A Pilot Trial of Telerehabilitation for Chronic Stroke Survivors: A Case-series Study of Three Individuals.

Background: We designed a telerehabilitation (TR) program for stroke patients based on reports from other countries and adapted the program for use by individual patients. Herein, we describe the clinical courses of three stroke survivors who used the TR program.

Cases: All three individuals were community-dwelling chronic stroke survivors.

Effectiveness of telerehabilitation based on real-time intervention between therapist and participants for improving physical function, activities of daily living and quality of life in people with stroke: A systematic review protocol.

Background: There is a call for gathering more evidence on the effectiveness of telerehabilitation in stroke. In particular, a previous systematic review reported substantial variability in the types of technologies used in telerehabilitation interventions. The purpose of this study will be to summarize and synthesize findings on the effects of telerehabilitation based on real-time intervention between therapist and participants for patients with stroke.

Effect of cognitive impairment at admission on activities of daily living at discharge in older patients with heart failure.

Unlabelled: Nonaka Y, Fujii R, Tanaka S, Tabira K. Effect of cognitive impairment at admission on activities of daily living at discharge in older patients with heart failure. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2023; 14: 78‒83.

Influence of gait exercise using a walking-assist robot for swing-leg motion in hemiplegic stroke patients: a preliminary study focusing on the immediate effect.

Unlabelled: Fujii R, Tamari M, Nonaka Y, Tamiya F, Hosokawa H, Tanaka S. Influence of gait exercise using a walking-assist robot for swing-leg motion in hemiplegic stroke patients: A preliminary study focusing on the immediate effect. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2022; 13: 49-55.

The relationship between characteristics of gait disturbance and injury patterns of the corticospinal tract and corticoreticular pathway in post-stroke patients: A case series of 3 patients.

Rationale: Corticospinal tract (CST) and corticoreticular pathway (CRP) injury patterns (i.e., the continuity of the nerve fibers) are associated with gait disturbance in post-stroke patients.

Brain natriuretic peptide levels and short physical performance battery scores independently influence short-term readmission rates in older patients with heart failure.

The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a well-established tool to assess the lower extremity physical performance status. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and SPPB scores on short-term readmission in older patients with heart failure (HF). This prospective cohort study enrolled 325 patients with HF who were hospitalized for acute decompensated HF between November 2017 and December 2021.

Changes in task-specific fear of movement and impaired trunk motor control by pain neuroscience education and exercise: A preliminary single-case study of a worker with low back pain.

We report a case (a worker with low back pain) who was provided patient education and therapeutic exercise, and we performed a detailed kinematic analysis of his work-related activity over time. The subjects were one 28-year-old male worker with low back pain. In addition, to clearly identify impaired trunk movement during work-related activity in the low back pain subject, 20 age-matched healthy males (control group) were also included as a comparison subject.

Task-specific fear rather than general kinesiophobia assessment is associated with kinematic differences in chronic low back pain during lumbar flexion: a preliminary investigation.

Introduction: Kinematic data obtained during a movement task by individuals with chronic low back pain seem to be related to pain-related fear. General kinesiophobia assessments, such as Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, are often used to assess pain-related fear. However, these questionnaires could suffer from a lack of sensitivity and do not measure the fear of specific movements.

Kinematic analysis of movement impaired by generalization of fear of movement-related pain in workers with low back pain.

Purpose: To identify impaired trunk movement during work-related activity in individuals with low back pain (LBP) and investigate whether abnormalities were caused by generalized fear of movement-related pain.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a hospital in Japan. We recruited 35 participants with LBP (LBP group; 26 males, 9 females) and 20 healthy controls (HC group) via posters at our hospital.

Classification of circadian pain rhythms and pain characteristics in chronic pain patients: An observational study.

This study aimed to perform cluster analysis in patients with chronic pain to extract groups with similar circadian rhythms and compare neuropathic pain and psychological factors among these groups to identify differences in pain-related outcomes. A total of 63 community-dwellers with pain lasting at least 3 months and Numerical Rating Scale scores of ≥2 were recruited from 3 medical institutions. Their pain circadian rhythms were evaluated over 7 days by measuring pain intensity at 6-time points per day using a 10-cm visual analog scale.

Effectiveness of patient education focusing on circadian pain rhythms: A case report and review of literature.

Background: Neuropathic pain management should aim at improving quality of life and daily living activities of patients; therefore, emphasis should be placed on pain management including understanding the pain patterns during daily activity. Therefore, lifestyle guidance should be based on a detailed understanding of pain; however, previous studies commonly evaluated pain intensity at a single point in time. We report a case on patient education intervention based on the relationship between pain circadian rhythms and detailed physical activity during the day.

Changes in Trunk Variability and Stability of Gait in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: Impact of Laboratory versus Daily-Living Environments.

Background: Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) experience changes in gait control due to pain and/or fear. Although CLBP patients' gait has been performed in laboratory environments, changes in gait control as an adaptation to unstructured daily living environments may be more pronounced than the corresponding changes in laboratory environments. We investigated the impacts of the environment and pathology on the trunk variability and stability of gait in CLBP patients.