Background & Objective: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has been shown to be effectively treated with thrombolytic therapy. Thailand and other developing countries have limited stroke specialists to prescribe this treatment. Data regarding stroke outcomes in AIS patients who received thrombolytic therapy prescribed by neurologists compared with non-neurologists are limited. Methods: This was a large, multicenter, retrospective study conducted in 9 hospitals across the northeastern part of Thailand. The inclusion criteria were AIS patients who were admitted and treated with thrombolytic therapy between January 2010 and December 2012. Patients were categorized into two groups by physician specialty; neurologist and non-neurologist. Clinical outcomes and in-hospital mortality were compared between the groups. Results: There were 915 AIS patients who participated in the study; 175 patients were treated by the non-neurologists (19.1%). The mean age of all patients was 64 years and 55.1% were men. The median onset to needle time in both groups were similar at 180 minutes. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at discharge were significantly higher in neurologist group than non-neurologist group (NIHSS 6 vs 3, p value 0.03). The in-hospital mortality was also higher in neurologist group (9.5% vs 4.0%; p value 0.02). Conclusions: Non-neurologists may be able to thrombolyze AIS patients safely and effectively.
Stroke ; Thrombolytic Therapy

No abstract available.
Myxoma ; Stroke ; Thrombolytic Therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of tongue acupuncture on stroke.

METHODSOne hundred and ninety cases were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 95 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated by tongue acupuncture combined with body acupuncture, and the control group by simple body acupuncture.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 95.8% in the observation group and 80.0% in the control group, the observation group being significantly better than the control group.

CONCLUSIONTongue acupuncture has a better therapeutic effect on stroke.

A study was conducted on 45 patients who had aphasia after cerebrovascular accident at Department of Acupuncture in Chinese medicine Institute of Chiangsu, China. Patients were divided randomly into 3 groups: Group 1 was treated by alone scalp acupuncture, group 2 was treated by alone tongue acupuncture, and group 3 was treated by both two methods. Results: Combination of tongue acupuncture and scalp acupuncture is an effective treatment for aphasia after cerebrovascular accident. It has good treatment effectiveness with all kinds of aphasia. The patients in group 3 had better results than the group 1 and group 2
Stroke ; Therapeutics ; Aphasia ; Acupuncture Therapy

Humans ; Ankle ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Stroke

OBJECTIVETo explore effects of acupuncture on ability of daily living (ALD) and the incidence rate of disability and mortality of the patient of acute ischemic stroke.

METHODSForty patients with acute ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to an acupuncture group and a control group, 20 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with acupuncture for 3-4 weeks, 5 times each week, and routine therapy. The control group were treated with routine therapy alone.

RESULTSNo statistically significant differences between the two groups in the score of neurological defection, and the incidence rate of disability and mortality at following survey of 3 and 6 months were found.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture is safe and feasible for stroke at early stage.

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of acupuncture on aphasia due to ischemic stroke at the early stage.

METHODSSeventy cases of aphasia due to ischemic stroke at the early stage were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a control group. The control group were treated with standard medication and rehabilitation direction, and the acupuncture group with the standard medication and rehabilitation direction plus acupuncture. Evaluation and comparison were carried out before treatment and 15 and 30 days after treatment with the western aphasia battery (WAB) AQ indexes.

RESULTSThe WAB AQ index evaluation 15 days and 30 days after treatment in the acupuncture group were better than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture has synergistic action with the standard medication and rehabilitation direction.

OBJECTIVETo search for the best acupuncture and moxibustion treatment program for stroke.

METHODSOne hundred and eighty-three cases of stroke were divided into a scalp-body acupuncture group of 62 cases, a scalp acupuncture group of 60 cases and a body acupuncture group of 61 cases. They were treated for 2 months and then their therapeutic effects were compared.

RESULTSIn the scalp-body acupuncture group, 13 cases were basically cured, 32 cases improved obviously, 15 cases improved, 2 cases was ineffective, and corresponding figures in the scalp acupuncture group were 8, 21, 24, 7, and in the body acupuncture group were 11, 28, 19, 3, with a significant difference between the scalp-body acupuncture group and the scalp acupuncture group (P<0.05) , and with no significant differences between the scalp-body acupuncture group and body acupuncture group, and between the body acupuncture group and the scalp acupuncture group.

CONCLUSIONScalp acupuncture combined with body acupuncture has a better clinical therapeutic effect than that of simple scalp acupuncture for the patient of stroke.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of guitar lessons (intervention group) in comparison to conventional occupational therapy (OT) sessions (control group) on hand function of chronic stroke patients with unilateral hand impairment.

This randomized controlled trial enrolled 34 chronic stroke patients with unilateral hand impairment. Participants were grouped randomly into intervention (guitar lessons) and control (conventional occupational therapy) groups. Each group participant underwent a total of eight consecutive therapy sessions, twice weekly for an hour each session, at the designated treatment rooms in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Philippine General Hospital. Pre- and post-treatment evaluations were done to assess range of motion, grip and pinch strength, and hand functions. Satisfaction surveys were answered at the end of the 8-therapy session.

Improvements in hand function were assessed through measurement of range of motion (ROM), grip and pinch strength, and with the use of Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function test, and Purdue Pegboard Test of Manual Dexterity. In this study, the comparison of actual change of passive range of motion (ROM) of the impaired hand from pre- to post-treatment between control and intervention groups showed no statistically significant difference. No statistically significant difference between groups were also observed for the active ROM of the impaired hand. Comparison of function of the impaired hand pre- and posttreatment between control and intervention groups showed no statistically significant difference except for an observed greater improvement with the control group in motor coordination (median [IQR] 0 [-1 to 0] vs 1 [1 to 5], p = 0.004), tip (median [IQR] 0.33 [0 to 0.75] vs 1 [0.58 to 1.5], p = 0.006), and 3-jaw (median [IQR] 0.5 [0 to 0.92] vs 1.08 [0.41 to 2], p = 0.043) pinch strength.

Results. Improvements in hand function were assessed through measurement of range of motion (ROM), grip and pinch strength, and with the use of Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function test, and Purdue Pegboard Test of Manual Dexterity. In this study, the comparison of actual change of passive range of motion (ROM) of the impaired hand from pre- to post-treatment between control and intervention groups showed no statistically significant difference. No statistically significant difference between groups were also observed for the active ROM of the impaired hand. Comparison of function of the impaired hand pre- and posttreatment between control and intervention groups showed no statistically significant difference except for an observed greater improvement with the control group in motor coordination (median [IQR] 0 [-1 to 0] vs 1 [1 to 5], p = 0.004), tip (median [IQR] 0.33 [0 to 0.75] vs 1 [0.58 to 1.5], p = 0.006), and 3-jaw (median [IQR] 0.5 [0 to 0.92] vs 1.08 [0.41 to 2], p = 0.043) pinch strength.

All participants in both groups displayed 100% compliance in attending onsite treatments. Despite not showing statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.721), an 11.8% tendency for better compliance is found in the intervention group.

The specific guitar lesson created and performed in this study as used by 17 participants of the intervention group have brought about improvement in hand function that is comparable with those who underwent traditional occupational therapy. This may be most helpful in areas with limited access to rehabilitation facilities and occupational therapy services. This may also be used as a continuing activity of chronic stroke patients at home to help improve hand function.

Brain Ischemia ; Cell Polarity ; Humans ; Ischemic Stroke ; Microglia ; Stroke/therapy*