Rehabilitation Treatment Group Research Articles

Effectiveness of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction combined with rehabilitation training for shoulder hand syndrome after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Shoulder hand syndrome (SHS) is a common complication of stroke. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction (HGWD) combined with rehabilitation training in managing it, as its efficacy remains inconclusive. Seven databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP database were searched in this study. The search deadline was April 30, 2023. Randomized controlled trials that included either standalone rehabilitation training or HGWD combined with rehabilitation training were included, and data were independently extracted by 2 reviewers who assessed the risk of bias. Thirteen studies involving 1270 patients were included in this study. Meta-analysis showed that the combined treatment was significantly more effective than standalone rehabilitation therapy (odds ratio = 4.49; 95%CI: 2.98-6.76; Z = 7.17; P < .00001). Compared with the control group, the intervention group had a lower visual analog scale score (mean difference [MD] = -2.80, 95%CI (-3.15, -2.45), Z = 15.84, P < .00001). In addition, the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale score improved (MD = 9.69, 95%CI (7.60, 11.78), Z = 9.08, P < .00001). The SHS score in the intervention group decreased more compared to the control group (standard mean difference = -2.27, 95%CI (-3.19, -1.34), Z = 4.79, P < .00001). Serum biomarkers related to SHS decreased, including serum substance P (MD = -7.52, 95%CI (-8.55, -6.48), Z = 14, P < .00001) and bradykinin (MD = -1.81, 95%CI (-2.68, -0.95), Z = 4.1, P < .00001). Although there was no statistical difference in joint mobility score (MD = -4.19, 95%CI (-8.16, -0.22), Z = 4.79, P = .28), sensitivity analysis after excluding one study still suggested that the joint mobility score of the combined treatment group was higher than that of the standalone rehabilitation treatment group. The results of this study indicate that HGWD combined with rehabilitation training may be more effective in treating SHS after stroke compared to standalone rehabilitation therapy.

REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH CERVICAL AND LUMBAR SPINE INSTABILITY USING TYMO ROBOTIC STABILOMETRICAL PLATFORM.

Introduction. The musculoskeletal system plays a vital role in maintaining posture and facilitating human movement, with the muscles often subjected to significant stress. Stabilometry can be used for evaluating postural balance and aiding in rehabilitation. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the TYMO robotic stabilometric platform for the rehabilitation of patients with cervical and lumbar spine instability.Participants and methods. The study was conducted on the stable platform TYMO (Tyromotion). The study included 30 healthy students (group 1), 28 patients with instability of the cervical vertebra, who underwent standard rehabilitation treatment (group 2), 28 patients with instability of the cervical vertebra, who additionally used with a stabiloplatform (group 3), 29 patients with with instability of the lumbar spine, who received standard rehabilitation treatment (group 4), 29 patients with instability of the lumbar spine, who were additionally treated with a stabiloplatform (group 5). Groups 3 and 5, alongside with standard rehabilitation treatment, received a 10-day course involving stabiloplatform training. The parameters of the Center of Force (COF) section and load distribution were analyzed. Results and Discussion. When analyzing the respective indices across all groups in various functional positions prior to the treatment, the values were significantly increased. The use of the stabiloplatform proved to be effective in the treatment of patients, leading to the normalization of these indices. Notably, its application yielded a lasting therapeutic effect, whereas conventional physiotherapeutic methods fell short in achieving a lasting impact. Conclusions: Patients with cervical or lumbar spine instability demonstrate impaired balance test indicators. Following a 10-day treatment regimen with traditional rehabilitation methods, improvements are observed across all indicators, but they do not fully restore to the control levels in all functional positions. Furthermore, after one month, indicators deteriorate in nearly all functional positions. Training using a stabiloplatform is an effective approach in the treatment of patients with cervical or lumbar spine instability, and its use demonstrates a sustained therapeutic benefit.

The Effects of Postacute Rehabilitation on Mortality, Chronic Care Dependency, Health Care Use, and Costs in Sepsis Survivors.

