Independence In Daily Life Research Articles

The experience with the distant remote rehabilitative treatment of the patients presenting with the severe injury and multiple lesions of the musculo - skeletal system: a review of the clinical reports

The problem of providing a continuous staged rehabilitation treatment of patients with severe associated injuries musculoskeletal system is an urgent and important task. This article describes two clinical cases of successful comprehensive medical rehabilitation of disabled persons with severe combined trauma and multiple injuries skeleton in need of long-term continuous rehabilitation program which was successfully launched at the stage of hospital care and continued remotely, through on - line technologies in a familiar patient home medium. As a result of rehabilitation treatment was observed: increased mobility of patients and level of independence in daily life, increased range of motion in the affected joints, increase muscle strength of the affected limbs, improving psycho - emotional status of patients resocialization and adaptation to the familiar home environment.

Analysis and Mechanical Design Solutions for Sit-To-Stand Assisting Devices

Sit-to-stand can be considered the most common daily-life activity and it can be defined as a change of posture, in which the base of support is transferred from the seat to the feet. It requires both voluntary movement of different body segments that contribute to the equilibrium and control during an important displacement of the Centre Of Gravity of the body. This activity can be considered of crucial importance for elderly and people with reduced mobility to achieve minimal independence in daily-life at home. In this study, we present and compare three design solutions for the support mechanisms to be used in assisting mechatronic devices. The reported solutions and considerations are supported by experimental activity, which was carried out during trials to track and record trajectories and the orientation of the trunk of the body during the sit-to-stand.

Activity Recognition in Adaptive Assistive Systems Using Artificial Neural Networks

Our research was oriented to develop technologies for independent daily life assistance of elderly or sick persons and to improve the quality of human life. We designed a complex assistive system that can learn and adapt due to the uses of artificial neural networks (ANN). This paper presents the system developed for human activity and health parameters monitoring (temperature, heart rate, acceleration) and focuses on studies and results obtained on arm posture recognition, body posture recognition and usual activities recognition like: lying on various sides, sitting, standing, walking, running, descending or climbing stairs etc. For pattern recognition from the possible biologically inspired algorithms we opted for the ANNs. One direction of research was the design and test of several Matlab ANN models in order to find the best performing architecture. Another research direction was related to the necessary preprocessing of raw data aiming to have a better recognition rate. We find that standard deviation could be used with very good results as a supplementary input data for neurons. We optimized the number of sensors and their placement in order to obtain the best trade-off between recognition rate and the complexity of the recognition system. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.22.1.14112

Endovascular Treatment of Thrombosis and Embolism.

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a common disorder with a significant mortality rate. Successful endovascular treatment of acute DVT is most likely to be achieved in patients with recently formed thrombus, (<10-14 days) with acute iliofemoral DVT. Endovascular treatment options include: Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), pharmacomechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis (PCDT), percutaneous aspiration thrombectomy (PAT), vena cava filter protection, venous balloon dilatation and venous stent implantation. Current practice shows strong clinical tendency for the use of PCDT with or without other endovascular methods and an individualized approach for each DVT patient. PMT has not received general acceptance because of the associated risk of PE and damage to venous valves caused by thrombectomy devices. PAT is most commonly used as an adjunctive endovascular technique like balloon maceration to fragment thrombus, balloon angioplasty, stent implantation and vena cava filter placement. Interventional endovascular therapies for DVT have the potential to provide PE protection and prevention of PTS. Patient centered individualized approach for endovascular DVT treatment is recommended to optimize the ideal clinical result.Acute stroke is the leading cause of death for people above the age of 60 and the fifth leading cause in people aged 15-59. Mortality during the first 30 days of ischemic stroke is 20% and 30% of survivors will remain permanently disabled. Acute stroke patients within the therapeutic window must receive IVrtPA unless there is a contraindication. In case of contraindication to IVrtPA or for patients out of the therapeutic window for thrombolytics, standart of care is the intraarterial treatment. Patients have to be transferred to a comprehensive stroke center with capacity of dedicated neurovascular imaging and interventional neuroradiology. Noncontrast head CT that is used to rule out hemorrhage is followed by imaging studies dedicated to show if there is reasonable penumbra to save. Intraarterial thrombolysis has the main advantage of extended therapy window, earlier and more efficient recanalization and less risk of hemorrhage due to lower doses of thrombolytics. Mechanical thrombectomy has several advantages over IV/IA fibrinolysis including faster recanalization and less risk of hemorrhage especially in large artery occlusions. ASA guidelines recommend choosing stent retrievers over other devices for mechanical thrombectomy. Better recanalization rates and less infarct volume after mechanical thrombectomy result in higher numbers of functionally independent patients compared with other treatments. Two landmark studies that were published recently, SWIFT PRIME and MR CLEAN, showed that IA treatment especially with the new stent retrievers lead to a significant increase in functional recovery and independence in daily life after an acute stroke.Cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) comprises nearly 0.5-1% of all stroke cases. CVST causes different neurological deficits depending on the sinus/cortical vein involved. CVST may cause death and dependency in 13.4% of patients. CT/CT venography and MR/MR venography can be effectively used to diagnose and to follow up CVT cases. Anticoagulation with heparin is the most widely accepted therapy to prevent the expansion of the thrombus. Patients deteriorating despite heparinization and patients presenting with very severe neurological deficits must receive endovascular treatment. Endovascular methods include intrasinus infusion of thrombolytics or heparin, balloon angioplasty, mechanical thrombectomy or a combination of different techniques. There is a higher rate or recanalization with endovascular methods compared to other medical therapies.

