Rehabilitation Research and Practice

Introduction: Childbirth is a special time in the lives of women and families at large. It can also be a time of great tragedy. International reports show that, annually, more than 500,000 women die from pregnancy and childbirth complications globally. For every woman who dies in childbirth, majorities remain alive, but scarred by permanent disabilities. Obstetric fistula is, without a doubt, the most severe of pregnancy-related disabilities. Objective: This research is aimed at assessing the long-term effects of obstetric fistula on the overall quality of life among fistula survivors in central Gondar zone...

The motor skills of people with mental disabilities are reportedly reduced compared with those of their peers. Therefore, any task incorporating both motor and cognitive skills was hypothesized to provide better motor recovery. The aim of this study is to find the effect of dual-task balance training (DTBT) on motor skill development in children of 6-13 years with intelligence quotient discrepancy (IQD) (score: 50-79). Overall, 30 individuals with mental disabilities aged 6-13 years having an IQ score of 50-79 were included...

BACKGROUND: Mirror therapy (MT) has been used as a treatment for various neurological disorders. Recent application of electroencephalogram (EEG) to the MT study allows researchers to gain insight into the changes in brain activity during the therapy. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review is aimed at mapping existing evidence and identifying knowledge gaps about the effects of MT on upper limb recovery and its application for individuals with chronic stroke. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A scoping review through a systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases...

Background: Critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) may develop diaphragmatic dysfunction, especially when artificial airways are used. Positive effects have been observed when using the transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation (TEDS) technique in different clinical conditions. However, no study has evaluated the safety of TEDS in patients admitted to ICUs. This study is aimed at evaluating the influence of TEDS on the hemodynamic and vital parameters of critically ill elderly patients under invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV)...

Introduction: Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a neuromuscular disorder that leads to progressive weakness of bulbar and extremity muscles. Dynamic balance during functional tasks has not been reported in people with SBMA. Objectives: (1) To evaluate the ability to safely complete a forward lunge (FL), step quick turn (SQT), and step up and over (SUO), (2) to determine the presence and severity of dynamic balance impairments by comparing performance to normative data, and (3) to investigate the relationship between lower extremity strength and ability to complete each task...

Methods: A scoping review of research studies identified through PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL and graduate theses identified using Google Scholar was conducted to determine studies and systematic reviews that addressed the management of psychological aspects of shoulder pain with or without neck pain. The search terms included psychological factors, anxiety, depression, catastrophic thinking, fear of movement, and psychological treatments. Two investigators screened study titles and abstracts...

Purpose: Exercise training is an essential treatment option for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, it remains controversial, which surrogate measures of functional work capacity are most reliable. The purpose of this paper was to compare functional capacity work measured as capillary lactate concentrations area under the curve (AUC) with standard cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) with VO2peak and the 6-minute walk test (6 MWT). Methods: Twenty-three patients in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II/III with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <35% were randomised to home-based recommendation of regular exercise (RRE) (controls), moderate continuous training (MCT) or aerobic interval training (AIT)...

Purpose: Traditional knee osteoarthritis (OA) braces are usually indicated for a minority of patients with knee OA, as they are only suitable for those with unicompartmental disease affecting the tibiofemoral joint. A new assistive brace design is intended for use in a wider range of knee OA patients with heterogeneous symptoms characteristic of patellofemoral, tibiofemoral, or multicompartmental knee OA. The purpose of this case series was to explore whether the use of this novel "tricompartment offloader" (TCO) brace was associated with clinically relevant improvements in pain and function...

Methods: In this study, 24 children with spastic CP aged between 8 and 15 years were recruited. They were classified based on their functional performance using Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Trunk control and trunk position sense were assessed using the trunk control measurement scale (TCMS) and digital goniometer, respectively. The correlation between these variables was tested using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: Significant negative correlation was found between trunk position sense and TCMS score...

Gait parameters calculated from trunk acceleration reflect the features of gait; however, they cannot evaluate the gait pattern corresponding to the gait cycle. This study is aimed at investigating the differences in gait parameters calculated from trunk acceleration during gait corresponding to the gait cycle in healthy subjects with restricted knee extension. Participants included eight healthy volunteers who walked normally (NW) and with knee orthosis that restricted knee extension (ER). The ground reaction force (GRF), joint angles, and trunk acceleration during walking were measured using four force plates, a three-dimensional motion analysis system, and an inertial measurement unit...

