This first annual report provides a description of patients discharged from rehabilitation facilities in Korea based on secondary data analysis of Korean Brain Rehabilitation Registry V1.0 subscribed in 2009. The analysis included 1,697 records of patients with brain disorders including stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor and other disorders from 24 rehabilitation facilities across Korea. The data comprised 1,380 cases of stroke, 104 cases of brain injury, 55 cases of brain tumor, and 58 cases of other brain diseases. The functional status of each patient was measured using the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (KMBI). The average change in the KMBI score was 15.9 for all patients in the inpatient rehabilitation facility. The average length of stay for inpatient rehabilitation was 36.9 days. The transfer rates to other hospitals were high, being 62.4% when all patients were considered. Patients with brain disorders of Korea in 2009 and measurable functional improvement was observed in patients. However, relatively high percentages of patients were not discharged to the community after inpatient rehabilitation. Based on the results of this study, consecutive reports of the status of rehabilitation need to be conducted in order to provide useful information to many practitioners.
Adult ; Aged ; Brain Diseases/*rehabilitation ; Brain Injuries/rehabilitation ; Brain Neoplasms/rehabilitation ; *Disability Evaluation ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Registries ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Republic of Korea ; Stroke/rehabilitation

This study identified the explanatory power of the Korean rehabilitation patient group (KRPG) v1.1 for acquired brain injury (ABI) on medical expenses in the rehabilitation hospitals and the correlation of functional outcomes with the expenses. Here, the design is a retrospective analysis from the claim data of the designated rehabilitation hospitals. Data including KRPG information with functional status and medical expenses were collected from 1 January and 31 August 2018. Reduction of variance (R2) was statistically analyzed for the explanation power of the KRPG. Association between functional status and the medical expenses was carried out using the Spearman's rank order correlation (rho). From the claim data of 365 patients with ABI, the KRPG v1.1 explained 8.6% of variance for the total medical expenses and also explained 9.8% of variance for the rehabilitation therapy costs. Cognitive function and spasticity showed very weak correlation with the total medical expenses (rho = −0.17 and −0.14, respectively). Motor power and performance of activities of daily living were associated weakly (rho = −0.27 and −0.30, respectively). The KRPG and related functional status in ABI reflects the total medical expenses and rehabilitation therapy costs insufficiently in the designated rehabilitation hospitals. Thus, the current KRPG algorithm and variables for ABI may need to be ameliorated in the future.
Activities of Daily Living ; Brain Diseases ; Brain Injuries ; Brain ; Cognition ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Fee-for-Service Plans ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; Neurological Rehabilitation ; Rehabilitation ; Retrospective Studies

This article reviews the recent literature of 'vascular depression' hypothesis. The 'vascular depression' hypothesis is supported by the evidence for associations between vascular disease and late-onset depression and between ischemic brain lesions and distinctive depressive symptoms. Patients with vascular depression is characterized by late-onset, absence of family history of mood disorders, evidence of vascular disease or vascular risk factors, cognitive impairment, psychomotor retardation, limited depressive ideation, poor insight, and disability. Vascular depression may be the entity suitable for studies of mechanism of depression. Depression in later life is often under-diagnosed and under-treated. Drugs used in the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular disease may be shown to be beneficial influences for the prevention of vascular depression. Combined treatment with antidepressant and cognitive-behavioral rehabilitation will be more helpful. In the future, developments in structural and functional imaging, electrophysiology, chronobiology, and genetics will permit the knowledge of the association between mood disorders and brain lesions.
Brain ; Depression* ; Electrophysiology ; Genetics ; Humans ; Mood Disorders ; Psychomotor Disorders ; Rehabilitation ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Diseases

OBJECTIVE: To develop the Korean version of the Kessler Foundation Neglect Assessment Process (KF-NAP), which enables a more functional assessment of unilateral spatial neglect, by first translating it into Korean and then statistically standardizing it. METHODS: Two rehabilitation specialists translated the KF-NAP into Korean. The entire process of administering the Korean KF-NAP to 30 patients with brain disease was video-recorded. Five occupational therapists from 4 university hospitals nationwide evaluated the 30 video-recorded examination cases. We analyzed inter- and intra-reliabilities of the Korean KF-NAP using the intraclass coefficient and Pearson correlation coefficient. Internal consistency reliability of the assessment categories was also examined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. RESULTS: For the construct validation study, the Korean KF-NAP was strongly correlated with the Albert's test and letter cancellation test (r ≥ 0.8; p < 0.05). The intraclass correlation coefficients for the first and second assessments of the Korean KF-NAP were 0.973 and 0.982, respectively, showing high reliability (p < 0.05). The intra-rater reliabilities exceeded 0.9 (p < 0.05), and Cronbach's alpha coefficient exceeded 0.8, showing internal consistency reliability. CONCLUSION: The Korean KF-NAP is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing hemispatial neglect symptoms in patients with brain diseases.
Brain Diseases ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Perceptual Disorders ; Rehabilitation ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Specialization ; Translating ; Translations

OBJECTIVE: To adapt and standardize the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test-3 (MVPT-3) to Koreans and investigate the change in visual-perceptual function using the MVPT-3 in healthy Korean adults. METHODS: The Korean version of the MVPT-3 was developed through a cross-cultural adaptation process according to 6 steps, including translation, reconciliation, back translation, cognitive debriefing, feedback, and final reconciliation. A total of 321 healthy Korean volunteers (mean age, 51.05 years) were recruited. We collected participant demographic data, such as sex, age, and years of education, and performed the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) and MVPT-3. Internal consistency of the MVPT-3 and the relationships between demographic data, K-MMSE and MVPT-3 scores were analyzed. The results of this study were compared with published data from western countries including the United States and Canada. RESULTS: Total score on the MVPT-3 was positively correlated with years of education (r=0.715, p<0.001) and K-MMSE score (r=0.718, p<0.001). However, it had a negative correlation with age (r=-0.669, p<0.001). A post-hoc analysis of MVPT-3 scores classified age into 5 groups of < or =49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, > or =80 years and years of education into 4 groups of 0, 1-9, 10-12, > or =13 years. No significant differences in MVPT-3 scores were observed according to sex or country. CONCLUSION: Visual perception was significantly influenced by age, years of education, and cognitive function. Reference values for the MVPT-3 provided in this study will be useful for evaluating and planning a rehabilitation program of visual perceptual function in patients with brain disorders.
Adult* ; Brain Diseases ; Canada ; Cognition Disorders ; Education ; Humans ; Reference Values ; Rehabilitation ; United States ; Visual Perception* ; Volunteers

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is an exercise-based treatment program designed to promote vestibular adaptive and compensatory mechanisms already existing in the human brain. Although the evidence is sparse for improvement in subjects with central vestibular dysfunction following VRT, it improves postural stability in cerebellar diseases and reduces subjective complaints and fall risk in Parkinson disease. Possible mechanisms of recovery after central nervous system lesions may include neural sprouting, vicarious functions, functional reorganization, substitution, and plasticity. VRT regimens for patients with central causes should include balance and gait training, general strengthening and flexibility exercises, utilization of somatosensory and vision and utilization of alternate motor control strategies. VRT would be an option to relieve the symptoms of the many patients who have central dizziness.
Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebellar Diseases ; Dizziness ; Exercise ; Gait ; Humans ; Parkinson Disease ; Plastics ; Pliability ; Rehabilitation

Vascular disease of the spinal cord occurs less frequently than of the brain, and its incidence is not known. Case reports of spinal cord infarction are uncommon, especially ones with spontaneous causes. We experienced one case with a spontaneous spinal cord infarction in the territory of the Adamkiewicz artery. In this case, the clinical pictures were characterized by sudden onset of paraplegia, bilateral radicular pain, dissociated sensory loss below the level of infarction and sphincter dysfunction. Neuroradiological investigation and CSF analysis ruled out compressive or infectious lesions. Selective spinal angiography revealed an occlusion of the Adamkiewicz artery. The patient had a substantial recovery over a period of weeks with intensive rehabilitation treatments.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Brain ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction* ; Paraplegia ; Rehabilitation ; Spinal Cord* ; Vascular Diseases

An important application of the direct brain-machine interfaces are providing an outlet for severely paralyzed individuals to communicate with the world. According to different type of microelectrodes, brain-machine interfaces are divided into indirect-BMI and direct-BMI. Direct-BMI are intracortical recording devices designed to capture the action potentials of many individual neurons, especially those that code for movement or its intent. A key problem in research of BMI is how to enhance biocompatibility for direct-BMI. This review introduces some new microelectrodes of direct brain-machine interface which all have higher biocompatibility.
Biocompatible Materials ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Brain ; physiology ; Brain Diseases ; rehabilitation ; Electrodes, Implanted ; Humans ; Microelectrodes ; Paralysis ; rehabilitation ; Prostheses and Implants ; Self-Help Devices ; User-Computer Interface

Firstly the fundamental concept and research hotspots of Brain-Neural Function Informatics (BNFI) are described. Then the main study fields and progresses of BNFI are expounded. Finally the prospects of BNFI research are given. Studies on BNFI not only promote the "Brain Science" progress, but also boost the industry of a new kind of medical instruments - function rehabilitation equipment and artificial functional prostheses.
Animals ; Biomedical Engineering ; Brain ; physiology ; Brain Diseases ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; rehabilitation ; Computing Methodologies ; Humans ; Informatics ; instrumentation ; methods ; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena

Brain computer interface (BCI) is an information channel independent of routine brain output ways such as peripheral nerves and muscle organization. As a special human-computer interface mode, it provides a direct communication pathway between the brain and external devices so as to exert control over those devices by ways other than primitive human communication. Controlling over mobile peripheral devices such as intelligent wheelchairs or nursing robots is a very important application of BCI technology in the future. This paper describes the newest progress of the above mentioned technology, analyzes and compares key techniques involved, and forecasts future development in this field.
Algorithms ; Brain Diseases ; rehabilitation ; Communication Aids for Disabled ; Computer Systems ; Electroencephalography ; instrumentation ; Evoked Potentials ; physiology ; Humans ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; physiopathology ; rehabilitation ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; instrumentation ; User-Computer Interface