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To elucidate the association between non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) and spinal X-ray findings in Korean farmers: Farmers' Cohort for Agricultural Work-Related Musculoskeletal disorders (FARM) study.
A total of 835 farmers (391 males, 444 females; mean age, 56.6±7.4 years) without red-flag signs of specific LBP were recruited. Presence of LBP more than one week or once a month with more than moderate degree of pain severity during the last year was assessed with a binary questionnaire (yes or no). Spinal degenerative changes were classified into disc height change (DHC) of L4-5 and L5-S1 (grade 0–5) and osteophyte formation of L5 (grade 0–5) by a radiologist based on X-ray findings. Additionally, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis and spondylolysis were assessed.
General prevalence of NSLBP was 40.7%, revealing a higher incidence of NSLBP in female and younger farmers compared to male and older farmers (χ2=23.3, p<0.001; χ2=4.54, p<05, respectively). Among X-ray findings, DHC (L5–S1) grade 4 revealed significantly higher relative risk of NSLBP compared to grade 0 (odds ratio, 5.00; 95% confidence interval, 2.05–12.20) after adjusting age and sex, while other X-ray findings were not associated with NSLBP.
The NSLBP of Korean farmers was significantly related to lumbar disc degenerative changes, suggesting clinical usefulness of X-ray findings in assessing LBP in farmers.
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To investigate the reliability and validity of a new method for isometric back extensor strength measurement using a portable dynamometer.
A chair equipped with a small portable dynamometer was designed (Power Track II Commander Muscle Tester). A total of 15 men (mean age, 34.8±7.5 years) and 15 women (mean age, 33.1±5.5 years) with no current back problems or previous history of back surgery were recruited. Subjects were asked to push the back of the chair while seated, and their isometric back extensor strength was measured by the portable dynamometer. Test-retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). For the validity assessment, isometric back extensor strength of all subjects was measured by a widely used physical performance evaluation instrument, BTE PrimusRS system. The limit of agreement (LoA) from the Bland-Altman plot was evaluated between two methods.
The test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC=0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.65–0.91). The Bland-Altman plots demonstrated acceptable agreement between the two methods: the lower 95% LoA was −63.1 N and the upper 95% LoA was 61.1 N.
This study shows that isometric back extensor strength measurement using a portable dynamometer has good reliability and validity.
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To evaluate the types and severity of subcortical aphasia after stroke and to determine the predictors of the degree of aphasic impairment.
Medical records of 38 patients with post-stroke subcortical aphasia (19 males; mean age, 61.7±13.8 years) were reviewed retrospectively with respect to the following tests: the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB), the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI), and the Fugl-Meyer Index (FMI). The severity of aphasia was evaluated by the aphasia quotient (AQ) and the language quotient (LQ).
Anomic aphasia was the most frequent type of aphasia (n=15, 39.5%), and the lesion most frequently observed in subcortical aphasia was located in the basal ganglia (n=19, 50.0%). Patients with lesions in the basal ganglia exhibited the lowest scores on the FMI for the upper extremities (p=0.04). Severity of aphasia was significantly correlated with the K-MBI (Pearson correlation coefficient: γ=0.45, p=0.01 for AQ and γ=0.53, p=0.01 for LQ) and FMI scores for the lower extremities (γ=0.43, p=0.03 for AQ and γ=0.49, p=0.05 for LQ). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, K-MBI remained the only explanatory variable closely associated with aphasia severity.
This study showed the general characteristics of post-stroke subcortical aphasia, and it revealed that K-MBI was an associated and explanatory factor for aphasia severity.
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To elucidate the impact of co-occurring dysarthria and aphasia on functional recovery in post-stroke patients.
The medical records, including results of primary screening tests and secondary definite examinations for language problems, of 130 patients admitted to our institute's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine were retrospectively reviewed. Functional outcomes were assessed longitudinally using the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Mini-Mental State Examination-Korean version (MMSE-K), European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions 3-Level version (EQ-5D-3L), the Korean version of the Modified Barthel index (K-MBI), and Motricity Index (MI) of the hemiplegic side.
Patients were classified into four groups regarding language function: aphasia only (group A, n=9), dysarthria only (group D, n=12), aphasia and dysarthria (group AD, n=46), and none (group N, n=55). The initial functional outcome scores in the group AD were significantly poor compared to those of the groups N and A. Within groups, there were significant improvements in all outcome measurements in the groups AD and N. A between-group analysis revealed significant improvements in K-MBI for the group AD after adjusting for the initial severity and patient's age compared to other groups.
Post-stroke patients suffering from aphasia with dysarthria showed significantly lower initial functional level and relatively wide range of recovery potential in activities of daily living compared to patients without language problems.
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To assess the clinical usefulness of the relatively short instrument, the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), for testing the association between cognition and language function in subacute post-stroke aphasia patients.
Medical charts of 111 post-stroke patients (65 men; age 69.6±10.0 years; 124.6±80.6 days post-onset) were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were assessed longitudinally for aphasia using the validated Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB) and for cognition using the MMSE-K. Patients were categorized and analyzed according to 3 aphasia-severity clusters.
All subscales of the K-WAB showed significant improvement in follow-up assessments in all groups (p<0.05 or p<0.01). Only the scores of orientation, language function, and total score of MMSE-K showed significant improvement in all groups (p<0.01). The more severely impaired group showed stronger Pearson correlation coefficients between cognition and language function. Additionally, comparisons between correlation coefficients showed that the association of improvement in orientation with that of fluency and AQ% (aphasia quotient %) was significant in the more severely impaired group.
Among subacute post-stroke aphasic patients, patients with more severe aphasia showed greater impairments to cognitive function; in addition, recovery of orientation may be related to recovery of language function.
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To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of musculoskeletal pain (MSK) pain in Korean farmers using initial survey data of Farmers' Cohort for Agricultural Work-Related MSK pain (FARM) study.
Farmers (534 females and 479 males; mean age 57.2±7.5 years) who owned or rented a farm and belonged to an agricultural cooperative unit were recruited. Presence of pain for each body part (neck, shoulder, arm/elbow, wrist/hand/finger, low back, leg/foot), and characteristics of MSK pain (prevalence, location, duration, severity, and frequency) during the last year was assessed. Additionally, demographic data such as farming duration, history of prior injury, and workload (low, moderate, somewhat hard, or hard) were collected using structured questionnaires.
Almost all subjects (n=925; 91.3%) complained of pain in more than one body part. The frequency order was low back (63.8%), leg/foot (43.3%), shoulder (42.9%), wrist/hand/finger (26.6%), arm/elbow (25.3%), and neck (21.8%). Low back pain was more frequent in those with over 30 years of farming experience (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–1.81). MSK pain was related to history of prior injury (OR, 2.18–5.24; p<0.05) in all body parts except for leg/foot, and very hard workload was associated with low back, leg/foot, neck, shoulder, and wrist/hand/finger pain (OR, 2.88–10.83; p<0.05).
Most Korean farmers experience MSK pain; furthermore, there is a significant association between pain, history of prior injury, and workload, suggestive of the necessity of coping and preventive strategies to reduce injury or workload.
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To determine factors associated with good responses to speech therapy combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in aphasic patients after stroke.
The language function was evaluated using Korean version of Western aphasia battery (K-WAB) before and after speech therapy with tDCS in 37 stroke patients. Patients received speech therapy for 30 minutes over 2 to 3 weeks (10 sessions) while the cathodal tDCS was performed to the Brodmann area 45 with 1 mA for 20 minutes. We compared the improvement of aphasia quotient % (AQ%) between two evaluation times according to age, sex, days after onset, stroke type, aphasia type, brain lesion confirmed by magnetic resonance image and initial severity of aphasia. The factors related with good responses were also checked.
AQ% improved from pre- to post-therapy (14.94±6.73%, p<0.001). AQ% improvement was greater in patients with less severe, fluent type of aphasia who received treatment before 30 days since stroke was developed (p<0.05). The adjusted logistic regression model revealed that patients with hemorrhagic stroke were more likely to achieve good responses (odds ratio=4.897, p<0.05) relative to infarction. Initial severity over 10% in AQ% was also found to be significantly associated with good improvement (odds ratio=8.618, p<0.05).
Speech therapy with tDCS was established as a treatment tool for aphasic patients after stroke. Lower initial severity was associated with good responses.
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