To synthesise the best available evidence for the effectiveness of interventions delivered in community-based rehabilitation (CBR) centers on physical fitness, for community-dwelling older adults living in Asian countries. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. Seven English and two Chinese electronic databases were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies that were conducted by centers providing CBR. Independent reviewers screened, quality-appraised and extracted data. The primary outcome was physical fitness measured by validated assessment tools, including the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), gait speed, hand grip strength, Functional Reach Test (FRT), and one-leg standing test. Assessments of activity of daily living and quality of life using tools including the Barthel Index, Short Form (SF)-12, and SF-36 were secondary outcomes. After screening 5,272 studies, 29 studies were included (16 RCTs, 13 quasi-experimental studies) from four countries. Meta-analyses found that CBR programs significantly decreased TUG time (mean difference [MD], -1.89 seconds; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], -2.84 to -0.94; I²=0%; Z=3.90, p<0.0001), improved gait speed (MD, 0.10 m/s; 95% CI, 0.01–0.18; I²=0%; Z=2.26, p=0.02), and increased one-leg standing time (MD, 2.81 seconds; 95% CI, 0.41–5.22; I²=0%; Z=2.29, p=0.02). Handgrip strength and FRT showed no statistically significant improvement in the meta-analyses. CBR may improve aspects of physical fitness for older adults in Asian countries. However, variability in intervention components and measurement tools reduced the ability to pool individual studies. Further trials are required with robust designs including standardised measures of physical fitness.

Objective
To generate a Korean version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (K-OCS) and obtain cutoff scores that determine the impairment of each subdomain. Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) negatively impacts the rehabilitation process and independence in daily life. Its obscure manifestations require effective screening for appropriate rehabilitation. However, in most rehabilitation clinics, psychological evaluation tools for Alzheimer’s dementia have been used without such considerations. The OCS is a screening assessment tool for PSCI and vascular dementia that can evaluate the cognitive domains most often affected by stroke, including language, attention, memory, praxis, and numerical cognition. It comprises 10 subtasks and enables quick and effective cognitive evaluation.
Methods
The K-OCS, which considers Korea’s unique cultural and linguistic characteristics, was developed with the approval and cooperation of the original author. Enrollment of participants without disabilities was announced at Duksung Women’s University, Yongin Sevrance Hospital, CHA Bundang Medical Center. The study was conducted between September 2020 and March 2022 on 97 male and female participants aged ≥30 years.
Results
All the 97 participants completed the task. In this study, the 5th percentile score was presumed to be the cutoff value for each score, and the values are provided here. The cutoff score for each OCS subtask was similar to that of the original British version.
Conclusion
We suggest the usability of the K-OCS as a screening tool for PSCI by providing the cutoff value of each subtask.

Citations

• Quality of Assessment Tools for Aphasia: A Systematic Review
  Francescaroberta Panuccio, Giulia Rossi, Anita Di Nuzzo, Ilaria Ruotolo, Giada Cianfriglia, Rachele Simeon, Giovanni Sellitto, Anna Berardi, Giovanni Galeoto
  Brain Sciences.2025; 15(3): 271.     CrossRef
• Validation of Korean Version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (K-OCS), a Post Stroke-Specific Cognitive Screening Tool
  Eunyoung Cho, Sungwon Choi, Nele Demeyere, Rina Kim, Ikhyun Lim, MinYoung Kim
  Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.2025; 49(1): 5.     CrossRef

Objective
To show the effectiveness of goal-oriented proprioceptive training in subacute stroke for balance, autonomy, and fall risk.
Methods
Out a total of 35 patients, consistent in age (75.31±8.65 years), type of stroke (ischemic, 3 to 11 weeks before), and motor impairment, 18 patients underwent solely proprioceptive rehabilitation, the other 17 dual task exercises. The study assessed autonomy using Barthel Index, fall risk with Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), balance through Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Tinetti test.
Results
After two months, significant improvements were recorded in Barthel Index, BBS (p<0.0001), Tinetti test (p<0.0001 in dual task group, p=0.0029 in single task group), and TUG (p=0.0052 in dual task group, p=0.0020 in single task group) in both groups. Comparing the two groups, dual task group showed a significant difference in Tinetti balance assessment (p=0.0052), between the total score of Tinetti test and TUG in single (p=0.0271), and dual task (p=0.0235). Likewise, Tinetti gait test was significantly related to TUG in single (p=0.0536), and dual task (p=0.0466), while Tinetti balance test to Barthel Index (p=0.0394), BBS (p<0.0001), and TUG in single (p=0.0219), and dual task (p=0.0196). Lastly, there is a positive correlation of the use of aids with BBS (p=0.0074), and total score of Tinetti test (p=0.0160).
Conclusion
In subacute stroke, goal-oriented proprioceptive training improved balance, but only partially autonomy. Furthermore, the use of aids after dual-task exercises improved recovery of balance, but did not reduced falls.

Citations

• A scoping review on the body awareness rehabilitation after stroke: are we aware of what we are unaware?
  Davide Cardile, Viviana Lo Buono, Francesco Corallo, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò
  Frontiers in Neurology.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Dual tasking as a predictor of falls in post-stroke: A cross-sectional analysis comparing Walking While Talking versus Stops Walking While Talking
  Disha Lamba, Abraham M. Joshua, Vijaya kumar K, Akshatha Nayak, Prasanna Mithra, Rohit Pai, Shivananda Pai, Shyam Krishnan K., Vijayakumar Palaniswamy
  F1000Research.2025; 13: 1395.     CrossRef
• Effects of Unpredictable Perturbation Training on a Split-Belt Treadmill on Physical Performance in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
  Kap-Soo Han, Myoung-Hwan Ko
  Geriatrics.2025; 10(1): 23.     CrossRef
• Influence of taping on joint proprioception: a systematic review with between and within group meta-analysis
  Shashank Ghai, Ishan Ghai, Susanne Narciss
  BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Application of an Auditory-Based Feedback Distortion to Modify Gait Symmetry in Healthy Individuals
  Le Yu Liu, Samir Sangani, Kara K. Patterson, Joyce Fung, Anouk Lamontagne
  Brain Sciences.2024; 14(8): 798.     CrossRef
• Validez convergente de la escala Tinetti en pacientes con ictus en fase subaguda
  Adrián Arranz–Escudero, Patricia Martín–Casas, Ester Carpio–Calatayud, Ibai López–de–Uralde–Villanueva
  Revista Científica de la Sociedad Española de Enfermería Neurológica.2024; : 500168.     CrossRef
• Time-course for acquiring transfer independence in patients with subacute stroke: a prospective cohort study
  Shin Kitamura, Yohei Otaka, Shintaro Uehara, Yudai Murayama, Kazuki Ushizawa, Yuya Narita, Naho Nakatsukasa, Daisuke Matsuura, Rieko Osu, Kunitsugu Kondo, Sachiko Sakata
  Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.2024; 56: jrm40055.     CrossRef
• Efficacy and safety of very early rehabilitation for acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  Ying Lou, Zhongshuo Liu, Yingxiao Ji, Jinming Cheng, Congying Zhao, Litao Li
  Frontiers in Neurology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Challenges in Accessing Community-Based Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care for Older Adult Stroke Survivors and Their Caregivers: A Qualitative Study
  Sining Zeng, Min Wu, Ling Xu, Zining Guo, Shufan Chen, Keyu Ling, Haihan Li, Xiaoli Yu, Xiaoping Zhu
  Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare.2024; Volume 17: 4829.     CrossRef
• The Impact of Virtual Reality as a Rehabilitation Method Using TRAVEE System on Functional Outcomes and Disability in Stroke Patients: A Pilot Study
  Claudia-Gabriela Potcovaru, Delia Cinteză, Miruna Ioana Săndulescu, Daniela Poenaru, Ovidiu Chiriac, Cristian Lambru, Alin Moldoveanu, Ana Magdalena Anghel, Mihai Berteanu
  Biomedicines.2024; 12(11): 2450.     CrossRef
• Synergistic effects of combined motor and language interventions on stroke rehabilitation: a holistic approach
  Reihaneh Saber-Moghadam, Afsaneh Zeinalzadeh, Jamshid Jamali, Mohammad Taghi Farzadfard, Davood Sobhani-Rad
  Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The importance of recovering body awareness in post-stroke rehabilitation: insights from clinical case reports
  Davide Cardile, Viviana Lo Buono, Francesco Corallo, Simona Cammaroto, Caterina Formica, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò
  Frontiers in Neurology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef

Objective
To confirm that the simplified insole does not affect the gait speed and to identify objective sensor-based gait parameters that correlate strongly with existing clinical gait assessment scales.
Methods
Ten participants with gait impairment due to hemiplegic stroke were enrolled in this study. Pairs of insoles with four pressure sensors on each side were manufactured and placed in each shoe. Data were extracted during the 10-Meter Walk Test. Several sensor-derived parameters (for example stance time, heel_on-to-toe_peak time, and toe_peak pressure) were calculated and correlated with gait speed and lower extremity Fugl-Meyer (F-M) score.
Results
The insole pressure sensor did not affect gait, as indicated by a strong correlation (ρ=0.988) and high agreement (ICC=0.924) between the gait speeds with and without the insole. The parameters that correlated most strongly with highest β coefficients against the clinical measures were stance time of the non-hemiplegic leg (β=-0.87 with F-M and β=-0.95 with gait speed) and heel_on-to-toe_peak time of the non-hemiplegic leg (β=-0.86 with F-M and -0.94 with gait speed).
Conclusion
Stance time of the non-hemiparetic leg correlates most strongly with clinical measures and can be assessed using a non-obtrusive insole pressure sensor that does not affect gait function. These results suggest that an insole pressure sensor, which is applicable in a home environment, may be useful as a clinical endpoint in post-stroke gait therapy trials.

Objective
To assess the safety and effectiveness of high-density light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation therapy in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA) and compare the pre- and post-intervention symptoms.
Methods
Twenty-three patients with hand OA underwent eight sessions of high-density LED irradiation therapy directed at the five most painful areas in the finger joints. Each session lasted for 18 minutes; and the sessions were conducted twice a week, for 4 weeks. We evaluated the degree of pain using the visual analogue scale, ring size, and passive range of motion (flexion+extension) for two most painful joints from the baseline to post-therapy (weeks 4 and 6).
Results
High-density LED irradiation therapy significantly reduced the pain posttreatment compared with that observed at the baseline (p<0.001). Although improvements were observed in ring size and joint range of motion at 4 and 6 weeks, they were not statistically significant (p>0.05). No adverse events were observed.
Conclusion
We examined the safety and effectiveness of high-density LED irradiation therapy in reducing pain and hand swelling and improving joint mobility in patients with hand OA. These results suggest that high-density LED irradiation therapy has the potential to be an important strategy for managing hand OA.

Citations

• Letter to the Editor: Efficacy and Safety of High Density LED Irradiation Therapy for Patients With Hand Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center Clinical Study
  Vanshika Agarwal, Jeyanthi. S, Adarsh Sharma
  Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.2025; 49(1): 1.     CrossRef
• Response: Efficacy and Safety of High Density LED Irradiation Therapy for Patients With Hand Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center Clinical Study (Ann Rehabil Med 2024;48:50-6)
  Jiseon Hong
  Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.2025; 49(1): 3.     CrossRef
• Photobiomodulation Literature Watch December 2023
  James D. Carroll
  Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery.2024; 42(10): 660.     CrossRef

Objective
To determine the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and neck pain, kinesiophobia, and modalities of physical activity in individuals with postoperative degenerative cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy (DCM/R) because postoperative pain after cervical spine surgery is likely to persist, causing kinesiophobia and avoidance of physical activity.
Methods
A questionnaire was distributed to 280 individuals with DCM/R. The questionnaire comprised the following four items: HRQOL (EuroQol 5-dimensions 5-level), neck pain (numerical rating scale [NRS]), kinesiophobia (11-item Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia [TSK-11]), and physical activity (paid work, light exercise, walking, strength training, and gardening). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed using the NRS, TSK-11, and physical activity as independent variables.
Results
In total, 126 individuals provided analyzable responses (45.0%). After including the NRS score as an independent variable to the multiple regression equation for participants’ background, the independent rate of the regression equation significantly improved by only 4.1% (R²=0.153). The addition of the TSK-11 score significantly improved this effect by 11.1% (R2=0.264). Finally, the addition of physical activity also significantly improved the explanatory rate by 9.9% (R2=0.363).
Conclusion
Neck pain, kinesiophobia, and physical activity (specifically paid work and walking) were independently associated with HRQOL in individuals with postoperative DCM/R.

