Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy最新文献

Background and purpose: Dual-task walking is challenging for people with Parkinson disease (PD). Gait performance worsens while executing dual tasks, possibly due to a decline in executive function (EF). This study aimed to investigate the effects of dual-task training on EF and dual-task cost (DTC) in people with PD and to explore whether training-induced changes in EF were associated with changes in DTC.

Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 28 people with PD participated. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (dual-task training) and the control group (treadmill training). Both groups received a total of 16 training sessions during the 8 weeks. Assessments were conducted at baseline and postintervention. Primary outcomes included EF and dual-task cost.

Results: Significant time-by-group interactions were found in executive function and DTC. The experimental group showed significant improvement in frontal assessment battery (FAB), trail-making test (TMT) part A, Stroop color and word test (SCWT), and DTC on speed in cognitive dual-task walking. There was a moderate to high correlation between the change values of the FAB, TMT part A, SCWT, and the change values of DTC in cognitive dual-task walking.

Discussion and conclusions: Compared to treadmill training, dual-task training resulted in greater improvements in EF and DTC. Training-induced changes in EF were linked to changes in DTC when walking while performing a cognitive task but not when walking while performing a motor task.

Video abstract: For more insights from the authors Supplemental Digital Content available at http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A485.

The neck can be implicated in dizziness via several, separate, discreet mechanisms. Proprioceptive cervicogenic dizziness (CGD) is the most common and reflects the cervical spine's important role, along with visual and vestibular input, for sensorimotor control. Impaired cervical proprioception can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, unsteadiness, visual disturbances, and altered sensorimotor control, and treatment directed toward cervical musculoskeletal and sensorimotor control is efficacious to improve this in individuals with cervical musculoskeletal disorders. Despite this, CGD is difficult to diagnose. Many people present with both neck pain and dizziness, and often the onset of both follows head and neck trauma, but neither necessarily implicate the neck as the cause of dizziness. Further, people often present with mixed forms of dizziness. Thus, rather than diagnosing CGD, it might be more important to consider the potential for the neck to have no (nil, co-morbid cervical condition) or some (minor, major, or compensatory) role in dizziness. Determining the precise role of the cervical spine role in dizziness requires a skilled interview and examination for cervical musculoskeletal and related sensorimotor impairments and relevant testing of other potential causes. A combination and cluster of test outcomes in addition to comparing responses to specific tests when the cervical afferents are stimulated and not stimulated will be important. Considering the role of the neck in dizziness will allow a balanced approach in assessment and management to allow timely, effective intervention to be provided to the large number of individuals presenting with neck pain and dizziness (Supplemental Digital Content, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A484).

Background and purpose: Despite the frequency of concern about falling (CAF) and fear of falling (FOF) in multiple sclerosis (MS), there remains a lack of clarity between FOF and CAF, though persons with MS have indicated that CAF and FOF are distinct constructs. Our team previously developed and validated a new questionnaire, the Concern and Fear of Falling Evaluation (CAFFE), to assess these concepts. This study aimed to examine CAF and FOF prevalence, and determine relationships among CAF, FOF, and self-reported motor, cognitive, and psychological function in MS relapsing (RRMS) and progressive (PMS) subtypes.

Methods: In a single online survey, participants with MS completed questions about CAF and FOF, demographic information, the CAFFE, and self-report measures of motor, cognitive, and psychological function.

Results: A total of 912 individuals completed the survey. Persons with PMS reported greater CAF (80.1%) and FOF (59.1%) than those with RRMS (57.0% and 41.6%, respectively). Persons with PMS endorsing FOF (yes/no) reported greater FOF on the CAFFE, greater avoidance behavior, greater walking impairment, and poorer motor function than people with RRMS (P < 0.001). Self-reported motor function, walking impairment, and avoidance behavior were highly correlated to the CAFFE across the overall sample (P < 0.001).

Discussions and conclusions: These findings underscore the disparity between CAF and FOF, emphasize the importance of evaluating CAF and FOF in MS subtypes separately, and highlight both motor and non-motor factors contributing to CAF and FOF. Future work should focus on interventions that incorporate motor, cognitive, and psychological components to address CAF and FOF.

Video abstract: for more insights from the authors Supplemental Digital Content available at http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A481.

Background and purpose: Implantable vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with volitional upper extremity rehabilitation can improve impairment and function among moderately to severely impaired, chronic stroke survivors. This study is a retrospective analysis of the in-clinic rehabilitation phase of the blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized pivotal VNS-REHAB trial to determine whether dosing parameters during in-clinic paired VNS therapy were associated with responder status and whether covariates might impact that determination.

Methods: Data were limited to 53 participants in the active VNS group who had received VNS implants prior to undergoing 6 weeks of in-clinic rehabilitation paired with VNS. Tasks were standardized across all participants. Dosing parameters included number of stimulations and task time. The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Assessment (FMA-UE), evaluated at the end of 6 weeks (Post-1). Participants were classified a priori as responders based on an improvement of ≥6 points on the FMA-UE from baseline to Post-1.

Results: Dosing parameters were not associated with FMA-UE responder status at the end of 6 weeks. Covariates including age, gender, paretic hand, baseline severity, and chronicity of stroke were also not significant associations of response.

Discussion and conclusions: While responders to VNS could be defined, therapy dosing and participant attributes did not provide greater specification for association of responder status. Limitations of this study include small sample size and non-linearity of the FMA-UE. Future studies will include reassessing responder categorization using more linear scales and examining stroke lesion characteristics to determine whether these measures are more sensitive to dosing parameters.

