Effectiveness of rehabilitation for young patients with extensive right hemisphere cerebral infarction: A report of two cases.

Key Clinical Message: In younger patients, including those with extensive infarction involving the anterior and middle cerebral artery regions of the right hemisphere, appropriate treatment for rare causes and goal-oriented long-term rehabilitation could improve severe hemiplegia and higher brain dysfunction, and allow for further education and employment.

Abstract: Although the number of young stroke patients is small, many have serious sequelae and rare causes. In addition to independence in activities of daily living, education and employment are desired.

Case report: An N-of-1 study using amplitude modulated transcranial alternating current stimulation between Broca's area and the right homotopic area to improve post-stroke aphasia with increased inter-regional synchrony.

Over one-third of stroke survivors develop aphasia, and language dysfunction persists for the remainder of their lives. Brain language network changes in patients with aphasia. Recently, it has been reported that phase synchrony within a low beta-band (14-19 Hz) frequency between Broca's area and the homotopic region of the right hemisphere is positively correlated with language function in patients with subacute post-stroke aphasia, suggesting that synchrony is important for language recovery.

Swallow-related Brain Activity in Post-total Laryngectomy Patients: A Case Series Study.

Background: Total laryngectomy is a surgical procedure to completely remove the hyoid bone, larynx, and associated muscles as a curative treatment for laryngeal cancer. This leads to insufficient swallowing function with compensative movements of the residual tongue to propel the food bolus to the pharynx and esophagus. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms of compensative swallowing after total laryngectomy remain unclear.

Cerebral Blood Deoxygenation by a Postural Change Detected by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Has a Close Association with Cerebral Infarction.

Background: The recent introduction of near-infrared spectroscopy has enabled the monitoring of cerebral blood flow in real-time. Previous studies have shown that blood flow velocity is a predictor of cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that cerebral oxygenation with a change in posture is a predictor for cerebral infarction.

Relationship between Nutritional Status, Body Composition, Muscle Strength, and Functional Recovery in Patients with Proximal Femur Fracture.

Sarcopenia is a major issue among the elderly. However, the effects of nutritional status and body composition on functional recovery in patients with proximal femur fractures (PFF) remain unclear. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effects of nutritional status, body composition (skeletal muscle mass and muscle quality measured by phase angle [PhA] values), and muscle strength on the improvement in activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with PFF.

Case Report: Event-Related Desynchronization Observed During Volitional Swallow by Electroencephalography Recordings in ALS Patients With Dysphagia.

Dysphagia is a severe disability affecting daily life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is caused by degeneration of both the bulbar motor neurons and cortical motoneurons projecting to the oropharyngeal areas. A previous report showed decreased event-related desynchronization (ERD) in the medial sensorimotor areas in ALS dysphagic patients.

Assessment of changes in muscle mass, strength, and quality and activities of daily living in elderly stroke patients.

Whether poststroke rehabilitation improves muscle mass and quality along with the recovery of muscle strength is not clear. In this study, we examined the changes in muscle strength, muscle mass, and muscle quality in patients undergoing poststroke rehabilitation and assessed the relationship of these variables with improvement in activities of daily living (ADL). This prospective study was conducted at stroke rehabilitation unit in Japan.

Event-Related Desynchronization and Corticomuscular Coherence Observed During Volitional Swallow by Electroencephalography Recordings in Humans.

Swallowing in humans involves many cortical areas although it is partly mediated by a series of brainstem reflexes. Cortical motor commands are sent to muscles during swallow. Previous works using magnetoencephalography showed event-related desynchronization (ERD) during swallow and corticomuscular coherence (CMC) during tongue movements in the bilateral sensorimotor and motor-related areas.

Knee Valgus during Jump Landing Is Related to the Inaccuracy of Knee Position Recognition in Healthy Young Women.

Objective: Knee valgus during jump landing is a cause of knee injuries during sports activities. Body recognition is important for maintaining the knees and other body parts in their proper positions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether knee valgus during jump landing in healthy young women is related to the inaccuracy of recognition of bilateral knee positions in the squatting position.

Correlation of Body Composition and Nutritional Status with Functional Recovery in Stroke Rehabilitation Patients.

Previous studies have suggested that the nutritional status after stroke is independently associated with long-term outcomes and that sarcopenia delays poststroke rehabilitation and worsens the prognosis. However, many stroke patients have a deteriorated nutritional status and a decreased muscle mass in the acute phase. This prospective study included 179 patients who were admitted to the stroke rehabilitation unit.

Cardiovascular responses to static muscle contraction in patients with brachial plexus injury treated with intercostal nerve transfer.

Pressor response is carried in afferent fibers of somatic nerves to increase blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) during static exercise in humans. However, there is no information that peripheral responses restore muscle contraction with nerve transfer operation. In this study, we aimed to assess isometric exercise-induced pressor responses in patients with brachial plexus injury (BPI) after intercostal nerve transfer (ICNT) to restore elbow flexor muscles.

Cyclops syndrome occurring after chronic partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament without surgical reconstruction.

Cyclops syndrome is one of the specific causes of loss of extension of the knee following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. This syndrome is manifest by progressive loss of knee extension associated with pain and audible clunk at terminal extension caused by a pedunculated nodule of fibrovascular proliferative tissue usually arising from a graft. Recent published reports, however, have described Cyclops syndrome also developing after a partial ACL rupture without surgical reconstruction.