Working questions on the Bland-Altman text

(1) Correlation

(a) What does the Pearson correlation coefficient measure? the strength of relationship
(b) What is the line of equality or the correlation line of best fit? to show a correlation
(c) What is r- and p-value in Pearson Correlation? r= regression value (-1 to 1), p=probability
(d) What does a coefficient of zero indicates? No relationship/agreement between variables

(2) Why are correlations not suitable for demonstrating "agreement" between
two measurement methods? Give reasons (at least 4 arguments)
-Data that has poor agreement can still produce high correlations
-You can have perfect correlation if points lie along any straight line
-Changes in scales of measurements doesn't affect correlation, but affects agreement
-Correlation depends of range in sample, if wider then correlation with be greater
(3) The B-A diagram illustrates the agreement between two methods of
measuring jump heights in the counter-movement jump.
(a) Critically comment on the following statements:

• "The diagram illustrates the absolute differences between the two

measurement methods.” They display the confidence intervals and the mean (if not 0 then there
is a bias). They display the corrected standard deviation of differences
• “Except for 3 values, all values lie within the confidence interval. This
means that there are only minor differences between the two
measurement methods. The agreement of the measured values is
therefore very good..” False, there is a bias towards the top jump method to measure at
increased differences between each recording. Unreasonable, as you
have to have your own standard of "what is acceptable differences", and
then decide whether it's acceptable.
(b) The national coach for athletics (jumping disciplines) asks whether the
agreement between the two methods is sufficient to be able to compare the
maximum jump heights of his athletes (one part was tested with one method,
one part with the other method). What is your answer?
There is a pretty significant difference. When you look at the range this could mean the diff between one
athlete making it over the other. I do not accept.
If red line does not =0, then there is a bias

Confidence interval, 95% of values should fit within the blue lines
 Working questions on „The Use of Isometric Tests of Muscular
Function . . .” (Wilson and Murphy, 1996)

(i) Explain briefly why isometric maximum strength tests are performed?
(ii) What exactly is meant by isometric strength testing? How does it work?
(iii) What exactly is to be measured (which parameters)?
(iv) Are MVC measurements reliable?
(v) How can the reliability of MVC measurements be ensured or increased? Name and
explain important variables that affect MVC measurements. Therefore, what "procedures"
should be followed in MVC testing?

i) Isometric maximum strength tests are performed to evaluate an individual's maximal force production
capability in a specific muscle or muscle group.

ii) Isometric strength testing involves measuring an individual's maximal force production capability while
holding a static position against an immovable object or resistance for a certain amount of time or until failure.
During an isometric strength test, the muscle or muscle group being tested contracts and generates force
without changing length

iii) During isometric strength testing, parameters such as maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), time to
failure, force output at a specific time point, rate of force development (RFD), and muscle activation can be
measured to assess an individual's strength, endurance, and neuromuscular function.

iv) MVC measurements are considered to be reliable for assessing an individual's maximal force production
capability during an isometric contraction. However, the reliability of MVC measurements can be influenced by
several factors, including the experience and training of the tester, the specific testing protocol used, and the
level of motivation and effort of the individual being tested.

v) To ensure or increase the reliability of MVC measurements, use standardized testing protocols, have
experienced testers, perform familiarization trials, provide adequate rest intervals, ensure equipment
calibration, consider subject characteristics, and encourage motivation and effort from the individual being
tested.
Working questions on the basic text „Three Different Methods of
Calculating Vertical Jump Height from Force Platform Data in Men and
Women” by Moir, 2008

(i) What exactly is the study investigating?

(ii) The abstract says: "All calculation methods have logical validity, depending upon the
definition of jump height used." Formulate in your own words briefly the ‘logic’ of each jump
height calculation. Work out the differences. (see Figure 2).

(iii) Explain the vertical force curve of a countermovement jump (see Figure 1). How are the
relevant events or phases in the force-time history of a CMJ determined?

(iv) Explain Table 3 in your own words.

(v) What do you think is the main result of the study?

(vi) What can be concluded from the study?

i) Measuring the effects of different methods to calculate vertical height via 3 countermovement vertical jumps
for maximal height.

ii) To calculate the overall upward movement of the subject's centre of mass (COM) from their starting position,
the vertical force trace was double integrated while in contact with the force platform. The resulting positive
vertical displacement of the COM prior to take-off, known as Net COM and depicted in Figure 2, was then
combined with the jump height calculated from TOV (Equation 2). This enabled the determination of the total
positive vertical displacement of the COM from the starting position (TOV+s).

iii) To begin the jump, the vertical force trace was traced back to find the point where the subject's weight was
identified. The peak residual during a 0.3-second period was measured to determine the take-off moment, as all
subjects produced a flight phase greater than 0.3 seconds. The peak residual was used to identify both the
take-off moment and the moment of contact after flight.

iv) TOV produced a lower correlation compared to TIA, producing a larger estimation error value.

v) The main result was the difference in recorded jump heights, with the calculated heights via TIA being
greater than those determined via TOV. It also shows that TOVs calculated jump heights were greater than
TIAs. In conclusion, the TOVs method produced the greater jump heights irrespective of gender.

vi) Based upon the findings of the present study, when using a force platform to calculate vertical jump height,
practitioners are encouraged to use the TOV method.
 Working questions on the basic text „ Revision of posturography
based on force plate for balance evaluation.” (Duarte und Freitas,
2010)

(1) Name 'active' and 'passive' ways to control balance.

(2) Discuss why it is important to standardise methods for analysing postural control.
Address relevant influencing factors.

