Differences in Dual Task Performance After Robotic Upper Extremity Rehabilitation in Hemiplegic Stroke Patients.

Cognitive-motor interference is a phenomenon in which the concomitant performance of cognitive and motor tasks results in poorer performance than the isolated performance of these tasks. We aimed to evaluate changes in dual-task performance after robotic upper extremity rehabilitation in patients with stroke-induced hemiplegia. This prospective study included patients with left upper limb weakness secondary to middle cerebral artery stroke who visited a rehabilitation hospital.

Frontal lobe oxyhemoglobin levels in patients with lower extremity burns assessed using a functional near-Infrared spectroscopy device during usual walking: a pilot study.

Background: Understanding the mechanisms associated with locomotor networks may be of benefit for rehabilitation of burn victims with neurological locomotor deficits. A wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device has been developed for studying cortical hemodynamics.

Objectives: To investigate cortical brain activity during usual walking, we examined patterns of cortical activation using fNIRS device (NIRSIT®; OBELAB Inc.

Effects of Robot-Assisted Gait Training in Patients with Burn Injury on Lower Extremity: A Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study investigated the effects of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on gait function in burn patients. Briefly, 40 burn patients were randomly divided into an RAGT group or a conventional training (CON) group. SUBAR (Cretem, Korea) is a wearable robot with a footplate that simulates normal gait cycles.

Effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training on patients with burns: a preliminary study.

Gait enables individuals to move forward and is considered a natural skill. However, gait disturbances are very common in patients with burn injury. Recent studies have emphasized the role of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in rehabilitation.

Biological surface electromyographic switch and necklace-type button switch control as an augmentative and alternative communication input device: a feasibility study.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an approach used to supplement, improve, and support the communication of those with speech or language impairments. We developed an AAC device for diverse approaches, using an electromyographic (EMG) switch and a necklace-type button switch. The EMG switch comprised an EMG signal processor and a switch interface processor.

Korean translation and validation of the WHOQOL-DIS for people with spinal cord injury and stroke.

Background: The QOL assessment to measure disabilities has needed to survey studies for a variety of fields. Until now, no Korean translation of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-disability (WHOQOL-DIS) module existed.

Objective/hypothesis: We translated and cross-culturally adapted the WHOQOL-DIS module into Korean, testing its reliability and validity with Korean spinal cord injury and stroke patients.

Usability of a New Writing Assistive Device for Persons with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

The hand function for persons with cervical spinal cord injury (PCSCI) is most frequently cause difficulties in leading normal lives. The purpose of this study was to test the usability of a new writing assistive device (NWAD) for PCSCI. To access its usability, the authors design usability testing method and test the NWAD to five individuals with cervical spinal cord injury.

Retinoid X receptor α acts as a negative regulator in Nurr1-induced dopaminergic differentiation in rat neural precursor cells.

To investigate the role of retinoid X receptor (RXRα)–Nurr1 heterodimers in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression, we observed retrovirus-induced RXRα–Nurr1 heterodimer interactions with, and transactivation of, the TH promoter region in cultured rat embryonic neural precursor cells. Interestingly, forced expression of RXRα with Nurr1 remarkably reduced Nurr1 activity in TH+ dopaminergic neuron generation and significantly down-regulated TH promoter activity. These regulatory activities were altered in both Nurr1dim- and RXRαdim- that disrupted dimeric binding, verifying that the Nurr1–RXRα heterodimer represses TH promoter activity.

Association between unsafe driving performance and cognitive-perceptual dysfunction in older drivers.

Objective: To find an association between cognitive-perceptual problems of older drivers and unsafe driving performance during simulated automobile driving in a virtual environment.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A driver evaluation clinic in a rehabilitation hospital.

A single administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin that produces reduced food and water intake induces long-lasting expression of corticotropin-releasing factor, arginine vasopressin, and proopiomelanocortin in rat brain.

The mechanism by which a single administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) reduces food and water intake is unclear. We examined whether such a food and water intake-reducing single administration of TCDD induced changes in corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression in rat brain. To observe time-dependent changes in these neuropeptides, male Sprague-Dawley rats were given TCDD (50 microg/kg) and terminated 1, 2, 4, or 7 days later.

Lamotrigine prevents MK801-induced alterations in early growth response factor-1 mRNA levels and immunoreactivity in the rat brain.

MK801 (dizocilpine) induces selective neurotoxic effects in the retrosplenial cortex, ranging from neuronal vacuolization to irreversible neurodegeneration depending on the dose administered. Although lamotrigine prevents MK801-induced neuronal vacuolization in the retrosplenial cortex 4 h after injection, it is not clear whether lamotrigine attenuates the subsequent neurodegeneration that occurs 3-4 days later. Because early growth response factor-1 (egr-1) plays a key role in neurodegeneration and its expression is induced in the retrosplenial cortex following MK801 treatment, it is possible that lamotrigine may attenuate MK801-induced neurodegeneration via inhibition of egr-1 expression in the retrosplenial cortex.

Valproate prevents MK801-induced changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in the rat brain.

To investigate whether the anticonvulsant valproate influences the changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression induced by MK801 in rat brain, we injected valproate prior to MK801 and observed the changes in the BDNF expression 3 h later. MK801 significantly increased BDNF expression in the retrosplenial and entorhinal cortex, and these increases were prevented by valproate pretreatment. Valproate pretreatment significantly blocked the MK801-induced increase of BDNF expression in retrosplenial cortex at 3 h, 6 h, and 9 h after MK801 injection, suggesting that valproate pretreatment did not delay the MK801-induced increase of BDNF expression.

Chronic mild stress decreases survival, but not proliferation, of new-born cells in adult rat hippocampus.

New-born cells continue to proliferate and survive to become mature granule cells in adult rat hippocampus. Although this process, known as neurogenesis, is inhibited by acute stress, it is not clear whether chronic stress affects neurogenesis. To determine whether chronic mild stress (CMS) influences neurogenesis in the adult rat hippocampus, male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to CMS and administered bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) before or after CMS to observe the survival/differentiation or proliferation of new-born cells, respectively.

Effects of repeated tianeptine treatment on CRF mRNA expression in non-stressed and chronic mild stress-exposed rats.

Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) may play a role in depression and that this dysregulation may be corrected by antidepressant drug treatment. Here, we examined whether chronic mild stress (CMS) alters CRF mRNA levels in stress-related brain areas including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA), and whether repeated tianeptine treatment can attenuate CMS-induced changes in CRF mRNA levels. Male rats were exposed to CMS for 19 days, and control animals were subjected to brief handling.