Categorizing knee hyperextension patterns in hemiparetic gait and examining associated impairments in patients with chronic stroke.

Background: Post-stroke hemiparetic gait exhibits considerable variations in motion patterns and abnormal muscle activities, notably knee hyperextension during the stance phase. Existing studies have primarily concentrated on its joint angle or moment. However, the underlying causes remain unclear.

Factor analysis for construct validity of a trunk impairment scale in Parkinson's disease: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To investigate the construct validity of the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), which was developed to assess trunk impairment in patients with stroke, in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Design: This retrospective, cross-sectional study enrolled consecutive PD inpatients. Correlation analysis was performed to clarify whether the TIS assessment was related to other balance functions, lower extremity muscle strength, or walking ability.

New Artificial Intelligence-Integrated Electromyography-Driven Robot Hand for Upper Extremity Rehabilitation of Patients With Stroke: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Background: An artificial intelligence (AI)-integrated electromyography (EMG)-driven robot hand was devised for upper extremity (UE) rehabilitation. This robot detects patients' intentions to perform finger extension and flexion based on the EMG activities of 3 forearm muscles.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of this robot in patients with chronic stroke.

Robotized Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis-Assisted Gait Training on Genu Recurvatum during Gait in Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Feasibility Study and Case Report.

Genu recurvatum (knee hyperextension) is a common problem after stroke. It is important to promote the coordination between knee and ankle movements during gait; however, no study has investigated how multi-joint assistance affects genu recurvatum. We are developing a gait training technique that uses robotized knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) to assists the knee and ankle joints simultaneously.

COVID-19 pandemic and the international classification of functioning in multiple system atrophy: a cross-sectional, nationwide survey in Japan.

The present study aimed to determine the magnitude of and risk factors for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) in patients with multiple system atrophy (PwMSA). The study was part of a cross-sectional, nationwide, multipurpose mail survey for Japanese PwMSA from October to December, 2020. The primary outcome was the impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on ICF functioning, consisting of body function, activity, and participation.

Effects of mouthpiece shape and expiratory threshold loading on contraction of the lateral abdominal muscles: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Expiratory tasks may facilitate transversus abdominis (TrA) activity for spinal stabilization. The purpose of this study was to verify whether a combination of pursed-lip breathing (PLB) and use of an expiratory threshold loading (ETL) device to increase expiratory resistance would promote TrA contraction comparable to that for a stabilization exercise.

Methods: Twenty healthy men performed expiratory tasks or an abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM).

Clinical Tests for Predicting Fallers Among Ambulatory Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Preliminary Cohort Study.

Background: Few studies have examined falls and their predictors in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Objective: The aim of this study was to survey fall incidence and to identify variables predicting the presence or absence of falls occurring within 3 months after discharge of patients with ALS from hospital.

Methods: The following variables were evaluated in 14 patients with ALS: timed up and go test (TUG), functional reach test, 10-m comfortable gait speed, single-leg stance time, manual muscle test (MMT) scores for the lower limb, total modified Ashworth scale score for the lower limbs, fear of falling, and pull test score.

Pelvis-Toe Distance: 3-Dimensional Gait Characteristics of Functional Limb Shortening in Hemiparetic Stroke.

We aimed to investigate whether a newly defined distance in the lower limb can capture the characteristics of hemiplegic gait compared to healthy controls. Three-dimensional gait analyses were performed on 42 patients with chronic stroke and 10 age-matched controls. Pelvis-toe distance (PTD) was calculated as the absolute distance between an anterior superior iliac spine marker and a toe marker during gait normalized by PTD in the bipedal stance.

Strategies for learning glossopharyngeal breathing in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A feasibility case series.

Objective: To propose alternative learning strategies for glossopharyngeal breathing in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and healthy men.

Design: A feasibility study with small case series.

Subjects: Five boys with DMD and 7 male physical therapists as healthy controls who had not learned glossopharyngeal breathing.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation-enhanced rehabilitation is associated with not only motor but also somatosensory cortical plasticity in chronic stroke patients: an interventional study.

Background: Somatosensory function has been frequently overlooked in clinics and research in the field of chronic stroke. The effects of neurorehabilitation interventions on sensory processing have still to be investigated using electrophysiological means.This study investigated the effect of hybrid assistive neuromuscular dynamic stimulation (HANDS) therapy utilizing closed-loop electromyography-controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), on sensory changes and cortical plasticity among patients with chronic stroke.

Quantification of trunk segmental coordination and head stability in laterally unstable sitting identifies aging and cerebellar ataxia.

Background: We quantified trunk segmental coordination and head stability in unstable sitting and investigated whether it can discriminate postural control, age-related differences and presence of coordination disorder.

Methods: Subjects were a healthy younger group (n = 7), a healthy elderly group (n = 7), and a cerebellar ataxia group (n = 8). The motion sensors and surface electrodes were located on the trunk and/or head segments to measure angle displacements, acceleration and electromyograms in unstable sitting during a lateral tilt task.

Effect of Core Stability Training on Trunk Function, Standing Balance, and Mobility in Stroke Patients.

Background: Trunk function is important for standing balance, mobility, and functional outcome after stroke, but few studies have evaluated the effects of exercises aimed at improving core stability in stroke patients.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of core stability training on trunk function, standing balance, and mobility in stroke patients.

Methods: An assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial was undertaken in a stroke rehabilitation ward, with 32 participants randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group (n = 16 each).