Objective To compare muscle function of the ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors between stroke patients at the acute stage and age-matched healthy elderly, in an attempt to gain insight for an early rehabilitation program after stroke. Methods Two groups of volunteers participated in the study. One group was 11 healthy elderly aged 62.3?5.7 years and the other was 12 patients with first ever stroke aged 66.6?8.3 years. During measurement, the leg being tested was positioned on a specially designed frame, with a load cell (force sensor) attached to the ball of the foot. Surface electrodes were applied on the skin of both anterior tibialis and gastrocnemius muscles for electromyography (EMG). Torque and integrated EMG during maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) of the ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors were recorded and analyzed. Results There were no significant differences in the MIVC of either ankle dorsiflexion or plantarflexion between the left and right sides of the healthy elderly. However, significant reduction in the ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion torques were found in the affected side of stroke patients(P

Fifty-four young rabbits were divided into five groups and each group was tested for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks respectively. The right front leg of each rabbit was struck repeatedly with an automatically controlled striking unit. The striking force was 3.5 kg and the intensity was 90 times/min, 60 mins/day with a 10-minute rest in between. Pathological changes as observed by a light microscope were mainly hyperplasia, degeneration atrophy, focal necrosis, clefts and microfracture. These changes were more often seen in the germinal zone, proliferation zone, groove of ossification and perichondral ring. The change in the middle portion was more serious than that in the peripheral portion. Pathomechanism was also discussed in the paper.

Motor learing and different motor skills were introducded. Progress of motor relearning and control, training principles at each stage of motor relearning following paralysis caused by brain injury were also discussed. The main role of therapists in rehabilitation of patients with brain injury was to use pattern of motor learning, to guide and promote the progress of motor relearning successfully.

Five young rabbits were divided into 5 groups (2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 week), one rabbit in each group.A special collision unit was used in the experiment by which the distal ends of the right fore legs of rabbits were struck repeatedly. Altrastructure changes of chondrocyte at the epiphyseal plate in the distal endof radius were observed in H-500 electron microscope. In two and four week groups, organaelles swelling was found such as rough endoplasmic reticulum andmitochondria, especially mitochondria swelling which showed different shapes like sausagge and racket.Space around nucleus increased, nucleus shape changed, myeline structure in the mitochondria and chroma- tin margination in the nucleus were found in the six and eight week groups. Altrastructure changes weremore serious in the eight and twelve week groups than other groups. Necrosis of chondrocyte was appearedsuch as part organaelles dissolved or disappeared, nucleus brokeu aud nucleus memberane disappeared. The results showed in altrastructure pathology that chronic collision injury can cause not only degeneration of chondrocyte in the pressure epiphyseal plate but necrosis of chondrocyte as well. It concluses that chondrocyte necrosis is related to local ischemia resulted from chronic collision injury.

Objective To observe the effects on somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) of multichannel functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the legs based on a normal walking pattern,and to compare the effects with two-channel functional electrical stimulation.Methods Thirteen healthy young volunteers (6males and 7 females) were randomly assigned to receive 2 sessions of either two-channel FES for 30 minutes or four-channel FES for 15min with a 3-day interval between the two treatment sessions.The latencies and amplitudes of the N9 and P40 SEPs were recorded before and after every treatment.All the treatments were carried out on the right lower limbs.Results Thirteen healthy young volunteers (6males and 7 females) were randomly assigned to receive 2 sessions of either two-channel FES for 30 minutes or four-channel FES for 15 min with a 3-day interval between the two treatment sessions.The latencies and amplitudes of the N9 and P40 SEPs were recorded before and after every treatment.All the treatments were carried out on the right lower limbs.Conclusions The N9 latency with four-channel FES is remarkably shorter than that with two-channel FES on the legs of healthy young subjects,suggesting that multichannel functional electrical stimulation based on the normal human walking pattern can activate brain cells faster.