The effects of Neuro-Developmental (Bobath) therapy based goal directed therapy on gross motor function and functional status of children with cerebral palsy

AIM: The aim was to investigate the effects of the neurodevelopmental based goal directed therapy (GD-NDT) on the motor functions, daily living activities of children with CP. METHOD: 26 children with spastic CP, 14 males (53.8%) and 12 females (46.2%) ,mean age 9.5 ± 3.2 years were included. GMFCS levels were, I in 42.3%, II in 3.8% level, III in 15.4%, IV in 11.5% and V in 26.9%. GD-NDT was applied 3 times a week for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Positive developments after therapy were identified in the gross motor functions of the children (p 0.05). The goals identified for the children before treatment were involved self-care 15.4%, physical activity 17.9%, locomotion and transfer 37.2%, social status and living activities 29.5%. 76.9% of the goals identified were reached; 23.1% were not reached. CONCLUSION: Improvements were found in gross motor functions, independence in daily life and health related quality of life of children with CP who were taken GD-NDT.

Outcome and mid-term prognosis after maximum and radical removal of craniopharyngiomas with the priority to the extended transsphenoidal approach—A single center experience

ObjectiveThe transsphenoidal approach has been increasingly used for the surgical treatment of craniopharyngiomas with/without sellar enlargement. However, the optimum indications for the extended transsphenoidal approach with opening of the posterior ethmoidal sinus in addition to opening of the sellar floor are still controversial. MethodsForty-two patients with craniopharyngiomas treated by the extended transsphenoidal approach were retrospectively studied from a series of 993 cases of pituitary surgeries between April 2004 and September 2013. Removal rate, visual function, endocrinological changes, and mid-term prognosis were investigated. ResultsGross total removal was achieved in 31 of 42 patients (73.8%) overall, in 24 of 27 patients (88.9%) undergoing initial treatment, and in 7 of 15 patients (46.7%) undergoing re-treatment after previous transcranial tumor removal and/or radiation therapy. The major cause of abandonment of surgery in the re-treatment group was tight adhesion and/or encasement of the perforating arteries. The rate of total removal showed a significant difference between initial treatment and re-treatment groups (logrank test, p<0.001). Only one patient suffered tumor recurrence after total removal, but the others remained disease-free during the follow-up period. Postoperative visual acuity was improved in 20 of 40 patients evaluated, remained steady in 20, and deteriorated in none, indicating good ophthalmological outcomes in all 40 patients. The pituitary stalk was intentionally sectioned in 18 of 42 patients, and 9 of the 18 patients could discontinue usage of antidiuretic hormone in the follow-up period. All patients were discharged without neurological deficits, except for two patients with preoperative dysfunction of the mammillary bodies, and all maintained independence in daily life with hormonal supplementation. No other complications including cerebrospinal fluid leakage were experienced in the follow-up period. ConclusionsMaximum and radical removal through the extended transsphenoidal approach achieved high rate of total removal and good visual outcomes. However, re-treatment still presents challenges.

The state of the evidence for intensive upper limb therapy approaches for children with unilateral cerebral palsy.

Children with unilateral cerebral palsy experience difficulties with unimanual and bimanual upper limb function, impacting independence in daily life. Targeted upper limb therapies such as constraint-induced movement therapy, bimanual training, and combined approaches have emerged in the last decade. This article reviews the scientific rationale underpinning these treatments and current evidence to improve upper limb outcomes and goal attainment. Intensive models of therapy achieved modest to strong effects to improve upper limb function compared to usual care. Dose-matched comparisons of bimanual and unimanual training demonstrated similar gains in upper limb outcomes. The optimum timing, dose and impact of repeat episodes of intensive upper limb therapies require further investigation. Characteristics of children who achieve clinically meaningful outcomes remain unclear. Key components of intervention include collaborative goal setting with families and intensive repetitive, incrementally challenging, task practice. Choice of treatment approach should be governed by child/family goals and preferences, individual, and contextual factors.

PACIENTŲ PO GALVOS SMEGENŲ INSULTO FUNKCINĖS BŪKLĖS POKYČIAI REABILITACIJOS PROCESE

Visuomenėje pripažinta, kad galvos smegenų insultas (GSI) yra gyvybei pavojinga būklė. Nors mirtingumas nuo insulto mažėja, cerebrovaskulinės ligos lieka viena pagrindinių mirties ir negalios priežasčių daugelyje Europos Sąjungos šalių, o aukšti sergamumo rodikliai ir sunkios insulto pasekmės yra viena svarbiausių šiandieninės medicinos problemų. Darbo tikslas buvo įvertinti asmenų po GSI funkcinės būklės pokyčius reabilitacijos procese. Tirti 112 GSI sergančių ir besigydančių reabilitacijos įstaigoje pacientų, kurių amžiaus vidurkis 46 metai. Iš jų 53,6 proc. sudarė moterys. Pacientams buvo taikomas kompleksinis reabilitacinis gydymas, kurio metu su pacientais dirbo visa reabilitacijos komanda. Duomenų analizei buvo panaudoti ligos istorijos duomenys. Pacientų sveikatos būklė buvo vertinama du kartus, pacientams atvykus ir išvykstant iš gydymo įstaigos. Jų pažintinės funkcijos buvo vertintos naudojant standartizuotą trumpą protinės būklės tyrimą (MMSE), o savarankiškumas kasdieniame gyvenime vertintas standartizuotu funkcinio nepriklausomumo testu (FNT). Tyrimo duomenys apdoroti SPSS ir STATSTICA programiniais paketais. Statistinės duomenų analizės rezultatai parodė, kad pacientų po GSI funkcinės būklės pokyčiai kito teigiamai, nes reabilitacijos metu pagerėjo tiek pažintinės, tiek kasdienės apsitarnavimo funkcijos. Bendra pacientų pažintinių funkcijų būsena statistiškai reikšmingai skyrėsi, reabilitacijos eigoje gautas stiprus teigiamas ryšys, ką parodo p koeficientas (0,85), kuris reiškia stiprų teigiamą ryšį. O analizuojant bendrą tiriamųjų būklę priklausomai nuo insulto tipo, buvo išsiaiškinta, kad pacientų, sergančių išeminiu GSI, bendroji pažintinių funkcijų būklė buvo geresnė prieš reabilitaciją negu pacientų, sergančių hemoraginiu GSI. Sveikdami jie taip pat pasiekė geresnių rezultatų, jų duomenys statistiškai reikšmingai skiriasi (p0,05). Bendra pacientų savarankiškumo kasdieniame gyvenime būsena taip pat statistiškai reikšmingai skyrėsi reabilitacijos eigoje, o koreliacijos koeficientas p (0,93) parodė labai stiprų teigiamą ryšį. Mūsų tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad pagerėjo pacientų po GSI, tiek pažintinės, tiek savirūpos funkcijų pokyčiai stacionarinės reabilitacijos eigoje. Taip pat nustatyta, kad gerėjant pažintinėms funkcijoms gerėja ir apsitarnavimas kasdieniame gyvenime. Tą parodo koreliacijos koeficientas p (0,54). Analizuojant sergančiųjų GSI reabilitacijos efektyvumą priklausomai nuo demografinių rodiklių, išsiaiškinta, kad pacientų funkcinės būklės dinamika statistiškai reikšmingai gerėjo priklausomai nuo insulto tipo. Taip pat nustatyta, kad geriau jautėsi pacientai, gyvenantys mieste, negu kaime, nors šie duomenys statistiškai reikšmingai nesiskiria. Išanalizavus funkcinės būklės pokyčius priklausomai nuo lyties, nustatyta, kad geresnė bendra savijauta buvo vyrų nei moterų. Taip pat jų reabilitacija buvo sėkmingesnė nei moterų, nors šie duomenys statistiškai reikšmingai nesiskyrė.