Rationale: Sepsis often leads to long-term functional deficits and increased mortality in survivors. Postacute rehabilitation can decrease long-term sepsis mortality, but its impact on nursing care dependency, health care use, and costs is insufficiently understood. Objectives: To assess the short-term (7-12 months postdischarge) and long-term (13-36 months postdischarge) effect of inpatient rehabilitation within 6 months after hospitalization on mortality, nursing care dependency, health care use, and costs. Methods: An observational cohort study used health claims data from the health insurer AOK (Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse). Among 23.0 million AOK beneficiaries, adult beneficiaries hospitalized with sepsis in 2013-2014 were identified by explicit codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. The study included patients who were nonemployed presepsis, for whom rehabilitation is reimbursed by the AOK and thus included in the dataset, and who survived at least 6 months postdischarge. The effect of rehabilitation was estimated by statistical comparisons of patients with rehabilitation (treatment group) and those without (reference group). Possible differential effects were investigated for the subgroup of ICU-treated sepsis survivors. The study used inverse probability of treatment weighting based on propensity scores to adjust for differences in relevant covariates. Costs for rehabilitation in the 6 months postsepsis were not included in the cost analysis. Results: Among 41,918 6-month sepsis survivors, 17.2% (n = 7,224) received rehabilitation. There was no significant difference in short-term survival between survivors with and without rehabilitation. Long-term survival rates were significantly higher in the rehabilitation group (90.4% vs. 88.7%; odds ratio [OR] = 1.2; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.1-1.3; P = 0.003). Survivors with rehabilitation had a higher mean number of hospital readmissions (7-12 months after sepsis: 0.82 vs. 0.76; P = 0.014) and were more frequently dependent on nursing care (7-12 months after sepsis: 47.8% vs. 42.3%; OR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.2-1.3; P < 0.001; 13-36 months after sepsis: 52.5% vs. 47.5%; OR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.1-1.3; P < 0.001) compared with those without rehabilitation, whereas total health care costs at 7-36 months after sepsis did not differ between groups. ICU-treated sepsis patients with rehabilitation had higher short- and long-term survival rates (short-term: 93.5% vs. 90.9%; OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.2-1.7; P < 0.001; long-term: 89.1% vs. 86.3%; OR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.1-1.5; P < 0.001) than ICU-treated sepsis patients without rehabilitation. Conclusions: Rehabilitation within the first 6 months after ICU- and non-ICU-treated sepsis is associated with increased long-term survival within 3 years after sepsis without added total health care costs. Future work should aim to confirm and explain these exploratory findings.

Clinical Rehabilitation Nursing of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Based on Intelligent Medicine.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease that can be treated and prevented. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a meta-analysis of clinical rehabilitation nursing of COPD patients based on intelligent medical care by constructing a suitable model so as to make the research on clinical nursing of COPD patients more effective. This paper first introduced the intelligent medical system, analyzed the clinical rehabilitation nursing of COPD patients, established the SCNet model suitable for this paper, and then used statistical algorithms to carry out the meta dynamic analysis of the clinical rehabilitation nursing for COPD patients. Through the analysis of the current situation of medical equipment and the comparison of models and statistical analysis, the experimental results showed that the pulmonary function indexes of the pulmonary rehabilitation treatment group and the conventional treatment group were improved after treatment compared with before treatment. Although on specificity metrics SCNet did not perform the best, it was about 1% lower than the best baseline model. However, the comprehensive performance of the SCNet model on Acc, Sen, F1-Score, and AP indicators showed that the model SCNet proposed in this paper had certain advantages, which was helpful for the clinical rehabilitation care of patients with COPD and could better assist doctors in treatment.

Nanotube Combined with Roller Skater Rehabilitation Therapy in the Treatment of Knee Arthritis

As a kind of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have made great progress in recent years, among which nanotube is one of the most representative new nanomaterials. Knee arthritis, as a degenerative bone disease, often occurs in the elderly. According to statistics, the incidence of knee arthritis in China is between 3 and 15 percent, among which the incidence of the elderly over 65 years old is as high as 68 percent. The purpose of this study is to explore the application effect of the rehabilitation therapy of nanotube combined with roller skater in the treatment of knee arthritis and promote the continuous improvement of clinical treatment effect of knee joint. In this study, by comparing the curative effect of the roller skates combined with nanotubes in the rehabilitation treatment group and the control group, the clinical treatment effects of the two groups were comprehensively evaluated and evaluating the comprehensive effects of nanotubes combined with roller skates from various angles of a comprehensive role of rehabilitation therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, to give full play to the advantages of nanotubes and rehabilitation therapy, promote the continuous improvement of treatment, and provide important guidance for the clinical treatment of knee arthritis, thereby improving the therapeutic effect. The results showed that the total effective dose was 82.61% in the control group and 97.83% in the observation group. Before and after the treatment, the therapeutic effect of the nanotube drug treatment group was improved by about 40%, and the therapeutic effect of the observation group of rehabilitation therapy with nanotube combined wheel athletes was increased by about 42%. It indicates that compared with the single treatment, the rehabilitation therapy of the nanotube combined with roller skater greatly improves the therapeutic effect of knee arthritis.

Memory rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis.

Problems with cognition, particularly memory, are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and can affect their ability to complete daily activities and can negatively affect quality of life. Over the last few years, there has been considerable growth in the number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of memory rehabilitation in MS. To guide clinicians and researchers, this review provides an overview of the effectiveness of memory rehabilitation for people with MS. To determine whether people with MS who received memory rehabilitation compared to those who received no treatment, or an active control showed better immediate, intermediate, or longer-term outcomes in their: 1. memory functions, 2. other cognitive abilities, and 3. functional abilities, in terms of activities of daily living, mood, and quality of life. We searched CENTRAL which includes Clinicaltrials.gov, World Health Organization (The Whoqol) International Clinical Trials Registry Portal,Embase andPubMed (MEDLINE), and the following electronic databases (6 September 2020): CINAHL, LILACS, the NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio database, The Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, PsycINFO, and CAB Abstracts. We selected RCTs or quasi-RCTs of memory rehabilitation or cognitive rehabilitation for people with MS in which a memory rehabilitation treatment group was compared with a control group. Selection was conducted independently first and then confirmed through group discussion. We excluded studies that included participants whose memory deficits were the result of conditions other than MS, unless we could identify a subgroup of participants with MS with separate results. Eight review authors were involved in this update in terms of study selection, quality assessment, data extraction and manuscript review. We contacted investigators of primary studies for further information where required. We conducted data analysis and synthesis in accordance with Cochrane methods. We performed a 'best evidence' synthesis based on the methodological quality of the primary studies included. Outcomes were considered separately for 'immediate' (within the first month after completion of intervention), 'intermediate' (one to six months), and 'longer-term' (more than six months) time points. We added 29 studies during this update, bringing the total to 44 studies, involving 2714 participants. The interventions involved various memory retraining techniques, such as computerised programmes and training on using internal and external memory aids. Control groups varied in format from assessment-only groups, discussion and games, non-specific cognitive retraining, and attention or visuospatial training. The risk of bias amongst the included studies was generally low, but we found eight studies to have high risk of bias related to certain aspects of their methodology. In this abstract, we are only reporting outcomes at the intermediate timepoint (i.e., between one and six months). We found a slight difference between groups for subjective memory (SMD 0.23, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.35; 11 studies; 1045 participants; high-quality evidence) and quality of life (SMD 0.30, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.58; 6 studies; 683 participants; high-quality evidence) favoring the memory rehabilitation group. There was a small difference between groups for verbal memory (SMD 0.25, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.40; 6 studies; 753 participants; low-quality evidence) and information processing (SMD 0.27, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.54; 8 studies; 933 participants; low-quality evidence), favoring the memory rehabilitation group. We found little to no difference between groups for visual memory (SMD 0.20, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.50; 6 studies; 751 participants; moderate-quality evidence), working memory (SMD 0.16, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.40; 8 studies; 821 participants; moderate-quality evidence), or activities of daily living (SMD 0.06, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.24; 4 studies; 400 participants; high-quality evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence to support the effectiveness of memory rehabilitation on some outcomes assessed in this review at intermediate follow-up. The evidence suggests that memory rehabilitation results in between-group differences favoring the memory rehabilitation group at the intermediate time point for subjective memory, verbal memory, information processing, and quality of life outcomes, suggesting that memory rehabilitation is beneficial and meaningful to people with MS. There are differential effects of memory rehabilitation based on the quality of the trials, with studies of high risk of bias inflating (positive) outcomes. Further robust, large-scale, multi-centre RCTs, with better quality reporting, using ecologically valid outcome assessments (including health economic outcomes) assessed at longer-term time points are still needed to be certain about the effectiveness of memory rehabilitation in people with MS.

