OBJECTIVE: To measure knee joint proprioception quantitatively in hemiplegic patients after brain injury using an isokinetic dynamometer. METHOD: Thirty healthy subjects and 24 hemiplegic patients participated in this study. Joint position sense was evaluated with passive angle reproduction of 30degrees and 60degrees of knee flexion and kinesthesia was evaluated with the threshold for detection of passive movementfrom 45degrees of knee flexion. We used toe-"up or down"-test for conventional clinical method. RESULTS: Significant proprioceptive deficit was observed not only in paretic knees of both right and left hemiplegic patients (p<0.05) but also in nonparetic knee in right hemiplegic patients (p<0.05). Both interrater and intrarater reliability of the quantitative measurement were significantly high. A significant difference was found between proprioception deficit defined with current clinical test and quantitative test in the nonparetic knee (p<0.05), but not in the paretic knee (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The quantitative test using an isokinetic dynamometer is a reliable method to measure knee proprioception, and it is possible to detect proprioceptive deficit in hemiplegic patients. Conventional clinical assessments are poor for predicting the results of the quantitative measure in the nonparetic knee. This quantitative method may be useful in diagnosis and follow-up of knee proprioception of hemiplegic patients after brain injury.
Brain Injuries ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Joints ; Kinesthesis ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Proprioception ; Reproduction

We have had an opportunity to study a patient with acute sensory neuronopathy. The patient was a 32-yearold housewife; the rapidly spreaded tingling sensation along both arms and legs developed, rendering her severely ataxic. There was no history of antecedent illness, familial neurological disease, or exposure to toxins and special drugs. On examinations, there was no abnormality in her mental and cranial nerve function. There was no motor weakness. She showed the profound loss of kinesthetic sense which was acutely progressive and associated with severe sensory ataxia and pseudoathetosis. All tendon reflexes were absent. However, cutaneous senses were preserved. There was no significant abnormal laboratory finding except elevated CSF protein content. On electrophysiologic findings, the decrease in the amplitude of action potentials with only mild slowing of conduction velocities of sensory nerves were found even though motor nerve conduction studies were normal. Median and tibial somatosensory evoked potentials could be elicited, although the median N19 scalp response and tibial N45 waveforms were prolonged in latency. Plasmapheresis were provided; clinical features improved. However, the electrophy-siological abnormalites remained. Thus we wish to report an additional case of woman suffering from the acute sensory neuronopathy, complementing the cases described by Stemm, Schaumburg and Asbury.
Action Potentials ; Arm ; Ataxia ; Complement System Proteins ; Cranial Nerves ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Female ; Humans ; Kinesthesis ; Leg ; Neural Conduction ; Plasmapheresis ; Reflex, Stretch ; Scalp ; Sensation

OBJECTIVETo compare balance ability between elderly individuals who practiced Tai-Chi-Chuan (TCC) for average 9.64 years and elderly individuals who did not practice TCC and its relationship with lower extremity muscle strength and ankle proprioception.

METHODSTwenty-five elderly volunteers were divided into two groups according to their TCC practcing experience. Sixteen were TCC group and the other nine were control population. Subjects completed a static balance test and ankle proprioception test using a custom-designed evaluation system, and concentric and eccentric knee extensor and flexor muscle strength tests. Subjects stood on the plate form to measure the proprioception in functional standing position which was differed from the previous studies. Multiple linear regressions were also used to predict the important factor affecting balance.

RESULTSTCC group performed better than the control group in balance, proprioception, and muscle strength of lower extremity. The proprioception was the most important factor related to balance ability and it can be accounted for explaining 44% of variance in medial-lateral sway direction, and 53% of variance in antero-posterior sway direction. The proprioception may be a more important factor which affecting the balance ability.

CONCLUSIONTCC training is recommended to the elders; as it can improve balance ability through better proprioception.

Aged ; Ankle Joint ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Kinesthesis ; Linear Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Strength ; physiology ; Postural Balance ; physiology ; Posture ; physiology ; Proprioception ; physiology ; Tai Ji