Ergonomic Recommendations in Ultrasound-Guided Botulinum Neurotoxin Chemodenervation for Spasticity: An International Expert Group Opinion.

Ultrasound (US)-guided botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections are becoming a mainstay in the treatment of muscle spasticity in upper motor neuron syndromes. As a result, there has been a commensurate increase in US-guided BoNT injection for spasticity training courses. However, many of these courses do not emphasize the importance of ergonomics.

Noninvasive Neuroprosthesis Promotes Cardiovascular Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to severe impairment in cardiovascular control, commonly manifested as a rapid, uncontrolled rise in blood pressure triggered by peripheral stimuli-a condition called autonomic dysreflexia. The objective was to demonstrate the translational potential of noninvasive transcutaneous stimulation (TCS) in mitigating autonomic dysreflexia following SCI, using pre-clinical evidence and a clinical case report. In rats with SCI, we show that TCS not only prevents the instigation of autonomic dysreflexia, but also mitigates its severity when delivered during an already-triggered episode.

Perioperative Botulinum Toxin Injections to Enhance Surgical Outcomes in Patients With Spasticity: Preoperative, Intraoperative, and Postoperative Case Reports.

Spasticity causes an array of disabilities, which in turn may lead to the need for surgical intervention. Spasticity itself may also negatively affect surgical outcomes. This report reviews the potential benefit of perioperative (before, during, or after surgery) botulinum toxin (BoNT) injections for 3 patients with spasticity due to spinal cord injury, stroke, or multiple sclerosis.

Is There an Association Between Ulnar Nerve Hypermobility and Neuropathy at the Elbow?

Objective: To systematically review the association between ulnar nerve hypermobility (UNH) at the elbow and ulnar neuropathy (UNE).

Data Sources: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, MEDLINE, and Embase databases were searched for English language studies published up to July 4, 2020.

Study Selection: We included case-control, cohort, and randomized controlled studies that established the presence or absence of UNH and UNE.

Brain activity during real-time walking and with walking interventions after stroke: a systematic review.

Investigations of real-time brain activations during walking have become increasingly important to aid in recovery of walking after a stroke. Individual brain activation patterns can be a valuable biomarker of neuroplasticity during the rehabilitation process and can result in improved personalized medicine for rehabilitation. The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the brain activation characteristics during walking post-stroke by determining: (1) if different components of gait (i.

The Effect of Telehealth Interventions on Function and Quality of Life for Older Adults with Pre-Frailty or Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Telehealth interventions improve health outcomes by increasing access to care. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize evidence on the effect of telehealth interventions compared with no intervention or usual care for older adults with pre-frailty or frailty for physical function, quality of life (QOL), and frailty. We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus.

Establishing the Predictive Validity of the ScanCourse for Assessing On-Road Driving Performance.

Importance: Scanning the environment is critical for driving safety. The ScanCourse is a functional assessment that assesses a person's ability to scan the environment for visual information while in motion. Measurement properties for the ScanCourse have been reported; however, its predictive validity is unknown.

Examining Test-Retest Reliability and Reliable Change for Cognition Endpoints for the CENTER-TBI Neuropsychological Test Battery.

Seven candidate cognition composite scores have been developed and evaluated as part of a research program designed to validate a cognition endpoint for traumatic brain injury (TBI) research and clinical trials, but these composites have yet to be examined longitudinally. This study examined test-retest reliability and methods for determining reliable change for these seven candidate composite scores, using the neuropsychological test battery from the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI). Participants (18-59 years-old) with mild TBI ( = 124), orthopedic trauma without head injury ( = 67), and healthy community controls ( = 63) from the Trondheim MTBI follow-up study completed the CENTER-TBI neuropsychological test battery at 2 weeks and 3 months after injury.

Construct validation of the leisure time physical activity questionnaire for people with SCI (LTPAQ-SCI).

Study Design: Cross-sectional construct validation study.

Objectives: To test the construct validity of the Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for People with Spinal Cord Injury (LTPAQ-SCI) by examining associations between the scale responses and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in a sample of adults living with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Three university-based laboratories in Canada.

Expert Panel Survey to Update the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Definition of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: As part of an initiative led by the Brain Injury Special Interest Group Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Task Force of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) to update the 1993 ACRM definition of mild TBI, the present study aimed to characterize current expert opinion on diagnostic considerations.

Design: Cross-sectional web-based survey.

Setting: Not applicable.

The Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry 2010-2019: A Decade of Facilitating Clinical Research Througha Nationwide, Pan-NeuromuscularDisease Registry.

We report the recruitment activities and outcomes of a multi-disease neuromuscular patient registry in Canada. The Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CNDR) registers individuals across Canada with a confirmed diagnosis of a neuromuscular disease. Diagnosis and contact information are collected across all diseases and detailed prospective data is collected for 5 specific diseases: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Myotonic Dystrophy (DM), Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Community acquired pressure injuries in a work-related spinal cord injury population: Problem characterization and assessment of a working solution.

