Added-value of spasticity reduction to improve arm-hand skill performance in sub-acute stroke patients with a moderately to severely affected arm-hand.

Background And Objective: Stroke patients with a moderately to severely affected hand may be impeded in exploiting their full arm-hand training potential during rehabilitation due to spasticity. Reducing early signs of spasticity in sub-acute stroke patients may lead to improvements in arm-hand-function and arm-hand-skill-performance.

Methods: Single-case-experimental-design and meta-analysis.

Associations of Pretreatment Physical Status Parameters with Tolerance of Concurrent Chemoradiation and Survival in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between pretreatment physical status parameters and tolerance of concurrent chemoradiation (cCHRT) and survival among patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients with stage III NSCLC who had received cCHRT between 2006 and 2015. Multivariate independent associations were analysed between the pretreatment parameters age, Charlson comorbidity index, World Health Organization performance status (WHO performance status), body mass index (BMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), maximal handgrip strength, forced expiratory volume in one second and carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity on the one hand with tolerance of cCHRT (defined as a received radiation dose at least equal to the prescribed radiation dose) and survival on the other hand.

Subjective Cognitive Functioning in Silicone Breast Implant Patients: A Cohort Study.

Unlabelled: Cognitive impairment is frequently reported by silicone breast implant (SBI) patients. The aim of our study is to investigate whether subjective cognitive failure indeed is more frequent in a cohort of SBI patients compared with healthy controls (HCs). Furthermore, the severity of this cognitive failure and a possible relation to other symptoms as well as the duration of SBI exposure was examined.

Economic evaluation of nurse-led stroke aftercare addressing long-term psychosocial outcome: a comparison to care-as-usual.

Objective: To examine the cost-effectiveness of nurse-led stroke aftercare addressing psychosocial outcome at 6 months post stroke, compared with care-as-usual.

Design: Economic evaluation within a comparative effectiveness research design.

Setting: Primary care (2016-2017) and community settings (2011-2013) in the Netherlands.

Long-term psychosocial outcome following mild traumatic brain injury and minor stroke: a direct longitudinal comparison.

Background And Purpose: Research suggests comparable long-term psychosocial outcomes following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and minor stroke, but no direct comparison has been made. This study aimed to directly compare psychosocial outcome over time in persons with mTBI and minor stroke.

Methods: In this multicenter, prospective longitudinal cohort study, community-dwelling persons with mTBI (n = 182) and minor stroke (n = 48) were assessed at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months post-injury.

Nurse-led stroke aftercare addressing long-term psychosocial outcome: a comparison to care-as-usual.

Purpose: To examine whether nurse-led stroke aftercare is beneficial for long-term psychosocial outcome of community-dwelling persons with stroke.

Materials And Methods: Comparative effectiveness research design in which a prospective stroke aftercare cohort ( = 87) was compared to care-as-usual ( = 363) at six- and 12-months post stroke. Changes over time in cognitive and emotional problems experienced in daily life, fatigue and stroke impact on daily life were examined for stroke aftercare only.

Exploring Perceived Interactions Between Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: To explore the perceived interactions between consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Participants: Fifteen clinicians experienced in working with patients with TBI.

Methods: Participating clinicians completed an online questionnaire in which they estimated the degree to which consequences of TBI (taken from the Brief ICF Core Set for Traumatic Brain Injury) causally relate to each other.

Finding a new balance in life: a qualitative study on perceived long-term needs of people with acquired brain injury and partners.

: Although the long-term consequences of acquired brain injury are frequent and diverse, care and support over the longer term is an under-addressed issue. This study aims to identify the perceived needs of people with acquired brain injury and their partners.: Interviews with four focus groups of people with brain injury (n = 17) and three partner groups (n = 19) were audio- and videotaped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Evidence-based rehabilitation therapy following surgery for (peri-)articular fractures: A systematic review.

Objective: To assess the availability of explicitly reported protocols describing post-surgery rehabilitation of (peri-)articular fractures of the proximal humerus, acetabulum and/or tibial plateau, and to critically review any scientific evidence on the effectiveness of these protocols.

Data Sources: MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane databases, CINAHL, PEDro and Embase (Ovid) were searched to November 2018. Furthermore, stakeholder internet sites, clinical guidelines and standard textbooks were searched.

Efficacy of amantadine on behavioural problems due to acquired brain injury: A systematic review.

: To systematically review literature on efficacy of amantadine on behavior (irritability/aggression/agitation, emotional lability, apathy, impairment of executive functioning), participation, quality-of-life (QoL), and safety, in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Amantadine is widely used clinically, so comprehensive information on efficacy, participation, QoL and safety is relevant. : We used PRISMA Guidelines.

Changes in actual arm-hand use in stroke patients during and after clinical rehabilitation involving a well-defined arm-hand rehabilitation program: A prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Improvement of arm-hand function and arm-hand skill performance in stroke patients is reported by many authors. However, therapy content often is poorly described, data on actual arm-hand use are scarce, and, as follow-up time often is very short, little information on patients' mid- and long-term progression is available. Also, outcome data mainly stem from either a general patient group, unstratified for the severity of arm-hand impairment, or a very specific patient group.

The immediate influence of implicit motor learning strategies on spatiotemporal gait parameters in stroke patients: a randomized within-subjects design.

Objectives:: To investigate immediate changes in walking performance associated with three implicit motor learning strategies and to explore patient experiences of each strategy.

Design:: Participants were randomly allocated to one of three implicit motor learning strategies. Within-group comparisons of spatiotemporal parameters at baseline and post strategy were performed.

Effectiveness and feasibility of Socratic feedback to increase awareness of deficits in patients with acquired brain injury: Four single-case experimental design (SCED) studies.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of a Socratic feedback programme to improve awareness of deficits in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Setting: Rehabilitation centre.

