Exercise prevents fatigue and improves quality of life in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Objective: To show fatigue prevention and quality of life (QOL) improvement from cardiovascular exercise during radiotherapy.

Design: Prospective enrollment (n=21), randomized to exercise (n=11) and control groups (n=10), with pre- and post-radiotherapy between- and within-group comparisons.

Setting: Academic medical center.

Wheelchair utilization and satisfaction following cerebral vascular accident.

The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to determine the extent to which wheelchairs prescribed during rehabilitation are used and perceived as satisfactorily meeting individual mobility, functional, psychological and social needs of veterans who have had a stroke. Forty-nine veterans were interviewed during a one-time visit to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Questionnaires on demographics, medical status, functional independence, cognition, social integration, depression, health status and well-being, and wheelchair use and satisfaction were administered.

Longitudinal study of quality of life in patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

This study prospectively evaluated quality of life (QOL) in localized prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, and it examined the relationships between QOL, depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Instruments that were used are Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Prostate (FACT-P), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). We evaluated patients at preradiotherapy (PRT), midway radiotherapy (MRT), completion of radiotherapy (CRT), follow-up radiotherapy (4 to 8 wk) (FRT), and long-term follow-up radiotherapy (FRT2) (12 mo or more).

Telerehabilitation for veterans with a lower-limb amputation or ulcer: Technical acceptability of data.

A study was undertaken to determine the technical acceptability of information available via a customized telerehabilitation system regarding patients with lower-limb ulcers or recent lower-limb amputations receiving care at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Among the 54 participants, 57 wounds (39 ulcers, 19 amputation incisions) were evaluated by means of still photographs and skin temperature data sent via ordinary telephone lines. Three experienced clinicians served as raters.

Measuring control appraisals in chronic pain.

Research has established a positive association between appraisals of control over pain and indexes of adaptive psychologic and physical functioning among persons with chronic pain. A number of measures of control appraisals have been used in the research literature. The current study sought to determine the number of factors or dimensions embedded in these commonly used measures of pain control appraisal.

Performance-based gait tests for acute stroke patients.

Objective: Qualitative measures may not differentiate severity of deficits after an acute or subacute stroke. The aim of this study was to contrast the utility of performance-based gait tests with qualitative measures in a sample of acute stroke patients.

Design: Twenty acute stroke subjects had their performance-based gait measured by gait speed, walking distance, gait energy expenditure, and gait energy cost.

Gait outcomes after acute stroke rehabilitation with supported treadmill ambulation training: a randomized controlled pilot study.

Objective: To investigate gait outcomes with supported treadmill ambulation training (STAT) associated with regular rehabilitation in acute stroke survivors.

Design: Randomized controlled trial, pilot study.

Setting: Rehabilitation medicine service at a Veterans Affairs medical center.