Alba Roldán

• MRes, PhD in Paralympic Sport Classification
• Assistant Professor at Miguel Hernández University of Elche

Physical exercise has emerged as a promising complementary intervention for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). This comprehensive review examines the neurobiological, psychological, and social benefits of exercise in improving quality of life (QOL), mental health, sleep quality, craving, physical fitness, and cognitive function among i...

This study aimed to determine the physical performance profile (ability to change direction, vertical and horizontal jump, sprint ability, and dribbling-specific skills) of the first women football players with cerebral palsy (CP) who participated in an international CP football competition, accounting for their sport classes. We also examined the...

Cerebral palsy (CP) football is undergoing a process of professionalisation which is improving the performance in this para-sport. This study aims to report the evolution of goal performance between the Seville 2019 and Salou 2022 IFCPF World Cups. Goals from eighty-eight matches over two consecutive IFCPF World Cups, in which the 16 best-ranked na...

Background: Substance use disorders pose unique challenges, affecting individuals physiologically and socially. This study addresses the fundamental question of how adherence to exercise programs impacts those with substance use disorders, examining both in-person and online interventions. Methods: A 12-week analysis involving 26 participants as...

Objectives: The purpose of this study was 1) to determine and compare kinetic parameters during the realization of a countermovement jump (CMJ) between footballers with cerebral palsy (CP) and non-impaired footballers, and 2) to analyze the differences in this action between different players’ impairment profiles and a group of non-impaired footbal...

This study aimed to analyze whether there are differences and associations in the physical responses in international-level cerebral palsy (CP) footballers between official matches and 2vs.2 small-sided games (2v2-SSGs). One hundred and seventy international CP footballers participated in this study during three international championships. The phy...

This study assessed the self-efficacy gains of higher education students concerning the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the delivery of a face-to-face training course (four months, 28 sessions of two hours each). The sample comprised 158 sports sciences undergraduates (109 intervention group, 49 control group; 69.4% males, 31.6% fe...

Adults with tetraparesis cerebral palsy (i.e., wheelchair users) tend to experience more accelerated ageing, resulting in physical deterioration that increases the impact of the disability, leading to a loss of mobility that interferes with people's daily activities and participation in the community. The aim of this work is to study the relationsh...

Introduction There is evidence in the literature that acute exercise can modify cognitive function after the effort. However, there is still some controversy concerning the most effective exercise modality to improve cognitive function in acute interventions. Regarding these different exercise modalities, the dose–response relationship between exer...

This study assessed the self-efficacy (SE) gains of higher education students concerning the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the delivery of a face-to-face training course with a duration of four months, comprising 28 sessions of two hours each. A sample of 158 sports sciences undergraduates (109 intervention group, 49 control grou...

Simple Summary The health and cognitive benefits associated with physical exercise are widely acknowledged. However, exercise characteristics responsible for the improvement in cognition, along with the underlying mechanisms, remain to be elucidated. In an attempt to resolve these questions, our study compares cognitive outcomes after two distinct...

Twenty-eight active older people (67.19 ± 4.91 years) who engaged in physical exercise activity twice a week were recruited to participate in a counterbalanced experimental protocol. The participants performed three different exercise sessions on three different days, one based on aerobic activities, one based on strength exercises with elastic ban...

Las personas con discapacidad han enfrentado históricamente grandes dificultades para ejercer sus derechos y acceder a las mismas oportunidades que el resto de la población. Estas dificultades se explican por barreras de acceso a bienes y servicios de la comunidad y por la discriminación a la que se enfrentan en numerosos ámbitos de su vida cotidia...

This study aimed to report the goal patterns in cerebral palsy (CP) football according to the time in which goals were scored, the importance of the first goal of the match and the sport class of players who scored the goals, to improve the knowledge of performance in this para-sport. The goals scored by the seven teams of the Spanish National Leag...