Participants: Four patients with ABI with awareness problems.

Application of motor learning in neurorehabilitation: a framework for health-care professionals.

Learning motor skills is an essential part of most rehabilitation processes. Facilitating and supporting motor learning is particularly challenging in neurological rehabilitation: patients who suffer from neurological diseases experience both physical limitations and difficulties of cognition and communication that affect and/or complicate the motor learning process. Therapists (e.

Quality of life, burden and satisfaction with care in caregivers of patients with a spinal cord injury during and after rehabilitation.

Study Design: Longitudinal, prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To examine the course that burden, quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction with care taken in Dutch caregivers of patients with a SCI.

Setting: Adelante Rehabilitation Centre and Dutch community, the Netherlands METHODS: Caregiver Strain index (CSI), Short Form36 (SF-36) and Caregivers' Satisfaction with (Stroke) Care Questionnaire (C-SASC) were administered to caregivers (n = 37) of patients with a recently acquired SCI at the start of rehabilitation (T1), discharge from rehabilitation (T2) and at 8 weeks (T3), 6 months (T4) and 18 months after discharge (T5).

Evaluation of a functional hand orthosis combined with electrical stimulation adjunct to arm-hand rehabilitation in subacute stroke patients with a severely to moderately affected hand function.

Purpose: To investigate the usability and effectiveness of a functional hand orthosis, combined with electrical stimulation adjunct to therapy-as-usual, on functional use of the moderately/severely impaired hand in sub-acute stroke patients.

Materials And Methods: Single case experiment (A-B-A'-design) involving eight sub-acute stroke patients. The functional hand orthosis and electrical stimulation were used for six weeks, four days/week, 45'/day.

Changes in arm-hand function and arm-hand skill performance in patients after stroke during and after rehabilitation.

Background: Arm-hand rehabilitation programs applied in stroke rehabilitation frequently target specific populations and thus are less applicable in heterogeneous patient populations. Besides, changes in arm-hand function (AHF) and arm-hand skill performance (AHSP) during and after a specific and well-described rehabilitation treatment are often not well evaluated.

Method: This single-armed prospective cohort study featured three subgroups of stroke patients with either a severely, moderately or mildly impaired AHF.

Exploring the feasibility and usability of the experience sampling method to examine the daily lives of patients with acquired brain injury.

The experience sampling method (ESM) is a structured diary method with high ecological validity, in that it accurately captures the everyday context of individuals through repeated measurements in naturalistic environments. Our main objective was to investigate the feasibility of using ESM in individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI). A second goal was to explore the usability of ESM data on a clinical level, by illustrating the interactions between person, environment, and affect.

Is the AO guideline for postoperative treatment of tibial plateau fractures still decisive? A survey among orthopaedic surgeons and trauma surgeons in the Netherlands.

Introduction: The standard aftercare treatment (according to the AO guideline) for surgically treated trauma patients with fractures of the tibial plateau is non-weight bearing or partial weight bearing for 10-12 weeks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current state of practice among orthopaedic surgeons and trauma surgeons in choosing the criteria and the time period of restricted weight bearing after surgically treated tibial plateau fractures.

Materials And Methods: A web-based survey was distributed among members of the Dutch Trauma Society and Dutch Orthopaedic Society to identify the most commonly applied protocols in terms of the post-operative initiation and level of weight bearing in patients with tibial plateau fractures.

The Magnitude and Time Course of Muscle Cross-section Decrease in Intensive Care Unit Patients.

Objective: Bedriddenness and immobilization of patients at an intensive care unit may result in muscle atrophy and devaluation in quality of life. The exact effect of immobilization on intensive care unit patients is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the magnitude and time course of muscle cross-section decrease in acute critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit.

Is early Weight Bearing Allowed in Surgically Treated Talar Neck Fractures?

Introduction: Non-or partial weight bearing is frequently the standard treatment after peri-articular lower extremity fractures. Displaced talar neck fractures are severe injuries compromising vascularity of the corpus and consequently are at risk for non-union and avascular necrosis, the main reason to restrict weight bearing for up to three months according to most literature.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 31-year old male with a high impact car accident.

Learning to use a body-powered prosthesis: changes in functionality and kinematics.

Background: Little is known about action-perception learning processes underlying prosthetic skills in body-powered prosthesis users. Body-powered prostheses are controlled through a harness connected by a cable that might provide for limited proprioceptive feedback. This study aims to test transfer of training basic tasks to functional tasks and to describe the changes over time in kinematics of basic tasks of novice body-powered prosthesis users.

Physiotherapists use a great variety of motor learning options in neurological rehabilitation, from which they choose through an iterative process: a retrospective think-aloud study.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to examine which motor learning options are applied by experienced physiotherapists in neurological rehabilitation, and how they choose between the different options.

Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach was used. A purposive sample of five expert physiotherapists from the neurological ward of a rehabilitation center participated.

Virtual Training of the Myosignal.

Objective: To investigate which of three virtual training methods produces the largest learning effects on discrete and continuous myocontrol. The secondary objective was to examine the relation between myocontrol and manual motor control tests.

Design: A cohort analytic study.

Multidisciplinary Views on Applying Explicit and Implicit Motor Learning in Practice: An International Survey.

Background: A variety of options and techniques for causing implicit and explicit motor learning have been described in the literature. The aim of the current paper was to provide clearer guidance for practitioners on how to apply motor learning in practice by exploring experts' opinions and experiences, using the distinction between implicit and explicit motor learning as a conceptual departure point.

Methods: A survey was designed to collect and aggregate informed opinions and experiences from 40 international respondents who had demonstrable expertise related to motor learning in practice and/or research.