title: Core exercises elevate trunk stability to facilitate skilled motor behavior of the upper extremities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of core exercises on upper extremity function relative to skilled motor behavior and postural sway.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the effects of core exercises on the skilled motor behavior and postural sway of 40 healthy students who were assigned randomly to the core exercise group or the control group. Independent variable is extent of exposure to core exercise and dependent variables are skilled motor behavior and postural sway. A Purdue pegboard which measures skilled motor behavior and a stabilometer which measures postural sway were used to evaluate the influence of core exercises. Pre-intervention and post-intervention skilled motor behavior and postural sway were compared between the core exercise group and control group using the Wilcoxon rank sum test; a significance level of α = 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Also, we investigated the application of core exercises in a clinical setting for one patient with cerebral vascular disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The post intervention skilled motor behavior (p = 0.04) and postural sway, LNG (p = 0.05), LNG/TIME (p = 0.04) and X LNG (p = 0.02) were significantly higher in the core exercise group than control group. In the case report, there were good results; function of the upper extremity improved after doing the exercises. There were positive changes in some daily living activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Core exercises are likely to enhance trunk stabilization to improve upper extremity function. It is possible for core exercises to be adapted for patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Science and Social Welfare, Kibi International University, 8 Iga-machi, Takahashi City, Okayama 716-8508, Japan. miyake-y@kiui.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Dolly
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kelepecz
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000502:physiology; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D010388:Pelvis / Q000502:physiology; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D060726:Torso / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult