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To translate the English version of the London Chest Activity of Daily Living scale (LCADL) into a Korean version and to determine the reliability and validity of the Korean version in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The English version of LCADL was translated into Korean and back-translated into English. Subsequently, the back-translated version was reviewed and compared with the original, and thus the final K-LCADL was obtained. To evaluate the validation of the K-LCADL, patients simultaneously completed a pulmonary function test, a 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and questionnaires, including the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, the Korean version of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (K-SGRQ), the Korean version of the COPD Assessment Test (K-CAT), and the Korean version of the EuroQoL-5 Dimensions (K-EQ-5D). To assess test-retest reliability, the K-LCADL was again administered to the same patients within 2 weeks from initial assessment.
A total of 94 patients participated in the present study. The total K-LCADL score was positively correlated with the K-SGRQ (r=0.802, p<0.001), the mMRC dyspnea scale (r=0.603, p<0.001), and the K-CAT score (r=0.714, p<0.001), and negatively correlated with the K-EQ-5D (r=−0.764, p<0.001), 6MWT (r=−0.635, p<0.001), forced expiratory volume in one second 1 (r=−0.416, p=0.002), and forced vital capacity (r=−0.397, p=0.023). Intraclass correlation coefficient of the K-LCADL was 0.951 (p<0.001).
The K-LCADL is a reliable and valid questionnaire for evaluating limitation of activities of daily living in patients with COPD.
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To investigate the effects of the newly developed Spine Balance 3D system on the balance and gait abilities of hemiplegic stroke patients.
Twenty-eight hemiplegic patients with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to an experimental (n=14) or control group (n=14). The experimental and control groups performed balance training by using the newly developed Spine Balance 3D system and the well-known Biodex Balance System 30 minutes per day, three times a week for 7 weeks. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 10-m walking test (10mWT), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Functional Reach Test (FRT), the Korean version of the Fall Efficacy Scale-International (KFES-I), trunk muscle strength and stability were evaluated before and after 7 weeks of intervention.
The 10mWT improved significantly (p=0.001) in the experimental group (using the Spine Balance 3D system) but not in the control group, and core muscle strength, which we checked using Spine Balance 3D system evaluation program, improved more in the experimental group as well. The results of the BBS, FRT, TUG, KFES-I, and Biodex Balance System evaluation program improved in both groups after 7 weeks of balance training.
We suggest that the newly-developed Spine Balance 3D system can be a more useful therapeutic tool for gait and dynamic balance rehabilitation in hemiplegic patients than a conventional 2D-based balance training system. A large-scale randomized controlled study is needed to prove the effect of this system.
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To investigate whether motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude ratio measurements are sufficiently objective to assess functional activities of the extremities. We also delineated the distribution between the presence or absence of MEPs and the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale for muscle strength of the extremities.
We enrolled 183 patients with first-ever unilateral hemiplegia after stroke. The MEP parameters were amplitude ratio (amplitude of affected side/amplitude of unaffected side) recorded at the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. We performed frequency analyses using the MRC scale for muscle strength and the presence or absence of evoked MEPs. Change on the MRC scale, hand function tests (HFTs), and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) subscore were compared between the evoked MEP and absent MEP groups using the independent t-test. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the optimal cutoff scores for the MEP amplitude ratio using the HFT results and MBI subscores. Correlations between the MEP amplitude ratio and the MRC scale, HFTs, and MBI subscore were analyzed.
About 10% of patients with MRC scale grades 0-2 showed evoked MEPs at the FDI muscle, and 4% of patients with MRC scale grades 3-5 did not show MEPs. About 18% of patients with MRC scale grades 0-2 showed evoked MEPs at the TA muscle, and 4% of patients with MRC scale grades 3-5 did not show MEPs. MEP amplitude increased with increasing MRC scale grade. The evoked MEP group had more significant changes on the MRC scale, HFT, and the climbing stair score on the MBI than those in the group without MEPs. Larger MEP amplitude ratios were observed in patients who had more difficulty with the HFTs and ambulation. The MEP amplitude ratio was significantly correlated with the MRC scale, HFT, and MBI subscore.
We conclude that the MEP amplitude ratio may be useful to predict functional status of the extremities in patients who suffered stroke.
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