title: Use of a Virtual-Technological Sailing Program to Prepare Children With Disabilities for a Real Sailing Course: Effects on Balance and Quality of Life.
abstract: Sailing might produce a positive effect on a patient's general health and become an integrated part of rehabilitation. Our hypothesis was that a specific technological rehabilitation program might be used to prepare a group of disabled subjects for sailing. Seventeen patients (age range: 9-20) with impairments in motor coordination and balance and 15 healthy subjects participated in the study. The study was divided into the virtual-technological sailing phase, theory-practice phase, and sports phase. Proprioceptive platforms were used to evaluate balance, and the Child Health Questionnaire-PF50 was used to evaluate quality of life. Trunk displacement and the center of pressure velocity improved significantly after the virtual-technological sailing program. As regards quality of life, the physical and psychosocial score significantly improved at the end of the program. A technological rehabilitation training improved balance in disabled subjects and may be used to prepare them for a real sailing course. Sailing improves the quality of life of disabled subjects and could be used in the rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy iaprile@dongnocchi.it.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aprile
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, L.go F. Vito, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iacovelli
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iuvone
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Imbimbo
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruciani
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pecchioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Medicine, University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Manozzi
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, P.le R. Morandi, Milan, Italy Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, L.go F. Vito, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002648:Child; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012767:Ships; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060726:Torso / Q000503:physiopathology; D000076142:Virtual Reality; D000073678:Water Sports; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: balance; disability; quality of life; sailing; technological rehabilitation