To identify possible clinical predictors of intermittent oro-esophageal (OE) tube feeding success, and evaluate the clinical factors associated with OE tube treatment.
A total of 135 dysphagic patients were reviewed, who received OE tube treatment and were hospitalized in the department of rehabilitation medicine between January 2005 and December 2014. The 76 eligible cases enrolled were divided into two groups, based on the OE tube training success. Clinical factors assessed included age, cause of brain lesion, gag reflex, cognitive function and reasons for OE tube training failure.
Of the 76 cases enrolled, 56 study patients were assigned to the success group, with the remaining 20 in the failure group. There were significant differences between these two groups in terms of age, gag reflex, ability to follow commands, and the score of Korean version of Mini-Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE). Location of the brain lesion showed a borderline significance. Multivariable analysis using logistic regression revealed that age, cause of brain lesion, gag reflex, and K-MMSE were the main predictors of OE tube training success.
A younger age, impaired gag reflex and higher cognitive function (specifically a K-MMSE score ≥19.5) are associated with an increased probability of OE tube training success in dysphagic patients.
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To investigate the effects of mirror therapy using a tablet PC for post-stroke central facial paresis.
A prospective, randomized controlled study was performed. Twenty-one post-stroke patients were enrolled. All patients performed 15 minutes of orofacial exercise twice daily for 14 days. The mirror group (n=10) underwent mirror therapy using a tablet PC while exercising, whereas the control group (n=11) did not. All patients were evaluated using the Regional House–Brackmann Grading Scale (R-HBGS), and the length between the corner of the mouth and the ipsilateral earlobe during rest and smiling before and after therapy were measured bilaterally. We calculated facial movement by subtracting the smile length from resting length. Differences and ratios between bilateral sides of facial movement were evaluated as the final outcome measure.
Baseline characteristics were similar for the two groups. There were no differences in the scores for the basal Modified Barthel Index, the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, R-HBGS, and bilateral differences and ratios of facial movements. The R-HBGS as well as the bilateral differences and ratios of facial movement showed significant improvement after therapy in both groups. The degree of improvement of facial movement was significantly larger in the mirror group than in the control group.
Mirror therapy using a tablet PC might be an effective tool for treating central facial paresis after stroke.
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To demonstrate the prevalence of cerebral hypoperfusion without focal cerebral lesions in patients with Moyamoya disease (MMD), and the relationship between areas of hypoperfusion and cognitive impairment.
Twenty-six MMD patients were included. Patients were categorized according to the presence/absence of hypoperfusion in the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes on brain single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) after acetazolamide challenge. Computerized neuropsychological test (CNT) results were compared between groups.
Only 3 patients showed normal cerebral perfusion. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Patients with frontal lobe hypoperfusion showed lower scores in visual continuous performance test (CPT), auditory CPT, forward digit span test, backward digit span test, verbal learning test, and trail-making test. Patients with parietal lobe hypoperfusion showed lower backward digit span test, visual learning test, and trail-making test scores. Related to temporal and occipital lobes, there were no significant differences in CNT results between the hypoperfusion and normal groups.
MMD patients without focal cerebral lesion frequently exhibit cerebral hypoperfusion. MMD patients with frontal and parietal hypoperfusion had abnormal CNT profiles, similar to those with frontal and parietal lesions. It is suggested that the hypoperfusion territory on brain SPECT without focal lesion may affect the characteristics of neurocognitive dysfunction in MMD patients.
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To investigate how much formal caregivers know about caring for stroke patients, and whether they adequately provide it.
Formal caregivers, who worked for stroke patients at 8 hospitals (including 4 university hospitals, 2 rehabilitation hospitals, and 2 convalescent hospitals) participated in this study. The survey was based on a self-report questionnaire, with 6 categories containing a total of 48 questions about the specific care of stroke patients: the demographic characteristics of the caregivers, bed positioning, the provision of meals, position changes and transfers, the range of motion exercises, and caregiver training.
A total of 217 caregivers were surveyed, and they were distributed as follows: 41% came from the university hospitals, 35% came from the rehabilitation hospitals, and 24% came from the convalescent hospitals. The percentages of correct answers were distributed as follows: 64.3% for bed positioning, 74.3% for providing meals, and 62.4% for position change and transfer. The total and subscale scores of the caregivers working at convalescent hospitals were significantly lower than those of the caregivers working at the other types of hospitals (p<0.05). Only 7.8% of the total participants received training on a regular basis. The caregivers obtained most of the information from caregiver associations (58.1%), and the majority of the caregivers (65.4%) were willing to receive training.
About one third (33.8%) of caregivers did not have adequate knowledge of how to properly care for stroke patients; in fact, a significant number of caregivers demonstrated inappropriate and insufficient knowledge in several areas. It is assumed that the provision of regular training, by rehabilitation experts, will improve the professionalism and knowledge of the caregivers, and positively affect patient outcomes.
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To determine factors associated with motor recovery of the upper extremity after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment in stroke patients.
Twenty-nine patients with subacute stroke participated in this study. rTMS was applied to the hand motor cortex for 10 minutes at a 110% resting motor threshold and 10 Hz frequency for two weeks. We evaluated the biographical, neurological, clinical, and functional variables, in addition to the motor-evoked potential (MEP) response. The Manual Function Test (MFT) was performed before, immediately after, and two weeks after, the treatment. Patients were divided into a responder and non-responder group according to their respective improvements on the MFT. Data were compared between the two groups.
Patients with exclusively subcortical stroke, absence of aphasia, the presence of a MEP response, high scores on the Mini-Mental Status Examination, Motricity Index arm score, Functional Independence Measure, and Functional Ambulatory Classification; and a shorter period from stroke onset to rTMS were found to be significantly associated with a response to rTMS.
The results of this study suggest that rTMS may have a greater effect on upper extremity motor recovery in stroke patients who have a MEP response, suffer an exclusively subcortical stroke, mild paresis, and have good functional status. Applying rTMS early would have additional positive effects in the patients with the identified characteristics.
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