Speed and Rhythm Affect Temporal Structure of Variability in Reaching Poststroke: A Pilot Study.

Temporal structure reveals the potential adaptive strategies employed during upper extremity movements. The authors compared the temporal structure of upper extremity joints under 3 different reaching conditions: preferred speed, fast speed, and reaching with rhythmic auditory cues in 10 individuals poststroke. They also investigated the temporal structure of these 3 reaching conditions in 8 healthy controls to aid in the interpretation of the observed patterns in the poststroke cohort.

Effect of intense functional task training upon temporal structure of variability of upper extremity post stroke.

Study Design: Quasi-experimental design.

Introduction: Although the effectiveness of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) in upper extremity (UE) rehabilitation post stroke is well known, the efficacy of CIMT to enhance the temporal structure of variability in upper extremity movement is not known.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CIMT could enhance the temporal structure of variability in upper extremity movement in individuals with chronic stroke.

Exploration of patient-centered success criteria and clinically measured improvement during falls rehabilitation.

Background And Purpose: One method for defining successful rehabilitation outcomes is to use a threshold of performance on a clinical measure. Patients also have their own criteria for success. The aim of this study was to examine the association between clinical measures and patient criteria for determining successful intervention.

Reliability of upper extremity kinematics while performing different tasks in individuals with stroke.

Assessments of upper extremity performance typically include qualitative rather than quantitative measures of functional ability. Kinematic analysis is an objective, discriminative measure that quantifies movement biomechanics; however, the use within the poststroke impaired upper extremity is not well established. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of upper extremity kinematics in 18 individuals with stroke and 9 healthy controls.

Speed- and cane-related alterations in gait parameters in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Previous literature reporting gait parameters in the MS population has largely focused on preferred walking speed without the use of an assistive device. However, these data may not fully represent daily activity, as individuals with MS vary their speed or use a cane when walking. In this exploratory study, 11 MS participants and 13 controls walked at both maximal and preferred speed for a distance of 25-feet.

Reduction of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease by repetitive robot-assisted treadmill training: a pilot study.

Background: Parkinson's disease is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease characterized by gait abnormalities. Freezing of gait (FOG), an episodic inability to generate effective stepping, is reported as one of the most disabling and distressing parkinsonian symptoms. While there are no specific therapies to treat FOG, some external physical cues may alleviate these types of motor disruptions.

Improved fall-related efficacy in older adults related to changes in dynamic gait ability.

Background: Low fall-related efficacy is associated with the number and severity of future falls in older adults with balance disorders.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether improvements in clinical measures of balance after an intervention program were associated with changes in efficacy.

Design: A prospective, nonexperimental, pretest-posttest design was used.

Descriptive characteristics as potential predictors of outcomes following constraint-induced movement therapy for people after stroke.

Background And Purpose: Limited evidence exists regarding the characteristics of people who benefit most from constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). This study's purpose was to investigate 6 potential descriptors in predicting CIMT outcomes.

Subjects: The participants were a convenience sample (N=55) of people who were more than 6 months poststroke.

Active finger extension predicts outcomes after constraint-induced movement therapy for individuals with hemiparesis after stroke.

Background And Purpose: Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is a rehabilitative strategy used primarily with the post-stroke population to increase the functional use of the neurologically weaker upper extremity through massed practice while restraining the lesser involved upper extremity. Whereas research evidence supports CIMT, limited evidence exists regarding the characteristics of individuals who benefit most from this intervention. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of 5 measures to predict functional CIMT outcomes.

Feasibility of electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation as an adjunct to constraint-induced movement therapy.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this case report is to explore the feasibility of electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation (EMG-stim) as an adjunct to constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT).

Case Description: The patient was a 72-year-old man, 10 years poststroke, who did not meet traditional CIMT criteria. The EMG-stim was applied to the wrist extensors of the patient's weaker arm for one half of the CIMT training hours.