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Background: Various neurorehabilitation programs have been developed to promote recovery from motor impairment of upper extremities. However, the response of patients with chronic-phase stroke varies greatly. Prediction of the treatment response is important to provide appropriate and efficient rehabilitation. This study aimed to clarify whether clinical assessments, such as motor impairments and somatosensory deficits, before treatment could predict the treatment response in neurorehabilitation. Methods: The data from patients who underwent neurorehabilitation using closed-loop electromyography (EMG)-controlled neuromuscular electrical stimulation were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 66 patients with chronic-phase stroke with moderate to severe paralysis were included. The changes from baseline in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) and the Motor Activity Log-14 (MAL-14) of amount of use (AOU) and quality of movement (QOM) were used to assess treatment response, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using the extracted candidate predictors, such as baseline clinical assessments, to identify predictors of FMA-UE and MAL-14 improvement. Results: FMA-UE and MAL-14 scores improved significantly after the intervention (FMA-UE p < 0.01, AOU p < 0.01, QOM p < 0.01). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, tactile sensory (p = 0.043) and hand function (p = 0.030) were both identified as significant predictors of FMA-UE improvement, tactile sensory (p = 0.047) was a significant predictor of AOU improvement, and hand function (p = 0.026) was a significant predictor of QOM improvement. The regression equations explained 71.2% of the variance in the improvement of FMA-UE, 69.7% of AOU, and 69.7% of QOM. Conclusion: Both motor and tactile sensory impairments predict improvement in motor function, tactile sensory impairment predicts improvement in the amount of paralytic hand use, and motor impairment predicts improvement in the quality of paralytic hand use following neurorehabilitation treatment in patients with moderate to severe paralysis in chronic-phase stroke. These findings may help select the appropriate treatment for patients with more severe paralysis and to maximize the treatment effect.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a single-center retrospective cohort study with a university hospital setting. PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the short-term course of physical function and walking ability after intramedullary spinal cord tumor (ISCT) resection and predict walking independence 1 year after surgery. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Although several reports have shown the postoperative functional prognosis of spinal intramedullary tumors with long-term follow-up, no reports have identified the predictors associated with the functional outcome at an early stage. METHODS: A total of 79 individuals who underwent ISCT resection at our institute between 2014 and 2019 were enrolled in the study, whose preoperative walking state was independent ambulator regardless of cane support with the Functional Independence Measure Locomotor Scale (FIM-L) score of ≥6. The FIM-L, the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor and sensory scores in the lower extremities, and the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCI II) were assessed for walking independence, lower-limb function, and walking ability, respectively. These evaluations were performed at 4 time points: preoperatively, 1 week (1W), 2 weeks (2W), and 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: In the early phase after surgery, 71% and 43% of the participants were nonindependent ambulators at 1W and 2W, respectively. Histopathology indicated that patients with solid tumors (ependymoma, astrocytoma, or lipoma) showed significantly lower indices at 1W and 2W than those with vascular tumors (hemangioblastoma or cavernous hemangioma). Regarding tumor location, thoracic cases exhibited poorer lower-limb function at 1W and 2W and poorer walking ability at 2W than cervical cases. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, 2 WISCI II points at 2W had the highest sensitivity (100%) and specificity (92.2%) in predicting the level of walking independence at 1 year postoperatively (the area under the ROC curve was 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.00). CONCLUSIONS: The higher the lower-limb function scores in the early phase, the better the improvement in walking ability is predicted 1 year after ISCT resection.

PURPOSE: In patients with esophageal cancer, skeletal muscle mass has been reported to decrease progressively after surgery and be independently associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate perioperative changes in dysphagia, oral intake status, and nutritional status and identify factors related to sarcopenia 6 months after esophagectomy. METHODS: A total of 134 patients who underwent radical resection for thoracic esophageal cancer between March 2016 and July 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made by CT taken 6 months postoperatively using the cut-off criteria of skeletal muscle index (SMI) < 52.4 cm2/m2 for male and SMI < 38.5 cm2/m2 for female patients. As factors related to postoperative sarcopenia, dysphagia, oral intake status, nutritional status, and physical function were extracted from the medical records. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify perioperative risk factors related to sarcopenia 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Of the 134 patients, 34.3% were judged to be unable to start oral intake on swallowing assessment. At discharge, 30.6% received tube feeding with or without oral intake. In the non-oral intake group on swallowing assessment, a significantly higher proportion of patients received tube feeding at discharge (p = 0.014). Preoperative BMI, postoperative handgrip strength, and tube feeding at discharge were independent risk factors for sarcopenia 6 months after esophagectomy in male patients. CONCLUSION: Tube feeding at discharge is significantly related to postoperative sarcopenia in patients with esophageal cancer. Identifying high-risk groups might allow early detection of malnutrition and provision of appropriate care.

BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation for unilateral spatial neglect (USN) using prism adaptation (PA) is one of the most widely used methods, and the effectiveness of PA is well-evidenced. Although the effect of PA generalized various neglect symptoms, the effectiveness for some aspects of neglect is not fully proven. The Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS) was developed to identify problems with the activities of daily living (ADL) caused by USN. The CBS is composed of 10 observation assessments and a self-assessment questionnaire. To assess the self-awareness of USN, the anosognosia score is calculated as the difference between the observational scores and the self-assessment scores. To investigate how PA affects ADL and self-awareness in subacute USN patients during rehabilitation, we analyzed each item of the CBS and self-awareness from a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) that we previously conducted (Mizuno et al., 2011). METHODS: A double-masked randomized, controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of a 2-week PA therapy on USN in 8 hospitals in Japan. We compared each item of the CBS, anosognosia score, and absolute value of the anosognosia score between the prism group and the control group. RESULTS: Two of ten items (gaze orientation and exploration of personal belongings) were significantly improved in the prism group compared with those in the control group. The absolute value of the anosognosia score was significantly improved by PA. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement of oculomotor exploration by PA may generalize the behavioral level in a daily living environment. This study suggested that PA could accelerate the self-awareness of neglect during subacute rehabilitation.

Objective: To establish a stress testing protocol for hemiplegic persons using graded bridging activity at the rates of 3 to 24 repetitions per minute. Design: Paired comparisons of exercise parameters and admission and discharge data between hemiplegic and control groups. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation program of a tertiary rehabilitation center in Japan. Patients: (1) Preliminary study: five hemiplegic patients. (2) Comparison with normal subjects. 39 hemiplegic patients and 10 age-matched controls. (3) Study of reproducibility five hemiplegic patients and five controls. (4) Longitudinal changes 30 hemiplegic patients. Main Outcome Measures: Oxygen consumption (Vo2), heart rate (HR), and HR oxygen coefficient (regression coefficient between HR and Vo2). Results: The testing protocol was applicable to 88.6% of hemiplegic patients. The relationship between HR and Vo2 was linear, and HR oxygen coefficient was significantly lower in hemiplegic patients than the controls. The intraclass correlation coefficients were greater than 0.7 for Vo2, HR, and HR oxygen coefficient, indicating satisfactory reproducibility HR decreased longitudinally for the same stress levels and the HR oxygen coefficient increased, indicating improved fitness level. Conclusions: The bridging activity protocol is a useful mode for stress-testing hemiplegic persons. The linearity between HR and VO2 with this protocol allows us to use the indices of fitness obtainable from this relationship.

The Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM(TM)) instrument was developed, based on the FIM(TM) instrument, to assess disability in children aged 6 mo to 7 yr. Normative data are reported for American and Japanese children, and it is increasingly used for the disabled. Our purpose was to confirm scale quality and to determine the difficulty pattern of the WeeFIM in Japan. The WeeFIM was measured in 225 children (113 girls and 112 boys) aged 6 mo to 7 yr without developmental delays. The scores were converted to an interval scale by Rasch analysis, which assumes unidimensionality of the measurement items, determines the degree of the fit to the assumption, and decides item difficulty. When the WeeFIM items were divided into two groups of motor and cognitive items to minimize misfit, the degree of misfit was acceptable, except for eating, bladder management, tub/shower transfer, and comprehension. For the motor items, grooming, bathing, and bladder control were more difficult, and stairs, bed/chair transfer, and walk or wheelchair were easier. Concerning the cognitive items, expression and comprehension were easier, and problem-solving was most difficult. When we compared item difficulty patterns in the four age groups (6-21 mo, 22-45 mo, 46-62 mo, and 63-100 mo), we found no differences, except in toilet transfer. It was more difficult for younger children, possibly because of its different pattern of chronological change, which shows rapid changes from dependent to independent levels over a short period of time. Our study confirmed the scale quality of the WeeFIM instrument with Rasch analysis and demonstrated the difficulty pattern of the WeeFIM in nondisabled Japanese children.

