Clinical and Cognitive Characteristics Associated with the Onset of Delirium in Postoperative Cardiovascular Surgery Patients Admitted to the ICU.

Objectives: Occupational therapy (OT) studies of delirium have attempted to test the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the incidence and duration of delirium. Although some cognitive stimulation appears to be important, appropriate approaches to delirium characterized by cognitive dysfunction remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the incidence and duration of delirium in postoperative cardiovascular surgery patients at the initial time of OT to identify characteristics of patient demographics and cognitive function according to the presence or absence of delirium.

Association Between Changes in Skeletal Muscle Quality and Prognosis in Postoperative Patients with Early Gastric Cancer.

Background: Identifying accurate prognostic factors is crucial for postoperative management of early gastric cancer (EGC) patients. Skeletal muscle quality (SMQ), defined by muscle density on computed tomography (CT) images, has been proposed as a novel prognostic factor. This study compared the prognostic significance of SMQ changes with the well-established factor of body weight (BW) loss in the postoperative EGC setting.

The Impact of Sarcopenia Risk on Postoperative Walking Independence in Older Adults Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background And Purpose: Sarcopenia is known to be associated with poor outcomes after arthroplasty; however, no study has reported the relationship between sarcopenia and postoperative walking independence. This study aimed to determine the impact of sarcopenia risk screening using the SARC-CalF questionnaire and calf circumference on the time to walk independently after total hip or knee arthroplasty in older patients.

Methods: We included 599 nonobese patients aged 65 years and older who underwent unilateral and primary total hip or knee arthroplasty.

Increased nerve growth factor expression in the synovial tissues of patients with rotator cuff tears.

Background: Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are often associated with severe shoulder pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, not recommended for long-term use, do not effectively manage RCT-induced pain, resulting in reduced quality of life. To improve management, a better understanding of the fundamental properties of RCT pain is needed.

Development of a New Daily Activities Scale for the Affected Hand after Stroke.

Objectives: There are few scales that reflect the function of the stroke-affected arm as it relates to the performance of daily activities while also indicating the difficulty of scale items. In this study, we developed the Activities Specific Upper-extremity Hemiparesis Scale (ASUHS) to evaluate daily activities performable by the affected arm after stroke. We also clarified the validity, reliability, and item difficulty of the scale.

Clinical and Microbiological Features of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Mild COVID-19 in Seven Crewmembers of a Cruise Ship.

Objective To describe the clinical features and clinical course of individuals diagnosed with asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection or mild coronavirus disease (COVID)-19. Patients The study participants consisted of 7 crewmembers of the passenger cruise-liner, Diamond Princess, who were admitted to our hospital after becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 aboard the ship. Methods The data on patient background and biochemical test results were obtained from the patients' medical records.

Influence of different energy patterns on efficacy of radial shock wave therapy.

Background: One of the mechanisms of the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for impaired muscle coordination of limbs is the destruction of Acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at neuromuscular junction. The highly increased density of AChRs can change the acoustic impedance, and this change of the acoustic impedance can be the reason that radial shock wave (rESW) destroy AChRs selectively. However, the relationship between applied energy of rESWs and the therapeutic efficacy remains unclear, although some studies compared the clinical efficacy of rESWT between high- and low-energy applications.

The maximal gait speed is a simple and useful prognostic indicator for functional recovery after total hip arthroplasty.

Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the capabilities of preoperative usual and maximal gait speeds in predicting functional recovery in patients who have undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods: Primary and unilateral THAs were performed in 317 patients, and the proportion of patients who achieved unassisted walking (functional recovery) 5 days postoperatively was recorded as an outcome measure. Preoperative functional assessment included hip pain, leg muscle strength, range of motion (ROM), and gait speed evaluations.

Prediction of changes in functional ability of inpatients with schizophrenia using logarithmic and linear regression modelling.

Background/objective: Few studies have addressed the type of time course regression that can predict changes in functional ability in inpatients with schizophrenia. This study investigated the possibility of predicting changes in functional ability by logarithmic and linear regression modelling when treating schizophrenia.

Methods: This longitudinal study included two analysis rounds.

Segmental Pedicle Screw Instrumentation and Fusion Only to L5 in the Surgical Treatment of Flaccid Neuromuscular Scoliosis.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of stopping segmental pedicle screw instrumentation constructs at L5 in the treatment of neuromuscular scoliosis.

Summary Of Background Data: Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy are flaccid neuromuscular disorders in which gradual deterioration is the hallmark and have a lot of characteristics in common despite differences in etiology.

Impact of dementia on behavioral independence and disturbance.

Aim: Decreasing behavioral independence levels and increasing frequencies of behavioral disturbances are the most problematic aspects for people with dementia. However, the relative effects of dementia on these factors are unknown. We investigated variability in behavioral independence and disturbance profiles of patients with dementia.

Quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease: the relevance of social relationships and communication.

[Purpose] Maintaining high quality of life is crucial for the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's disease. The quality of life scales currently in use do not assess all quality of life domains or their importance for each individual. Therefore, a new quality of life measure, the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting, was used to investigate quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease.

Repeatability of Brain Volume Measurements Made with the Atlas-based Method from T-weighted Images Acquired Using a 0.4 Tesla Low Field MR Scanner.

Purpose: An understanding of the repeatability of measured results is important for both the atlas-based and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) methods of magnetic resonance (MR) brain volumetry. However, many recent studies that have investigated the repeatability of brain volume measurements have been performed using static magnetic fields of 1-4 tesla, and no study has used a low-strength static magnetic field. The aim of this study was to investigate the repeatability of measured volumes using the atlas-based method and a low-strength static magnetic field (0.

The relationship between bilateral knee muscle strength and gait performance after stroke: the predictive value for gait performance.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between bilateral knee extension strengths and gait performance in subjects with poststroke hemiparesis and to predict gait performance by the paretic and nonparetic knee extension strength. [Subjects and Methods] This was a correlational study in which 238 consecutive inpatients with poststroke hemiparesis were enrolled. Knee extensor muscle strengths in paretic and nonparetic lower limbs were measured with a handheld dynamometer, and the presence or absence of impaired gait was also determined.

Factors decreasing caregiver burden to allow patients with cerebrovascular disease to continue in long-term home care.

Background: This study attempted to assess continued long-term home care by examining patients' independent activities of daily living (ADLs) and caregivers' free time.

Methods: We surveyed the main caregivers of 52 patients with cerebrovascular disease with continuous home care from 1999 to 2010. Survey items were patients' ADLs, the frequency of use of care services, care requirements, and caregiver sense of burden.

Induction of cortical plasticity for reciprocal muscles by paired associative stimulation.

Background: Paired associative stimulation (PAS) is widely used to induce plasticity in the human motor cortex. Although reciprocal inhibition of antagonist muscles plays a fundamental role in human movements, change in cortical circuits for reciprocal muscles by PAS is unknown.

Methods: We investigated change in cortical plasticity for reciprocal muscles during PAS.

Reliability and validity of the upper-body dressing scale in Japanese patients with vascular dementia with hemiparesis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Upper-body Dressing Scale (UBDS) for buttoned shirt dressing, which evaluates the learning process of new component actions of upper-body dressing in patients diagnosed with dementia and hemiparesis. This was a preliminary correlational study of concurrent validity and reliability in which 10 vascular dementia patients with hemiparesis were enrolled and assessed repeatedly by six occupational therapists by means of the UBDS and the dressing item of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.

Syntactic comprehension in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Recent neuropsychological studies of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have demonstrated that some patients have aphasic symptoms, including impaired syntactic comprehension. However, it is not known if syntactic comprehension disorder is related to executive and visuospatial dysfunction. In this study, we evaluated syntactic comprehension using the Syntax Test for Aphasia (STA) auditory comprehension task, frontal executive function using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), visuospatial function using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), and dementia using the Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R) in 25 patients with ALS.

Motor cortex-evoked activity in reciprocal muscles is modulated by reward probability.

Horizontal intracortical projections for agonist and antagonist muscles exist in the primary motor cortex (M1), and reward may induce a reinforcement of transmission efficiency of intracortical circuits. We investigated reward-induced change in M1 excitability for agonist and antagonist muscles. Participants were 8 healthy volunteers.

A 5-year epidemiological study on the prevalence rate of idiopathic scoliosis in Tokyo: school screening of more than 250,000 children.

Background: School screening for scoliosis is a powerful tool that can be used to identify children who may have scoliosis. There have been no reports on the recent prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis in Japan since 1988.

Methods: A 5-year epidemiologic study was performed to determined the prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis, the curve magnitude, the distribution of this magnitude, and the sex ratio in school children.

Surgical treatment of scoliosis using allograft bone from a regional bone bank.

Introduction: Routine spinal fusion techniques have involved removal of all soft tissues and articular facets, decortication of all posterior elements, and application of bone graft to the fusion area. Bone grafting has been performed mainly using the patient's own bone (autograft bone), most commonly from the iliac crest. The use of autograft bone is accompanied by complications or problems because of harvesting and donor-site morbidity.

Two-year results for scoliosis secondary to Duchenne muscular dystrophy fused to lumbar 5 with segmental pedicle screw instrumentation.

Background: Instrumentation and fusion to the sacrum/pelvis has been a mainstay in the surgical treatment of scoliosis in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy since the development of the intrailiac post. It is recommended for correcting pelvic obliquity. However, caudal extent of instrumentation and fusion has remained a matter of considerable debate.