Objective:To compare the immediate effectiveness of elbow forearm support with that of a traditional shoulder sling in reducing glenohumeral subluxation (GHS) after a stroke.Methods:Eight stroke survivors with GHS were randomized to receive either 30 minutes of intervention of an elbow forearm support treatment or a traditional shoulder sling treatment twice within 24 hours. Their healthy and affected shoulders were X-rayed before and right after the treatment is ongoing as well as after the end of the 30 min of treatment. The vertical (VD) and horizontal (HD) distances from the lower edge of the acromion to the center of the humeral head were measured. The satisfaction of the patients and their relatives was surveyed.Results:The average VD and HD improved significantly more after wearing the elbow forearm support. Moreover, the patients and their relatives expressed greater satisfaction with the elbow forearm support.Conclusion:Either an elbow forearm support or a traditional shoulder sling will have an immediate effect in reducing shoulder subluxation, but the elbow forearm support is more effective and gives greater satisfaction.

Objective:To explore the suitability of using Rasch analysis to transform scores on the Activities and Participation component of the ICF Rehabilitation Set.Methods:Between January and May 2017, five hundred and fifteen post-acute rehabilitation patients were recruited in 13 research centers through quota sampling. Specially-trained health professionals used the Activities and Participation component of the ICF Rehabilitation Set to collect data. Rasch analysis was performed using RUMM 2030 software to test for goodness of fit, threshold estimates, and local dependency.Results:Of the five hundred and fifteen participants, 279 (54.2%) had a neurological condition, 119 (23.1%) a cardiopulmonary condition, 49 (10.0%) a musculoskeletal condition, and 68 (13.2%) some other condition. After Rasch analysis, the Activities and Participant component of the ICF Rehabilitation Set was divided into two domains: Activities, and Participation with 9 categories under activities and five under participation.Conclusions:After rescoring the response options, deleting four poorly-fitting categories and generating one testlet, it was found that the activities and participation component the ICF Rehabilitation Set can be divided into two outcome measures to be applied in clinical practice.

Objective To explore the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the walking function of patients with early Parkinson's disease.Methods Thirty patients with early Parkinson's disease were randomly divided into an intervention group (n =15) and a control group (n =15).In addition to routine treatment,both groups were apparently provided with tDCS,though the current intensity for the intervention group was 2mA and that of the control group was zero.Both groups were treated for 20min every day for 5 days in succession.Before and after the treatment,all of the patients were evaluated using the timed up and go test (TUGT) and their gaits were analyzed to determine step velocity,cadence and width.Results Before and after the treatment there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of average TUGT time,though the average TUGT time had decreased significantly compared with before the treatment.Before the treatment there were no significant differences between the two groups in average step velocity,cadence or width.After the treatment,significant improvements were observed only in the intervention group.The average step width of the intervention group was then significantly bigger than that of the control group.Conclusion Transcranial direct current stimulation can improve the walking function and stability of early Parkinson's patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of the resting brain function network in patients in a minimal conscious state (MCS) so as to explore the mechanism.Methods Eleven MCS patients were selected.Among them,there were 9 males and 2 females,10 with cerebral trauma and 1 with cerebral hemorrhage,with an average age of (37.3±8.4) and an average course of disease of (3.4±0.1) months.All subjects were given a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) assessment prior to the single tDCS treatment,followed by a 20-minute single sham tDCS treatment at a time.After single-sham stimulation,a second time rs-fMRI assessment test will be conducted,followed by a real tDCS treatment for 20 minutes.Eventually,a third time rs-fMRI assessment test will be implemented.Results No significant statistical difference was shown in terms of all the parameters after single shamtDCS as compared to those before the treatment (P＞0.05).After single real-tDCS,no significant change was observed with CRS-R score,ALFF of default network (left anterior wedge),the frontal-parietal network (left fróntal lobe,right superior gyms),sensory motor network (left auxiliary motor area),subcortical network (right thalamus,bilateral caudate nuclei) was significantly higher than that before treatment,while the ALFF of the frontal network (frontal lobe) and auditory network (bilateral temporal lobes) was significantly decreased (P＜0.05).After single real-tDCS,the ALFF of default network (right frontal lobe) was significantly enhanced compared to that after single sham-tDCS (P＜0.05),while that of the salient network (left insula) and sensorimotor network (right central frontal) was significantly decreased (P＜0.05).Conclusion The enhancement of ALFF activity in the resting state brain function network is a possible neural mechanism for tDCS to promote the recovery of consciousness level in pa tients with minimal conscious state.

Objective To observe and compare the effect of training using an electric standing bed or a dy-namic electric standing bed on the auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in the brainstems of healthy people. Methods Twenty healthy people were divided into a common group ( n=10) and a dynamic group ( n=10) . The common group accepted training using an electric standing bed, while the dynamic group accepted training using a dynamic electric standing bed. Before and after the training, BAEPs were measured and compared using variance analysis. Results The latencies of the I, III and V waves among the common group were not significantly different from those of the dy-namic group before the training. After the training, however, the average wave V latency was significantly shorter than that in the common group. After the training there were, however, no significant differences in the I-III, I-V or III-V interpeak latencies in the common group, nor in the I-III interpeak latency in the dynamic group compared with before the training. In the dynamic group the average I-V and III-V interpeak latencies after the training were significantly shorter than those beforehand. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the I-III, I-V or II-V interpeak latency after the training. Conclusion Compared with training using an electric standing bed, a dynamic electric standing bed gives significantly greater improvement in the latency and interpeak latency of BAEP waves.

Objective To explore the effect of electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) of the upper extremity in healthy subjects. Methods From October, 2015 to April, 2016, ten healthy young volunteers were selected. Each of the subjects was randomly treated with electroacupuncture and TEAS. Before and after treatment, the latency and amplitude of N20 and N9 of SEP were detected. Results After electroacupuncture, the latency of N20 prolonged in the stimulated side (Z=-2.620, P<0.01); the latency of N9 prolonged (Z=-2.454, P<0.05), and the amplitude of N9 decreased (Z=-2.330, P<0.05) in the non-stimulated side. After TEAS, the latencies of N9 both in the stimulated side and the non-stimulated side prolonged (Z>2.695, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the D-value of latency and amplitude of N20 and N9 in both two sides between two treatments (Z<1.817, P>0.05). Conclusion Both electroacupuncture and TEAS could affect the latency and amplitude of N20 and N9, and no difference was found between two treatments.

Objective To investigate the impact flat deformity of the cerebral cortex induced by congenital hydrocephalus on motor functioning and cognition.Methods Tomography was used to confirm the presence of flat cortex deformity in three congenital hydrocephalus patients ranging in age from 20 to 33.Their motor control,balance,cognition and ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) were evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA),the Berg balance scale (BBS),the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the modified Barthel index (MBI).Speech dysfunction was judged on the basis of clinical communication.The patients were scanned using a 64-slice spiral CT and size-of-ventricle indices were calculated.Results All 3 patients underwent ventrideperitoneal shunt.Their FMA scores were 75.5,83 and 100,with BBS scores of 4,24 and 56,MMSE scores of 14,23 and 26,and the MBIs of 40,90 and 100.CT images showed obvious ventricle enlargement and a thinner cortex layer in all three,with the thinnest part 0.18 cm,0.22 cm and 0.57 cm.Their ventricle indexes were 303％,288％ and 192％,respectively.Conclusion Although there is no systematic rehabilitation therapy for such patients,their motor,cognition and speech functioning were good,indicating the great potential for plasticity of the human brain.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects and duration of electroacupuncture on the mechanical pain threshold induced by paclitaxel and explore its analgesic mechanism.

METHODSSixty-four C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, a normal+sham EA group, a normal+EA group, a medicine+sham EA(Med+ sham EA) group, a medicine + EA (Med + EA) group, 16 cases in each group. The model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy was established with paclitaxel intraperitoneal injection on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th day in the Med + sham EA group and the Med + EA group. EA of 30 min was used on bilateral "Zusanli (ST 36)" on the 9th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 30th day in the EA groups, 2 Hz/100 Hz and 1~ 1.5 mA. Acupuncture was applied on the same acupoint at the same times in the sham EA groups. Mechanical pain thresholds were tested by VonFrey before and after model establishment, namely on the 8th, 14th; 21st and, 28th day. The heart blood of 8 mice was drawn quickly to collect serum in every group on the 31st day, and the contents of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in proinflammatory cytokine were examined by ELISA. Mechanical pain thresholds were tested by VonFrey for the rest 8 mice of each group until there was no apparent difference in the two paclitaxel groups once a week,namely on the 35th, 42nd, 49th day.