A prospective randomized controlled study on mouse nerve growth factor in the treatment of global developmental delay in children.

To study the clinical effect of mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF) in the treatment of children with global developmental delay (GDD). A prospective clinical trial was conducted in 60 children with GDD who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between July 2016 and July 2017. These children were randomly divided into two groups: conventional rehabilitation treatment and mNGF treatment group (n=30 each). The children in the conventional rehabilitation treatment group were given neurodevelopmental therapy, and those in the mNGF treatment group were given mNGF treatment in addition to the treatment in the control group. The evaluation results of the Gesell Developmental Scale were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Before treatment and after 1.5 months of treatment, there was no significant difference in the developmental quotient (DQ) of each functional area of the Gesell Developmental Scale between the mNGF treatment and conventional rehabilitation treatment groups (P>0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the mNGF treatment group had significantly higher DQs of gross motor, fine motor, and personal-social interaction than the conventional rehabilitation treatment group (P˂0.05). The incidence rate of transient injection site pain after injection of mNGF was 7% (2/30), and there was no epilepsy or other serious adverse reactions. In children with GDD, routine rehabilitation training combined with mNGF therapy can significantly improve their cognitive, motor, and social abilities.

The Improvement of Urethral Function in the Rat Stress Urinary Incontinence Model by Electrical Stimulation Combined With Pelvic Floor Muscle Training To Activate VEGF and ERK 1/2

To explore the effect of electrical stimulation combined with pelvic floor muscle training on the improvement of urethral function in rats with stress urinary incontinence and to further study its possible mechanism. 48 rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, pelvic floor muscle training treatment group and electrical stimulation combined pelvic floor muscle training treatment group. The rehabilitation treatment group was treated with pelvic floor muscle training and combined electrical stimulation treatment after successful modeling. The sneeze test, urodynamics and pelvic floor muscle strength measurement were used to detect the rat urethra and pelvic floor muscle function. The expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 genes in urethral tissue cells were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The rat sneeze test, urodynamics, pelvic floor muscle strength measurement, microvessel count and urethral histopathology results showed that the rat stress urinary incontinence model was successfully constructed and electrical stimulation combined with pelvic floor muscle training could significantly reduce the incidence of rate urinary incontinence and improve the pelvic floor muscle strength, the number of urethral capillaries and the repair of damaged vaginal nerves. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that after rehabilitation treatment, the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor and extracellularsignal- regulated kinase 1/2 were up-regulated and the up-regulation was more obvious in the combined electrical stimulation group. Electrical stimulation combined with pelvic floor muscle training could effectively improve the urethral function of rats and the action mechanism may be related to its activation of vascular endothelial growth factor and extracellular regulatory protein kinase extracellular-signalregulated kinase 1/2.

Study on the effect of rehabilitation therapy based on deep learning on functional recovery of stroke patients with hemiplegia

Objective: Based on deep learning, to explore the clinical effect of early rehabilitation intervention management model on the recovery of neurological function in patients with acute stroke. Methods: A total of 86 inpatients in our department from June 2019 to August 2020 were selected. According to the ward distribution, the hospital was randomly divided into routine drug treatment group (control group, 44 cases) and another ward was divided into early comprehensive rehabilitation treatment group (treatment group, 42 cases). The treatment group received regular rehabilitation training in addition to clinical medication, while the control group received clinical medication and self-exercise without guidance. They were evaluated 24 hours before treatment and 7-10 weeks after treatment. The motor function was evaluated by Furl—Meyer motor function integral method (FMA), and the daily living ability was scored by Barthel index. Results: There was no significant difference in Barthel index and FMA score between the treatment group and the control group before treatment. After treatment, the two indexes in the control group improved to a certain extent, but compared with the treatment group, the improvement degree was far less than that in the treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The effective rate and total effective rate in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group, with statistical difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Early rehabilitation intervention management model can effectively improve the neurological function of patients with acute stroke and improve the clinical efficacy, which is worthy of further promotion and use in clinical practice.