The difficulty patterns of FIM (Functional Independence Measure) in Japan were determined and compared with patterns found in the United States to assess whether FIM can be used for worldwide comparisons of ADL (the activities of daily living). The FIM was measured for 190 stroke patients in several hospitals throughout Japan. The scores at admission and discharge were converted to an interval scale by Rasch analysis. Right and left brain lesion patients were analyzed separately. The FIM items were divided into two groups: motor items and cognitive items to minimize misfit. A degree of misfit was acceptable, except for bowel and bladder management, stairs, bathing, and expression. Motor items, eating, and bowel and bladder management were the easiest; stairs, bathing, and tub/shower transfers were the most difficult. The difficulty patterns of patients with left and right hemisphere lesions were almost identical. Bathing and tub/shower transfer were more difficult for Japanese patients than for those studied in the United States. Concerning the cognitive items, expression was easiest for patients with right hemisphere lesions but most difficult for those with left hemisphere lesions. Social interaction was easier for Japanese patients with left hemisphere lesions than the other patients. The item difficulty patterns in Japan differs slightly from those in the United States because of cultural differences. As countries show different patterns of difficulty, we must be careful when making international comparisons of FIM data converted by Rasch analysis.

Although electromyography and electrodiagnosis (EMG-EDX) is one of the most fundamental skills in rehabilitation medicine, the number of residency programs that can provide comprehensive postgraduate EMG-EDX training is still limited in Japan. Under these circumstances, we started a 2-day primer course in EMG-EDX at Keio University Hospital in 1998. To review our 7-year experience with the course, we analyzed the number and specialty of the participants, their appraisal of the lectures and practical sessions, and the score distribution of the final examination. The number of participants totaled 288 during the past 7 years, and the mean number for each year was 41. The distribution by specialty for the whole period was 64.0% for rehabilitation medicine, 25.4% for orthopedic surgery, 5.1% for neurology, 1.0% for pediatrics, 0.5% for gerontology and 4.1% for physical therapists and occupational therapists. The difficulty levels of the lectures were judged as appropriate by 81 to 95.5% of the participants, and the presentation was judged as good by 34 to 67% of them. For the practice sessions, the difficulty levels were judged as appropriate by 88% of the participants, and the quality of the supervisors was judged as good by 64% of them. The mean score for the final examination was 56.0 (SD 15.2, median 60). In conclusion, our course has played an important role to promote EMG-EDX in our country by providing compact introductory exposure to EMG-EDX for beginners. A follow-up system for the course graduates is planned to support their EMG-EDX practice.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measurement tool, the Cancer Functional Assessment Set (cFAS). DESIGN: A total of 119 inpatients with cancer participated in this prospective cohort study. This study took place in three phases: (1) item generation, literature search, and a round-table discussion by 32 rehabilitation specialists; (2) item reduction and selection of appropriate items from the first item pool; and (3) evaluation of psychometric properties. Concurrent validity (Spearman correlation coefficients with existing scales), internal reliability (Cronbach coefficient alpha), interrater reliability (weighted kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficient), cross-validation, and responsiveness (standardized response mean values) were examined. RESULTS: The cFAS consisted of 24 items. Significant correlations were found between the cFAS and existing scales. Cronbach α for the total score was 0.92. Weighted κ values for each item ranged from 0.74 to 1.00. The intraclass correlation for the total score was 0.97. Concurrent validity and internal consistency were similar at two different hospitals. The cFAS was more responsive to changes than the other tools. CONCLUSIONS: The cFAS has acceptable psychometric properties, supporting its broad generalizability. It can be a useful tool in clinical trials and can contribute to the development of cancer rehabilitation. Copyright © 2014 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Objective: To study the activities of daily living (ADL) structure of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Design: Cross-sectional survey. Subjects: Seventy-two patients with DMD (mean [SD] age, 17.2 [8.1] years), recruited in 160-bed regional center for neuromuscular disease. Methods: We assessed 72 participants with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM SM), and determined the difficulty order of the FIMSM items with the percentage of patients who were independent (6 or 7) for each FIM item (% independence). Results: The ADL of patients with DMD had an order in terms of difficulty. For the motor subscale, the most difficult item was stairs, and the easiest item was locomotion. On the cognitive subscale, problem solving was the most difficult item. When we compared item difficulty between patients <15 years of age and those ≥ 15 years, the % independence was lower in the older age group for all motor items. The decrease in the % independence of the eating item with age was significant; however bladder management was well maintained. Conclusions: ADL of patients with DMD has a specific difficulty order. The order of difficulty is based on the relative level of independence/dependence. The difficulty order was maintained, although the structure of ADL changed with age.

