Effects of combined anodal transcranial direct current stimulation and motor control exercise on cortical topography and muscle activation in individuals with chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled study.

Background: Aberrant movement in chronic low back pain (CLBP) is associated with a deficit in the lumbar multifidus (LM) and changes in cortical topography. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) can be used to enhance cortical excitability by priming the neuromuscular system for motor control exercise (MCE), thereby enhancing LM activation and movement control. This study aimed to determine the effects of a 6-week MCE program combined with a-tDCS on cortical topography, LM activation, movement patterns, and clinical outcomes in individuals with CLBP.

Cortical excitability and multifidus activation responses to transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain during remission.

Evidence indicates that patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have lumbar multifidus muscle (LM) activation deficit which might be caused by changes in cortical excitability. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) can be used to restore cortical excitability. This study aimed to (1) determine the immediate effects of a-tDCS on the cortical excitability and LM activation and (2) explore the relationship between cortical excitability and LM activation.

The role of an active muscular subsystem in prone instability test during rest and leg raise conditions.

Background: Clinicians commonly used prone instability test (PIT) by assessing the posterior-to-anterior (PA) displacement to identify lumbar instability. Most studies focusing on passive subsystem found greater mobility in lower lumbar (L4-L5) than upper lumbar (L1-L3) spine. However, there is still a lack of evidence to demonstrate the role of active subsystem.

Functional outcome and frailty in colorectal surgery patients.

Background: Frailty is a recognized risk and predictor of poor health outcomes in older patients undergoing surgery. A significant proportion of elderly patients undergoing colorectal cancer-related surgery are nevertheless not routinely assessed for frailty in current clinical practice in Australia. We examined the preoperative use of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) to predict post-operative functional outcomes in geriatric patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.

Multifidus Muscle Contractility Deficit Was Not Specific to the Painful Side in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain During Remission: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Morphology studies demonstrated that patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have bilateral multifidus muscle (LM) atrophy. This atrophy should result in LM contractility deficit bilaterally. Additionally, a recent study showed the effect of sex on LM thickness.

Care of Older People in Surgery for general surgery: a single centre experience.

Background: Older patients undergoing emergency surgery experience higher mortality and morbidity. 'Care of Older People in Surgery' (COPS) is a comprehensive geriatric care model developed for acute surgical units (ASU) to improve clinical outcomes in older general surgical patients. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COPS on clinical and health service outcomes in an Australian hospital.

The maxillary arch and its relationship to cephalometric landmarks of selected malay ethnic group.

The objectives of this study were to estimate the maxillary arch measurements, to assess the validity of Pont's & Korkhaus' Indices; to determine the relationship between maxillary arch form with head form; and to estimate the cephalic index (CI) of the study population. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 85 mature Malay students, 28 male students (32.98%), 57 females (67.