Rehabilitation Therapy for Better Control of Critically Ill Patients

To explore the value of early rehabilitation therapy in critically ill patients managed on routine treatment, 80 critically ill patients in ICU were randomly divided into the rehabilitation group and the routine treatment group. Each group consisted of 40 patients. All patients were placed in a recumbent and good limb position. They were turned over and their back was patted every 2 h. According to the patients’ condition, they were given symptomatic support treatment such as antiinflammatory agents. Rehabilitation treatment group patients also receive early rehabilitation intervention by a professional rehabilitation team. The results of the ICU hospitalization time and mechanical ventilation time of the two groups, when analyzed, it was found that rehabilitation therapy significantly shortened the ICU hospitalization time and mechanical ventilation time of the patients with significant different. The BI index of the rehabilitation treatment group and the conventional treatment group is significantly increased on the 28th day after treatment, and the rehabilitation treatment group is better than the conventional treatment group. The APACHE II scores of patients in rehabilitation group and routine treatment group are significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). Relevant conclusions were drawn that early rehabilitation by professional rehabilitation team can significantly reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU hospitalization in critically ill patients. Early rehabilitation treatment did not increase the 28-day mortality rate and the incidence of adverse events, but improved the basic living ability of critically ill patients.

Treatment of Colorectal Cancer with Natural Anal Passage-based Fast Track Surgery

In this study, 200 patients with colorectal cancer surgery from January 2013 to June 2018 were recruited and divided into the rapid rehabilitation treatment group and the control group. Basic information was collected and albumin expression level is analysed. In addition, the pain grading method was used to grade the postoperative conditions to observe the treatment effect of the rapid rehabilitation treatment group and control group. The results showed that there is no statistical difference between the two groups in the basic situation and previous history of the two groups. In the analysis of albumin expression level, significant statistical differences were found between the two groups and at different time points. And in the analysis of postoperative pain levels of patients in the two groups, it was found that the proportion of taking painkillers in the rapid rehabilitation treatment group is significantly lower, and with the increase of postoperative time, the final pain levels of patients in the two groups show a statistical difference (p<0.05). Therefore, it is found that rapid rehabilitation is indeed better than the traditional perioperative treatment in this study. Although there are some deficiencies in the experimental process, it still provides a new experimental reference basis for the treatment of colorectal cancer in the future.

Evaluation of Motor Function Rehabilitation for Stroke Patients Based on Magnetic Resonance DTI Technology

Based on functional imaging methods of resting state DTI (Diffusion tensor imaging), this study reveals the structural changes and functional abnormalities of white matter fibers in patients with stroke from two levels of structure and function, and analyzes the effects of exercise on brain function remodeling in patients with stroke. The effects of the process, explore the central effect mechanism of scalp acupuncture to promote the recovery of motor function, and provide ideas for optimizing the rehabilitation treatment after stroke. There was no statistically significant difference in the general situation of the motion observation group and the conventional rehabilitation treatment group based on DTI technology at the time of enrollment, the NIHS S score, the fugl-meyerassessmenta score, the modified ashworth scale score, and the Brunnstrom staging assessment (P>0.05). After the week, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks of follow-up, the national institutes of health stroke scale, fugl-meyerassessmenta score, modified ashworth scale score, and Brunnstrom motor function staging score of the two groups of patients were significantly improved over time before treatment. The difference was statistically significant (P>0.05); the comparison between groups, the scores of patients in the action observation group and the difference before and after treatment were significantly higher than those in the conventional rehabilitation treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Action observation therapy can improve the degree of neurological deficits and promote the recovery of neurological function in patients with stroke. It can improve the score of motor function, reduce the muscle tension of key muscles in patients with stroke, and promote the recovery of motor function in patients.

