Determinants of sustainable work participation after spinal cord injury in The Netherlands.

Purpose: Work participation of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is lower compared to the overall Dutch population, with determinants largely unknown.

Aim: To identify the determinants of sustainable work participation for persons with SCI.

Methods: A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted in eight Dutch rehabilitation centers.

Psychological screening of significant others during spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Determine the course of burden and psychological distress of significant others (SOs) during initial spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation and to predict the caregiver's burden at discharge with characteristics of SOs and persons with SCI (PSCIs) at the start of rehabilitation.

Setting: Rehabilitation center Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Effects of Adaptations in an Interdisciplinary Follow-Up Clinic for People with Spinal Cord Injury in the Chronic Phase: A Prospective Cohort Study.

People with spinal cord injury (SCI) often experience secondary health conditions (SHCs), which are addressed during interdisciplinary follow-up clinics. We adapted the design of our clinic, by introducing a questionnaire concerning functioning and SHCs, additional measurements of blood pressure and saturation, and participants were seen by either a specialized nurse or rehabilitation physician. In this study, we investigated the effects of these adaptations and the experienced satisfaction of the participants.

Improved walking capacity after complementary ankle-foot surgery and gait training in a person with an incomplete tetraplegia; a case report.

Introduction: The population of people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) is changing to a diverse population with an increasing number of incomplete lesions. Often, these individuals have the capacity to walk, but experience disabling gait impairments.

Case Presentation: The course of a 34-year-old male with a chronic incomplete traumatic cervical SCI who initially could walk no more than a few steps with supervision or a wheeled walker is described.

Improvement of quality of life after 2-month exoskeleton training in patients with chronic spinal cord injury.

Objective: To examine changes in quality of life (QoL) after an eight-week period of robotic exoskeleton training in a homogeneous group of patients with chronic complete spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Prospective single-group pre-post study.

Setting: Rehabilitation center.

Needs and wishes for the future lower limb exoskeleton: an interview study among people with spinal cord injury with community-based exoskeleton experience.

Purpose: Exoskeleton use by people with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) in daily life is challenging. To optimize daily exoskeleton use, a better understanding of the purpose of use and the accompanying improvements are needed. The perspective of experienced exoskeleton users could guide design improvements.

Standard set of network outcomes for traumatic spinal cord injury: a consensus-based approach using the Delphi method.

Study Design: Consensus study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to define a standardized (network) outcomes set for traumatic spinal cord injury (t-SCI), covering the patient journey from acute to chronic rehabilitation phase, including patient-relevant outcomes, adequate measurement instruments, as well as case-mix and risk factors.

Setting: Acute Spinal Cord Injury (ASCI) Unit Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Learning self-care skills after spinal cord injury: a qualitative study.

Background: People with a recent spinal cord injury (SCI) often follow intensive rehabilitation. Learning appropriate self-care, deal with their impairments and prevent secondary health conditions (SHCs), is highly important during rehabilitation. To date it is not clear how self-care skills are taught to people with SCI.

Interdisciplinary follow-up clinic for people with spinal cord injury: a retrospective study of a carousel model.

Study Design: Explorative retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Secondary health conditions (SHCs) are common in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). To date, little is known about the effectiveness of long-term follow-up care in preventing SHCs.

Trajectories of Self-Efficacy, Depressed Mood, and Anxiety From Admission to Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation to 1 Year After Discharge.

Objective: Self-efficacy (SE) is an important determinant for the psychological adjustment of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, little is known about the course of SE during inpatient rehabilitation up to 1 year after discharge. The aim of this study was to determine latent trajectory classes of SE, depressive mood, and anxiety in people with SCI, as well as the interrelationships between these trajectories.

Assessment of the Shank-to-Vertical Angle While Changing Heel Heights Using a Single Inertial Measurement Unit in Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Wearing an Ankle-Foot-Orthosis.

Previous research showed that an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) on the anterior side of the shank can accurately measure the Shank-to-Vertical Angle (SVA), which is a clinically-used parameter to guide tuning of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs). However, in this context it is specifically important that differences in the SVA are detected during the tuning process, i.e.

Enhancing our conceptual understanding of state and trait self-efficacy by correlational analysis of four self-efficacy scales in people with spinal cord injury.

Background: Self-efficacy is an important determinant of adjustment following spinal cord injury. Self-efficacy is defined as the belief that one can successfully execute behavior required to produce the desired outcomes. In its original conceptualization, self-efficacy refers to the confidence that people have in their ability to accomplish specific tasks and behaviors within a specific context.

Exoskeleton home and community use in people with complete spinal cord injury.

A consequence of a complete spinal cord injury (SCI) is the loss of gait capacity. Wearable exoskeletons for the lower extremity enable household and community ambulation in people with SCI. This study assessed the amount, purpose, and location of exoskeleton use in the home and community environment, without any restrictions.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior From Discharge to 1 Year After Inpatient Rehabilitation in Ambulatory People With Spinal Cord Injury: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Objective: To evaluate changes in duration of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) from discharge to 1 year after inpatient rehabilitation in ambulatory people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Longitudinal cohort study with objective measurements of physical behavior at discharge and at 6 and 12 months post discharge.

