LATEST NEWS

OnTrack closing event

23 September 2022

OnTRACK (On Time to Rethink Activity Knowledge: A personalized mHealth coaching platform to tackle physical inactivity in COPD) was a 4-year research project that started in 2018 and ended in 2022, having its closing event last September 19 at the Health Innovation Hub of the Polytechnic of Leiria. The goal of the OnTRACK is to promote effective physical activity behaviors in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through the development of an innovative digital platform for personalised coaching. Joana Cruz, researcher at ciTechCare was the principal investigator of the project, alongside with Alda Marques from the Respiratory Research and

Comparison between oral glucose tolerance test and mixed meal tolerance test

8 July 2022

Maria Guarino and Marlene Lages, researchers at ciTechCare, are co-authors of the article ‘Metabolic Effects of an oral Glucose Tolerance Test Compared to the mixed meal tolerance tests: A narrative review’, published in nutrients MDPI. From the 13 studies, in which were involved healthy patients, adults with metabolic disturbances and pregnant women, the conclusion of this review is that mixed meal tolerance test might be a suitable solution to the gold standard Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, since it reduces some of the unpleasant symptoms reported with the OGTT, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloating and anxiety. Besides, the metabolic feedback provided by a mixed

Opening of call for research fellowships

7 July 2022

The Polytechnic of Leiria is now opening applications for (three) scientific research fellowships (BI) for candidates who meet the requirements for enrollment, or are already enrolled, in a Master in Health – Health Sciences or Health Technologies. The research fellowships will have a duration of 15 months and are not renewable. Work will be developed at ciTechCare – Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology. Applications are open until July 21. +INFO: https://www.ipleiria.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Edital_UI_ciTechCare.pdf https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/809471

Blockchain & Healthcare with Catarina Reis – Campus 5 O’Clock Talk

29 June 2022

Last June 23, was the last Campus 5 O’Clock Talk session of this season.The number of participants revealed that, this is a hot and interesting topic which is still evolving and needs to be developed and, according to Catarina Reis, ‘clarified’. This was the third session of this together partnership between ciTechCare and Start up Leiria – Inovação Social and had the higher number of registrations since its start. The speaker, Catarina Reis, is also a researcher from ciTechCare and a blockchain expert who wants to demystify and make easier to understand this theme. Campus 5 O’Clock Talk will come back

What is the relationship between endurance of the trunk extensor muscles and balance performance in community-dwelling older adults?

20 June 2022

With the aim of assessing the relationship between balance performance and endurance of trunk extensor muscles in older people, who reveal to have a higher risk of falling, the results of this correlational and predictive cross-sectional study showed a moderate correlation between the Berg Balance Scale score and Trunk Extensor Endurance Test (ρ=0.41, p=0.001) and between Berg Balance Scale and body mass index (BMI) (ρ=−0.36, p=0.005). The article, recently published in the International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, allows to conclude that since BMI and muscle endurance are modifiable factors, they should be routinely included in the screening of balance performance in older

Which feeding barriers compromise how children with autism spectrum disorders feed?

14 June 2022

Inês Tello-Rodrigues, speech therapist, researcher in Cognitive Neurosciences, is co-author of a systematic review about feeding problems in children with autism spectrum disorders’, which was published last May 20 in the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing. From the 45 eligible articles for the analysis, it was possible to conclude that feeding problems are mainly associated to food selectivity and food refusal, behavioural mealtime problems, fear of trying new food (food neophobia) and oral-motor impairment. From all the studies, 37 focused on the food selectivity and refusal and from these, 8 reveal to compromise the suitable nutritional intake and 8