Astym® therapy improves FOTO® outcomes for patients with musculoskeletal disorders: an observational study.

Current healthcare providers function in an environment where there is increased emphasis on value-based models of reimbursement; therefore, the delivery of better patient outcomes is critical. Consequently, it is necessary to identify successful treatments that improve outcomes and can be applied across a broad range of clinic settings, treatment styles and therapist expertise. Data from 2,450 patients who received Astym therapy as component of their outpatient rehabilitation (treatment group) was matched to data from 2,450 randomly chosen patients with similar orthopedic impairments who did not receive Astym therapy during their rehabilitation (control group). Data was collected across 116 clinics in 17 U.S. states. All patients completed a standardized functional status survey at admission and at discharge. The effectiveness (discharge functional status score), efficiency (number of treatment visits, treatment duration) and utilization (unit of functional improvement per visit) was compared across two groups. Ethics approval was not required for this study as this is an observational study, with both sets of participants receiving actual (not placebo) treatment. Compared to the control sample, patients who received Astym therapy as part of their rehabilitation had higher discharge functional status (FS) scores (68.5 vs. 64.5, F1,4897 =53.1, P<0.001) and had more functional improvement per visit noted with a higher utilization index (2.0 vs. 1.9, ANCOVA F1,4897 =5.5, P=0.019), and after risk adjustment, had the same number of visits. There was no difference in duration of treatment episode across groups (Astym, 47.8±31.1 days; control, 47.5±30.0 days) (ANCOVA F1,4897 =1.7, P=0.199). Patients with musculoskeletal disorders who received Astym therapy as part of the treatment process experienced increased treatment effectiveness as compared to those who did not receive Astym therapy. The addition of Astym therapy improved physical therapy outcomes for patients across a broad range of treatment styles, clinical settings and therapist expertise.

Adding Chiropractic Treatment to Individual Rehabilitation for Persistent Pelvic Girdle Pain 3 to 6 Months After Delivery: A Pilot Randomized Trial

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of conducting a study examining the influence of individualized rehabilitation and chiropractic treatment, compared with individualized rehabilitation alone, in women with persistent dominating 1-sided pelvic girdle pain (PGP) 3 to 6 months after delivery. MethodsWomen were recruited from an outpatient clinic at Stavanger University Hospital, Norway and in a private chiropractic clinic in Stavanger. Those with persistent, dominating 1-sided PGP were included in this pilot study. Those who met inclusion criteria were randomized into 2 groups, one group received individualized rehabilitation and chiropractic treatment and the other group women received individualized rehabilitation alone. Treatment was measured for 20 weeks. ResultsOf 330 consenting women who were recruited who reported pelvic pain during pregnancy, 68 reported PGP or low back pain, and 63 consented to fill in a questionnaire. Forty-seven women underwent a clinical examination 3 to 6 months after delivery. During the examination, the women were diagnosed into subgroups for PGP. After exclusion of the women with low back pain only, a total of 13 women were diagnosed with dominating 1-sided PGP and thus included in this study. Six were randomized to the individualized rehabilitation and chiropractic treatment group and 5 to the individualized rehabilitation alone group. After 20 weeks of intervention, both groups reported improvement in disability and pain, but not in general health status. No serious or long-lasting adverse events were registered after treatment or training. ConclusionWe found that a study of this nature is feasible. However, the conditions of patient recruitment need to be considered carefully. We learned that a trial to investigate the effect of chiropractic treatment for PGP pain should include all subgroups of PGP to reach an acceptable sample size.

