5 Hz Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Maximum Voluntary Muscle Contraction Facilitates Cerebral Cortex Excitability of Normal Subjects.

Background: Recently, high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is reported to evaluating the corticospinal pathway and improving both cortical excitability and motor function significantly in subjects. According to some previous reports, the maximum voluntary muscle contraction (MVC) of target muscle can reinforce the influence by rTMS. The aim of this study was to confirm 5 Hz rTMS with MVC in healthy individuals is an effective method to facilitate motor neuron excitability and the efficiency can last at least 30 min post stimulation.

Rehabilitation needs assessment in persons with spinal cord injury following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti: a pilot study using an ICF-based tool.

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to describe problems in functioning and associated rehabilitation needs in persons with spinal cord injury after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti by applying a newly developed tool based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Design: Pilot study.

Subjects: Eighteen persons with spinal cord injury (11 women, 7 men) participated in the needs assessment.

Developing post-disaster physical rehabilitation: role of the World Health Organization Liaison Sub-Committee on Rehabilitation Disaster Relief of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.

This special report presents the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) Liaison Sub-Committee on Rehabilitation Disaster Relief (CRDR) of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) in developing an enhanced physical rehabilitation relief response to large-scale natural disasters. The CRDR has stated that disaster rehabilitation is an emerging subspecialty within physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM). In reviewing the existing literature it was found that large natural disasters result in many survivors with disabling impairments, that these survivors may have better clinical outcomes when they are treated by PRM physicians and teams of rehabilitation professionals, that the delivery of these rehabilitation services to disaster sites is complicated, and that their absence can result in significant negative consequences for individuals, communities and society.

Visual perception and appraisal of persons with impairments: a randomised controlled field experiment using photo elicitation.

Purpose: Visual cues from persons with impairments may trigger stereotypical generalisations that lead to prejudice and discrimination. The main objective of this pilot study is to examine whether visual stimuli of impairment activate latent prejudice against disability and whether this connection can be counteracted with priming strategies.

Methods: In a field experiment, participants were asked to rate photographs showing models with mental impairments, wheelchair users with paraplegia, and persons without any visible impairment.

Developing "Human Functioning and Rehabilitation Research" from the comprehensive perspective.

With the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) the World Health Organization (WHO) has prepared the ground for a comprehensive understanding of Human Functioning and Rehabilitation Research, integrating the biomedical perspective on impairment with the social model of disability. This poses a number of old and new challenges regarding the enhancement of adequate research capacity. Here we will summarize approaches to address these challenges with respect to 3 areas: the organization of Human Functioning and Rehabilitation Research into distinct scientific fields, the development of suitable academic training programmes and the building of university centres and collaboration networks.