Systems Science Center for Musculoskeletal CAM Therapies

本PCCTR的总体目标是解决密歇根州立大学骨科医学院（MSUCOM）增加CAM研究能力的三个主要障碍：1)缺乏标准化、客观的工具和措施来表征和优化骨科手法治疗（OMT）干预措施；2)缺乏可见的正在进行的OMT研究项目；3)缺乏临床教师的研究培训。这三个研究项目的基本原理是基于OMT影响肌肉骨骼系统的感觉和/或运动功能的某些方面的总体假设。因此，这种制度的绩效改进应作为一种客观的结果衡量标准。在项目一中，将应用系统科学方法来识别腰痛（LBP）患者的姿势控制缺陷，并评估OMT对姿势控制的影响。在交叉实验设计中，一个平行机器人装置被编程为模拟半圆柱体上不稳定的坐姿，将用于量化OMT前后4周的平衡和姿势控制。项目二将研究OMT是否可以减轻突然的、意想不到的躯干扰动的不良影响，从而使腰痛患者的姿势控制系统对这种事件做出更快、更准确的反应。在交叉实验设计中，控制系统的速度及其精度将在OMT的4周前后进行量化。项目三将开发评估头颈系统运动控制的临床研究工具。使用交叉实验设计，这些工具将被应用于测量有或无颈部疼痛的患者在OMT前后4周的位置和力量控制的变化。

The overall goal of this PCCTR is to address three major barriers to increase capacity for CAM research at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM): 1) the lack of standardized, objective instruments and measures for characterizing and optimizing osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) interventions, 2) the lack of visible ongoing OMT research programs and 3) the lack of research training of clinical faculty. The rationale for the three research projects is based on the overall hypothesis that OMT affects some aspects of sensory and/or motor functions of the musculoskeletal system. Thus, improvement in performance of such a system should serve as an objective outcome measure. In project one, a systems science approach will be applied to identify deficits in postural control of individuals with low back pain (LBP) and assess the effects of OMT on postural control. A parallel robot device, programmed to mimic unstable sitting on a half-cylinder, will be used to quantify balance and postural control before and after 4 weeks of OMT in a cross-over experimental design. Project two will investigate whether OMT can mitigate adverse effects from a sudden, unexpected trunk perturbation by resulting in a faster and more accurate response of the postural control system to such an event in patients in LBP. The speed of the control system and its accuracy will be quantified before and after 4 weeks of OMT in a cross-over experimental design. Project three will develop clinical research tools for the assessment of motor control of the head-neck system. Using a cross-over experimental design, these tools will then be applied to measure changes in position and force control of the head-neck system in patients with and without neck pain before and after 4 weeks of OMT.