Virtual Reality-Based Assessment for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limb in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study.

: This study aimed to examine the responsiveness and concurrent validity of a serious game and its correlation between the use of serious games and upper limbs (UL) performance in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients. : Twenty-four consecutive upper limbs (14 males, 8 females, age: 55-83 years) of PD patients were assessed. The clinical assessment included: the Box and Block test (BBT), Nine-Hole Peg test (9HPT), and sub-scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating-Scale Motor section (UPDRS-M) to assess UL disability.

Increasing the Passive Range of Joint Motion in Stroke Patients Using Botulinum Toxin: The Role of Pain Relief.

By blocking the release of neurotransmitters, botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is an effective treatment for muscle over-activity and pain in stroke patients. BoNT-A has also been reported to increase passive range of motion (p-ROM), the decrease of which is mainly due to muscle shortening (i.e.

Balance Rehabilitation through Robot-Assisted Gait Training in Post-Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Balance impairment is a common disability in post-stroke survivors, leading to reduced mobility and increased fall risk. Robotic gait training (RAGT) is largely used, along with traditional training. There is, however, no strong evidence about RAGT superiority, especially on balance.

Development and Rasch Validation of an Observational Assessment Tool of Upper Limb Functional Impairment in Stroke Survivors: Functional Assessment Test for Upper Limb.

Objective: To develop and validate a quick observational clinical tool, the Functional ASsessment Test for Upper Limb (FAST-UL), for the evaluation of upper limb impairment in goal-directed functional-oriented motor tasks after stroke.

Design: Observational, cross-sectional, psychometric study.

Setting: Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation clinic.

Relationship between Lower Limbs Performance and Spinal Alignment in Parkinson's Disease Patients: An Observational Study with Cross Sectional Design.

Unlabelled: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease determining spinal deformities and muscle rigidity, weakness and dystonia that can be related to a change in muscular output during sit-to-stand tasks (STS).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the impacts of spinal alignment on lower limbs performance during STS tasks in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and healthy controls.

Methods: In total, 43 consecutive PD patients ("PD" Group, 25 males and 18 females; age 73.

Effects of robot-assisted gait training on postural instability in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.

Introduction: Postural instability is a cardinal feature of Parkinson's disease, together with rest tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. It is a highly disabling symptom that becomes increasingly common with disease progression and represents a major source of reduced quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease. Rehabilitation aims to enable patients with Parkinson's disease to maintain their maximum level of mobility, activity and independence.

Muscle echo intensity of abdominal wall in Parkinson's disease and healthy controls: a cross sectional study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the differences between abdominal wall muscles echo intensity (EI) in PD patients and healthy controls.

Methods: Forty-three consecutive PD patients (25 males and 18 females, age 73.7 ± 7.

Exercise Combined with Electrotherapy Enhances Motor Function in an Adolescent with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type III.

Background: Electrotherapy is widely used in physical therapy to increase muscle mass, improve motor function, and assist physical activity in several neurologic conditions. However, concerning Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), limited evidence exists on the role of electrotherapy as an adjunct for improving muscle strength and function.

Case Report: An adolescent (13 y.

Effect of muscle strengthening on perceived pain and static knee angles in young subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effects of strength training of the knee muscles on perceived pain and static knee angles in young subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Ten patients, 100% female (mean age, 18.2±3.

Standard and water rehabilitation: An analysis of over 14 years' experience in patients with haemophilia or other clotting factor disorders after orthopaedic surgery.

Introduction: In people with haemophilia (PWH) with severe arthropathy, total joint replacement (TJR) can be undertaken if conservative management fails. Post-operative rehabilitation treatment is an important part of the comprehensive management of patients undergoing TJR.

Aim: To compare post-operative standard rehabilitation (SR) and SR plus water rehabilitation (WR) in PWH undergoing TJR.

Thoracic hyperkyphosis non invasively measured by general practitioners is associated with chronic low back pain: A cross-sectional study of 1364 subjects.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association between trunk sagittal posture and nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP) by evaluating plumb-line distances in subjects recruited in an everyday clinical setting.