Ergebnisse der Rehabilitation in einer stationären Einrichtung der Behindertenhilfe für junge Erwachsene mit Epilepsie und leichten intellektuellen Beeinträchtigungen

A residential rehabilitation program of the Bethel Institute in Germany for approximately 3 years is addressed to young adults with epilepsy and mild intellectual disabilities. This study aimed to document results of the program and to analyze relations between baseline data and results of rehabilitation as well as relations between different outcome measures with a focus on epilepsy. Data of 85 clients with 2 measurements (T1=4 weeks after admission, T2=dis-charge) were available. The following variables were analyzed: seizure frequency, carer-ratings on epilepsy, on daily-life independence and on occupational and psychological status of their clients, assistance needs following the program (residential care vs. supported housing), and client-ratings on satisfaction with the program. Seizure frequency was significantly (p<0.05) reduced, more than half of the clients were assigned for supported housing. Proportions of clients with improvements according to carer-ratings varied between 44.7% with regard to epilepsy and 67.1% with regard to occupational status. Approximately 66% of the clients were satisfied with the program. T1-data only scarcely influenced later assistance needs. Outcome measures correlated moderately with each other. Depending on the outcome measure, at best two thirds of the clients are rehabilitation responders. Considering variance of seizure frequency at T1 and only moderate correlations between outcome measures, reductions of seizure frequency during the program are desirable but not always necessary for improvements of other outcome measures.

Implementation of Universal Design in South Asian Countries

As the aged and the disabled show a desire and a determination to live productive lives, universal design (UD) products could allow independence in daily life among these people. UD products are designed in such a way that they are usable to the greatest extent possible, by people of all ages and abilities. This research uses a descriptive analysis of data collected through a survey of 142 respondents in South Asian countries to determine their levels of awareness and practice of UD, willingness to pay more for UD products and preferred features in durable goods. The survey results show that South Asians are not very aware of UD, even though UD is already being incorporated into durable goods. There are three reasons driving market opportunities for UD products in South Asia. First is the consumers’ belief that the market for durable goods will increase. Second is the consumers’ willingness to pay 25% higher for UD products. Finally, consumers face problems while using products even though they have no disability. Furthermore, this paper discusses why some consumers like or do not like features in current products. This paper also discusses easier and safer features preferred by consumers of all age groups. Keywords: Awareness, Durable Goods, Practice, South Asia, Universal Design To cite this document: Nisha Prajapati and Tatsuo Asai, "Implementation of Universal Design in South Asian Countries", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.9, No.2, pp.109-136, 2013. Permanent link to this document http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.6158

Insulin resistance in the brain: A new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, accounting for more than 50% of cases at autopsy and in clinical series. The incidence of the disease doubles every 5 years after 65 years‐of‐age. With the aging of the population, the number of AD patients continues to increase. AD affects memory and other cognitive domains, leading to the subsequent deprivation of independence in daily life. The disease places a substantial burden not only on the sufferers themselves, but also on family members, and is responsible for a substantial economic cost to society. Existing treatments, however, only slow the progression of the symptoms of the disease. Furthermore, their efficacy does not extend to all people with AD, and benefits are not conveyed beyond an average of 6 months. Therefore, more disease‐modifying therapeutics are definitely required.

Logistic regression analyses for predicting clinically important differences in motor capacity, motor performance, and functional independence after constraint-induced therapy in children with cerebral palsy