Video abstract available: for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink).

Background and purpose: Sport-specific training may improve postural control, while repetitive head acceleration events (RHAEs) may compromise it. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying postural control may contextualize changes due to training and RHAE. The goal of this study was to determine whether postural sway during the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is related to white matter organization (WMO) in collegiate athletes.

Methods: Collegiate soccer ( N = 33) and non-soccer athletes ( N = 44) completed BESS and diffusion tensor imaging. Postural sway during each BESS stance, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) were extracted for each participant. Partial least squares analyses determined group differences in postural sway and WMO and the relationship between postural sway and WMO in soccer and non-soccer athletes separately.

Results: Soccer athletes displayed better performance during BESS 6, with lower FA and higher MD in the medial lemniscus (ML) and inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP), compared to non-soccer athletes. In soccer athletes, lower sway during BESS 2, 5, and 6 was associated with higher FA and lower MD in the corticospinal tract, ML, and ICP. In non-soccer athletes, lower sway during BESS 2 and 4 was associated with higher FA and lower MD in the ML and ICP. BESS 1 was associated with higher FA, and BESS 3 was associated with lower MD in the same tracts in non-soccer athletes.

Discussion and conclusions: Soccer and non-soccer athletes showed unique relationships between sway and WMO, suggesting that sport-specific exposures are partly responsible for changes in neurological structure and accompanying postural control performance and should be considered when evaluating postural control after injury.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A472 ).

Background and purpose: Exercise is beneficial for persons with Parkinson disease (PwPD). The overarching purpose of this scoping review was to provide guidance to clinicians and scientists regarding current evidence for bicycling exercise for PwPD. A scoping review was conducted to examine the heterogeneous literature on stationary bicycling for PwPD to reduce motor symptoms and body function structure impairments, improve activities and motor performance, and reduce disease severity.

Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed. PubMed, CINAHL, and PEDro were searched from inception to January 23, 2023. Articles reporting original data on relevant outcome measures were included. Search results were screened and articles were extracted. Data were analyzed quantitatively with percentages of significant and clinically meaningful findings and qualitatively to extract themes.

Results: Bicycling was categorized using bicycle types (assisted, nonassisted) and training modes (speed, aerobic, force). A high percentage of the 34 studies showed statistical significance for reducing motor symptoms (83%), body function structure impairments (78%), disease severity (82%), and improving activities (gait 72%, balance 60%). Clinically meaningful findings were achieved in 71% of the studies for reduction in disease severity and in 50% for improving gait.

Discussion and conclusions: The literature on bicycling for PwPD has evolved from speed to aerobic studies. The terminology describing types of bicycling was simplified. Of all the outcomes reported, reduction of disease severity achieved the highest frequency of clinical meaningful improvements. Bicycling was comparable with other forms of aerobic training for walking speed and endurance. Opportunities for translation to practice and research are presented.

Background and purpose: Rehabilitation professionals use subjective and objective outcome measures to assess stroke-related impact and impairment. Understanding if subjective and objective findings correlate among stroke survivors, especially if these associations differ between females and males, can inform care decisions.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional design was used, with data selected from subacute to chronic stroke survivors on age, time since stroke, the hand domain from the Stroke Impact Scale version 3.0 (SIS-H), and the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (FMUE) Assessment. Group differences were assessed for all outcomes based on sex and time poststroke. Separate correlations for females and males were performed between the subjective (SIS-H) and objective measures (FMUE) of upper limb function and impairment.

Results: Data from 148 participants (44 females) were included in this study. SIS-H was significantly correlated with FMUE in both females and males ( P s ≤ 0.001). No significant differences were found between the groups' mean SIS-H or FMUE scores based on sex or time poststroke.

Discussion and conclusions: Subjective and objective measures of physical functioning were correlated in both females and males. Although we found no sex differences in our primary outcomes, the sample size of females was disproportionately lower than the males. This is consistent with an ongoing problem in the stroke recovery research field, where females are often underrepresented and understudied, and where females who experience higher levels of impairment are less likely to participate in research.

Background and purpose: Reactive balance training improves reactive postural control in people with Parkinson disease (PwPD). However, the extent to which reactive balance training generalizes to a novel, unpracticed reactive balance task is unknown. This study aimed to determine whether reactive training stepping through support surface translations can be generalized to an unpracticed, instrumented tether-release task.

Methods: Twenty-five PwPD (70.52 years ± 7.15; Hoehn and Yahr range 1-3) completed a multiple baseline, open-label, uncontrolled pre-post intervention study. Stepping was trained through a 2-week (6-session) intervention with repeated support surface translations. Performance on an untrained tether-release task (generalization task) was measured at 2 baseline assessments (B1 and B2, 2 weeks apart), immediately after the intervention (P1), and 2 months after training (P2). The tether-release task outcomes were the anterior-posterior margin of stability (MOS), step length, and step latency during backward and forward steps.

Results: After support surface translation practice, tether-release stepping performance improved in MOS, step length, and step latency for both backward and forward steps compared to baseline ( P < 0.05). Improvements in MOS and step length during backward and forward steps in the tether-release task, respectively, were related to stepping changes in the practiced task. However, the improvements in the generalization task were not retained for 2 months.

Discussion and conclusions: These findings support short-term generalization from trained balance tasks to novel, untrained tasks. These findings contribute to our understanding of the effects and generalization of reactive step training in PwPD.

Video abstract available: for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content available at http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A465 ).