The Inter/Intra-brain Metabolite Concentration Change as Applying the Rehabilitate Treatment in Intra-cerebral Hemorrhage Rat Models: Pilot Study

If intra-cerebral hemorrhage (ICH) rehabilitation animal model studies had included processes related to imaging diagnosis, not only interim evaluation of treatment effects but also the objectification of treatment effects would have been possible. The purpose of this study was to examine the rehabilitation treatment effect on biomarkers identified on magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy in an animal intra-cerebral hemorrhage model. Two groups of rats were used in this study: (1) the rehabilitation treatment group, 12 6-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats with experimental hemorrhage that received rehabilitation; and (2) the control group of 12 rats with experimental hemorrhage that received no intervention. Training rehabilitation was implemented 15 min daily for 2 weeks with 55–85% of the VO2 max. We conducted MRI/MRS scans before and after ICH rat modeling to evaluate brain metabolite concentration changes. The signal intensity of T2WI was measured at the site of ICH and in a similarly sized area on the opposite side. Integration of the areas under the peaks was conducted to measure cerebral metabolite concentrations. Differences in the mean T2WI-SI ratios measured 2 weeks after ICH induction were not statistically significant (p = 0.514) between the control group and the experimental group. However, the brain tCho/tCr metabolite ratio in the control group was significantly lower than in the experimental group 2 weeks after ICH induction (0.243 ± 0.044 vs. 0.326 ± 0.061, p = 0.007). The tCho/tCr ratio might be used as a biomarker to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation treatment for ICH.

Fire-needle acupuncture for upper limb spastic paralysis after stroke: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundFire-needle acupuncture, an important kind of acupuncture therapy, has been clinically used to treat upper limb spastic paralysis (ULSP) after stroke. Clinical experience has indicated that fire-needle acupuncture treatment takes less time, requires fewer visits, and has more rapid results and fewer side effects compared to chemical medicine alternatives. This study will evaluate the effects of fire-needle acupuncture for ULSP in the context of standardized clinical research and provide high-quality data to inform clinical procedures and future study design. Methods/DesignA randomized controlled trial will be carried out to evaluate the effects of fire-needle acupuncture therapy in patients with ULSP from stroke. ULSP patients (n = 120) will be recruited at Changhai Hospital in Shanghai, China. Patients will be randomly divided into three groups, including fire-needle acupuncture group (FAG), filiform-needle acupuncture group (FFAG) and rehabilitation treatment group (RTG). During the 3-week treatment, the FAG will be treated every two days, while FFAG and RTG will be treated 5 d in a row and then rest for 2 d. The Simplified Fugl-Meyer Motor Function Scale and Modified Ashworth Scale will be used as the primary outcome measures. Statistical analysis will be conducted by an independent statistician. DiscussionThrough this study, the utility of fire-needle acupuncture in treating ULSP after stroke will be tested, and some specific claims of fire-needle acupuncture therapy will be evaluated, such as relieving spasm and muscular tension, improving activities of daily living, rapidity of response and less frequency of treatment compared with other treatments. Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry (identifier: ChiCTR-IOR-17013875; registration date: 28 December 2016).

Surface electromyographic characteristics of sternocleidomastoid muscle in infants with congenital muscular torticollis following rehabilitation

Objective To identify the surface electromyographic (sEMG) characteristics of bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles in infants with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) after rehabilitation. Methods One hundred and twenty two infants were enrolled from Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between January 2013 and December 2015, including 63 cases receiving rehabilitation (treatment group) and 59 cases without rehabilitation (control group). The sEMG parameters of bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles in cervical neutral, left and right rotation and stretching posture in the supine position were retrospectively collected before and after treatment/follow-up; and the root mean square (RMS) was analyzed. Results Before treatment, the RMS values of the affected side in cervical neutral position, cervical rotation and stretching posture were significantly lower than those of the unaffected side in both groups(t=15.758 and 11.950, 4.871 and 4.746, 4.142 and 4.318,P<0.01). In the follow-up for control group, the RMS values of the affected side in cervical neutral position, cervical rotation and stretching posture were significantly lower than those of the unaffected side (t=10.692, 2.198 and 3.239; P<0.01, =0.03 and <0.01).In the treatment group there were no significant differences in the RMS values in cervical neutral position, cervical rotation and stretching posture between affected side and unaffected side after treatment (t=1.647, 1.090 and 0.136, P=0.10, 0.28 and 0.89). Conclusion Rehabilitation reduces the difference of the RMS values between the affected and unaffected sternocleidomastoid muscles in infants with CMT. Key words: Torticollis; Rehabilitation; Electromyography

Cardiac rehabilitation therapy for coronary slow flow phenomenon.