Given the growing evidence for the effects of constraint-induced therapy (CIT) in children with cerebral palsy (CP), there is a need for investigating the characteristics of potential participants who may benefit most from this intervention. This study aimed to establish predictive models for the effects of pediatric CIT on motor and functional outcomes. Therapists administered CIT to 49 children (aged 3-11 years) with CP. Sessions were 1-3.5h a day, twice a week, for 3-4 weeks. Parents were asked to document the number of restraint hours outside of the therapy sessions. Domains of treatment outcomes included motor capacity (measured by the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales II), motor performance (measured by the Pediatric Motor Activity Log), and functional independence (measured by the Pediatric Functional Independence Measure). Potential predictors included age, affected side, compliance (measured by time of restraint), and the initial level of motor impairment severity. Tests were administered before, immediately after, and 3 months after the intervention. Logistic regression analyses showed that total amount of restraint time was the only significant predictor for improved motor capacity immediately after CIT. Younger children who restrained the less affected arm for a longer time had a greater chance to achieve clinically significant improvements in motor performance. For outcomes of functional independence in daily life, younger age was associated with clinically meaningful improvement in the self-care domain. Baseline motor abilities were significantly predictive of better improvement in mobility and cognition. Significant predictors varied according to the aspects of motor outcomes after 3 months of follow-up. The potential predictors identified in this study allow clinicians to target those children who may benefit most from CIT.

Mental and physical performance of dementia patients in long-term residential care

ENWEndNote BIBJabRef, Mendeley RISPapers, Reference Manager, RefWorks, Zotero AMA Śliwiński Z, Matłok M, Starczyńska M, Makara-Studzińska M. Mental and physical performance of dementia patients in long-term residential care. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne. 2013;29(3):230-233. doi:10.5114/ms.2013.38578. APA Śliwiński, Z., Matłok, M., Starczyńska, M., & Makara-Studzińska, M. (2013). Mental and physical performance of dementia patients in long-term residential care. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne, 29(3), 230-233. https://doi.org/10.5114/ms.2013.38578 Chicago Śliwiński, Zbigniew, Magdalena Matłok, Małgorzata Starczyńska, and Marta Makara-Studzińska. 2013. "Mental and physical performance of dementia patients in long-term residential care". Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne 29 (3): 230-233. doi:10.5114/ms.2013.38578. Harvard Śliwiński, Z., Matłok, M., Starczyńska, M., and Makara-Studzińska, M. (2013). Mental and physical performance of dementia patients in long-term residential care. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne, 29(3), pp.230-233. https://doi.org/10.5114/ms.2013.38578 MLA Śliwiński, Zbigniew et al. "Mental and physical performance of dementia patients in long-term residential care." Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne, vol. 29, no. 3, 2013, pp. 230-233. doi:10.5114/ms.2013.38578. Vancouver Śliwiński Z, Matłok M, Starczyńska M, Makara-Studzińska M. Mental and physical performance of dementia patients in long-term residential care. Medical Studies/Studia Medyczne. 2013;29(3):230-233. doi:10.5114/ms.2013.38578.

J151022 装着者の位置エネルギーを利用した空気式歩行支援シューズの開発([J151-02]ライフサポートとQOL(2))

Due to the aging, the elderly person has muscular deterioration in their tibialis anterior muscles, which cause the shuffling walking style. Consequently they easily stumble even for a small step. Walking plays an important role for elderly to spend their independent daily life. We aim at developing walking support shoes for elderly people to support their dorsiflexion motion in swing phase by using potential energy of wearer. A wearer steps a foot pump installed in bottom of shoes and compressed pneumatic energy is temporally stored as an elastic potential energy of a coil spring. Then, torque around foot joint is generated at the moment of toe apart from a ground using a spring torque. After explaining the structure of the support device and working principle, we conducted walking experiment to show the effectiveness of the proposed walking support shoes.

2P1-C02 移動ロボットを用いた要介護者の自立を支援するライフサポートシステムREACH : 生活支援ロボットのリスクアセスメントに基づく設計(福祉ロボティクス・メカトロニクス(3))

2P1-C02 移動ロボットを用いた要介護者の自立を支援するライフサポートシステムREACH : 生活支援ロボットのリスクアセスメントに基づく設計(福祉ロボティクス・メカトロニクス(3))

Effects of family history on inflammatory bowel disease characteristics in Japanese patients

Although the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is reported to have reached a plateau in Western countries, it is increasing in Asia. The etiology of IBD is still under investigation. We performed an epidemiological study to clarify the characteristics of IBD in Japan, focusing on patients' family history. We obtained clinical data on ulcerative colitis (UC) (46,114 cases) and Crohn's disease (CD) (11,305 cases) in 2007 from an electronic database maintained under the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's nationwide registry system, and analyzed the differences in disease characteristics between patients with IBD who had a family history of the disease and those who did not. A total of 2.7% of the patients with UC and 2.6% of those with CD had a family history. The present age and age at disease onset were lower among the patients with UC who had a family history than among those without (present age: p < 0.001; age at disease onset: p < 0.001; Mann-Whitney U-test), but no similar trend was observed in the patients with CD. Disease severity was worse among both the UC and CD patients with a family history. The clinical course of patients with UC was not affected by family history. Levels of independence in daily life were associated with family history among CD patients, whereas age was associated with levels of independence in daily life among UC patients. Disease characteristics of IBD vary in some aspects according to the presence or absence of a family history.

