Progress in rehabilitation medicine最新文献

Background: This case report describes the successful management of rehabilitation therapy for a hematological malignancy patient who was receiving chemotherapy and had coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Case: A 76-year-old man receiving chemotherapy for relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (MM) presented to our hospital with fever and dyspnea and was hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Physical therapy (20 min/day, 5 days/week) was started on day 6 of hospitalization while the patient was receiving oxygen therapy. Conditioning exercises and movement exercises were performed in an isolation room, and blood counts, fracture susceptibility, and respiratory status were monitored. The patient was severely immunocompromised and required 34 days of isolation due to persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Physical function was assessed by manual muscle testing of the lower extremities and by the extent of lower extremity fatigue and dyspnea on exertion, as assessed using the Borg scale. Motor capacity was assessed using the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI) score and the Barthel Index (BI). Muscle weakness and severe dyspnea developed 4 days after physical therapy was started. However, physical therapy led to improvements in DEMMI score and BI. The patient was discharged home on day 43 with home medical care.

Discussion: Careful management of MM and COVID-19 facilitated safe treatment with physical therapy. The patient's physical function improved with a carefully planned physical therapy program. Moreover, the patient required prolonged isolation due to persistent viral shedding; however, as a result of the treatment, which was coordinated between physicians and nurses, the patient could be discharged home.

Objectives: Increased long-term impairment is common among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. However, predictors of activities of daily living (ADL) in ICU survivors are poorly understood. We aimed to focus on the trajectory of physical function and explore the clinical variables that affect ADL at hospital discharge.

Methods: We enrolled 411 patients admitted to the ICU from April 2018 to October 2020. Physical function was evaluated at ICU admission, ICU discharge, and hospital discharge. We assessed physical function (grip strength, arm and calf circumference, quadriceps thickness, and Barthel index). Patients were assigned to the high or low ADL group based on their Barthel index at discharge. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to minimize selection biases and differences in clinical characteristics.

Results: After matching propensity scores, 114 of the 411 patients (aged 65±15 years) were evaluated. The high ADL group showed better physical function at ICU discharge and hospital discharge than the low ADL group. An overall decreasing trend in muscle mass was observed over time; the rates of decline were lower in the high ADL group than in the low ADL group. The cutoff values for relative changes in calf circumference and quadriceps thickness to predict high ADL were -7.89% (sensitivity: 77.8%, specificity: 55.6%) and -28.1% (sensitivity: 81.0%, specificity: 58.8%), respectively.

Conclusions: The relative decreases in calf circumference and quadriceps thickness during hospitalization were lower in patients who maintained their ADL. Assessment of the trajectory of physical function can predict ADL status at hospital discharge among ICU survivors.

Objectives: This study compared the balance function in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with their balance function after subsequent training sessions with a Balance Exercise Assist Robot (BEAR).

Methods: In this prospective observational study, inpatients who underwent allo-HSCT from human leukocyte antigen-mismatched relatives were enrolled from December 2015 to October 2017. Patients were allowed to leave their clean room after allo-HSCT and underwent balance exercise training using the BEAR. Sessions (20-40 min) were performed 5 days per week and consisted of three games that were performed four times each. A total of 15 sessions were performed by each patient. Patient balance function was assessed before BEAR therapy according to the mini-balance evaluation systems test (mini-BESTest), and patients were divided into two groups (Low and High) based on a 70% cut-off value for the total mini-BESTest score. Patient balance was also assessed after BEAR therapy.

Results: Fourteen patients providing written informed consent fulfilled the protocol: six patients in the Low group, and eight patients in the High group. In the Low group, there was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-evaluations in postural response, which a sub-item of the mini-BESTest. In the High group, there was no significant difference between pre- and post-evaluations in the mini-BESTest.

Conclusions: BEAR sessions improve balance function in patients undergoing allo-HSCT.

Background: Palatal augmentation prosthesis (PAP) and palatal lift prosthesis (PLP) have been used to improve dysphagia and dysarthria. However, to date, there are few reports on their combined use. We report a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of a flexible-palatal lift/augmentation combination prosthesis (fPL/ACP) based on videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and speech intelligibility testing.

