No abstract available.
Muscle Spasticity* ; Upper Extremity*

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.
Acceleration* ; Elbow Joint* ; Elbow* ; Relaxation*

No abstract available.
Huntington Disease*

OBJECTIVE: Several kinds of steroids had been used epidurally for the treatment of low back pain, but there were few available medical reports as to the effects of each steroid. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effects of epidural steroid injections and to investigate the factors affecting the results. METHOD: Forty four backache patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group 1, epidural saline as a control group(n=12); Group 2, epidural triamcinolone and 1% lidocaine(n=13); Group 3, epidural dexamethasone and 1% lidocaine(n=19). The effects of epidural injections were measured by pain self-assessment scale(pain score) and Rubin scale(success rate). RESULTS: The pain scores of steroid groups after one to seven days after the injections were significantly lower than those of the control group(p<0.05), but there were no statistical differences(p>0.05) between two steroid groups. The overall success rate of the steroid groups was 68.8%. Although there were no statistically significant differences between the steroid groups with respect to sex, age and duration, the younger age group seemed to respond better to the treatment. CONCLUSION: We founded that epidural steroid injection could be a valuable adjunct to the management of low back pain but its effective duration was relatively short. Physicians should keep in mind that comprehensive treatment including rest, medication, physical therapy, exercise and education ought to be provided for the better clinical results.
Back Pain ; Dexamethasone ; Education ; Exercise Therapy ; Humans ; Injections, Epidural ; Low Back Pain* ; Self-Assessment ; Steroids ; Triamcinolone

No abstract available.
Paralysis*

No abstract available.
Skin*

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the Rolyan, hemisling, remodified Bobath, and the newly designed triangular Bobath slings. Sixteen patients with a shoulder subluxation were evaluated by the simple shoulder AP X-rays with and without slings. The hemisling was applied with the elbow flexed at 90 and 120 degrees. The radiologic evaluation for the detection of shoulder subluxation was done by measuring the vertical and horizontal displacement on a plain AP view. The mean value of vertical displacement without a sling application was 5.21 cm which was reduced to 4.30 cm by a triangular Bobath sling application and 4.32 cm by a hemisling application at 120degrees elbow flexion. These two slings significantly corrected the vertical displacement, but other were not. In nine of sixteen patients, the triangular Bobath sling was the best sling for the vertical correction. All slings except a hemisling increased the horizontal displacement even though it was not statistically significant. The triangular Bobath sling improved the discomfort of the axilla better than the remodified Bobath sling. The results support that the triangular Bobath sling was the best among 4 slings for the correction of shoulder subluxation, although a reduction in lateral displacement and an improvement in applicability need to be explored further.
Axilla ; Elbow ; Hemiplegia* ; Humans ; Shoulder*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of sleep apnea syndrome in stroke patients by polysomnography. METHOD: Fifteen patients with ischemic stroke were studied with polysomnography. Medical history, sleep history, location of stroke, and severity of neurological deficit were recorded. Patients were observed by physician for evidence of snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. Functional abilities were measured with the use of the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). To evaluate the autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability (HRV) study was done. RESULTS: Mean SaO2 during polysomnography was 88.2%, and mean recording time was 321 minutes. Apnea types were obstructive, mixed, and central. Respiratory Distress Index (RDI) correlated with functional outcome and mean SaO2. HRV study showed no significant changes under the orthostatic stress in apnea patients. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the sleep apnea syndrome could be a prognostic factor in rehabilitation outcome of stroke.
Apnea ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Prognosis* ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes* ; Snoring ; Stroke* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: The ability to get up from a chair is an important component in maintaining independence and a prerequisite for upright mobility for stroke patients. The purpose of this study was to compare the sit-to-stand movement in stroke patients with that in healthy adult. METHOD: Twenty-three stroke patients and thirty-seven young healthy subjects were included in this study. Subjects sat on an adjustable chair with their feet on force plates and performed the standing up movement at a self-paced, comfortable speed. The study patients were tested barefoot. The changes in joint angle, maximal moment, power, and ground reaction force in lower limb were calculated using 3 dimensional motion analyzer throughout the sit-to-stand transfer. RESULTS: The mean time needed was significantly longer in stroke patients than in young healthy subjects. Pelvic tilting and hip flexion angle at initial and final angle were significantly greater in stroke patients than in young healthy subjects. Maximal momentum, power and change of ground reaction force in ankle joint were significantly lower in stroke patients than in young healthy subjects. Hip external rotation angle at standing point showed significant correlation with maximal hip external rotation and slow walking speed during the comfortable walking. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the analysis of sit-to-stand movement in stroke patients may provide a useful guide for gait recovery and training.
Adult ; Ankle Joint ; Foot ; Gait ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints ; Lower Extremity ; Stroke* ; Walking