Cardiorespiratory Fitness Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Limited evidence supports the effects of short-interval high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (V̇Opeak) after stroke. We aimed to compare the effects of 12 weeks of short-interval HIIT versus moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on V̇Opeak, cardiovascular risk factors, and mobility outcomes among individuals ≥6 months poststroke.

Methods: This study was a multi-site, 12-week randomized controlled trial (NCT03614585) with an 8-week follow-up.

The relationship between Rating of Everyday Arm-use in the Community and Home (REACH) scale affected arm-use assessment, activity and participation after stroke.

Background And Objectives: While arm function has been traditionally used as a primary goal for upper extremity rehabilitation post-stroke, we propose a simple measure of arm use, which may translate into better activities and participation. The aim was to determine the relationship between arm use and measures of activity and participation.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with evaluative components involving community-dwelling individuals with chronic stroke.

Spasticity Management Teams, Evaluations, and Tools: A Canadian Cross-Sectional Survey.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the physical evaluations and assessment tools used by a group of Canadian healthcare professionals treating adults with spasticity.

Methods: A cross-sectional web-based 19-question survey was developed to determine the types of physical evaluations, tone-related impairment measurements, and assessment tools used in the management of adults with spasticity. The survey was distributed to healthcare professionals from the Canadian Advances in Neuro-Orthopedics for Spasticity Congress database.

Relationship Between Sensibility Tests and Functional Outcomes in Patients With Traumatic Upper Limb Nerve Injuries: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To investigate which tests of hand sensibility correlate with functional outcomes in patients with upper limb traumatic nerve injuries and to assess if composite scales of sensibility correlate with functions.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched in May 2020, with a supplementary search in July 2020. Reference lists of the included publications were hand searched.

Developing a research agenda on exercise and physical activity for people with limb loss in Canada.

Purpose: There is a lack of high-quality evidence about the effects of exercise or physical activity interventions for adults with lower limb amputations (LLAs). A planning meeting involving stakeholders (i.e.

Conception and development of Self-Management indicators to advance the quality of spinal cord injury rehabilitation: SCI-High Project.

Context: Although self-management is linked to reduced secondary health complications (SHCs) and enhanced overall quality of life post-spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D), it is poorly integrated into the current rehabilitation process. Promoting self-management and assuring equity in care delivery is critical. Herein, we describe the selection of Self-Management structure, process and outcome indicators for adults with SCI/D in the first 18 months after rehabilitation admission.

The Time Is Now: A FASTER Approach to Generate Research Evidence for Technology-Based Interventions in the Field of Disability and Rehabilitation.

Current approaches for generating high-quality research evidence for technology-based interventions in the field of disability and rehabilitation are inappropriate. Prevailing approaches often focus on randomized controlled trials as standard and apply clinical trial practices designed for pharmaceuticals; such approaches are unsuitable for technology-based interventions and are counterproductive to the goals of supporting people with disabilities and creating benefits for society. This communication is designed to: (1) advocate for the use of alternative approaches to generating evidence in the development and evaluation of technology-based interventions; (2) propose an alternative framework and guiding principles; and (3) stimulate action by multiple disciplines and sectors to discuss, adopt, and promote alternative approaches.

Pharmacological Management of Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction after Spinal Cord Injury and Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Clinical Implications.

Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) is a common problem for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS), which seriously impacts quality of life. Pharmacological management is an important component of conservative bowel management. The objective of this study was to first assemble a list of pharmacological agents (medications and medicated suppositories) used in current practice.

Stroke rehabilitation in low-income and middle-income countries: a call to action.

The WHO Rehabilitation 2030 agenda recognises the importance of rehabilitation in the value chain of quality health care. Developing and delivering cost-effective, equitable-access rehabilitation services to the right people at the right time is a challenge for health services globally. These challenges are amplified in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), in which the unmet need for rehabilitation and recovery treatments is high.

Peri-operative Botulinum Neurotoxin injection to improve outcomes of surgeries on spastic limbs: A systematic review.

Our objective was to systematically review literature regarding the rationale and current evidence for peri-operative Botulinum Neurotoxin (BoNT) injection to improve outcomes of surgeries on spastic limbs. We conducted a systematic search of databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled until March 2020, using the PRISMA guidelines. After assessing all titles and abstracts against inclusion criteria, full texts were reviewed for studies of potential interest.