Background: To characterize the problem of community-acquired pressure injuries (CAPIs) in a work-related spinal cord injury (SCI) population in Canada and assess the benefits of a person-centered solution. Characterization of the problem and a solution, albeit in an insured Worker's Compensation Board of British Columbia (WorkSafeBC) cohort, may inform the supply of solutions in the larger SCI population with disparate access to healthcare.

Methods: For this observational study, data on 244 WorkSafeBC clients, who received an intervention featuring pressure injury (PI) assessment between 2011 and 2015, were used to characterize the problem.

Developing Cognition Endpoints for the CENTER-TBI Neuropsychological Test Battery.

Measuring cognitive functioning is common in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, but no universally accepted method for combining several neuropsychological test scores into composite, or summary, scores exists. This study examined several possible composite scores for the test battery used in the large-scale study Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI). Participants with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI; = 140), orthopedic trauma ( = 72), and healthy community controls ( = 70) from the Trondheim MTBI follow-up study completed the CENTER-TBI test battery at 2 weeks after injury, which includes both traditional paper-and-pencil tests and tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB).

Cortical Activation During Shoulder and Finger Movements in Healthy Adults: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Study.

Characterization of cortical activation patterns during movement of the upper extremity in healthy adults is helpful in understanding recovery mechanisms following neurological disorders. This study explores cortical activation patterns associated with movements of the shoulder and fingers in healthy adults using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twelve healthy right-handed participants were recruited.

Radial palsy in an individual with high-level chronic spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Prolonged compression is a common cause of radial neuropathy in able-bodied individuals but has not been reported in individuals with chronic SCI. This is despite the fact that individuals with SCI may be at increased risk of peripheral nerve injuries due to wheelchair mobility and baseline sensory deficits. Furthermore, diagnosis of peripheral nerve injury poses a unique challenge in this population because symptoms and signs are superimposed on pre-existing central deficits.

Practice Patterns of Physicians Using Adjunct Therapies with Botulinum Toxin Injection for Spasticity: A Canadian Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Adjunct therapies are nonpharmacological treatments used with botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection that may improve spasticity outcomes. It has been suggested that physicians consider adjunct therapies as a part of comprehensive spasticity management. It is unclear which adjunct therapies are used by physicians in clinical practice.

The Wheelchair Outcome Measure for Young People (WhOM-YP): modification and metrics for children and youth with mobility limitations.

Purpose: Wheelchairs enhance children's mobility and participation in daily life, yet few participation measures are used to evaluate wheeled mobility interventions. The Wheelchair Outcome Measure for Young People (WhOM-YP) addresses this gap, evaluating importance of and satisfaction with client-identified participation outcomes inside and outside home for children aged 18 years and younger who need wheeled mobility interventions.

Methods: Mixed methods study using semi-structured interviews with nine experienced therapists and nine wheelchair users (11-18 years) evaluated the appropriateness of adult Wheelchair Outcome Measure for younger ages.

Assistive technology use and unmet need in Canada.

Background: Around the world, variations and inequities in access to assistive technology (AT) are evident. Development of legislation, policies, and programmes has not kept pace with the increasing demand for AT. Therefore, context-specific needs assessment is required, which can assist in anticipating the accessibility and human support needs of individuals with impairments, and in turn, inform resource allocation and prioritisation of services.

Near-infrared spectroscopy as a quantitative spasticity assessment tool: A systematic review.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the literature on the use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for assessing spasticity. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE were searched for human and/or animal studies written in the English language published until November 2018. that used NIRS to examine the hemodynamics and/or metabolism of spastic musculature were included.

International Comparison of Vocational Rehabilitation for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury: Systems, Practices, and Barriers.

Employment rates among people with spinal cord injury or spinal cord disease (SCI/D) show considerable variation across countries. One factor to explain this variation is differences in vocational rehabilitation (VR) systems. International comparative studies on VR however are nonexistent.

Exoskeleton for post-stroke recovery of ambulation (ExStRA): study protocol for a mixed-methods study investigating the efficacy and acceptance of an exoskeleton-based physical therapy program during stroke inpatient rehabilitation.

Background: The ability to walk is commonly reported as a top rehabilitation priority for individuals after a stroke. However, not all individuals with stroke are able to practice walking, especially those who require more assistance from their therapist to do so. Powered robotic exoskeletons are a new generation of robotic-assisted gait training devices, designed to assist lower extremity movement to allow repetitious overground walking practice.

Lifestyle modifications and pharmacological approaches to improve sexual function and satisfaction in men with spinal cord injury: a narrative review.

Study Design: A narrative review describing various components of sexual dysfunction in men with spinal cord injury (SCI), as well as addressing potential therapeutic approaches.

Objectives: Restoration of sexual function is considered one of the most important health priorities for individuals with SCI. The purpose of this review is to provide information regarding the factors that are less appreciated when considering changes to sexual function in men with SCI.