Outcome measures and rehabilitation treatment in patients affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy: a pilot study.

Objective: : We evaluated the sensitivity of various rehabilitation and lung function scales to detect differences between people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and healthy controls. We also studied whether these measurements are sensitive to disclose changes in patients with CMT disease after rehabilitative treatment.

Design: : Eight patients with different types of CMT participated in the study.

Does a low-density gas mixture or oxygen supplementation improve exercise training in COPD?

Background: Low-density gas mixtures and oxygen (O₂) supplementation are known to improve physical performance and ventilatory adaptation during incremental maximal exercise in COPD. We investigated whether their combined use during intense physical training is also effective in ameliorating exercise tolerance in patients affected by moderate to severe COPD.

Methods: Thirty patients (FEV₁ < 60% of predicted) underwent a 2-month rehabilitation program.