Objective
To formulate an equation estimating months to independent walking in moderate to late preterm infants based on neonatal characteristics and gross motor development from 7 months to independent walking.
Methods
Sixty infants born between 32 to 36 weeks were assessed using Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) for gross motor development. Neonatal characteristics were recorded at 7 months, and caregiver-reported independent walking onset. Pearson correlation analyzed age, AIMS scores, and neonatal factors. Multiple regression developed the prediction equation.
Results
The equation for independent walking onset, which included gestational age (GA) at birth, total AIMS score at 10 months of age (10th AIMS), and birth head circumference (BHC), exhibited a strong correlation (r=0.707) and had a predictive power of 50.0%. The equation is as follows: age onset of independent walking (months)=33.157, -0.296 (GA), -0.132 (10th AIMS), -0.196 (BHC), with an estimation error of 0.631 months.
Conclusion
Neonatal characteristics, such as GA, 10th AIMS, and BHC, are key determinants in estimating the onset of independent walking in moderate to late preterm infants.

Objective
To investigate the feasibility and effects of a mobile app-based home cycling exercise program compared to home cycling exercise without additional monitoring system. Compared with fitness facilities or outdoor exercise, home-based exercise programs effectively improve physical performance in an indwelling community. However, a flexible, informal environment may decrease motivation and impair adherence to physical exercise. Mobile devices for aerobic exercise and mobile applications provide real-time monitoring, immediate feedback, and encouragement to increase motivation and promote physical performance. We investigated the feasibility and effects of a mobile app-based home exercise program on body composition, muscular strength, and cardiopulmonary function.
Methods
Between February and May 2023, 20 participants were randomly allocated to the intervention (mobile application with a tablet) and control groups, and they performed aerobic exercise using a stationary bicycle for ≥150 minutes per week for 6 weeks (≤30-minute exercise session, with 3-minute warm-up and 3-minute cool-down). Karvonen formula-based heartrate defined the weekly increase in exercise intensity. Outcome measures included body-composition parameters, isokinetic knee flexor and extensor strength tests, cardiopulmonary exercise test results, and rate of target heart rate (HR) achievement. Participants were assessed at baseline and after the intervention.
Results
Unrelated personal events led two participants to drop out. The intervention and control groups had similar baseline characteristics. Compared with the control group, in the post-intervention isokinetic strength test, bilateral knee flexor and extensor power, and time to target HR achievement significantly increased each week in the intervention group.
Conclusion
Home-based exercise to achieve long-term cardiovascular fitness with portable electronic/mobile devices facilitates individualized exercise using real-time feedback to improve motivation and adherence.

Objective
To compile epidemiological characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in the Northern Indian Himalayan regions and Sub-Himalayan planes.
Methods
The present study is a retrospective, cross-sectional descriptive analysis based on hospital data conducted at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Spine Unit of Trauma Centre in a tertiary care hospital in Uttarakhand, India. People hospitalized at the tertiary care center between August 2018 and November 2021 are included in the study sample. A prestructured proforma was employed for the evaluation, including demographic and epidemiological characteristics.
Results
TSCI was found in 167 out of 3,120 trauma patients. The mean age of people with TSCI was 33.5±13.3, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.4:1. Eighty-three participants (49.7%) were from the plains, while the hilly region accounts for 50.3%. People from the plains had a 2.9:1 rural-to-urban ratio, whereas the hilly region had a 6:1 ratio. The overall most prevalent cause was Falls (59.3%), followed by road traffic accidents (RTAs) (35.9%). RTAs (57.2%) were the most common cause of TSCI in the plains’ urban regions, while Falls (58.1%) were more common in rural plains. In both urban (66.6%) and rural (65.3%) parts of the hilly region, falls were the most common cause.
Conclusion
TSCI is more common in young males, especially in rural hilly areas. Falls rather than RTAs are the major cause.

Objective
To assess, analyse, and infer the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on people living with locomotor disability in North India.
Methods
Patients with locomotor disabilities who met the inclusion criteria received a questionnaire that had already undergone testing and validation. It covered topics highlighting the effect of the pandemic on general health, financial burden, psychological and mental health, social life and behaviour, disability and comorbidity management, transportation, and healthcare accessibility during the pandemic. In order to gauge the pandemic’s effects on the population of people with locomotor disabilities, the answers to the questions were collected and analyzed.
Results
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected people living with locomotor disability, ranging from loss of wages and financial crisis to anxiety, depression and lack of sleep. People with disabilities had limited reach to health and community services that were vital for them, including basic life and functional needs, besides risks of mistreatment and other psychological consequences.
Conclusion
This analysis suggests that the root cause of pandemic disparities is the lack of disability-inclusive planning and, more significantly, the pre-existing socioeconomic disparities and challenges that disabled people have been experiencing for a long time. We suggest that unambiguous public health and policy responses should be incorporated, and health, social participation, and socioeconomic disparity causes for disabled people should be addressed in tandem.