Objective: Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity in China and around the world. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) effectively mitigates this burden; however, utilization is low. CR barriers in China have not been well characterized; this study sought to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate the CR Barriers Scale in Chinese/Mandarin (CRBS-C/M). Methods: Independent translations of the 21-item CRBS were conducted by two bilingual health professionals, followed by back-translation...

Objective: Home hazard assessment is particularly important following a fracture as a means of preventing subsequent fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate current checklists and evidence on home hazard to develop a usable self-administered checklist that could be used by adults to assess home hazards. Design: Review and observational, prospective study. Setting . Community dwelling. Participants . Nine adults (4 men, 5 women) were asked to review the checklist and provide feedback on whether items were relevant, comprehensive, and easy to understand...

Objective: To investigate if the completion of a recently developed treadmill-based wheelchair propulsion maximal progressive workload incremental test alters the integrity of the long head of the biceps and supraspinatus tendons using musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging biomarkers. Method: Fifteen manual wheelchair users completed the incremental test. Ultrasound images of the long head of the biceps and supraspinatus tendons were recorded before, immediately after, and 48 hours after the completion of the test using a standardized protocol...

The purpose of this study is to clarify cardiac autonomic nervous system activity during slow breathing exercises in a supine position. Eighteen healthy young males were participated. Heart rate variability was measured for 5 minutes at rest, 5 minutes at slow breathing, and then 5 minutes at rest. As a result, the LF/HF ratio increased with slow breathing, but HF value did not change. We suggest that the increased LF/HF ratio may be due to increased airway resistance. Cardiac autonomic nervous system activity during slow breathing in the supine position was revealed...

Objectives: The aim of the article is to justify the application of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to prevent the development of endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19 patients. The results of treating and rehabilitating patients with COVID-19 and prevention of the disease using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) are evaluated. Methods: A literature review is conducted on mechanisms of vascular homeostasis regulation, biomodulating effect of laser light, and LLLT methods for preventing endothelial dysfunction...

Background: Increased intensity of training in the subacute phase after acquired brain injury facilitates plasticity and enhances better function. Group training can be a motivating factor and an effective means of increasing intensity. Reports on patients' and health care professionals' experiences on increasing the amount of active practice through group training during in-patient rehabilitation after acquired brain injury have been limited. Methods: Two focus groups, patients and health care professionals, participated each in two interviews, before and after implementation of the Activity block, i...

Objective: The present study is aimed at assessing heart rate variability (HRV) and its correlation with visual acuity (VA) assessment of preterm newborns (PTNB) in neonatal intensive care units. Method: Cross-sectional study analyzing HRV during assessment of VA with the aid of a Polar RS800CX heart rate monitor (Polar Electro Oy, Finland). HRV was analyzed according to time and frequency domains and the chaos domain used the autocorrelation coefficient and entropy...

Background: Literature indicated some risk factors for low back pain; however, there is insufficient knowledge on the effect of caring-related physical activities and individual characteristics on Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) in mothers of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Objective: The main aim of the current study was to determine the association between caring-related physical activities, Body Mass Index (BMI), education level, and CLBP in mothers of children with CP...

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the kinematic gait adjustments performed in response to passive and photorealistic virtual reality environment (VRE) demands during over-ground and treadmill walking conditions and determine whether the surface presentation order affects the gait adjustments in response to different VREs. Methods: Twenty young participants divided into two groups performed two virtual reality (VR) walking protocols which included two different VREs (snowy and crowded conditions)...

Introduction: The unique demands of firefighting results in acute, recurrent, or chronic pain complications. We aimed to describe the percentage distribution of number and location of painful sites among FFs and determine whether work limitations differed based on the number or location of painful sites, age, and/or sex. Methods: About 325 firefighters completed a work limitation questionnaire (WLQ-26) and a checklist to indicate painful regions of the body using either a paper format or an online survey...