Setting: Three rehabilitation centers and the participant's home environment.

Self-Efficacy Predicts Personal and Family Adjustment Among Persons With Spinal Cord Injury or Acquired Brain Injury and Their Significant Others: A Dyadic Approach.

Objectives: To investigate whether the combination of self-efficacy levels of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) or acquired brain injury (ABI) and their significant others, measured shortly after the start of inpatient rehabilitation, predict their personal and family adjustment 6 months after inpatient discharge.

Design: Prospective longitudinal study.

Setting: Twelve Dutch rehabilitation centers.

Predictors of exoskeleton motor learning in spinal cord injured patients.

Purpose Of The Article: Learning to use an exoskeleton is time consuming and diverse between users. Knowledge about trainability of exoskeleton skills is relevant for planning and expectation management. The objective was to assess predictors of exoskeleton skill performance during and after exoskeleton training.

Coping Flexibility as Predictor of Distress in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury.

Objectives: Examine whether coping flexibility at admission to first spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation was predictive of distress 1 year after discharge.

Design: Longitudinal inception cohort study.

Setting: Rehabilitation center.

A Framework for Measuring the Progress in Exoskeleton Skills in People with Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

For safe application of exoskeletons in people with spinal cord injury at home or in the community, it is required to have completed an exoskeleton training in which users learn to perform basic and advanced skills. So far, a framework to test exoskeleton skills is lacking. The aim of this study was to develop and test the hierarchy and reliability of a framework for measuring the progress in the ability to perform basic and advanced skills.

Effects of Cooling During Exercise on Thermoregulatory Responses of Men With Paraplegia.

Background: People with spinal cord injury (SCI) have an altered afferent input to the thermoregulatory center, resulting in a reduced efferent response (vasomotor control and sweating capacity) below the level of the lesion. Consequently, core body temperature rises more rapidly during exercise in individuals with SCI compared with people who are able-bodied. Cooling strategies may reduce the thermophysiological strain in SCI.

Preserved foot motor cortex in patients with complete spinal cord injury: a functional near-infrared spectroscopic study.

Background: Since the brain is intact, persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI) might benefit from a brain-computer interface (BCI) to improve mobility by making use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Objective: We aimed to use fNIRS to detect contralateral primary motor cortex activity during attempted foot movements in participants with complete SCI.

Methods: A 6-channel fNIRS, including 2 reference channels, measured relative concentration changes of oxy- (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin (HbR) in the contralateral motor cortex for the right foot.

Visuospatial asymmetry in dual-task performance after subacute stroke.

Various authors have referred to an association between neglect and non-spatial components of attention. It has been suggested that an increase in attentional load could exacerbate neglect symptoms and reveal subtle, well-compensated neglect. In the present study, 21 RH and 22 LH subacute stroke patients and 20 controls performed a computerized single-detection task (CVRT) and a dual task (CVRT-D) combining the detection task with a driving simulation task.

Visuospatial asymmetry and non-spatial attention in subacute stroke patients with and without neglect.

Asymmetry in performance and an association with non-lateralized attention are often mentioned as two important aspects of the clinical manifestation of visuospatial neglect. Both these aspects were investigated in 21 left (LH) and 24 right hemisphere (RH) stroke patients and in 20 healthy subjects. The letter and star cancellation subtests of the Behavioural Inattention Task (BIT) and a computerized visual reaction time task (CVRT) with stimuli presented either left, central or right in extrapersonal space were administered.

Is visuospatial hemineglect longitudinally associated with postural imbalance in the postacute phase of stroke?

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal association of visuospatial hemineglect with postural imbalance in postacute stroke patients and to establish whether this relationship is confounded by other determinants.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 53 postacute stroke patients consecutively admitted for inpatient rehabilitation was conducted. Transfers and standing balance were assessed with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and walking balance with the Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC).

Is visuospatial hemineglect really a determinant of postural control following stroke? An acute-phase study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the independent contribution of visuospatial hemineglect to impaired postural control in the acute phase (<2 weeks) of stroke compared with other possible clinical and biological determinants.

Methods: This study was conducted in 4 hospitals in the mid-east region of the Netherlands. A total of 78 consecutive patients with a first-ever acute supratentorial stroke was included.

Posturographic assessment of sitting balance recovery in the subacute phase of stroke.

Although early sitting balance is a well-known predictor of functional outcome after stroke, it is still unknown which aspects of normal upright sitting balance are most sensitive to subsequent recovery. This study used an adjustable chair mounted on a force platform to assess the recovery of quiet-sitting balance in 16 patients with a first supratentorial stroke during their inpatient rehabilitation. The patients underwent three posturographic assessments at 6-week intervals from the moment of their admission, on average 5.