Development of Gait Ability Assessment for hemiplegics (GAA) and verification of inter-rater reliability and validity.

Unlabelled: Tomida K, Tanino G, Sonoda S, Hirano S, Itoh N, Saitoh E, Kagaya H, Suzuki A, Kawakami K, Miyajima T, Takai M. Development of Gait Ability Assessment for hemiplegics (GAA) and verification of inter-rater reliability and validity. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2021; 12: 19-26.

Robot-assisted Gait Training Using Welwalk in Hemiparetic Stroke Patients: An Effectiveness Study with Matched Control.

Objective: Although studies on the efficacy of the rehabilitation robot are increasing, there are few reports using the robot for gait training in the actual clinical setting. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of gait training using Welwalk in hemiparetic stroke patients in a real clinical setting.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study included 36 hemiparetic stroke patients who underwent gait training using Welwalk.

Influence of hematoma volume and age on cognitive functions and ADL after putaminal hemorrhage.

Background And Objective: After cerebral hemorrhage, cognitive functions and activities of daily living (ADL) are affected by various factors, including hematoma volume and patient age. In the present study, we investigated the effect of age and hematoma volume on cognitive functions and on ADL.

Methods: The sample comprised 274 patients (183 men and 91 women; mean age 58.

Influence of muscle mass on the estimation of glomerular filtration rate in Japanese terminal cancer patients.

Background: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on serum cystatin C (Scys) is useful for patients with decreased muscle mass, but has been also reported to be affected by cancer. The usefulness of Scys in eGFR in terminal cancer patients with decreased muscle mass is unknown. Therefore, we analyzed appropriate eGFR formulae for terminal cancer patients.

Relationship between Hematoma Volume and Motor Impairment in Putaminal Hemorrhage.

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) is used for initial assessment of patients with suspected stroke. Motor outcome prediction using the initial CT image is important for clinical rehabilitation. However, there is inconsistency in the results reported by the few publications on hematoma volume and motor outcomes in patients with putaminal hemorrhage.

Feasibility of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Rehabilitation Set for inpatient rehabilitation: Selection and validity of a set of categories for inpatients in a convalescent rehabilitation ward.

Unlabelled: Funahashi R, Mukaino M, Otaka Y, Senju Y, Yoneda C, Ozeki Y, Shimizu Y, Koike T, Saito E. Feasibility of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Rehabilitation Set for inpatient rehabilitation: Selection and validity of a set of categories for inpatients in a convalescent rehabilitation ward. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2020; 11: 1-8.

Interleukin-8 and clinical symptoms can be prognostic indicators for advanced cancer patients with cachexia.

Objectives: Prognostic prediction is a significant tool for selecting appropriate treatment in advanced cancer patients with cachexia, at a time when it is important to offer high-quality palliative care and improve quality of life until death. In this retrospective study, we investigated the prognostic potential of serum cytokine level and various clinical symptoms by analyzing the pathological conditions and metabolic dynamics of cachexia in advanced cancer patients.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-three advanced cancer patients who underwent palliative care and died at the Department of Surgery and Palliative Medicine, Fujita Health University Nanakuri Memorial Hospital between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2007 were eligible for the study.

Pattern of item score change in Stroke Impairment Assessment Set in comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation wards.

Objectives: Although numerous studies have examined activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke rehabilitation, there has been little focus on impairment, despite its close relationship to ADL. Therefore, we evaluated the change in impairment from admission to discharge of patients with stroke in comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation wards using the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS).

Methods: Data from 3279 patients with first stroke who were admitted to comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation wards between 2004 and 2016 were analyzed.

Development and assessment of a home environment checklist to evaluate mismatch between patients' ability and home environment.

Background: Modification of the home environment, together with rehabilitative interventions, is important for maximizing the level of functioning after an individual with disability undergoes rehabilitation in the hospital.

Objectives: We developed a simple screening scale - the home environment checklist (HEC) - to identify any mismatch between an individual's abilities and their home environment to help clinicians monitor the appropriateness of the home environment to which individuals with disability will be discharged. We also examined the psychometric properties of the HEC.

Feedback protocol of 'fading knowledge of results' is effective for prolonging motor learning retention.

[Purpose] "Knowledge of results" (KR) is information about the success of an action relative to a goal. A reduced frequency of "knowledge of results" reportedly promotes motor learning more than a high frequency. However, the effect of gradually diminishing or increasing "knowledge of results" pattern has been rarely studied and is controversial.

The quantification of task-difficulty of upper limb motor function skill based on Rasch analysis.

: The degree of difficulty of skills of paretic upper limbs in daily life has not been investigated.: To determine the internal validity and level of difficulty of items of the Functional Skills Measure After Paralysis (FSMAP), which can be used to evaluate the functional skills of daily living for stroke patients.: A total of 105 first-stroke patients were assessed using the FSMAP.

Bilateral Tactile Feedback-Enabled Training for Stroke Survivors Using Microsoft Kinect.

Rehabilitation and mobility training of post-stroke patients is crucial for their functional recovery. While traditional methods can still help patients, new rehabilitation and mobility training methods are necessary to facilitate better recovery at lower costs. In this work, our objective was to design and develop a rehabilitation training system targeting the functional recovery of post-stroke users with high efficiency.

The spontaneous clearance of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and emergence of HEV antibodies in a transfusion-transmitted chronic hepatitis E case after completion of chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

A 64-year-old woman was infected with hepatitis E virus (HEV) during chemotherapy for leukemia. By retrospective analyses of stored serum from the blood products and the patient, the source of the infection was determined to be platelet concentration (PC) transfused during chemotherapy. The partial nucleotide sequence of the HEV strain isolated from the donated PC and that from the patient's sera was identical and was subgenotype 3b.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Gait Training Using Gait Exercise Assist Robot (GEAR) in Stroke Patients with Hemiplegia.

