Objective: To implement early rehabilitation interventions by physical therapists is recommended. However, the effectiveness of early rehabilitation for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the prevention of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is unclear. We analyzed a multicenter prospective observational study (Post-Intensive Care outcomeS in patients with COronaVIrus Disease 2019) to examine the association between early rehabilitation interventions and PICS physical impairment. Methods: An analysis was performed on COVID-19 patients who were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) between March 2020 and March 2021, and required mechanical ventilation. The primary outcome was the incidence of PICS physical impairment (Barthel Index≤90) after one year. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between early rehabilitation interventions and PICS physical impairment by adjusting ICU mobility scale (IMS) during seven-day following ICU admission, and clinically relevant risk factors. Results: The analysis included 259 patients, 54 of whom developed PICS physical impairment one year later. In 81 patients, physical therapists intervened within seven days of ICU admission. There was no significant difference in mean IMS by day seven of admission between the early and non-early rehabilitation patients (0.70 and 0.61, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that early rehabilitation interventions were significantly associated with a low incidence of PICS physical impairment (odds ratio, 0.294; 95% confidence interval, 0.123–0.706; p=0.006). Conclusion Early rehabilitation interventions by physical therapists were an independent factor associated with the decreased development of PICS physical impairment at one year, even though early rehabilitation had no significant effect on IMS.

Objective: To implement early rehabilitation interventions by physical therapists is recommended. However, the effectiveness of early rehabilitation for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the prevention of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is unclear. We analyzed a multicenter prospective observational study (Post-Intensive Care outcomeS in patients with COronaVIrus Disease 2019) to examine the association between early rehabilitation interventions and PICS physical impairment. Methods: An analysis was performed on COVID-19 patients who were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) between March 2020 and March 2021, and required mechanical ventilation. The primary outcome was the incidence of PICS physical impairment (Barthel Index≤90) after one year. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between early rehabilitation interventions and PICS physical impairment by adjusting ICU mobility scale (IMS) during seven-day following ICU admission, and clinically relevant risk factors. Results: The analysis included 259 patients, 54 of whom developed PICS physical impairment one year later. In 81 patients, physical therapists intervened within seven days of ICU admission. There was no significant difference in mean IMS by day seven of admission between the early and non-early rehabilitation patients (0.70 and 0.61, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that early rehabilitation interventions were significantly associated with a low incidence of PICS physical impairment (odds ratio, 0.294; 95% confidence interval, 0.123–0.706; p=0.006). Conclusion Early rehabilitation interventions by physical therapists were an independent factor associated with the decreased development of PICS physical impairment at one year, even though early rehabilitation had no significant effect on IMS.

Objective: To implement early rehabilitation interventions by physical therapists is recommended. However, the effectiveness of early rehabilitation for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the prevention of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is unclear. We analyzed a multicenter prospective observational study (Post-Intensive Care outcomeS in patients with COronaVIrus Disease 2019) to examine the association between early rehabilitation interventions and PICS physical impairment. Methods: An analysis was performed on COVID-19 patients who were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) between March 2020 and March 2021, and required mechanical ventilation. The primary outcome was the incidence of PICS physical impairment (Barthel Index≤90) after one year. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between early rehabilitation interventions and PICS physical impairment by adjusting ICU mobility scale (IMS) during seven-day following ICU admission, and clinically relevant risk factors. Results: The analysis included 259 patients, 54 of whom developed PICS physical impairment one year later. In 81 patients, physical therapists intervened within seven days of ICU admission. There was no significant difference in mean IMS by day seven of admission between the early and non-early rehabilitation patients (0.70 and 0.61, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that early rehabilitation interventions were significantly associated with a low incidence of PICS physical impairment (odds ratio, 0.294; 95% confidence interval, 0.123–0.706; p=0.006). Conclusion Early rehabilitation interventions by physical therapists were an independent factor associated with the decreased development of PICS physical impairment at one year, even though early rehabilitation had no significant effect on IMS.

Objective：The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) total score and sub-score.Methods：This study included 23 SCD patients；we considered those with a SARA gait score of＜3 points. Our program included a one-hour training session with individualized instructions and a one-hour self-balance training session. Additionally, occupational or speech-language-hearing therapy was performed for one hour daily. Our program was conducted five days weekly for four weeks. We assessed the SARA total score and sub-score findings immediately, before the first and after the last interventions.Results：The SARA total, gait, stance, and heel-shin scores showed more significant improvement after intervention than before intervention (p＜0.05). The other SARA sub-scores were not significantly different between “before and after” interventions.Conclusion：The four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration improved the SARA total score and ataxia of the trunk and lower limbs.

Objective：The English version of the Characterizing Freezing of Gait questionnaire (C-FOGQ) that is used to assess detailed information of freezing of gait was developed by Ehgoetz Martens et al. This study aims to develop the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ using guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and to conduct the pretesting study.Methods：The C-FOGQ was translated with permission into Japanese according to the following guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation： (1) translation (English to Japanese), (2) back-translation (Japanese to English), and (3) pretesting. Thirty-nine patients with parkinsonism-related disorders participated in the pretesting study.Results：There was no significant linguistic problem in the process of translation and back-translation. In pretesting, the average response time of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 526.8 seconds. The error/no-response rate was less than 1%. The average score for section II of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 20.0 points.Conclusion：A linguistically-validated Japanese version of the FOGQ was developed according to the guidelines of cross-cultural adaptation. It seems to be possible to use this questionnaire for detailed evaluation of gait freezing in Japan as well as in the West.

Objective：The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) total score and sub-score.Methods：This study included 23 SCD patients；we considered those with a SARA gait score of＜3 points. Our program included a one-hour training session with individualized instructions and a one-hour self-balance training session. Additionally, occupational or speech-language-hearing therapy was performed for one hour daily. Our program was conducted five days weekly for four weeks. We assessed the SARA total score and sub-score findings immediately, before the first and after the last interventions.Results：The SARA total, gait, stance, and heel-shin scores showed more significant improvement after intervention than before intervention (p＜0.05). The other SARA sub-scores were not significantly different between “before and after” interventions.Conclusion：The four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration improved the SARA total score and ataxia of the trunk and lower limbs.

Objective：The English version of the Characterizing Freezing of Gait questionnaire (C-FOGQ) that is used to assess detailed information of freezing of gait was developed by Ehgoetz Martens et al. This study aims to develop the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ using guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and to conduct the pretesting study.Methods：The C-FOGQ was translated with permission into Japanese according to the following guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation：(1) translation (English to Japanese), (2) back-translation (Japanese to English), and (3) pretesting. Thirty-nine patients with parkinsonism-related disorders participated in the pretesting study.Results：There was no significant linguistic problem in the process of translation and back-translation. In pretesting, the average response time of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 526.8 seconds. The error/no-response rate was less than 1%. The average score for section II of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 20.0 points.Conclusion：A linguistically-validated Japanese version of the FOGQ was developed according to the guidelines of cross-cultural adaptation. It seems to be possible to use this questionnaire for detailed evaluation of gait freezing in Japan as well as in the West.