Spasticity is considered a contributor to hypertonia, frequently presented in people with cerebral palsy (CP), affecting muscle function and motor activities. In CP football, the classification system determines that this impairment is eligible for competitive para-sports due to the impact on activity limitation and sports performance. However, the...

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to analyze whether there were differences among para-footballers with different types and degrees of brain impairment (ie, bilateral spasticity, athetosis/ataxia, unilateral spasticity, minimum impairment criteria, or no impairment) in performing 3 football-specific tests requiring ball dribbling, to anal...

In 2018, a new classification structure was introduced in cerebral palsy (CP) football, a team para-sport for ambulant athletes with eligible impairments of hypertonia, athetosis, or ataxia. Because impaired coordination is a characteristic feature in this group of para-athletes, this study aims to determine the relationships of three coordination...

This study aimed to examine: (1) the influence of a disability awareness programme, designed and implemented by attendees of the Incluye-T programme and implemented in real educational settings, on the attitudes of their students toward the inclusion of peers with disabilities; (2) the differential effects of the disability awareness activities bet...

In regular football, the players’ selection process involves an objective assessment based on their anthropometric and physical performance. However, available literature focused on players’ selection process in cerebral palsy (CP) football is scarce. Purpose: To describe the anthropometrical and physical performance profiles of the International S...

This study aimed (1) to determine the appropriateness of using decision trees as a classification tool for determining the allocation of sport classes of para-footballers with “moderate vs. mild” cerebral palsy (CP) profiles of spastic diplegia/hemiplegia and ataxia/athetosis based on observational outcomes by international classifiers, and (2) to...

Due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, e-learning suddenly spread to different levels of education, including university. In Spain, students of sports sciences are prepared during a 4-year study program to work in different areas (including physical education) and with different populations (including people with disabilities). The ai...

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention entitled A-Judo Programme for the reduction in bullying and improvement of prosocial behaviour at school, based on the theory of self-determination (SDT). Physical education teachers (PETs) received 20 h of specific training, implementing the programme thereafter in their classes in...

Background Balance impairment is a common feature in people with cerebral palsy (CP), impacting the performance of daily‐life and physical activities. Objectives This study aimed to (a) explore the absolute and relative intra‐session reliability of two balance tests to assess dynamic and static balance in ambulant para‐athletes with CP; (b) explor...

Background and objectives: Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms that limit daily life activities in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of maximal strength training (MST) on perceived-fatigue and functional mobility in pwMS. Materials and Methods: 26 participants with MS were balanced according...

Purpose: This study aimed (1) to explore the validity and reliability of a new and specific change-of-direction (COD) test that requires dribbling skills to classify international footballers with cerebral palsy (CP) and compare it with another valid and reliable COD test without ball dribbling and (2) to probe whether both tests can discriminate...

This quasi-experimental study analyses the effects of an awareness intervention programme with five different branches designed to improve the attitudes of physical education (PE) students towards the inclusion of classmates with disabilities. The contact (yes/no) and its frequency (×1 vs. ×3) with para-athletes, the duration of the programme (1 vs...

La Educación Física no es solo un espacio en el proceso integral de formación, sino que un derecho que se debe garantizar para todas y todos desde la inclusión en la participación y beneficios de su práctica. Este manual busca entregar un resumen de orientaciones, estructuras y recomendaciones para generar procesos de inclusión en la clase de Educa...

Ratios of physical activity and sports participation in people with cerebral palsy (CP) are still low compared with people without a disability. For an adequate and useful practice, physical activity professionals should understand how different types of CP profiles constrain the performance of motor skills that are required during sports practice....

Trunk function is a core factor to allocate Boccia players with cerebral palsy in BC1 and BC2 sport classes, according to the Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFed). However, the appropriateness of the current test to assess trunk function has never been studied to determine its reliability, validity and sensitivity to discriminate between...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content and construct validity and between-sessions reliability of four agility tests requiring ball dribbling in football players with cerebral palsy (CP) with implications for classification and training. A sample of 35 football players with CP from three different countries took part in the study. Th...

