Publications by authors named "J F Fleuren"
Article Synopsis
- Stiff knee gait, common in stroke survivors, is often caused by overactivity of the rectus femoris muscle, leading to reduced knee flexion during walking.
- An experimental study with 10 stroke patients evaluated the effects of transferring the rectus femoris tendon to improve knee and hip movement before and after surgery.
- Results showed significant improvements in knee flexion and various walking tests post-surgery, confirming rectus femoris transfer as an effective treatment, with no negative impact on hip movement.
Article Synopsis
- The rising incidence of strokes has led to a greater need for rehabilitation services, with studies indicating that early and intensive rehabilitation is crucial for recovery.
- Robot-assisted technologies, especially when combined with electrical stimulation (ES), have shown promise in increasing therapy session frequency and enhancing muscle activation for lower extremity rehabilitation in stroke patients.
- A review of 26 peer-reviewed articles found that combining robot-assisted technology with ES generally improved patient outcomes, but variability in study designs highlights the need for more standardized research methods and patient engagement in future studies.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how effective the Duncan-Ely test is at predicting abnormal rectus femoris activity in stroke survivors who exhibit a stiff knee gait.
- Conducted on 95 chronic stroke patients, the research involved comparing the results from the Duncan-Ely test with surface electromyography, which is considered the gold standard.
- Findings revealed that the Duncan-Ely test had low sensitivity and specificity, indicating it is not a reliable predictor of rectus femoris activity and should be replaced by surface electromyography for better assessment.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore how movement execution kinematics of the upper extremity correlate with clinical outcomes in chronic stroke patients, both before and after at-home training with technology.
- Twenty stroke patients were assessed at the beginning and again after six weeks of either technology-supported or conventional training, measuring various factors like grip strength and motion during a reach-and-grasp task.
- Results indicated that elbow movement and grip strength had significant relationships with improvements in arm function and activities, highlighting the importance of focusing on reaching and hand function in post-stroke rehabilitation.
Article Synopsis
- A consensus reached by 37 experts from 12 European countries aimed to clarify the terminology related to neuromuscular responses during passive muscle stretch in central neurological disorders.
- The study introduced the term "hyper-resistance" to describe impaired responses, distinguishing between non-neural (tissue-related) and neural (CNS-related) contributions to this phenomenon.
- A new conceptual framework for assessing hyper-resistance was established, suggesting the need for objective measurements to enhance communication among clinicians and improve treatment strategies.