Response of heart rate variability and cardiorespiratory phase synchronization to routine bronchodilator test in patients with asthma.

Heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiorespiratory phase synchronization (CRPS) were employed to study the cardio- and respiratory interactions in patients with asthma receiving inhalation of beta2-agonist (Berotec 200 mcg) for routine bronchodilator test. Both time- and frequency-domain parameters were used to analyze the HRV. A weighted G-index was introduced to study the quality of the CRPS.

Effect of different designs of interspinous process devices on the instrumented and adjacent levels after double-level lumbar decompression surgery: A finite element analysis.

Recently, various designs and material manufactured interspinous process devices (IPDs) are on the market in managing symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). However, atraumatic fracture of the intervening spinous process has been reported in patients, particularly, double or multiple level lumbar decompression surgery with IPDs. This study aimed to biomechanically investigate the effects of few commercial IPDs, namely DIAMTM, CoflexTM, and M-PEEK, which were implanted into the L2-3, L3-4 double-level lumbar spinal processes.

Application of an interspinous process device after minimally invasive lumbar decompression could lead to stress redistribution at the pars interarticularis: a finite element analysis.

Background: An interspinous process device, the Device for Intervertebral Assisted Motion (DIAM™) designed to treat lumbar neurogenic disease secondary to the lumbar spinal stenosis, it provides dynamic stabilization after minimally invasive (MI) lumbar decompression. The current study was conducted using an experimentally validated L1-L5 spinal finite element model (FEM) to evaluate the limited decompression on range of motion (ROM) and stress distribution on a neural arch implanted with the DIAM.

Methods: The study simulated bilateral laminotomies with partial discectomy at L3-L4, as well as unilateral and bilateral laminotomies with partial discectomy combined with implementation of the DIAM at L3-L4.

Effects of Botulinum Toxin Landmark-Guided Intra-articular Injection in Subjects With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Increasing evidence has suggested that botulinum toxin A (BoNT/A) can inhibit the release of selected neuropeptide transmitters from primary sensory neurons. Thus, intra-articular (IA) injection therapies with BoNT/A may reduce pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Objective: To investigate the effects of landmark-guided IA injection of BoNT/A on patients with knee OA.

Cortical Modulation of Motor Control Biofeedback among the Elderly with High Fall Risk during a Posture Perturbation Task with Augmented Reality.

The cerebral cortex provides sensorimotor integration and coordination during motor control of daily functional activities. Power spectrum density based on electroencephalography (EEG) has been employed as an approach that allows an investigation of the spatial-temporal characteristics of neuromuscular modulation; however, the biofeedback mechanism associated with cortical activation during motor control remains unclear among elderly individuals. Thirty one community-dwelling elderly participants were divided into low fall-risk potential (LF) and high fall-risk potential (HF) groups based upon the results obtained from a receiver operating characteristic analysis of the ellipse area of the center of pressure.

Age-related changes in posture response under a continuous and unexpected perturbation.

Aging is a critical factor to influence the functional performance during daily life. Without an appropriate posture control response when experiencing an unexpected external perturbation, fall may occur. A novel six-degree-of freedom platform with motion control protocol was designed to provide a real-life simulation of unexpected disturbance in order to discriminate the age-related changes of the balance control and the recovery ability.

Using single leg standing time to predict the fall risk in elderly.

In clinical evaluation, we used to evaluate the fall risk according to elderly falling experience or the balance assessment tool. Because of the tool limitation, sometimes we could not predict accurately. In this study, we first analyzed 15 healthy elderly (without falling experience) and 15 falling elderly (1~3 time falling experience) balance performance in previous research.

The effect of removing plugs and adding arch support to foam based insoles on plantar pressures in people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Background: Removable plug insoles appear to be beneficial for patients with diabetic neuropathic feet to offload local plantar pressure. However, quantitative evidence of pressure reduction by means of plug removal is limited. The value of additional insole accessories, such as arch additions, has not been tested.

Improving balance skills in patients who had stroke through virtual reality treadmill training.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of virtual reality (VR) treadmill training on the balance skills of patients who have had a stroke.

Design: A total of 14 patients with strokes were recruited and randomly assigned to receive VR treadmill or traditional treadmill training. The outcome measures that were included for the study were center of pressure (COP) sway excursion, COP maximum sway in anterior-posterior direction, COP maximum sway in medial-lateral direction, COP sway area, bilateral limb-loading symmetric index, the sway excursion values for the paretic foot (sway excursion/P), paretic limb stance time (stance time/P), number of steps of the paretic limb (number of steps/P), and contact area of the paretic foot (contact A/P) during quiet stance, sit-to-stand transfer, and level walking.

Dynamic postural control during trunk bending and reaching in healthy adults and stroke patients.

Objectives: Postural stability is often task-demand-dependent and often impaired in stroke patients. The purposes of this study were (1) to compare the difference in the center of pressure measures during forward bending of the trunk and reaching on postural actions between normal subjects and stroke patients and (2) to examine the effects of task demands on the center of pressure measures in both groups.

Design: Thirteen normal subjects and 23 stroke patients performed two trials of forward bending of the trunk and reaching for each of the targets at six locations at floor level while standing on a 0.

Whole-body reaching as a measure of dynamic balance in patients with stroke.

Objectives: To investigate whether whole-body reaching (WBR) could be a task with adequate and gradable dynamic balance challenges for stroke patients.

Design: A total of 23 subjects with hemiplegia, after their first stroke, participated in this study. The degree of dynamic balance challenges of WBR was graded by varying the distance to the targets that the subjects had to reach.

Biomechanical comparison of the stable efficacy of two anterior plating systems.

Objective: To compare the immediate stable efficacy and load sharing effect of two types of anterior cervical screw-plating instrumentations: the Morscher Synthes titanium locking screw-plate system and the Caspar trapezoidal screw-plate system.

Design: Fresh porcine cervical spines with intact, two surgery unstable models, and then reconstructed with or without screw-plating instruments were compared in three physiological loading conditions.

Background: Two markedly instrumentation systems--Morscher Synthes titanium cervical locking screw-plate and Caspar trapezoidal screw-plate systems are commonly used in management of complex cervical spine disorders.