Objective To investigate the effects of repeated high frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on spatial learning and memory function,and on long-term potentiation (LTP) after global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion,and to explore the mechanisms involved.Methods Eighty-three male Wistar rats were studied.Five were tested to determine their average motor threshold (Tm).The others were divided into a normal control group,a cerebral ischemia and reperfusion model group and an rTMS group.Cerebral ischemia was induced with the four vessel occlusion method for 10 minutes.The rTMS treatment protocol (10 Hz stimulation for 5 s at the resting threshold,twice a day) was applied over a 2-week period from day 3 post-operation.The Morris water maze test was performed to observe spatial learning and memory at post-operation day 2 and day 4.The field excitatory postsynaptic potentials,population spike and the magnitude of long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by theta burst electric stimulation were recorded from the perforant path to the dentate gyrus (PP-DG).Results At post-operation day 3,rats in the untreated cerebral ischemia and reperfusion model group exhibited a significant decrease in the magnitude of the PP-DG LTP as compared to the normal group.No significant difference in LTP was found between the model group and the rTMS group.After the 2 weeks of treatment the LTP levels in the rTMS treated group were significantly higher than in the two untreated groups.In the Morris water maze testing,the average escape latency in the rTMS group was significantly shorter than that of the cerebral ischemia and reperfusion model group (which was not treated).In the probe trials,the time in the original quadrant of the platform and the time of crossing the platform were both significantly less for the rTMS-treated rats than for those not treated.Conclusions High frequency rTMS can improve spatial learning and memory after global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion by enhancing the LTP induced in the hippocampus.High frequency rTMS might exert this beneficial effect by modulating the function of intermediate neurons in the hippocampal neuronal network and by promoting neurotransmitter release.

Objective To examine the validity and reliability of the abbreviated mental test (AMT) among Chinese subjects. Methods Two groups of subjects participated in the study. One group consisted of 38 patients with neurological disorders and the other 30 normal subjects (control group). They were assessed twice with AMT and mini mental state examination (MMSE) within one week. Results AMT was significantly correlated with MMSE as far as the total score and item scores were concerned( r =0.706～0.833).There were moderate to high correlation in all the items of AMT between the two assessment tools(ICC=0.810～0.996). The AMT scores in the patient group were significantly lower than that in the control group (7.60?2.55 vs 9.64?0.81, P

Objective To study the validity,reliability and sensitivity of the simplified Chinese version of modified Barthel index (MBI) in evaluation of activities of daily living(ADL) of Chinese stroke patients. Methods Forty Chinese stroke patients (26 males and 14 females,aged 59.65±11.68 years) participated in the study.The duration of the disease averaged 21.20±19.44 days.All the patients were evaluated for three times with MBI.Barthel Index (BI) and the motor component of Functional Independence Measure (M-FIM)independently by twophysiatrists.Spearman correlation coefficients between MBI and Barthel index (BI),between MBI and M-FIM were used to test the validity of MBI.Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to test both interrater and intra rater reliability of MBI.Sensitivity of MBl was analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed rank test and paired t-test.Results MBI was highly correlated with BI in each item and total score(r=0.816～1.000,P<0.01),and with M-FIM in total score(r=0.935～0.981,P<0.01).There were high reliability with MBI in the results collected by same assessor and different assessors(ICC=0.866～0.997).Furthermore,MBI was more sensitive than BI in majorities of its items and its total scores as well.Conclusions MBI has good validity and reliability as well as sensitivity in assessment of ADL of Chinese stroke patients.

Objective To explore the relationship of neck pain,neck disability index(NDI),and surface eleetromyography(sEMG)in subjects with work-related neck and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders.Methods Fifry-five patients with neck and shoulder pain participated in this study.VAS and NDl were used to evaluate the degree of pain and disability of the patients.The signals of maximum voluntary contraction(MVC)and typing status were recorded using the sEMG recording techniques.The amplitude of typing status was used to normalize the amplitude of MVC of each side of both neck and shoulders and the amplitude probability distribution function(APDF)of 50%MVC was calculated.Then.the relationship of VAS,NDI and the APDF values of each side of both neck and shouIders were compared.Results VAS was correlated to the NDI(P<0.01)and the APDF of 50%MVC and the later had significant differences according to different degrees of pain[mild to moderate pain(VAS<7)versus severe pain(VAS ≥7)];NDI had no relationship with the APDF of 50%MVC and the later had no significant differences according to different degrees of NDI[mild to moderate(NDI<25)versus severe pain(NDI≥25)].Conclusion VAS was correlated to the APDF of 50%MVC and the later had significant differences according to different degrees of pain:but NDI had no relationship with the APDF of 50%MVC.

0.05). There was no neoplasia appeared at 12 weeks after implantation. Pathological section showed that nerve cell and medullary sheath were integrated without fibroplasia or necrosis, and only a little of infiltration of lymphocytes appeared. CONCLUSION: Activity and secretion function can be kept by the microencapsulation technique on PC12 cells. When microencapsulated PC12 cells were implanted into subarachnoid cavity, the cells can maintain good activity and secretion without oncogenicity.