Objective: Brain-computer interface technology has been applied to stroke patients to improve their motor function. Event-related desynchronization during motor imagery, which is used as a brain-computer interface trigger, is sometimes difficult to detect in stroke patients. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is known to increase event-related desynchronization. This study investigated the adjunctive effect of anodal tDCS for brain-computer interface training in patients with severe hemiparesis. Subjects: Eighteen patients with chronic stroke. Design: A non-randomized controlled study. Methods: Subjects were divided between a brain-computer interface group and a tDCS-brain-computer interface group and participated in a 10-day brain-computer interface training. Event-related desynchronization was detected in the affected hemisphere during motor imagery of the affected fingers. The tDCS-brain-computer interface group received anodal tDCS before brain-computer interface training. Event-related desynchronization was evaluated before and after the intervention. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment upper extremity motor score (FM-U) was assessed before, immediately after, and 3 months after, the intervention. Results: Event-related desynchronization was significantly increased in the tDCS-brain-computer interface group. The FM-U was significantly increased in both groups. The FM-U improvement was maintained at 3 months in the tDCS brain-computer interface group. Conclusion: Anodal tDCS can be a conditioning tool for brain-computer interface training in patients with severe hemiparetic stroke.

© 2017 American Cancer Society BACKGROUND: Cachexia, described as weight loss (mainly in lean body mass [LBM]) and anorexia, is common in patients with advanced cancer. This study examined the efficacy and safety of anamorelin (ONO-7643), a novel selective ghrelin receptor agonist, in Japanese cancer patients with cachexia. METHODS: This double-blind clinical trial (ONO-7643-04) enrolled 174 patients with unresectable stage III/IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and cachexia in Japan. Patients were randomized to daily oral anamorelin (100 mg) or a placebo for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change from the baseline LBM (measured with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) over 12 weeks. The secondary endpoints were changes in appetite, body weight, quality of life, handgrip strength (HGS), and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) results. RESULTS: The least squares mean change (plus or minus the standard error) in LBM from the baseline over 12 weeks was 1.38 ± 0.18 and −0.17 ± 0.17 kg in the anamorelin and placebo groups, respectively (P <.0001). Changes from the baseline in LBM, body weight, and anorexia symptoms showed significant differences between the 2 treatment groups at all time points. Anamorelin increased prealbumin at weeks 3 and 9. No changes in HGS or 6MWT were detected between the groups. Twelve weeks' treatment with anamorelin was safe and well tolerated in NSCLC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Anamorelin significantly increased LBM and improved anorexia symptoms and the nutritional state, but not motor function, in Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC. Because no effective treatment for cancer cachexia is currently available, anamorelin can be a beneficial treatment option. Cancer 2018;124:606-16. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd We investigated the difference in relationship between muscle strength and quality of life (QOL)/fatigue in long-term cancer survivors and healthy subjects. Thirty-six cancer survivors and 29 healthy subjects were assessed for body composition and bone status at the calcaneus using the Osteo Sono Assessment Index. Muscle strength was evaluated via handgrip and knee extensor strength. Health-related QOL was assessed using the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Fatigue was measured using the brief fatigue inventory. Cancer survivors exhibited lower QOL scores in the physical functioning, physical role function, bodily pain and general health domains (p <.05). Grip and knee extension muscle strength in cancer survivors was positively correlated with the physical function and bodily pain of QOL (p <.05). The usual fatigue subscale score was only significantly higher in cancer survivors than in healthy subjects (p <.05). However, there were no correlations between muscle strength and fatigue in cancer survivors. Our results showed that muscle strength was an important factor for improving QOL in cancer survivors. We believe that the findings of this study will be relevant in the context of planning rehabilitation for cancer survivors.

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Background: Cancer survivors experience late and long-term effects of treatment; also, the disease itself might be responsible for persisting functional impairments. The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle strength, balance function using the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test and Timed Up and Go test with single and cognitive dual tasks and body sway in breast cancer survivors and healthy women and non-breast cancer survivors and healthy participants. Methods: Twenty-six cancer survivors and 19 healthy participants were assessed for grip and knee extension strength with the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test, Timed Up and Go, and body sway test performance. Findings: Breast cancer survivors had significantly lower hand grip strength (p < .05) and Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores than healthy women (p < .05). Additionally, in breast cancer survivors, hand grip strength had a significant relationship with Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test and Timed Up and Go scores (p < .05) but had no relationship with the total center of pressure length. Hand grip strength and Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores were not significantly different in non-breast cancer survivors and healthy participants. In non-breast cancer survivors, knee extension strength had a significant relationship with the Timed Up and Go scores (p < .05). Interpretation: The relationship between muscle strength and balance function may be characterized by the different diagnoses in cancer survivors. The current findings showed the changes in balance function and muscle strength among cancer survivors.