Publications by authors named "Marlis Gonzalez-Fernandez"

The relative level of functional impairment in stroke patients is a significant determinant of post-acute care. The Activity Measure for Post Acute Care 6-Clicks (AM-PAC) scores for basic mobility and daily activity are rapid standardized assessments whose utilities in predicting long-term stroke outcomes have not yet been studied. We performed a retrospective analysis of acute ischemic stroke patients and their outcomes.

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  • Reintegration after limb loss depends on the interplay of mental health, environmental factors, and physical aspects like pain and prosthetic use.
  • While some individuals successfully adapt and experience personal growth, others face significant challenges during this transition.
  • Interdisciplinary teams play a crucial role by identifying and addressing barriers early on, helping amputees return to normal activities like driving more swiftly, which enhances overall quality of life.
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  • Major causes of limb loss include trauma, diabetes-related complications, peripheral arterial disease, cancer, and congenital issues.
  • Limb loss rates vary significantly around the world for both upper and lower limbs.
  • Access to orthotic and prosthetic services is limited and costly, leading to increased health issues; further research is needed, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
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Background: Upper oesophageal sphincter (UES) serves as an important anatomical and functional landmark during swallowing. However, the precise UES location before and during swallowing has not been well established.

Objective: This study aimed to determine upper oesophageal sphincter (UES) location and displacement during swallowing accounting for sex, age, and height in healthy adults using 320-row area detector computed tomography (320-ADCT).

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Physiatrists play a vital role in post-stroke dysphagia management not only by providing guidance on the risks, benefits, and efficacy of various treatment options but also as advocates for patients' independence and quality of life. While swallow study results are often discussed broadly by acute stroke clinicians as "pass/fail" findings, physiatrists need a more nuanced working knowledge of dysphagia diagnosis and treatment that encompasses swallow pathophysiology, targeted treatment strategies, and prognosis for recovery. To that end, this review summarizes current clinical practice guidelines on dysphagia, nutrition and oral care, risks and benefits of differing enteral access routes, prognostic factors, and approaches to rehabilitation.

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Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a physiatrist-led clinical pathway to expedite rehabilitation transitions for stroke patients with dysphagia requiring nasogastric tube or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

Design: This is a retrospective single-center observational study in 426 adults with stroke and dysphagia admitted to the acute hospital. Physican Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) was consulted to determine dysphagia prognosis and candidacy for rehabilitation admission with nasogastric tube or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

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Timely and complete laryngeal closure is critical for a successful swallow. Researchers have studied laryngeal closure, including true vocal cords (TVC) closure, closure of the arytenoids to the epiglottis base (laryngeal vestibule closure), and epiglottic inversion, but the most commonly available imaging tools have limitations that do not allow the study of these components individually. Swallowing computerized tomography (CT) has enabled three-dimensional dynamic visualization and quantitative evaluation of swallowing events providing a unique view of swallowing-related structures and their motion.

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Objective: During the mastication of solid food, the tongue pushes the bolus laterally to place it onto occlusal surfaces as the jaw is opened. This movement is referred to as tongue-pushing (TP). TP has an important role in efficient chewing, but its kinematic mechanisms remain unclear.

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Background: Virtual and augmented reality (AR) have become popular modalities for training myoelectric prosthesis control with upper-limb amputees. While some systems have shown moderate success, it is unclear how well the complex motor skills learned in an AR simulation transfer to completing the same tasks in physical reality. Limb loading is a possible dimension of motor skill execution that is absent in current AR solutions that may help to increase skill transfer between the virtual and physical domains.

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The previous studies reported that different volumes of thick liquid had an impact on spatiotemporal characteristics and pharyngeal response of swallowing. However, the bolus flow and swallowing motion pattern were different between thick and thin liquids. The effects of thin bolus volume on pharyngeal swallowing, especially true vocal cord (TVC) closure is still unclear.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled an unprecedented global implementation of telemedicine and telerehabilitation as well as its integration into the healthcare system. Here, we describe the clinical implementation of the A3E framework for the deployment of telerehabilitation in the inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation continuum by addressing accessibility, adaptability, accountability, and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. By using an organized, coordinated, and stratified approach, we increased our telerehabilitation practice from 0 to more than 39,000 visits since the pandemic began.

