OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to describe the demographic profile, intervention sessions, goal attainment scaling (GAS), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of autistic children receiving speech and language therapy (SLT) in a higher educational institution in the Philippines.

Deidentified data from 18 autistic children aged 4–16 years (mean=8.2; SD=2.9) who received SLT for two months were analyzed. Their demographic profile, intervention sessions, GAS scores, and generic HRQOL scores were documented.

Most participants were school-age children (n=12; 66%) and were boys (n=14; 78%). After two months, the GAS scores of 11 participants (61%) increased by 1–2 points, whereas the scores of the remaining participants decreased (n=6; 33%) or did not change (n=1; 6%). Their mean generic HRQOL scores before and after SLT were 65.6 (SD=15.2) and 61.2 (SD=17.4), respectively.

While the GAS scores increased for most participants, their generic HRQOL scores did not show clinically significant changes after two months of SLT. This can be attributed to the few therapy sessions and short follow-up period. The findings highlight the need to provide long-term support to SLT services of autistic children in the Philippines to document more desirable quality of life outcomes.

As a diagnostic method to guide the treatment of sinew/fascia diseases, jingjin (muscle regions of meridians) differentiation is an important component of syndrome differentiation system of acupuncture and moxibustion. In clinical practice, because of the limitations of the ideological guidance of the holistic view, the systemic and dialectical thinking and the syndrome element collection, the system of diagnosis and treatment of sinew/fascia diseases is not comprehensive. Through combing the origin of the holistic view of jingjin, the paper expounds the differentiation framework of sinew/fascia diseases from 4 aspects of differentiation, i.e. the location of disease, etiology, nature of disease and condition of disease. It suggests to construct jingjin differentiation system by taking the holistic ideas as the core, the syndrome element research as the common method and the evidence-based medicine as the theoretical basis so that the thinking of syndrome differentiation and the diagnostic approaches based on jingjin theory can be enriched.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Language ; Meridians ; Moxibustion ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for evidence of the efficacy and safety of head acupuncture (HA) plus Schuell's language rehabilitation (SLR) in post-stroke aphasia. METHODS: Seven databases including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Technology Periodical Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed and Wanfang Data Information Site were searched for RCTs published from database inception until November 14, 2021. RCTs that compared HA plus SLR with sham (or blank) control, acupuncture therapy alone, certain language rehabilitation therapy alone or other therapies for post-stroke aphasia were included. Data were extracted and assessed, and the quality of RCTs was evaluated. Fixed-effects model was used, with meta-inflfluence analysis, meta-regression, and regression-based sub-group analyses applied for exploration of heterogeneity. Publication bias was estimated by funnel plots and Egger's tests. RESULTS: A total of 32 RCTs with 1,968 patients were included and 51 comparisons were conducted classified as types of strokes and aphasia. (1) For patients with aphasia after ischemic stroke, HA plus PSA showed significantly higher accumulative markedly effective rate [relative risk (RR)=1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-2.02, I²=0%] and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.09-1.36, I²=0%). (2) For patients with comprehensive types of stroke, HA plus PSA was more effective in increasing recovery rate (RR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.39-2.56, I²=0%), accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.36-1.72, I²=9%) and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.09-1.19, I²=34%). (3) For patients with aphasia after stroke, HA plus PSA was superior to PSA alone with statistical significance in increasing recovery rate (RR=2.08, 95% CI: 1.24-3.46, I²=0%), accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.24-1.78, I²=0%) and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.24, I²=39%). (4) For patients with multiple types of aphasia, HA plus PSA also demonstrated significantly higher recovery rate (RR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.28-2.72, I²=0%), accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.35-1.78, I²=22%), and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.11-1.23, I²=41%). (5) For patients with motor aphasia after ischemic stroke, compared with PSA alone, HA plus PSA showed significantly higher accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.06-1.79, I²=0%) and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.05-1.37, I²=0%). Meta-regression analyses were performed without significant difference, and publication bias was found in some comparisons. CONCLUSION HA plus SLR was significantly associated with better language ability and higher effective rate for patients with post-stroke aphasia, and HA should be operated cautiously especially during acupuncture at eye and neck. (Registration No. CRD42020154475).
Acupuncture Therapy ; Aphasia/rehabilitation* ; Humans ; Ischemic Stroke ; Language ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Stroke/therapy*

The paper analyzes the specificity of term recognition in acupuncture clinical literature and compares the advantages and disadvantages of three named entity recognition (NER) methods adopted in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed that the bi-directional long short-term memory networks-conditional random fields (Bi LSTM-CRF) may communicate the context information and complete NER by using less feature rules. This model is suitable for term recognition in acupuncture clinical literature. Based on this model, it is proposed that the process of term recognition in acupuncture clinical literature should include 4 aspects, i.e. literature pretreatment, sequence labeling, model training and effect evaluation, which provides an approach to the terminological structurization in acupuncture clinical literature.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Electronic Health Records ; Natural Language Processing

This paper provides context and perspective on the development of research in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech pathology in the Philippines, and the value of research in rehabilitation sciences in generating knowledge that could contribute to evidence-informed decisions that optimize health and wellbeing of individuals. A brief historical background of the evolution of rehabilitation research and practice is provided, both globally and within the Filipino context. Currently, a research-practice gap exists and there is a need to evaluate the efficacy of the traditional approaches still being used in contemporary practice. The local professional organizations representing these disciplines need to be more overt in supporting the use of evidence to guide treatment. This article discusses the challenges faced by researchers that hinder the advancement of scholarly work in the disciplines. Each of the professions must continue to advocate for evidence-based practice and encourage the growth of research in their respective fields.
Occupational Therapy ; Physical Therapy Modalities ; Speech-Language Pathology ; Research

Objective: As part of the thrust towards Universal Health Care, the Philippines has enhanced health insurance coverage for rehabilitation with recent introductions of benefits for disabilities in children, prostheses, and orthoses. The project aimed to develop a functionality-based framework to guide comprehensive benefits for rehabilitation services for adult Filipinos. Methods: Scoping review was conducted to identify common rehabilitation conditions, frameworks for clinical assessment, and essential services for rehabilitation. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with targeted rehabilitation service providers and experts to validate the information collected. A unified pathway of care and essential services for the provision of rehabilitation medicine services was developed through triangulation. The study was conducted from October 2018 to September 2019, with activities done in Metro Manila. Results: The results summarized treatment pathways for four major disease categories: neurologic, musculoskeletal, chronic pain, and activities of daily living/ cardiopulmonary. Impairments were identified reflecting the principles from the International Classification of Function. Disabilities were categorized based on function: mobility, self-care, cognitive-behavioral, and communication. A unified care pathway was developed to harmonize rehabilitation assessment, management, and care. A framework to simplify financial coverage was likewise provided. The extent of management (e.g., duration of therapy) depends on the severity of the disability classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Based on this classification, essential management modalities included physiatry interventions, medications, and rehabilitation sessions, supported by outcomes evaluation. Conclusion A framework is proposed to guide the design and implementation of benefits and health insurance coverage. Awareness and application of this approach among rehabilitation practitioners and health facilities are essential steps for successful uptake and implementation of the upcoming expansion in PhilHealth coverage.
Rehabilitation ; Rehabilitation of Speech and Language Disorders ; Neurobehavioral Manifestations ; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ; Behavioral Symptoms ; Communication Disorders ; Insurance, Major Medical

The employment situation and advantages of interdisciplinary talents of English and acupuncture-moxibustion and
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Employment ; Language ; Moxibustion

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to develop a Korean version of an ICF e-Learning tool (KICF e-Learning tool). METHODS: The process of translation and adaptation of the ICF e-Learning tool was followed: two translators developed the Korean versions independently, and a consensus version of the translation was then produced. An expert committee, which was composed of five experts from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and social welfare, reviewed the consensus Korean version to make a beta version of the tool. A field test was conducted to determine if the Korean version of the tool was easy to understand and suitable to use in ICF learning. Feedback from the field test were used for the final adaptation of the KICF e-Learning tool. RESULTS: One-hundred and twenty-six volunteers (40 males and 76 females) were invited to examine the KICF e-Learning tool. The participants reported various levels of ICF knowledge from none to very good. Forty-eight participants reported no knowledge of ICF. The majority of participants (n=84) reported that Korean terms or expression in the tool were easy to understand and one-hundred fourteen participants would recommend the tool to another person. The Korean cases would be helpful for a Korean audience to study the ICF using the tool. CONCLUSION: The KICF e-Learning tool was developed and is ready for use by the public for the consistency of ICF education. On the other hand, development of an advanced module will be needed.
Consensus ; Education ; Hand ; Humans ; Learning ; Male ; Occupational Therapy ; Social Welfare ; Speech-Language Pathology ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the effect of a multicomponent cognitive stimulation program (MCSP) on the improvement of older people's cognitive abilities. It also aimed to determine whether the effectiveness of the MCSP is related to age.METHODS: A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The program was conducted once a week for 10 weeks. The Korean-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MoCA) was used to measure cognitive functions before and after the MCSP. Participants included 37 people aged over 65 years with normal cognitive functions and living in I city. A paired t-test was used to compare K-MoCA scores before and after the MCSP, and a two-way analysis of variance was performed to confirm whether there is an interaction between the MCSP and age.RESULTS: It was found that the MCSP had a significant effect on improving cognitive functions (t = −5.15, p < .001). Regarding the subdomains, visuospatial/executive ability, recall, naming, and language ability showed significant effects; however, abstractive ability—which was not a focus of the program—showed no significant effect. There were differences in visuospatial/executive functions, language skills, and memory between the 65–79 years age group and the aged over 80 group. Further, regarding the relationship between the MCSP and age, it was found that their interaction was significant only with regard to visuospatial/executive ability.CONCLUSION: The MCSP helps to improve the cognitive functions of the elderly; however, its effect differs between the young-old group and the old-old group. Therefore, age should be considered when developing MCSPs.
Aged ; Aging ; Cognition ; Cognitive Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Language ; Memory

Aphasia is a major devastating symptom in stroke survivors that deteriorates patient quality of life. Various treatment methods are applied for aphasia patients after stroke. Evidence is required to assess the effectiveness of variable therapy for aphasia. Results of a meta-analysis have concluded that speech and language treatment is effective post stroke. Better outcomes are expected with high dose and high intensity speech and language therapy within tolerable ranges. Computerized and group treatments can supplement classic one to one speech and language therapy. Pharmacotherapy and non-invasive brain stimulation combined with speech and language therapy have been well-studied and better outcomes are expected, however testing in a large number of subjects is required to validate the efficacy of these combined modalities.
Aphasia* ; Brain ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Language Therapy ; Quality of Life ; Speech Therapy ; Stroke* ; Survivors ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation