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To investigate the effects of mirror therapy using a tablet PC for post-stroke central facial paresis.
A prospective, randomized controlled study was performed. Twenty-one post-stroke patients were enrolled. All patients performed 15 minutes of orofacial exercise twice daily for 14 days. The mirror group (n=10) underwent mirror therapy using a tablet PC while exercising, whereas the control group (n=11) did not. All patients were evaluated using the Regional House–Brackmann Grading Scale (R-HBGS), and the length between the corner of the mouth and the ipsilateral earlobe during rest and smiling before and after therapy were measured bilaterally. We calculated facial movement by subtracting the smile length from resting length. Differences and ratios between bilateral sides of facial movement were evaluated as the final outcome measure.
Baseline characteristics were similar for the two groups. There were no differences in the scores for the basal Modified Barthel Index, the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, R-HBGS, and bilateral differences and ratios of facial movements. The R-HBGS as well as the bilateral differences and ratios of facial movement showed significant improvement after therapy in both groups. The degree of improvement of facial movement was significantly larger in the mirror group than in the control group.
Mirror therapy using a tablet PC might be an effective tool for treating central facial paresis after stroke.
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To identify the factors that could predict the functional outcome in patients with the axonal type of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).
Two hundred and two GBS patients admitted to our university hospital between 2003 and 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. We defined a good outcome as being "able to walk independently at 1 month after onset" and a poor outcome as being "unable to walk independently at 1 month after onset". We evaluated the factors that differed between the good and poor outcome groups.
Twenty-four patients were classified into the acute motor axonal neuropathy type. There was a statistically significant difference between the good and poor outcome groups in terms of the GBS disability score at admission, and GBS disability score and Medical Research Council sum score at 1 month after admission. In an electrophysiologic analysis, the good outcome group showed greater amplitude of median, ulnar, deep peroneal, and posterior tibial nerve compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) and greater amplitude of median, ulnar, and superficial peroneal sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) than the poor outcome group.
A lower GBS disability score at admission, high amplitude of median, ulnar, deep peroneal, and posterior tibial CMAPs, and high amplitude of median, ulnar, and superficial peroneal SNAPs were associated with being able to walk at 1 month in patients with axonal GBS.
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To evaluate whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could improve dysarthria in stroke patients at the subacute stage.
This study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Patients who had unilateral middle cerebral artery infarction were enrolled. In patients in the rTMS group, we found hot spots by searching for the evoked motor potential of the orbicularis oris on the non-affected side. We performed rTMS at a low frequency (1 Hz), 1,500 stimulations/day, 5 days a week for 2 weeks on the hotspots. We used the same protocol in the sham stimulation group patients as that in the rTMS group, except that the angle of the coil was perpendicular to the skull rather than tangential to it. The patients in both groups received speech therapy for 30 minutes, 5 days a week from a skilled speech therapist. The speech therapist measured the Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonology, alternative motion rates, sequential motion rates, and maximal phonation time before and after intervention sessions.
Forty-two patients were enrolled in this study and 20 completed the study. Statistical analysis revealed significant improvements on the dysarthria scales in both groups. The sequential motion rate (SMR)-PǝTǝKǝ showed significantly greater improvement in the rTMS group patients than in the sham stimulation group.
Patients in the rTMS group showed greater improvement in articulation than did patients in the sham rTMS group. Therefore, rTMS can have a synergistic effect with speech therapy in treating dysarthria after stroke.
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To investigate the prognosis of patients with stroke and urinary retention resistant to alpha blockers and cholinergic agents.
Post-void residual urine volume (PVR) was measured in 33 patients with stroke (14 men and 19 women) who were admitted to the department of rehabilitation medicine of our hospital within 30 days after stroke onset. An alpha-blocker and cholinergic agent were administered to patients with PVR >100 mL. If urinary retention had not improved despite the maximum drug doses, the patient was diagnosed with drug-resistant urinary retention. We retrospectively reviewed patient's charts, including PVR at discharge and prognostic factors for PVR.
Ten patients (30.3%) could not void or their PVR was >400 mL at discharge (45.7±15.4 days after onset) after rehabilitation. Twelve patients (36.4%) could void, and their PVR was 100-400 mL. PVR was consistently <100 mL in 11 patients (33.3%). These measurements correlated with the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index score, Functional Ambulation Category, and the presence of a communication disorder.
The results show that 22 patients (66.7%) had incomplete bladder emptying or required catheterization at discharge. Outcomes correlated with functional status, walking ability, and the presence of a communication disorder. Patients with urinary retention and poor general condition require close observation to prevent complications of urinary retention.
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