Flávia Ignácio Antônio

Flávia Ignácio Antônio
University of Ottawa · Faculty of Health SciencesSchool of Rehabilitation Sciences

PT, PhD

About

35
Publications
18,537
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460
Citations
Introduction
Flavia Ignacio Antonio received her BSc in Physiotherapy from University of Ribeirão Preto (Brazil) in 2006. In 2011, she received her MSc in Sciences from the Ribeirão Preto Medical School (FMRP – USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo – Brazil, and in 2016 she received her PhD from the same institution. Concurrent with researches in Physiotherapy Women’s Health area she operates in Private Physiotherapy clinical practice in Brazil. She is currently registered as a Postdoctoral fellow at University of Ottawa under Dr. Linda McLean supervision. Her research focuses on the nature of pelvic floor muscle involvement in dyspareunia, and the outcomes of this research will help to develop new approaches to help women overcome their vulvar pain.
Additional affiliations
June 2017 - April 2018
University of São Paulo
Position
  • Fellow
January 2008 - December 2017
University of São Paulo
Position
  • Researcher
January 2008 - March 2017
University of São Paulo
Position
  • Researcher

Publications

Publications (35)
Article
Full-text available
Objective: To evaluate the effect of vaginal palpation, vaginal palpation associated with posterior pelvic tilt, and intravaginal electrical stimulation in facilitating voluntary contraction of the pelvic floor muscles in women. Methods: A randomized controlled trial in which 132 women with pelvic floor muscles function graded at 0 or 1 using th...
Article
Full-text available
Background: The neuromuscular contribution to increased tone of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) observed among those with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is unclear. Aim: To determine if PFM activity differs between those with provoked PVD and pain free controls, and if the extent of PFM activation at rest or during activities is associated with pain...
Article
Background The nature of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) involvement in provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is poorly understood. Aim We aimed to determine if PFM electromyographic (EMG) activity in anticipation of or response to pressure applied to the posterior vaginal fourchette differs between those with and without PVD, and if the magnitude of PFM respon...
Article
Questions: Do women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) who receive instruction to perform the knack maneuver as part of a 12-week pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) program perform it during voluntary coughing without specific instruction to do so, and are subjective and objective outcomes better among those who do than among those who do not...
Article
Introduction and hypothesis: To investigate relaxin-2 concentration comparing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and non-GDM patients during pregnancy according to urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic function status. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study evaluating 282 pregnant women from 24 weeks of gestation. The participants were divided...
Poster
Full-text available
Introduction: “The knack” is described as a pre-contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) during tasks that increase intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), and is taught to women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) as a means to reduce urine leakage1. It is not known whether women who are taught the knack adopt it into their everyday activities....
Article
Question In women who are unable to contract their pelvic floor muscles voluntarily, what is the effect of an intravaginal electrical stimulation regimen on their ability to contract the pelvic floor muscles and on self-reported urinary incontinence? Design Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, blinded assessors and intention-to-t...
Article
Introduction and hypothesisThe objectives were to determine whether levator ani muscle (LAM) motor function is associated with female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) severity, and whether changes in LAM motor function induced through pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) are associated with improvements in SUI signs and symptoms.Methods Pelvic morp...
Article
Background The prevalence of sexual dysfunction is high in postmenopausal women and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) could improve sexual function during this period. Aim To assess the effect of a PFMT protocol on sexual function in postmenopausal women and to investigate the effect of this protocol on pelvic floor muscle function. Methods Thi...
Conference Paper
Background: The role of levator ani muscle (LAM) dysfunction in female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is not known. Purpose: To determine whether LAM function is associated with SUI severity, and whether changes in LAM function induced through pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) are associated with improvements in SUI in females. Methods: Female...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Background: Corticomotor excitability can be assessed through motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). While TMS has been used extensively to probe the distal extremity musculature, very little effort has been made to explore the more proximal motor representations, notably those of the pelvic floor muscle...
Conference Paper
Hypothesis/ aims of study: It is estimated that 30% of women are unable to perform a voluntary pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction [1]. Many women, even after careful instruction about the anatomy and function of the PFM will not be able to distinguish the contraction of the PFM from the contractions of other muscles, such as the rectus abdominis...
Conference Paper
Objective: To determine whether the amplitude of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) electromyographic responses (EMGrs) recorded from the pubovisceralis(PV), external anal sphincter(EAS) or bulbocavernosus(BC) muscles differ based on the intensity (low vs moderate) or site [vaginal fourchette (VF) vs the posterior thigh (PT)] of applied pressure. Study des...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Introduction: Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a chronic pain condition characterized by severe sharp and/or burning pain at the vulvar vestibule when pressure is applied to this area. Although it affects roughly one in five women, and has a negative impact on quality of life for approximately half of them, PVD remains poorly understood. The litera...
Article
Full-text available
Question: Are there differences in the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training on pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary incontinence symptoms in postmenopausal women who are and are not using hormone therapy? Design: Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, blinded assessors, and intention-to-treat analysis. Participants...
Article
Full-text available
Question: Does an educational program with instructions for performing 'the Knack' improve voluntary contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, reduce reports of urinary incontinence, improve sexual function, and promote women's knowledge of the pelvic floor muscles? Design: Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-trea...
Article
Aim: To undertake a systematic review of the literature on physical therapy methods to facilitate voluntary pelvic floor muscles (PFM) contraction. Methods: The databases consulted were PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PEDro and CINHAL. The study included randomized controll...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction: High levels of androgens increase muscle mass. Due to the characteristics of hyperandrogenism in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), it is plausible that women with PCOS may have increased pelvic floor muscle (PFM) thickness and neuromuscular activity levels compared with controls. The aim of this study was to assess PFM thickness and...
Conference Paper
Hypothesis / aims of study Androgens and anabolic steroids increase muscle mass and strength in general [1]. Due to the characteristics of hyperandrogenism in PCOS, it is plausible that women with PCOS may have increased muscle mass compared with controls [1]. The hyperandrogenism may lead to improve muscle function including pelvic floor muscle (P...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction and hypothesis: Hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) could increase muscle mass and thereby pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength, reducing the risk of urinary incontinence (UI). The aim of the present study was to assess PFM strength and UI among hyperandrogenic women with PCOS and a control group for comparis...
Article
Full-text available
The pelvic floor muscles are sensitive to androgens, and due to hyperandrogenism, women with polycystic ovary syndrome can have increased mass in these muscles compared to controls. The aim of this study is to compare reports of urine leakage and quality of life between women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome. One hundred thirteen 18-to 40...
Article
Full-text available
To evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the modified Oxford Grading Scale and the Peritron manometer. All participants were evaluated twice, first by one examiner and 30 days later by a second examiner. Measurements of vaginal squeeze pressure were compared with the results from the palpation test. Nineteen women with a mean age of 23.7 years (r...
Article
Full-text available
To analyze the results obtained in the evaluation of intra-vaginal pressure using three different brands of perineometers in nulliparous volunteers. Twenty nulliparous women with no anatomical alterations and/or dysfunction of the pelvic floor were enrolled in our study. All the women had the ability to voluntarily contract their PFM (Pelvic Floor...

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