title: Comparative analysis of head-tilt and forward head position during laptop use between females with postural induced headache and healthy controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare 1) maximum manually induced head-protraction, head-tilt and forward head position and 2) the evolution of head-tilt and forward head position during a laptop-task between a headache- and control-group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Angles for maximum head-protraction, head-tilt and forward head position of 12 female students with postural induced headache and 12 female healthy controls were calculated at baseline and while performing a laptop-task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The headache-group demonstrated an increased passive head-protraction of 22.30% compared to the control-group. The ratio of forward head position during habitual sitting to the maximum head-protraction differed significantly (p = 0.046) between headache-group (1.4 ± 0.4) and the control-group (1.1 ± 0.2). The headache-group showed a biphasic forward head position and head-tilt profile. These profiles differed significantly (p < 0.05) between groups and were negatively correlated (rE = -0.927).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The headache-group showed a larger passive head-protraction with a habitual forward head-position further located from the end-range. During the laptop-task forward head position and head-tilt behaved biphasically with a more static forward head position and a more dynamic head-tilt.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium. Electronic address: sarah.mingels@uhasselt.be.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mingels
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Research Unit, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Leuven University, Oude Markt 13, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: wim.dankaerts@faber.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dankaerts
authors.affiliation: Department of Biometrics, Zuyd University, Nieuw Eyckholt 300, NL-6419 Heerlen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: ludo.vanetten@zuyd.nl.
authors.forename: Ludo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Etten
authors.affiliation: I-BioStat, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium. Electronic address: herbert.thijs@uhasselt.be.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thijs
authors.affiliation: REVAL Rehabilitation Research Centre, Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium. Electronic address: marita.granitzer@uhasselt.be.
authors.forename: Marita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granitzer
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology*; D006261:Headache / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers; D009333:Neck / Q000503:physiopathology; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Forward head position; Head-tilt; Laptop; Postural induced headache