Study protocol: EXERcise and cognition in sedentary adults with early-ONset dementia (EXERCISE-ON).

Background: Although the development of early-onset dementia is a radical and invalidating experience for both patient and family there are hardly any non-pharmacological studies that focus on this group of patients. One type of a non-pharmacological intervention that appears to have a beneficial effect on cognition in older persons without dementia and older persons at risk for dementia is exercise. In view of their younger age early-onset dementia patients may be well able to participate in an exercise program.

Comparison of trigeminal and spinal modulation of pain and nociception.

Modulation of pain and nociception by noxious counterstimulation, also called "diffuse noxious inhibitory controls" or DNIC-like effect, is often used in studies of pain disorders. It can be elicited in the trigeminal and spinal innervation areas, but no study has previously compared effects in both innervation areas. Therefore, we performed a study comparing DNIC-like effects on the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) and the nociceptive blink reflex as well as the respective pain sensations.

Investigation of threshold and magnitude criteria of the nociceptive blink reflex.

Objective: The nociceptive blink reflex is a trigeminofacial brain-stem reflex which is used in pain research to evaluate the modulation of pain processing. To standardize the analysis of the reflex we investigated which electromyographic parameters show the best correlation with subjective pain ratings and should therefore be used for scoring blink reflex magnitude. Furthermore we investigated which parameters show the highest accuracy and reliability to define the blink reflex threshold.

Intrinsic properties of the knee extensor muscles after subacute stroke.

Unlabelled: Horstman AM, Gerrits KH, Beltman MJ, Koppe PA, Janssen, TW, de Haan A. Intrinsic properties of the knee extensor muscles after subacute stroke.

Objective: To characterize muscle properties of paretic lower-limb (PL) and nonparetic lower-limb (NL) knee extensors in patients with subacute stroke.

Comparing unilateral and bilateral upper limb training: the ULTRA-stroke program design.

Background: About 80% of all stroke survivors have an upper limb paresis immediately after stroke, only about a third of whom (30 to 40%) regain some dexterity within six months following conventional treatment programs. Of late, however, two recently developed interventions--constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) and bilateral arm training with rhythmic auditory cueing (BATRAC)--have shown promising results in the treatment of upper limb paresis in chronic stroke patients. The ULTRA-stroke (acronym for Upper Limb TRaining After stroke) program was conceived to assess the effectiveness of these interventions in subacute stroke patients and to examine how the observed changes in sensori-motor functioning relate to changes in stroke recovery mechanisms associated with peripheral stiffness, interlimb interactions, and cortical inter- and intrahemispheric networks.

Relationship among shoulder proprioception, kinematics, and pain after stroke.

Objective: To identify a possible relationship among chronic poststroke shoulder pain (PSSP), scapular resting pose, and shoulder proprioception.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Rehabilitation center.

Isometric muscle function of knee extensors and the relation with functional performance in patients with stroke.

Objective: (1) To examine the isometric strength, speed, and fatigue resistance of the knee extensors of the paretic limb and nonparetic limb in patients with stroke and compare these with able-bodied subjects. (2) To relate the contractile properties with different indices of functional performance.

Design: Case-control study.

Kinematics of the contralateral and ipsilateral shoulder: a possible relationship with post-stroke shoulder pain.

Objective: Post-stroke shoulder pain is a common phenomenon in hemiplegia and impedes rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to identify a possible relationship between post-stroke shoulder pain, scapula resting position and shoulder motion.

Methods: Shoulder kinematics of 27 patients after stroke (17 men) were compared with 10 healthy age-matched control subjects.

Intrinsic muscle strength and voluntary activation of both lower limbs and functional performance after stroke.

The objective of this study was to assess the nature of muscle weakness in both legs after stroke compared with able-bodied control individuals and to examine whether there is a relationship between the degree of muscle weakness and coactivation of knee extensors and flexors as well as voluntary activation capacity of knee extensors of both paretic and non-paretic legs and indices of functional performance. Maximal voluntary isometric torques of knee extensors (MVCe) and flexors (MVCf) were determined in 14 patients (bilaterally) and 12 able-bodied controls. Simultaneous measurements were made of torque and surface EMG from agonist and antagonist muscles.

Effects of electric stimulation-assisted cycling training in people with chronic stroke.

Objective: To evaluate whether leg cycling training in subjects with chronic stroke can improve cycling performance, aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and functional performance and to determine if electric stimulation (ES) to the contralateral (paretic) leg during cycling has additional effects over cycling without ES.

Design: A randomized controlled trial, with a partial double-blind design.

Setting: A rehabilitation center.

Proprioception of the shoulder after stroke.

Objective: To investigate position sense and kinesthesia of the shoulders of stroke patients.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: A rehabilitation center.

Kinematic alterations in the ipsilateral shoulder of patients with hemiplegia due to stroke.

Objective: To evaluate the assumption that shoulder kinematic patterns of the ipsilateral, nonparetic shoulder in hemiplegia are similar to kinematics recorded in a healthy population.

Design: Case control study of a convenience sample of ten patients with hemiplegia due to stroke in the subacute phase compared with a control group of similar age. Three-dimensional positions of the scapula and humerus were measured and expressed in Euler angles as a function of active arm elevation in the frontal and sagittal plane and during passive humeral internal/external rotation at an elevation angle of 90 degrees in the frontal and sagittal plane.

Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of linezolid and co-amoxiclav in healthy human volunteers.

In an open, randomized, two-period crossover study the pharmacokinetics of linezolid and co-amoxiclav were investigated after single- and multiple-dose administration in 12 healthy volunteers (six females and six males). Linezolid was given in tablets of 600 mg twice a day for 7 days and co-amoxiclav in tablets of 1000 mg (875 + 125 mg) once a day for 7 days. The wash-out period was 4 weeks between the administration of the two antibacterial agents.