Case: An 83-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a hip fracture. She developed aspiration pneumonia at 1 month after partial hip replacement. Oral motor function tests revealed a motor deficit of the tongue and soft palate. VFSS showed delayed oral transit, nasopharyngeal reflux, and excessive pharyngeal residue. The cause of her dysphagia was assumed to be pre-existing diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and sarcopenia. To improve the dysphagia, an fPL/ACP was fabricated and applied. It improved the patient's oral and pharyngeal swallowing and speech intelligibility. In addition to prosthetic treatment, rehabilitation and nutritional support allowed her to be discharged.

Discussion: The effects of fPL/ACP in the present case were similar to those of flexible-PLP and PAP. f-PLP assists in elevation of the soft palate and improved the nasopharyngeal reflux and hypernasal speech. PAP promotes tongue movement and results in improved oral transit and speech intelligibility. Therefore, fPL/ACP may be effective in patients with motor deficits in both the tongue and soft palate. To maximize the effect of the intraoral prosthesis, a transdisciplinary approach with concurrent swallowing rehabilitation, nutritional support, and physical and occupational therapy is necessary.

Recent technological advances in non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) have led to the development of therapies for post-stroke upper extremity paralysis. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a NIBS technique, controls regional activity by non-invasively stimulating selected areas of the cerebral cortex. The therapeutic principle by which rTMS is thought to work is the correction of interhemispheric inhibition imbalances. The guidelines for rTMS for post-stroke upper limb paralysis have graded it as a highly effective treatment, and, based on functional brain imaging and neurophysiological testing, it has been shown to result in progress toward normalization. Our research group has published many reports showing improvement in upper limb function after administration of the NovEl Intervention Using Repetitive TMS and intensive one-to-one therapy (NEURO), demonstrating its safety and efficacy. Based on the findings to date, rTMS should be considered as a treatment strategy based on a functional assessment of the severity of upper extremity paralysis (Fugl-Meyer Assessment), and NEURO should be combined with pharmacotherapy, botulinum treatment, and extracorporeal shockwave therapy to maximize therapeutic effects. In the future, it will be important to establish tailormade treatments in which stimulation frequency and sites are adjusted according to the pathological conditions of interhemispheric imbalance, as revealed by functional brain imaging.

Background: Transcutaneous electrical sensory nerve stimulation (TESS) is used to enhance the recovery of sensorimotor function in post-stroke hemiparesis. However, TESS efficacy for post-stroke gait disturbance remains unknown. We hypothesized that TESS on the area innervated by the tibial nerve, targeting the superficial plantar sensation, combined with gait training would improve gait function in patients with gait disturbance caused by severe superficial sensory disturbance after stroke.

Case: A 42-year-old man was referred to the convalescent rehabilitation hospital 4 months after a left pontine hemorrhage. He showed severe superficial sensory disturbance without motor paresis in the right lower leg and planta pedis. Gait training with TESS on the tibial nerve innervated area was performed, targeting plantar sensation according to an N-of-1 study design of a single-case ABCAB that included two 10-min sessions of gait training without TESS (phase A), two gait training sessions with TESS targeting the right plantar sensation (phase B), and one session with TESS targeting the upper leg sensation as control (phase C). The patient showed increased gait distance and stride length, improved superficial sensation on the right planta pedis, and improved balance after phase B, but not after phases A and C.

Discussion: Gait training with TESS on the tibial nerve innervated area improved gait ability, superficial plantar sensation on the targeted side, and balance function in a post-stroke patient with sensory disturbance. Gait training with TESS may be effective for gait dysfunction caused by sensory disturbance in patients with central nervous system disorders.

Objectives: : To ease the burden on care facilities, there is a need to reduce the number of frail older people with multiple chronic and non-communicable diseases (multimorbidity) that require long-term care. We investigated the effects of therapeutic exercise in rehabilitation treatment for older individuals with frailty and multimorbidity.

Methods: : We performed 4 weeks of inpatient rehabilitation treatment for frail older patients with multimorbidity. The therapeutic exercise was performed based on whole-body evaluations by qualified physiatrists and physiotherapists. Sixty-minute sessions were conducted twice a day and six times a week in accordance with the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. Physical functions (grip strength, isometric lower muscle strength, 10-m walking test, and 6-min walking test) were measured at admission and discharge.