Estimating Vertical Ground Reaction Force during Walking Using a Single Inertial Sensor.

The vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and its passive and active peaks are important gait parameters and of great relevance for musculoskeletal injury analysis and prevention, the detection of gait abnormities, and the evaluation of lower-extremity prostheses. Most currently available methods to estimate the vGRF require a force plate. However, in real-world scenarios, gait monitoring would not be limited to a laboratory setting.

Rasch analysis of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 in a mild traumatic brain injury sample.

In this study we examined the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0 12-item version) in a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) sample.: Treatment-seeking adults (n = 131) with MTBI recruited from outpatient clinics in Vancouver Canada, were assessed 1- and 3-months following clinic intake.

Evaluation of the Fear Avoidance Behavior after Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire.

Fear avoidance behavior is related to symptom persistence and disability in various health conditions, such as chronic pain. Fear avoidance behavior also may impact recovery from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), but no measure of this construct has been psychometrically validated for the mTBI population. Adults who sustained an mTBI ( = 159) were recruited from three outpatient mTBI clinics.

Developing an Executive Functioning Composite Score for Research and Clinical Trials.

Objective: Executive functioning encompasses interactive cognitive processes such as planning, organization, set-shifting, inhibition, self-monitoring, working memory, and initiating and sustaining motor and mental activity. Researchers therefore typically assess executive functioning with multiple tests, each yielding multiple scores. A single composite score of executive functioning, which summarizes deficits across a battery of tests, would be useful in research and clinical trials.

Factors Influencing the Delivery of Intensive Rehabilitation in Stroke: Patient Perceptions Versus Rehabilitation Therapist Perceptions.

Background: Despite increasing evidence regarding the benefit of intensive task-specific practice and aerobic exercise in stroke rehabilitation, implementation remains difficult. The factors influencing implementation have been explored from therapists' perspectives; however, despite an increased emphasis on patient involvement in research, patients' perceptions have not yet been investigated.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate factors influencing implementation of higher intensity activity in people with stroke and to compare this with therapists' perspectives.

Estimation of Ankle Joint Power during Walking Using Two Inertial Sensors.

(1) Background: Ankle joint power, as an indicator of the ability to control lower limbs, is of great relevance for clinical diagnosis of gait impairment and control of lower limb prosthesis. However, the majority of available techniques for estimating joint power are based on inverse dynamics methods, which require performing a biomechanical analysis of the foot and using a highly instrumented environment to tune the parameters of the resulting biomechanical model. Such techniques are not generally applicable to real-world scenarios in which gait monitoring outside of the clinical setting is desired.

Comparing Composite Scores for the ANAM4 TBI-MIL for Research in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (Version 4) Traumatic Brain Injury Military (ANAM4 TBI-MIL) is commonly administered among U.S. service members both pre-deployment and following TBI.

Advice to Rest for More Than 2 Days After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Is Associated With Delayed Return to Productivity: A Case-Control Study.

Recent expert agreement statements and evidence-based practice guidelines for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) management no longer support advising patients to "rest until asymptomatic," and instead recommend gradual return to activity after 1-2 days of rest. The present study aimed to: (i) document the current state of de-implementation of prolonged rest advice, (ii) identify patient characteristics associated with receiving this advice, and (iii) examine the relationship between exposure to this advice and clinical outcomes. In a case-control design, participants were prospectively recruited from two concussion clinics in Canada's public health care system.

Healthcare utilization after stroke in Canada- a population based study.

Background: More people are surviving stroke but are living with functional limitations that pose increasing demands on their families and the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which stroke survivors use healthcare services on a population level compared to people without a stroke.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional population-based survey that collected information related to health status, healthcare utilization and health determinants using the 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey.

Antidepressants for depression after concussion and traumatic brain injury are still best practice.

Background: Depression is a common complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). New evidence suggests that antidepressant medication may be no more effective than placebo in this population.

Main Body: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are recommended as first-line treatment for depression in contemporary expert consensus clinical practice guidelines for management of TBI.

Headache Trigger Sensitivity and Avoidance after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Most patients with primary headache disorders identify environmental stimuli (e.g., visual glare), situational factors (e.