(3) Formulate a definition for CG and CP. Discuss the relationship between CG and CP.

(4) ‘Basis of support’ and ‘limits of stability’. Discuss the concepts using figure 2.

(5) What does a statokinesigram show? What does a stabilogram show?

(6) Name and describe important ‘global’ CoP parameters.

1) Active ways to control balance include:
Ankle strategy: In this strategy, small movements of the ankle joint are used to control the body's centre of mass. This is typically used when the
body is swaying slowly.
Hip strategy: In this strategy, larger movements of the hip joint are used to control the body's centre of mass. This is typically used when the
body is swaying more rapidly.
Stepping strategy: In this strategy, a step is taken in the direction of the sway to bring the body back into balance.

Passive ways to control balance include:

Intrinsic stiffness: The muscles and joints of the body provide intrinsic stiffness that helps to stabilise the body.
Extrinsic stiffness: External devices, such as shoes, can provide additional stiffness to help stabilise the body.
Elasticity: The body's tissues, such as muscles and tendons, have elastic properties that can help to absorb and dissipate forces and vibrations
that could cause the body to lose balance.

2) They argue that the lack of standardization in methods has resulted in discrepancies in the assessment of postural control and difficulty in
comparing results across studies. They suggest that standardizing the use of force plates, test conditions, and participant characteristics can
ensure that the data collected is accurate, reliable, and comparable across different studies.

3) In the context of posturography, the centre of gravity (CG) is defined as the point in the body where the gravitational force appears to act. The
centre of pressure (CP) is the point on the force plate where the ground reaction force is applied. The CG and CP are related in that the position
of the CG relative to the base of support determines the movement of the CP. When the CG is outside the base of support, the body will sway to
bring the CG back over the base of support, resulting in a movement of the CP. Therefore, the position and movement of the CG are important
for maintaining postural control and can be measured using force plates.

4) Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between the CG and the BOS in a typical postural control task. It shows that the BOS is defined by the
area enclosed by the edges of the feet. The CG is represented by a dot, and the LOS is shown as an ellipse.
The position of the CG relative to the BOS is critical for maintaining balance. If the CG moves outside of the BOS, the individual will need to
adjust their posture to bring the CG back within the BOS to maintain balance. The limits of stability represent the maximum range of motion that
an individual can lean or sway without losing balance. These limits can be affected by various factors such as age, health status, and the task
being performed.

5)A statokinesigram is a visual representation of the movement of the centre of pressure (CP) over time, and it is obtained by plotting the CP
trajectory on a two-dimensional plane. It shows the changes in the CP position in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions during a
postural control task. The statokinesigram provides information on the movement of the CP and how it changes in response to postural
perturbations or changes in the task conditions.
On the other hand, a stabilogram is a graph that plots the displacement of the centre of pressure (CP) in the anterior-posterior or medial-lateral
direction as a function of time. It provides information on the overall stability of the postural control system, as it shows how the CP displacement
varies over time. The stabilogram can also provide information on the frequency content of the CP displacement, which is related to the
neuromuscular control mechanisms involved in maintaining postural stability

6) The important global centre of pressure (CoP) parameters described in the paper by Duarte and Freitas include CoP path length, velocity,
area, sway amplitude, and mean frequency. These parameters provide information about the overall displacement, speed, size, range of
adjustments, and neuromuscular control mechanisms involved in maintaining balance during a postural control task.

Should test for at least 30s

Clear instructions "stand still as possible, try not to move at all"
Same foot position (only for the participant, should be comfortable)
 Working questions on the basic text „ A Study of Vicon System
Positioning Performance” by Merriaux et al., 2017

Note: it is not necessary to follow the detailed mathematical calculations to understand the study. It
is not necessary to work through the respective sections.

(i) What exactly is the study investigating? What is the new aspect of this study?
The study is investigating the positioning performance of the Vicon motion capture system. It aims to evaluate the
accuracy and precision of the system in measuring the positions of markers placed on a human body during motion
capture. The study focuses on different aspects of the system's performance, such as the effect of marker density and
marker placement on measurement accuracy. The new aspect introduces a new setup that enables directly estimating the
absolute positioning accuracy for dynamic experiments contrary to state-of-the art works that rely on inter-marker
distances.
(ii) Shortly describe the used experimental setup and evaluation scheme.
The static measurement precision used a numeric controlled 4 axis robot and was used to perform repeatability
measurement evaluation and static measurement performance quantification. The dynamic measurement evaluation used
a setup made of an electric motor, a gearbox, and a blade where four markers were stickered.

(iii) Describe the results for the static experiments.

The results for the aesthetic experiments show that both point clouds perfectly align the precision found in the study
shows relatively significant differences in accuracies spanning from 7 µm to 25µm. Static experiments have shown a
mean absolute positioning error of 0.15 millimetres and a very low variability therefore the Vicon system has excellent
precision and high accuracy for static cases.

(iv) Describe the results for the dynamic experiments. Discuss, why errors observed are likely
due to measure process rather than mechanical uncertainties.
The dynamic experiments showed the faster displacements of the marker led to lower errors such as a reduction of 40%
for the same object if it moves at a greater speed. This may be due to the tracking error on market size for example if the
market does not move sufficiently between two samples the motion observed is within the noise range of each camera.

(v) What can be concluded from the study?

The conclusion for this study is that the market size and sampling rate should be correctly adjusted and tuned with
regards to the speed displacements that are encountered during the research to produce the optimal performance of the
vicon recording system