Content - Volume 41, Issue 8

Objective: To investigate factors that predict walking with a prosthesis after lower limb amputation. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: A computer-aided literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library was performed to identify studies published up to August 2007 that investigated factors that predicted walking ability after lower limb amputation. Results: A ...

Objective: To identify changes in impairments associated with functional and pain outcome in patients with patello­femoral pain syndrome following a standardized physiotherapy treatment. Design: One group pre-post design. Subjects: Seventy-four patients (median age 27 years, 52% female) diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome and referred to physiotherapy treatment. Methods: Baseline me ...

Objective: Dynamometric trunk muscle strength and endurance tests are performed widely within the rehabilitation management of chronic low back pain. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy and long-term reliability of these measurements in patients with chronic low back pain. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: Thirty-two patients with chronic low back pain, 19 healthy controls ...

Background: Catastrophizing plays an important role in models of pain chronicity, showing a consistent correlation with both pain intensity and disability. It is conceivable that these associations are mediated or confounded by other psychological attributes. Objective: To examine the relative influence of catastrophizing and other psychological variables on pain and disability in patients with ...

Objective: To determine the efficacy of neck stabilization exercises in the management of neck pain. Patients and methods: Sixty patients with neck pain were randomized to 3 groups, as follows: group 1 – physical therapy agents including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, continuous ultrasound and infra-red irradiation; group 2 – physical therapy agents + isometric and stretching e ...

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a stress management intervention among 24 female patients on sick leave due to work-related psychological complaints. Methods: The study design was quasi-experimental. All participants received a standard individual treatment for stress at a company healthcare unit. Half of the sample was also enrolled in a group intervention aimed at coping with psychologic ...

Objective: To perform acoustic analysis of swallowing sounds, using a microphone and a notebook computer system, in healthy subjects and patients with dysphagia affected by neurological diseases, testing the positive/negative predictive value of a pathological pattern of swallowing sounds for penetration/aspiration. Design: Diagnostic test study, prospective, not blinded, with the penetration/as ...

Background: Care after discharge from inpatient stroke rehabilitation units varies across Europe. The aim of this study was to compare service delivery after discharge. Methods: A total of 532 consecutive patients after stroke were recruited from 4 European rehabilitation centres in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the UK. At 2-month intervals, clinical assessments and structured interviews wer ...

Objective: To determine the prognostic value of clinical assessment and motor evoked potentials for upper limb strength and functional recovery after acute stroke, and to establish the possible use of motor evoked potentials in rehabilitation. Design: A prospective study. Subjects: Fifty-two patients with hemiparesis were enrolled one month post-stroke; 38 patients concluded the study at 12 mo ...

Objective: The diagnosis and management of mild traumatic brain injury continues to be a subject of debate, with varying opinions regarding the extent to which organically based impairments vs the impact of other stressors cause ongoing disability. The aim of this study was to elucidate the possible abnormalities in benzodiazepine receptor uptake in the brains of patients with mild traumatic brain ...

Objective: To examine the association of age with long-term psychosocial outcome following traumatic brain injury. Participants: One hundred and twelve participants with mild to very severe traumatic brain injury, aged 26–89 years at 5–22 years post-injury, 112 significant others and 112 healthy controls matched for current age, gender, education and estimated IQ. Methods: Changes in occup ...

Objective: To determine whether functional electrical stimulation-supported ergometric training of patients with multiple sclerosis has a prosthetic or therapeutic effect on biomechanical (power, smoothness of cycling) and functional outcomes (walking capability, strength of muscle, spasticity). Design: Twelve subjects with multiple sclerosis participated in an electrical stimulation-supported ...

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of skin disorders in patients with hemiplegia and paraplegia. Several skin disorders have been reported previously in these patients. Methods: Seventy inpatients with hemiplegia, 30 with paraplegia, and 90 individuals as a control group were included in the study. Results: The most common skin disorder in the patient group was tin ...

Objective: To set a baseline for measuring the development of medical rehabilitation services and outcomes for patients after stroke and promoting rehabilitation medicine in Thailand. Design: Multi-centre, prospective study. Subjects: Patients after stroke in Thai Stroke Rehabilitation Registry (TSRR), aged ≥ 18 years, with stable medical signs, able to follow a 1-step command and sit for ...