Purpose: This trial aimed to validate the effectiveness of using the Gait Exercise Assist Robot (GEAR) in patients with hemiplegia after primary stroke.

Methods: The study design was open-label randomized controlled trial. Twenty-six patients with hemiplegia after primary stroke admitted to the comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation wards were enrolled and randomized to a group using GEAR in gait training and a control group.

Current Status of Adverse Events Related with Opioid Analgesics in Japan: Assessment Based on Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database.

Opioid analgesics have greatly contributed to the advancement of pain management. However, although opioids have been appropriately used in Japan, they rarely induce serious adverse events, such as respiratory depression. The present study aimed to investigate the temporal changes in the occurrence of opioid-related adverse events and deaths between 2004 and 2017 in Japan using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database.

Changing clinical and molecular characteristics of hepatitis E virus infection in Mie Prefecture, Japan: Disappearance of indigenous subtype 3e strains.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical and molecular characteristics of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in Mie Prefecture, Japan, from 2004 through 2018.

Methods: The clinical information of hepatitis E cases was collected from 21 medical institutions in Mie Prefecture. The nucleotide sequences of infecting HEV strains were determined for cases with available serum samples.

Molecular-targeted therapy for advanced anaplastic thyroid cancer combined with nutritional support.

Management of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is often difficult because of its aggressive characteristics. Molecular-targeted therapy was recently introduced as an alternative therapeutic strategy for ATC; lenvatinib is a molecular-targeted agent that is currently indicated only in Japan for the treatment of ATC. Here we report the case of an 86-year-old Japanese woman with ATC who was treated with lenvatinib at our hospital and exhibited a remarkable response.

Hepatitis E virus subtype 3f strains isolated from Japanese hepatitis patients with no history of travel to endemic areas - The origin analyzed by molecular evolution.

Hepatitis E virus subtype 3f (HEV-3f) strains are usually isolated in Europe and Thailand. Recently, HEV-3f strains were detected from six acute hepatitis E patients in Japan, none of whom had a history of travel to endemic areas. We inferred the origin and transmission route of the six HEV-3f strains.

Full-length genomic sequences of new subtype 1g hepatitis E virus strains obtained from four patients with imported or autochthonous acute hepatitis E in Japan.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute or chronic hepatitis in humans worldwide and can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Four HEV strains (HE-JA14-2173, HE-JA15-1335, HE-JA15-1920 and HE-JA16-0610) obtained from patients with imported (from Pakistan or India) or autochthonous acute hepatitis E in Japan were most closely related to the Nepalese and Mongolian genotype 1 HEV strains of unassigned subtype within the partial ORF2 sequence. To investigate whether a putative novel subtype (1g) of genotype 1 can be assigned, full-length genomic sequences were determined for the four HEV strains.

Review of devices used in neuromuscular electrical stimulation for stroke rehabilitation.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), specifically functional electrical stimulation (FES) that compensates for voluntary motion, and therapeutic electrical stimulation (TES) aimed at muscle strengthening and recovery from paralysis are widely used in stroke rehabilitation. The electrical stimulation of muscle contraction should be synchronized with intended motion to restore paralysis. Therefore, NMES devices, which monitor electromyogram (EMG) or electroencephalogram (EEG) changes with motor intention and use them as a trigger, have been developed.

A Method of Calculating Functional Independence Measure at Discharge from Functional Independence Measure Effectiveness Predicted by Multiple Regression Analysis Has a High Degree of Predictive Accuracy.

Background: Multiple linear regression analysis is often used to predict the outcome of stroke rehabilitation. However, the predictive accuracy may not be satisfactory. The objective of this study was to elucidate the predictive accuracy of a method of calculating motor Functional Independence Measure (mFIM) at discharge from mFIM effectiveness predicted by multiple regression analysis.

Characteristics of patients with hemiparetic stroke who yield highly reliable muscle strength measurements.

[Purpose] Accurate measurement of unaffected lower extremity muscle strength on the unaffected side is useful in patients with hemiparetic stroke; however, muscle strength measurement results in patients with hemiparetic stroke vary greatly compared with those in healthy individuals. The objective of the present study was to determine the characteristics of patients with hemiparetic stroke who yield highly reliable muscle strength measurements. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 55 incipient patients with hemiparetic stroke.

A Clinical Study on Administration of Opioid Antagonists in Terminal Cancer Patients: 7 Patients Receiving Opioid Antagonists Following Opioids among 2443 Terminal Cancer Patients Receiving Opioids.

There have been few detailed reports on respiratory depression due to overdoses of opioids in terminal cancer patients. We investigated the situation of treatment with opioid antagonists for respiratory depression that occurred after administration of opioid at optimal doses in terminal cancer patients, to clarify pathological changes as well as causative factors. In 2443 terminal cancer patients receiving opioids, 7 patients (0.

Ability of electrical stimulation therapy to improve the effectiveness of robotic training for paretic upper limbs in patients with stroke.

We investigated whether untriggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can increase the effectiveness of shoulder and elbow robotic training in patients with hemiparesis. Thirty subacute stroke patients were randomly equally allocated to robot only (RO) and robot and electrical stimulation (RE) groups. During training, shoulder and elbow movements were trained by operating the robotic arm with the paretic arm, and the robotic device helped to move the arm.