The crossed leg sign indicates a favorable outcome after severe stroke

We investigated whether crossed legs are a prognostic marker in patients with severe stroke. In this controlled prospective observational study, we observed patients with severe stroke who crossed their legs during their hospital stay and matched them with randomly selected severe stroke patients who did not cross their legs. The patients were evaluated upon admission, on the day of leg crossing, upon discharge, and at 1 year after discharge. The Glasgow Coma Scale, the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and the Barthel Index (BI) were obtained. Patients who crossed their legs (n = 34) and matched controls (n = 34) did not differ in any scale upon admission. At the time of discharge, the GCS did not differ, but the NIHSS was better in crossed legs patients (6.5 vs 10.6; p = 0.0026), as was the mRS (3.4 vs 5.1, p < 0.001), and the BI (34.0 vs 21.1; p = 0.0073). At 1-year follow-up, mRS (2.9 vs 5.1, p < 0.001) and the BI (71.3 vs 49.2; p = 0.045) were also better in the crossed leg group. The mortality between the groups differed grossly; only 1 patient died in the crossing group compared to 18 in the noncrossing group (p < 0.001). Leg crossing is an easily obtained clinical sign and is independent of additional technical examinations. Leg crossing within the first 15 days after severe stroke indicates a favorable outcome which includes less neurologic deficits, better independence in daily life, and lower rates of death.

Gender Differences in Recovery Goals in Patients After Acute Myocardial Infarction

: While cardiac rehabilitation has been established as an essential part of comprehensive cardiac care, participation rates for female patients are substantially lower than for male patients. Lower referral rates and higher ages of female patients partly explain this underutilization. Gender differences in recovery goals of cardiac patients have not been examined. : Five hundred ninety patients (22.2% women) admitted to the hospital because of an acute myocardial infarction answered a questionnaire regarding 24 goals in 5 domains of recovery (physical functioning, risk-factor modification, psychological well-being, independence in daily life, and return to work). In addition, psychological symptoms and medical data were assessed. Gender differences were tested by using χ and Student t tests, as well as multivariate logistic and linear regression models. : Gender differences were found in 7 of the 24 recovery goals. After adjustment for psychosocial and clinical characteristics, women still reported a higher importance of "performance of household duties" (odds ratio [OR] = 8.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.43-13.66), "independence in activities of daily living" (OR = 2.38; CI, 1.58-3.59), and "emotional equilibrium" (OR = 1.58, CI, 1.01-2.46). Men rated "physical endurance" and "reducing strain at workplace" as more important goals (OR = 0.64; CI, 0.42-0.97 and OR = 0.39; CI, 0.17-0.93). Except for psychological distress, gender differences in health status were not related to differences in goals. : Gender roles and differences in social-life conditions may have an important influence on the recovery goals of patients after an acute myocardial infarction. Recovery goals should be explored when planning intervention programs for individual patients.

The Relationship between the Ability to Use Chopsticks and the Independence in Daily Life among the Patients at the Senior Health Care Facility

The Relationship between the Ability to Use Chopsticks and the Independence in Daily Life among the Patients at the Senior Health Care Facility

Development of a shoe-mounted assistive user interface for navigation

Assistive technology and assistive devices have been researched and developed to promote an independent daily life for visually impaired individuals. Navigation for the visually impaired may be one of the most challenging tasks due to high expectations on both the functionality and the mechanical specifications of the devices. This research aims at developing a multiple-sensor-based hand-free device as a navigation aid to detect obstacles. The developed device incorporates a sensor unit and a feedback unit with either a wired or a wireless data communication set-up. The working principle and the design criteria are identified with several working scenarios for potential applications. The implementation of the design into a prototype device is discussed in details. The prototype has been tested, and recommendations of possible improvements and future works are proposed.