Therapeutic Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation on Physical Performance and Muscle Strength in Post-stroke Older Adults: A Review.

Stroke-related disabilities cause poor physical performance, especially among older adults, and can lead to sarcopenia. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used to improve physical performance in individuals with neurological disorders and increase muscle mass and strength to counteract muscle atrophy. This review covers the principles, underlying mechanisms, and therapeutic effects of FES on physical performance and skeletal muscle function in post-stroke older adults.

Impact of Vitamin B12 Insufficiency on Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Korean Adults.

Vitamin B12 (B12) is involved as a cofactor in the synthesis of myelin. A lack of B12 impairs peripheral nerve production, which can contribute to sarcopenia. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between B12 insufficiency and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older Korean adults.

Correlations between swallowing function and acoustic vowel space in stroke patients with dysarthria.

Background: Dysphagia and dysarthria tend to coexist in stroke patients. Dysphagia can reduce patients' quality of life, cause aspiration pneumonia and increased mortality.

Objective: To evaluate correlations among swallowing function parameters and acoustic vowel space values in patients with stroke.

Association between MicroRNA-4669 Polymorphism and Ischemic Stroke in a Korean Population.

Recent studies have explored the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNAs (miRNAs) and ischemic stroke (IS). In particular, the associations of rs2910164 (miRNA-146A), rs11614913 (miRNA-196A2), and rs3746444 (miRNA-499A) were intensively studied in IS. In this study, we investigated the associations between SNPs in miRNAs and IS including rs2910164, rs11614913, and rs3746444 in a Korean population.

Association Between Asymmetry in Knee Extension Strength and Balance in a Community-Dwelling Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the association between balance function and asymmetry of knee extension strength in an elderly Korean population.

Methods: The strength of the knee extensors in each leg was measured in 306 community-dwelling elderly subjects (age, 76.70±4.

Biomechanical Parameters in Plantar Fasciitis Measured by Gait Analysis System With Pressure Sensor.

Objective: To investigate the differences in biomechanical parameters measured by gait analysis systems between healthy subjects and subjects with plantar fasciitis (PF), and to compare biomechanical parameters between 'normal, barefooted' gait and arch building gait in the participants.

Methods: The researchers evaluated 15 subjects (30 feet) with bilateral foot pain and 15 subjects (15 feet) with unilateral foot pain who had a clinical diagnosis of PF. Additionally, 17 subjects (34 feet) who had no heel pain were recruited.

Asymmetric Atrophy of Paraspinal Muscles in Patients With Chronic Unilateral Lumbar Radiculopathy.

Objective: To assess the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the muscles for investigating the occurrence of asymmetry of the paraspinal (multifidus and erector spinae) and psoas muscles and its relation to the chronicity of unilateral lumbar radiculopathy using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between January 2012 to December 2014. Sixty one patients with unilateral L5 radiculopathy were enrolled: 30 patients had a symptom duration less than 3 months (group A) and 31 patients had a symptom duration of 3 months or more (group B).

Association Between a Polymorphism in and Genes and Ischemic Stroke.

Objective: To investigate whether the polymorphisms of gene (rs4647602, intron A/C and rs1049216, UTR C/T) and gene (rs1052576, Gln/Arg G/A and rs1052571, Ser/Val T/C) were associated with the development, and clinical severity of ischemic stroke and functional consequences after stroke.

Methods: Genomic DNA from 121 ischemic stroke patients and 201 healthy control subjects were extracted, and polymerase chain reaction products were sequenced. To investigate the association of polymorphisms and the development, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (K-NIHSS), logistic regression models were analyzed.

The Relationship Between Tongue Pressure and Oral Dysphagia in Stroke Patients.

Objective: To evaluate the relationships between tongue pressure and different aspects of the oral-phase swallowing function.

Methods: We included 96 stroke patients with dysphagia, ranging in age from 40 to 88 years (mean, 63.7 years).

Association Between a Polymorphism (rs2071214) in Baculoviral IAP Repeat Containing 5 Gene (BIRC5) and Ischemic Stroke in Korean Population.

Objective: To investigate whether baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) repeat containing 5 gene (BIRC5) polymorphisms are associated with the development and clinical phenotypes of ischemic stroke in Korea population.

Methods: We enrolled 121 ischemic stroke patients and 291 control subjects. Ischemic stroke patients were divided into subgroups according to the scores of National Institutes of Health Stroke Survey (<6 or ≥6) and Modified Barthel Index (<60 or ≥60).

Interleukin-6 Receptor Polymorphisms Contribute to the Neurological Status of Korean Patients with Ischemic Stroke.

To investigate the contribution of the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to the neurological status of Korean patients with ischemic stroke (IS), two SNPs of the IL-6R gene (rs4845617, 5 UTR; rs2228144, Ala31Ala) were selected. IS patients were classified into clinical phenotypes according to two well-defined scores: the National Institutes of Health Stroke Survey (NIHSS) and the Modified Barthel Index scores. There were 121 IS patients and 291 control subjects.

Polymorphism of Nitric Oxide Synthase 1 Affects the Clinical Phenotypes of Ischemic Stroke in Korean Population.

Objective: To investigate whether four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2293054 [Ile734Ile], rs1047735 [His902His], rs2293044 [Val1353Val], rs2682826 (3'UTR) of nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) are associated with the development and clinical phenotypes of ischemic stroke.

Methods: We enrolled 120 ischemic stroke patients and 314 control subjects. Ischemic stroke patients were divided into subgroups according to the scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Survey (NIHSS, <6 and ≥6) and Modified Barthel Index (MBI, <60 and ≥60).

