Content - Volume 42, Issue 8

Objective: To use the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to describe and compare patient-reported disability in Guillain-Barré syndrome survivors and persons with multiple sclerosis, and to identify relevant environmental factors. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 77 survivors of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the community. Their Guillain-Barré syndrome-rel ...

Background: The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) is a well-validated, commonly-used tool to assess quality of life in patients with heart failure. However, it lacks specific information concerning breathlessness during daily activities. Objective: To determine the validity of the London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL) scale for use in patients with heart failure. ...

Objective: To assess the cost of walking in individuals with multiple sclerosis and to investigate its relationship with dyspnoea and fatigue. Methods: In 46 individuals with multiple sclerosis and in 36 healthy controls, the cost of walking was measured during the 6-min walk test. Perceived breathlessness after walking was rated on a visual analogue scale and corrected for the distance walked. ...

Objective: To evaluate and compare the construct validity of 5 participation instruments developed using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Methods: A total of 545 subjects diagnosed and treated for a spinal condition at an acute hospital were followed-up and consented to complete a questionnaire. Subjects completed 5 participation instruments (Impact o ...

Objective: To compare the score distribution and reliability of 5 participation instruments developed using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Methods: Individuals treated for spinal conditions at an acute hospital were followed-up and 545 participated. Subjects completed 5 participation instruments (Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA), Keele Assessmen ...

Objective: Determining the feasibility of implementing a new concept to objectively evaluate actual functional abilities of transfemoral amputees into a new measuring tool called “Assessment of Daily Activity Performance in Transfemoral amputees” (ADAPT). Design: Study 1: cross-sectional design. Study 2: repeated measures design. Subjects: Study 1 comprised two groups of 10 participants, a ...

Objective: To assess the reproducibility of 3 participation measures. Design: Repeated administration of a postal questionnaire with a 2-week interval. Participants: Outpatients (n = 47) from 2 rehabilitation centres and a university hospital in The Netherlands. Methods: Measures were the ICF Measure of Participation and Activities Screener (IMPACT-S), the Participation Scale, and the Ut ...

Objective: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been recognized as a promising intervention for treatment of stroke patients. However, most previous reports have described the short-term effects of rTMS on motor performance. We conducted a sham-controlled trial to evaluate long-term effects of high-frequency rTMS on motor recovery in subacute stroke patients. Methods: Twenty-e ...

Objective: To assess activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis during static exercise in patients with fibromyalgia. Patients and methods: Sixteen patients with fibromyalgia and 16 healthy controls performed a static knee extension until exhaustion. Plasma catecholamines, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol, as well as blood pressure and ...

Objective: This study examined characteristics of patients with acquired brain injury associated with wait times for inpatient rehabilitation compared with a control population of patients with acquired spinal cord injury. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on 9458 patients captured in the National Rehabilitation Reporting System in Canada. Results: Waiting for inpatient rehabilitat ...

Objective: The “Comprehensive ICF Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis” represents the typical spectrum of problems in functioning of patients with rheumatoid arthritis according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The objective of this study was to validate this ICF Core Set from the perspective of physicians. Methods: Physicians experienced in rheu ...

Objective: To evaluate two commonly used forms of hand training with respect to influence on dexterity and cortical reorganization. Subjects: Thirty healthy volunteers (mean age 24. 2 years). Methods: The subjects were randomized to 25 min of shaping exercises or general activity training of the non-dominant hand. The dexterity and the cortical motor maps (number of excitable positions) of the ...

Objective: The prognosis for further recovery of motor function 2 years after complete spinal cord injury is poor. This case report describes recovery of walking function in an a 33-year old man two years post T7 spinal cord injury American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A following intensive physical therapy and robotic locomotor training. Design: Case report. Methods: The subject ...