Content - Volume 49, Issue 3

Oral baclofen has long been a mainstay in the management of spasticity. This review looks at the clinical evidence for the efficacy and safety of oral baclofen in patients with spasticity of any origin or severity, to determine whether there is a rationale for the use of intrathecal baclofen. Results suggest that oral baclofen may be effective in many patients with spasticity, regardless of the un ...

Oral baclofen has long been a mainstay in the management of spasticity. This review looks at the clinical evidence for the efficacy and safety of oral baclofen in patients with spasticity of any origin or severity, to determine whether there is a rationale for the use of intrathecal baclofen. Results suggest that oral baclofen may be effective in many patients with spasticity, regardless of the un ...

Given the continued use of decompressive craniectomy in the management of neurological emergencies recognition of complications is important in order for patients to gain maximal benefit during rehabilitation. One complication that has received relatively little attention is the neurological dysfunction that can occur due to distortion of the brain under the scalp as cerebral oedema subsides. The ...

Objective: To investigate the effects of Kinesio taping for stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain. Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Subjects: Twenty-one stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain within 6 months of stroke onset in the rehabilitation ward of a medical university hospital in Taiwan. Methods: A 3-week intervention involving a conventional reha ...

Objective: To investigate factors within 3 days post-stroke that could predict severe impairment in motor function in the upper extremity at one month post-stroke. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 104 patients with first-ever stroke and impaired motor function in the upper extremity. Initial impairment in motor function, demographic data, type of stroke and stroke risk factors were c ...

Objective: Life satisfaction is reduced in stroke patients. However, as a rule, rehabilitation goals are not aimed at life satisfaction, but at activities and participation. In order to optimize life satisfaction in stroke patients, rehabilitation should take into account the determinants of life satisfaction. The aim of this study was therefore to determine what factors are independent determinan ...

Objective: Long-term mental fatigue following traumatic brain injury is endorsed as one of the most distressing symptoms, interfering considerably with return to work and social life. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of long-term mental fatigue after traumatic brain injury and to evaluate its association with employment status. Methods: All patients (age ...

Objective: To further characterize the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) in persons with multiple sclerosis through a direct comparison with matched controls, and by examining differences across the multiple sclerosis disability spectrum. Also, to validate the OUES as an alternative method, which can be derived from submaximal exercise testing, for expressing cardiorespiratory fitness in perso ...

Objective: To explore and compare the outcomes of adaptation and physical activity programmes regarding activities of daily living (ADL) ability following interdisciplinary rehabilitation in women with fibromyalgia. Methods: Participants (n = 85) were quasi-randomized to 16-week adaptation (ADAPT) or physical activity (ACTIVE) programmes following 2-week interdisciplinary rehabilitat ...

Objective: To investigate the effect of a supervised, structured exercise programme on the occurrence and severity of pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Subjects: A total of 45 pregnant women were randomly assigned to 2 groups: an experimental group (n = 20; mean age 32. 8 (standard deviation (SD) 3. 6) years) and a control group (n =R ...

Objective: To compare the relationship between postural control and knee and hip osteoarthritis in older adults with and without a history of falls. Methods: Fallers were those with ≥ 2 falls or 1 injurious fall over 12 months. Non-fallers were volunteers with no falls in the past year. Radiological evidence of osteoarthritis with no reported symptoms was considered “asymptomatic o ...

Objective: To investigate whether the use of cognitive behavioural therapy in pulmonary rehabilitation addresses the depression and anxiety burden and thereby improves rehabilitation outcomes. Design: Prospective controlled clinical trial. Patients: A total of 70 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who were referred to a community centre for pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods: ...

Objective: To investigate practical fitness to drive mobility scooters, comparing visually impaired participants with healthy controls. Design: Between-subjects design. Subjects: Forty-six visually impaired (13 with very low visual acuity, 10 with low visual acuity, 11 with peripheral field defects, 12 with multiple visual impairment) and 35 normal-sighted controls. Methods: Participants com ...

Objective: To examine clinical outcomes and completion rates of cardiac rehabilitation in women with breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure. Methods: Data for women with breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure were compared with those for age-matched women with coronary artery disease. Retrospective data were obtained from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute database for da ...

Background: A 42-year-old woman with chronic polymyositis complicated by post-myocarditis cardiomyopathy underwent supervised and unsupervised exercise therapy with staged increases in intensity. Methods: Supervised exercise therapy, which included adopted standards for patients with heart failure, was performed for 6 months. After one month, unsupervised exercise therapy was commenced, in the f ...