Methods: Of the 1364 subjects recruited, 63.1% were female (mean age ± SD: 56.

Hand Passive Mobilization Performed with Robotic Assistance: Acute Effects on Upper Limb Perfusion and Spasticity in Stroke Survivors.

This single arm pre-post study aimed at evaluating the acute effects induced by a single session of robot-assisted passive hand mobilization on local perfusion and upper limb (UL) function in poststroke hemiparetic participants. Twenty-three patients with subacute or chronic stroke received 20 min passive mobilization of the paretic hand with robotic assistance. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to detect changes in forearm tissue perfusion.

Efficacy of Short-Term Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation in Patients With Hand Paralysis After Stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: We evaluated the effectiveness of robot-assisted motion and activity in additional to physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) on stroke patients with hand paralysis.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Thirty-two patients, 34.

Sagittal balance is correlated with Parkinson's Disease clinical parameters: an overview of spinopelvic alignment on 175 consecutive cases.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the disease-related sagittal balance changes in relation to the sacro-pelvic morphology of Parkinson's Disease patients with different duration of disease.

Methods: One hundred and seventy-five consecutive Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients (102 males, 73 females; age: 55-83 years) participated in the cross-sectional study. The clinical assessment included: Hoehn Yahr (H&Y) score; Tinetti score; plumb line (PL) distance from the spinous process of C7, L3 and S1 and kyphosis apex.

Nintendo Wii Fit for balance rehabilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease: A comparative study.

Background: Impaired postural stability places individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) at an increased risk for falls.

Objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of 10 vs. 15 sessions of Nintendo Wii Fit for balance recovery for outpatients PD.

Reliability of the Handgrip Strength Test in Elderly Subjects With Parkinson Disease.

Background: The handgrip strength test is widely used by clinicians; however, little has been investigated about its reliability when used in subjects with Parkinson disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the handgrip strength test for subjects with PD.

Methods: The PD group consisted of 15 patients, and the control group consisted of 15 healthy subjects.

The age related slow and fast contributions to the overall changes in tibialis anterior contractile features disclosed by maximal single twitch scan.

Unlabelled: This work aimed to verify if maximal electrically evoked single twitch (STmax) scan discloses the relative functional weight of fast and slow small bundles of fibres (SBF) in determining the contractile features of tibialis anterior (TA) with ageing. SBFs were recruited by TA main motor point stimulation through 60 increasing levels of stimulation (LS): 20 stimuli at 2Hz for each LS. The lowest and highest LS provided the least ST and STmax, respectively.

Changes in skeletal muscle perfusion and spasticity in patients with poststroke hemiparesis treated by robotic assistance (Gloreha) of the hand.

[Purpose] The purpose of this case series was to determine the effects of robot-assisted hand rehabilitation with a Gloreha device on skeletal muscle perfusion, spasticity, and motor function in subjects with poststroke hemiparesis. [Subjects and Methods] Seven patients, 2 women and 5 men (mean ± SD age: 60.5 ±6.

Spinopelvic balance and body image perception in Parkinson's disease: analysis of correlation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the association between body image perception and sagittal balance (SB) parameters in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients.

Methods: 77 consecutive PD patients were included: 44 males, 33 females; 68.9 ± 6.

Association Between Sagittal Balance and Scoliosis in Patients with Parkinson Disease: A Cross-sectional Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the association between scoliosis and sagittal balance parameters in Parkinson disease patients.

Design: This is a cross-sectional study.

Results: Fifty percent of the cohort presented a scoliosis larger than 11 degrees; 84% of the patients with scoliosis presented a thoracolumbar curve, 10% presented a thoracic one, and 6% presented a lumbar one.

Spinopelvic balance: new biomechanical insights with clinical implications for Parkinson's disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the disease-related sagittal balance changes in relation to the sacropelvic morphology of PD patients with different durations of disease.

Methods: Thirty-one consecutive Parkinson's disease patients (26 males, 5 females; age 55-83 years) participated in the cross-sectional study. The clinical assessment included: Hoehn Yahr score; plumb line distance from the spinous process of C7, kyphosis apex, spinous process of L3 and S1.