RESULTSThe pain thresholds of each group were not statistically different before model establishment (P > 0.05). After model establishment (on the 8th day), thresholds of the paclitaxel groups were lower than those of the normal groups (all P < 0.05). After EA, the mechanical pain thresholds of the Med + EA group were higher than those of the Med + sham EA group at all the time points, and there was statistical difference on the 14th, 21st and 28th day (all P < 0.05). The analgesic effect was lasting to the 49th day. The contents of TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β of the Med + EA group were decreased than those of the Med+sham EA group in different degree, with statistical significance of IL-1α (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA can effectively treat paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy,and the analgesic mechanism is probably related to decreasing the proinflammatory cytokine.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; etiology ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To investigate whether functional electrical stimulation (FES) can improve the expression of proteins in the NMDAR1-pGLuR1 pathway so as to promote the recovery of motor function and sensation after stroke.Methods Eighty-one Wistar rats were used to make a photochemical brain model of local ischemia.Rats were randomly assigned into a sham, placebo stimulation or FES group.Rats in the placebo and FES groups had local ischemia induced in the M1 zone of the brain using the photosensitive dye Bengal rose.It was administered intravenously and a laser beam was then stereotactically positioned on the skull.The rats in the FES groups were stimulated for 30 minutes (10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, then 10 minutes on).The placebo group's treatment was similar, but without the electric current.The rats in the sham group received no intervention.The cylinder test and the adhesive-removal test were used to test the rats' motor function and sensation before the operation and before they were sacrificed.Cohorts were sacrificed after 3, 7 and 14 days of intervention.NMDA receptor and AMPA receptor were detected in the peri-ischemic cortex using western blotting.Results After 7 and 14 days the index of forelimb motor function in the cylinder test of the FES group was significantly better than that of the placebo group.The average adhesive-removal time of the FES group was also significantly faster compared with the placebo group.After 7 days the average expression of NMDAR1 in the FES group was significantly higher than in the placebo group.The average expression of GluR1 and pGluR1 in the FES group was significantly higher than in the placebo group after 14 days.Conclusion Functional electrical stimulation can improve motor function after ischemia through the NMDARAMPAR signal pathway, at least in rats.

Objective To study the effects of different types of exercise training on learning and memory, as well as on the expression of synaptophysin (SYP) and on postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) in rats in which a model of vascular dementia had been created.Methods Forty male Wistar rats were divided randomly into a voluntary exercise group (V-EX) , a forced exercise group (F-EX) , an involuntary exercise group (I-EX) , a vascular dementia group (VD) and a sham-operation group (Sham) , with 8 rats in each group.Two-vessel occlusion (2-VO) of the arteria carotis communis was used to create a model of vascular dementia in all of the rats except those in the sham-operation group.Beginning one week after the surgery, the V-Ex rats were free to run in a running wheel.The F-EX rats were forced to run 270 m a day in an electric wheel.The I-EX rats were stimulated to imitate the gait pattern of their forelimbs running at 9 m/min three times a day for l0 minutes each time.No special training was given to the rats in the other 2 groups.Three weeks after the surgery, their learning and memory were tested using a novel object recognition test.Immediately after the test, their prefrontal cortex was sampled and the expression of SYP and PSD-95 was detected using western blotting.Results The average novel object recognition indices of the rats in the V-EX, F-EX and I-EX groups were all significantly higher than that of the VD group.Average PSD-95 expression was also significandy higher than in the VD group.Conclusion Exercise, whether voluntary, forced or induced by functional electrical stimulation can improve learning and memory in vascular dementia, at least in rats.The mechanism is possibly that the training can increase the expression of PSD-95 in the prefrontal cortex, though not SYP.