Results: : Of the 33 patients, 8 were unable to complete physical function evaluations, and 1 patient had a stress fracture of the right calcaneus beyond the rehabilitation time. Twenty-four patients were included in the analysis. Compared to the admission period, significant improvements were observed for all evaluated parameters post-therapy (P < 0.05). However, no significant correlation was found between the number of chronic diseases and changes to physical function (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: : Physical function of frail older individuals with multimorbidity improves through rehabilitation treatments supervised by physiatrists and physiotherapists. The number of chronic illnesses and the improvements in physical function were not related. Therefore, rehabilitation treatments for older patients may target both frailty and multimorbidity. Our results will aid in the rehabilitation treatment plans for this demographic.

Background: : Walking disability caused by central nervous system injury often lingers. In the chronic phase, there is great need to improve walking speed and gait, even for patients who walk independently. Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) has been widely used, but few studies have focused on improving gait patterns, and its effectiveness for motor function has been limited. This report describes the combination of "RAGT to learn the gait pattern" and "ankle robot training to improve motor function" in a patient with chronic stage brain injury.

Case: : A 34-year-old woman suffered a traumatic brain injury 5 years ago. She had residual right hemiplegia [Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity (FMA-LE): 18 points] and mild sensory impairment, but she walked independently with a short leg brace and a cane. Her comfortable gait speed was 0.57 m/s without an orthosis, and her 6-m walk test distance was 240 m. The Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool (G.A.I.T.) score was 35 points. After hospitalization, ankle robot training was performed daily, with RAGT performed 10 times in total. Post-intervention evaluation performed on Day 28 showed: FMA-LE, 23 points; comfortable walking speed, 0.69 m/s; G.A.I.T., 27 points; and three-dimensional motion analysis showed ankle dorsiflexion improved from 3.22° to 12.59° and knee flexion improved from 1.75° to 16.54° in the swing phase.

Discussion: : This is one of few studies to have examined the combination of two robots. Combining the features of each robot improved the gait pattern and motor function, even in the chronic phase.

Objectives: This study explored the relationship between clinical severity of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) and ulnar nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) by ultrasound examination to identify appropriate measurement sites for UNE diagnosis and evaluation.

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we examined the arms of 37 patients diagnosed with UNE and those of 34 individuals as controls. The ulnar nerve CSAs were measured at 2 cm distal to the tip of the medial epicondyle (dME), the tip of the medial epicondyle (ME), 2 cm proximal to the tip of the medial epicondyle (pME), and any site showing the maximum CSA between the dME and pME (largest dpME). The modified McGowan classification (grades I, IIA, IIB, and III) was used to rate the clinical severity of UNE.

Results: For all sites, the CSAs were significantly correlated with clinical severity. The sites showing the maximum CSA were inconsistent between controls and grade IIA patients. Grade IIB patients showed the largest CSA at the ME in the majority of patients. In grade III patients, maximum CSA occurred only at the ME.

Conclusions: Serial assessment to detect nerve enlargement at multiple sites was beneficial for mild UNE patients with weakness of the ulnar distal muscles with Medical Research Council (MRC) score of 4 or higher (grade IIA). For severe UNE patients with weakness of the ulnar distal muscles classified as MRC3 or less (grades IIB, III), the most efficient method for detecting enlarged nerves was to initially measure the CSA at the ME.

Objectives: This study investigated the factors contributing to complete oral intake (COI) in dysphagic stroke patients with enteral feeding tubes in the local clinical setting.

Methods: Data of patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) or nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding on admission to convalescent rehabilitation wards (CRWs) were extracted from the Kaga Regional Cooperation Clinical Pathway for Stroke database for multiple centers including 19 acute care hospitals and 11 hospitals with CRWs. Patients were divided into two groups based on their status regarding COI or incomplete oral intake (ICOI) at discharge. Logistic regression analysis with forced-entry variables was used to identify factors contributing to COI.

Results: On discharge from CRWs, COI and ICOI were observed in 140 and 207 cases, respectively. The COI group was younger, had a higher rate of initial stroke, higher Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores, higher Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor and cognitive scores, higher Body Mass Index (BMI), lower rate of patients with PEG, and shorter stays in acute care wards. Logistic regression analysis with forced entry revealed that younger age; initial stroke; higher FOIS score, FIM cognitive score, and BMI; and shorter stay in the acute care ward contributed to COI.

Conclusions: The primary factors contributing to COI in dysphagic stroke patients with enteral feeding tubes were younger age, initial stroke, higher swallowing and cognitive function, good nutritional status, and shorter stay in the acute care ward.