Biofeedback Applications and Symmetry in Rehabilitation, Sports and Ergonomics

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Life Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 347

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Science (PPGCR/UNISUAM), Centro Universitário Augusto Motta, Rio de Janeiro 21041-020, Brazil
Interests: neuroscience; motor control; rehabilitation; sports science; biofeedback applications

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Guest Editor
Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Science (PPGCR/UNISUAM), Centro Universitário Augusto Motta, Rio de Janeiro 21041-020, Brazil
Interests: biomechanics; signal processing; physiotherapy; rehabilitation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Symmetry-related concepts are central to human movement and performance, influencing how individuals recover function after injury, optimize exercise in athletic and fitness contexts, and reduce musculoskeletal risk at work. At the same time, biofeedback technologies—based on kinematic and kinetic variables (e.g., joint angles, center of pressure) as well as physiological signals (e.g., muscle, cardiac, or brain activity)—can be used to measure, train, and restore symmetry across rehabilitation, sports, and ergonomics.

This Special Issue focuses on biofeedback applications to assess and modulate symmetry in these fields. Although asymmetries are often recognized clinically or observationally, objective quantification of structural and functional (a)symmetry remains challenging and highly task-dependent. Moreover, the influence of symmetry-related factors—such as postural alignment, sidedness, load distribution, kinematics/kinetics, and muscle activation—on postural control, activities of daily living, athletic performance, and occupational risk is still not fully understood.

Biofeedback systems (e.g., smartphone-based inertial sensors, force plates, EMG/HD-sEMG, and EEG) offer promising ways to measure and actively modulate symmetry through real-time feedback. This raises a key question: to what extent can biofeedback-driven approaches targeting symmetry help prevent injury, enhance performance, and promote (neuro)functional recovery across rehabilitation, sports, and ergonomics? The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight advances in the assessment and application of symmetry-related concepts within biomechanics, sports, rehabilitation, and ergonomics.

We welcome original research and review articles covering a broad range of topics on symmetry and biofeedback, including (but not limited to):

  • Biofeedback-driven interventions to restore or optimize symmetry in posture, balance, gait, and upper- and lower-limb function;
  • Effects of clinical interventions involving biofeedback on symmetry in individuals with neurological or musculoskeletal conditions;
  • Symmetry metrics and biofeedback for technique and exercise optimization (e.g., in athletic, clinical, and fitness settings);
  • Ergonomics and workplace applications: biofeedback to reduce asymmetrical loading, improve movement strategies, and mitigate cumulative musculoskeletal risk.

Prof. Dr. Fabio Vieira dos Anjos
Prof. Dr. Arthur Ferreira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biofeedback
  • rehabilitation
  • sports
  • ergonomics

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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