Objectives: Spastic hemiplegia is one of the most common forms of cerebral palsy, in which one side of the body is affected to a greater extent than the other one. Hemiplegia severity (i.e. moderate vs mild forms) is currently used in some Para sports for classification purposes. This study evaluates the sensitivity of several tests of stability (...

The objective of this review was to know the effects of physical activity (PA) programs on the improvement of functional and physical abilities of people with cerebral palsy (CP), especially of wheelchair-dependent people. A systematic review of the different PA programs was carried out in five different databases (PubMed, Eric, Google Scholar, Dia...

El objetivo de esta revisión fue conocer los efectos de los programas de actividad física (AF) en la mejora de las capacidades funcionales y físicas de personascon parálisis cerebral (PC), especialmente de aquellas personas usuarias de sillade ruedas. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de diferentes programas de AF encinco bases de datos (PubMed,...

Physical education teachers play a significant role in educating students with special education needs, but they often feel frustrated and unprepared to achieve a successful inclusion process. The lack of inadequate training has proven to have an unfavorable effect on educators’ perceived competence, confidence, and attitudes when working in inclus...

Acquiring specific training in disability seems to be a key aspect for achieving school inclusion. Teachers who receive such prior training would be more prepared to address diversity in the classroom, which could be related to their perception of self-efficacy. The aim of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the Self-Efficacy Scale fo...

Vertical jump is a relevant variable in the classification of football for individuals with cerebral palsy. In this regard, the literature is limited. There are no studies assessing vertical jumping ability through kinematic methods and in more specific football game situations, such as jumps with a header. The goals of the present study were to as...

La sociedad en Chile y el mundo se expresa a través de un sin número de momentos, espacios, instancias y situaciones que muchas veces pasan a planos que no somos capaces de ver ya que el sistema no les da el valor que finalmente poseen. Arte, ciencia, investigación, sexualidad entre otras expresiones son habituales en nuestro entorno, y a su vez no...

Physical Education teacheŕs (PET) self-efficacy (SE) is a cornerstone for a successful inclusion of students with special educational needs. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a training program called Incluye-T on the SE of Spanish in-service PETs (n = 229) toward the inclusion of students with special education needs in physical education,...

Trunk control (TC) impairment is a typical feature in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), but there are lack of methods that allow to quantify the extent to which static and dynamic TC is impaired in adults with moderate-to-severe CP. Thus, the aims of this study were to analyze the reliability of a posturography protocol to assess TC in adults w...

Aim Boccia is a precision sport that requires excellent coordination and control of movements. Eligible impairments for this sport such as ataxia, hypertonia and athetosis cause limitations in a player's coordination. The aim of this study was to investigate whether different throwing distances might have an impact on kinematics and accuracy across...

Background Boccia is a paralympic sport played by athletes with severe neurological impairments affecting all four limbs. Impaired manual dexterity (MD) and intralimb coordination (ILC) may limit individuals’ ability to perform certain activities such as grasping, releasing, or manipulating objects, which are essential tasks for daily life or to pa...

Recent studies have found that motor variability is actively regulated as an exploration tool to promote learning in reward and error-based tasks. Based on this functional role of variability, several researches have manipulated motor variability by practicing in order to maximize learning processes. However, the effectiveness of such variable prac...

Introduction: In Paralympic Sports is crucial to use tools to discriminate between sport classes. In our study it has been used the electromechanical delay (EMD) of finger extensors during ball realizing in two different situations: with/without command constrains to discriminate between BC1 and BC2 Boccia classes. Material and Methods: Twenty-eigh...

Resumen En la Gimnasia Artística, el rendimiento viene determinado por la ejecución de una serie de movimientos con base en un modelo establecido y recogido en el Código de Puntuación. Con base en esto, el objetivo de nuestro trabajo es determinar si el número y nivel de dificultades que componen el total de diagonales realizadas en un ejercicio de...