To evaluate the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation on coronary slow flow phenomenon. Included were 30consecutive patients from June 2015 to June 2017. Athrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame evaluation was used to estimate coronary blood flow velocity. All coronary angiography diameters were normal, but blood flow levels did not reach the TIMI level3. All patients were treated with aspirin and rosuvastatin. Patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (cardiac rehabilitation treatment group, n = 15) or acontrol group (normal treatment without cardiac rehabilitation, n = 15). Plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), high-sensitivity Creactive protein (hs-CRP), homocysteine (Hcy) and arginine (Arg) expression levels were collected after admission. These indices were reviewed again after 20-30 weeks, improved subjective symptoms were evaluated by multiple outcome criteria (MOCs), and coronary angiography was used to evaluate the velocity of coronary artery blood flow. The expression levels of LDL-C and TG in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (both P < 0.01). The plasma levels of hs-CRP, Hcy and Arg were lower than those in the control group (all P < 0.01). In the experimental group, subjective symptoms of chest pain were significantly improved and the coronary artery blood flow velocity was significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Cardiac rehabilitation can reduce the plasma levels of LDL-C, TG, hs-CRP, Hcy and Arg, significantly improve the symptoms of coronary slow flow phenomenon and accelerate the speed of coronary artery blood flow.

Motor and Perceptual Recovery in Adult Patients with Mild Intellectual Disability.

Introduction The relationship between intellectual disability (ID) and hand motor coordination and speed-accuracy, as well as the effect of aging on fine motor performance in patients with ID, has been previously investigated. However, only a few data are available on the impact of the nonpharmacological interventions in adult patients with long-term hand motor deficit. Methods Fifty adults with mild ID were enrolled. A group of thirty patients underwent a two-month intensive ergotherapic treatment that included hand motor rehabilitation and visual-perceptual treatment (group A); twenty patients performing conventional motor rehabilitation alone (group B) served as a control group. Data on attention, perceptual abilities, hand dexterity, and functional independence were collected by a blind operator, both at entry and at the end of the study. Results After the interventions, group A showed significantly better performance than group B in all measures related to hand movement from both sides and to independence in activities of daily living. Discussion Multimodal integrated interventions targeting visual-perceptual abilities and motor skills are an effective neurorehabilitative approach in adult patients with mild ID. Motor learning and memory-mediated mechanisms of neural plasticity might underlie the observed recovery, suggesting the presence of plastic adaptive changes even in the adult brain with ID.

Motor imagery training induces changes in brain neural networks in stroke patients

Motor imagery is the mental representation of an action without overt movement or muscle activation. However, the effects of motor imagery on stroke-induced hand dysfunction and brain neural networks are still unknown. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in the China Rehabilitation Research Center. Twenty stroke patients, including 13 males and 7 females, 32-51 years old, were recruited and randomly assigned to the traditional rehabilitation treatment group (PP group, n = 10) or the motor imagery training combined with traditional rehabilitation treatment group (MP group, n = 10). All patients received rehabilitation training once a day, 45 minutes per session, five times per week, for 4 consecutive weeks. In the MP group, motor imagery training was performed for 45 minutes after traditional rehabilitation training, daily. Action Research Arm Test and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity were used to evaluate hand functions before and after treatment. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to analyze motor evoked potentials in the affected extremity. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to assess changes in brain neural networks. Compared with the PP group, the MP group showed better recovery of hand function, higher amplitude of the motor evoked potential in the abductor pollicis brevis, greater fractional anisotropy of the right dorsal pathway, and an increase in the fractional anisotropy of the bilateral dorsal pathway. Our findings indicate that 4 weeks of motor imagery training combined with traditional rehabilitation treatment improves hand function in stroke patients by enhancing the dorsal pathway. This trial has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-OCH-12002238).