A Patient With Focal Dystonia That Occurred Secondary to a Peripheral Neurogenic Tumor: A Case Report.

Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions. Patients with dystonia may experience uncontrollable twisting, repetitive movements, or abnormal posture. A 55-year-old man presented with an involuntary left forearm supination, which he had experienced for five years.

Monomelic amyotrophy (hirayama disease) with upper motor neuron signs: a case report.

Monomelic amyotrophy (MMA), also known as Hirayama disease, is a sporadic juvenile muscular atrophy in the distal upper extremities. This disorder rarely involves proximal upper extremities and presents minimal sensory symptoms with no upper motor neuron (UMN) signs. It is caused by anterior displacement of the posterior dural sac and compression of the cervical cord during neck flexion.

Radiation recall phenomenon presenting as myositis triggered by carboplatin plus paclitaxel and related literature review.

While most case reports to date are radiation recall dermatitis, radiation recall myositis, which is a distinct form of radiation recall phenomenon caused by carboplatin plus paclitaxel, has not been reported. We treated a 57-year-old female patient who suffered from recurrent cervical cancer. When the patient developed a new left sacral metastasis, salvage radiotherapy (total dose 60 Gy) was administered.

The Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism of Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Gene is Associated With Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament in the Korean Population.

Objective: To determine whether ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism is associated with the ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) of the spine in the Korean population.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted to investigate the association between I/D polymorphism of the angiotensin I converting enzyme (peptidyl-dipeptidase A) 1 (ACE) gene and OPLL. The 95 OPLL patients and 274 control subjects were recruited.

Thoracic outlet syndrome caused by schwannoma of brachial plexus.

Schwannomas are benign, usually slow-growing tumors that originate from Schwann cells surrounding peripheral, cranial, or autonomic nerves. The most common form of these tumors is acoustic neuroma. Schwannomas of the brachial plexus are quite rare, and symptomatic schwannomas of the brachial plexus are even rarer.

Association between BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID) gene polymorphism and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in Korean population.

The purpose of this study was to investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID) gene as a risk factor in Korean patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). To investigate the genetic association, two coding SNPs (rs8190315, Ser10Gly; rs2072392, Asp60Asp) of BID were genotyped in 157 OPLL patients and 209 control subjects. SNPStats, SNPAnalyzer Pro, Helixtree, and Haploview 4.

Syringomyelia coexisting with guillain-barre syndrome.

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and syringomyelia are diseases of different entities. GBS is an acute post-infectious autoimmune disease which is mediated by autoantibodies against the myelin of peripheral nerves. Syringomyelia is a chronic disease characterized by a cavity extending longitudinally inside the spinal cord.

T Allele of nonsense polymorphism (rs2039381, Gln71Stop) of interferon-ε is a risk factor for the development of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Interferons (IFNs) play key roles in various biologic responses including antiviral and immune reactions. We evaluated one possible risk factor in nonsense polymorphism (rs2039381, Gln71Stop) of interferon-ε (IFNE). We recruited stroke [119 ischemic stroke (IS) and 145 intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)] and control (401), respectively.

Performance of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in predicting 28-day hospital mortality in older adult patients with sepsis.

Background & Aims: The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a screening tool for nutrition-related risk that correlates with mortality rate in hospitalized older patients and is simple, objective, and readily available to clinicians. In this study, we aimed to validate the performance of the GNRI in predicting short-term hospital mortality in older patients with sepsis.

Methods: This observational study enrolled 401 older patients presenting with infection and systemic inflammatory response syndrome in an emergency department.

Association between ABCB1 Polymorphisms and Ischemic Stroke in Korean Population.

Neuronal expression of ATP-binding cassette, sub-family B (MDR/TAP), member 1 (ABCB1) has been demonstrated after brain ischemia. To investigate whether ABCB1 polymorphisms are associated with the development, risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus), severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS), and sequelae (Modified Barthel Index, MBI) of ischemic stroke (IS), four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ABCB1 gene [rs4148727, promoter, -154T>C; rs3213619, 5'-untranslation region (5'UTR), -129T>C); rs1128503, synonymous, Gly412 (C>T); rs3842, 3'UTR, A>G] were analyzed in 121 IS patients and 291 control subjects. SNPStats and SPSS 18.

Efficacy of ultrasonography guided stellate ganglion blockade in the stroke patients with complex regional pain syndrome.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of ultrasonography guided stellate ganglion block (US-SGB) with that of blind SGB in management of the stroke patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1.

Method: Forty-two patients with post-stroke CRPS were randomly assigned to either US-guided SGB (22 patients) or blind SGB group (20 patients). The mean age of US-guided SGB and blind SGB groups was 61.

Association between IL10, IL10RA, and IL10RB SNPs and ischemic stroke with hypertension in Korean population.

The pathogenesis of stroke is associated with the immune and inflammatory responses. Cytokines, such as interleukin 10 (IL10), play an important role in the process of inflammation. To investigate whether IL10, IL10RA, and IL10RB polymorphisms are associated with the risk of ischemic stroke (IS), selected two IL10 SNPs (rs1518111 and rs1554286), three IL10RA SNPs (rs2256111, rs4252243, and rs2228054), and two IL10RB SNPs (rs999788 and rs2834167) were analyzed in 120 patients with IS and 285 control subjects.

Polymorphisms of IGFI contribute to the development of ischemic stroke.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IFG1) is neuroprotective in animal models of focal brain ischemia and correlates with ischemic stroke (IS) outcome in the elderly. In this study, we investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IFG1 gene are associated with the development and clinical features of IS in a Korean population. A total of 119 patients with IS and 289 control subjects were recruited.