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  • The study aimed to investigate how the tongue-hold swallow (THS) affects the anterior bulge of the posterior pharyngeal wall (PPW) and how different tongue protrusion lengths influence this effect.
  • Thirteen healthy participants underwent CT scans while swallowing saliva and performing THS with two different tongue protrusion lengths, measuring the PPW and pharyngeal volume.
  • Findings revealed that PPW bulge was significantly larger during THS compared to regular swallowing, particularly with greater tongue protrusion lengths, and pharyngeal volume increased significantly at higher tongue protrusion lengths.
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Purpose: This study aimed to describe recovery of dysphagia after stroke. We determined the proportion of stroke survivors with dysphagia on admission, discharge, and 6 months after stroke. Additionally, the factors affecting oral feeding 6 months after stroke were explored.

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Videofluoroscopy and videoendoscopy dramatically changed the evaluation and management of swallowing disorders. Later advancements in techniques for the instrumental evaluation of swallowing were limited by technique and positioning. The advent of 320-row area detector CT solved previous challenges and allowed for the study of swallowing physiology and dysphagia in greater detail.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound effect on the provision of medical care. As the curve progresses and patients are discharged, the rehabilitation wave brings a high number of postacute COVID-19 patients suffering from physical, mental, and cognitive impairments threatening their return to normal life. The complexity and severity of disease in patients recovering from severe COVID-19 infection require an approach that is implemented as early in the recovery phase as possible, in a concerted and systematic way.

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Recognizing a need for more guidance on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, members of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Editorial Board invited several clinicians with early experience managing the disease to collaborate on a document to help guide rehabilitation clinicians in the community. This consensus document is written in a "question and answer" format and contains information on the following items: common manifestations of the disease; rehabilitation recommendations in the acute hospital setting, recommendations for inpatient rehabilitation and special considerations. These suggestions are intended for use by rehabilitation clinicians in the inpatient setting caring for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

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Background: Kidney disease and dialysis significantly impact cognitive function across the age spectrum. Cognitive training (CT) and/or exercise training (ET) are promising approaches to preserve cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults, but have not been tested for cognition preservation in hemodialysis patients of all ages. In this manuscript, we summarize the protocol for the Interventions Made to Preserve Cognitive Function Trial (IMPCT).

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  • * Results showed that while there were no significant differences in the maximum or minimum pharyngeal volumes between the two liquids, the timing of volume changes varied: thick liquids led to an earlier and more rapid decrease in volume compared to thin liquids.
  • * The findings suggest that the differences in swallowing mechanics for thick versus thin liquids are related to how the tongue moves to push the bolus and clear the throat, which could have implications for dysphagia treatment strategies.
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Background: Women remain underrepresented in top leadership positions in academic medicine. In business settings, a person with power and influence actively supporting the career advancement of a junior person is referred to as a sponsor and sponsorship programs have been used to diversify leadership. Little is known about how sponsorship functions in academic medicine.

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Postextubation dysphagia may impose a substantial burden on intensive care unit patients and healthcare systems. Approximately 517,000 patients survive mechanical ventilation during critical care annually. Reports of postextubation dysphagia prevalence are highly variable ranging between 3% and 93%.

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Changes in both swallowing and taste commonly occur in advanced age, though the relationship between the two is unknown. This study examined the association between a water swallow screen test and taste identification and intensity rating. Participants included 47 community-dwelling women aged 85-94 years.

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Objective: The goal was to examine the outcomes of an existing swallow screen protocol in comparison to results from a formal videofluoroscopic protocol.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Acute hospital.

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Study Design: This study is a retrospective review examining the prevalence of drugs commonly used in the management of spinal cord injury (SCI) which may influence bone health.

Objective: The aim of our study was to examine the role commonly prescribed medications play in post-SCI bone health.

Setting: We included all males 21 years of age and older who were evaluated over a 10-year period at an SCI-specialized center for a trauma-induced SCI.

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Pharyngeal residue, the material that remains in the pharynx after swallowing, is an important marker of impairments in swallowing and prandial aspiration risk. The goals of this study were to determine whether the 2D area of post-swallow residue accurately represents its 3D volume, and if the laterality of residue would affect this association. Thirteen patients with dysphagia due to brainstem stroke completed dynamic 320-detector row computed tomography while swallowing a trial of 10 ml honey-thick barium.

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