized trial for treatment of severely brain-injured patients with hyperbaric oxygen. J Neurosurg 76(6):929–934PubMedCrossRef
23. 23.
    Mao J-H, Sun Z-S, Xiang Y (2010) Observation of curative effects of hyperbaric oxygen for treatment on severe craniocerebral injury. J Clin Neurol 23(5):386–388
24. 24.
    Davis MC, Shoja MM, Tubbs SR, Griessenauer CJ (2014) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for chronic post-concussive syndrome. Med Gas Res 4(1):8PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
25. 25.
    Kumaria A, Tolias CM (2009) Normobaric hyperoxia therapy for traumatic brain injury and stroke: a review. British J Neurosurg 23(6):576–584CrossRef
26. 26.
    Narotam PK, Morrison JF, Nathoo N (2009) Brain tissue oxygen monitoring in traumatic brain injury and major trauma: outcome analysis of a brain tissue oxygen-directed therapy. J Neurosurg 111(4):672–682PubMedCrossRef
27. 27.
    Miller RS, Weaver LK, Bahraini N, Churchill S, Price RC, Skiba V, Caviness J, Mooney S, Hetzell B, Liu J, Deru K, Ricciardi R, Fracisco S, Close NC, Surrett GW, Bartos C, Ryan M, Brenner LA (2015) HOPPS Trial Team. Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on symptoms and quality of life among service members with persistent postconcussion symptoms: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. Intern Med 175(1):43–52