Physical therapy
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The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is commonly evaluated in order to assess the risk of biased estimates of treatment effects. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify scales used to evaluate the methodological quality of RCTs in health care research and summarize the content, construction, development, and psychometric properties of these scales. ⋯ Many scales are used to evaluate the methodological quality of RCTs, but most of these scales have not been adequately developed and have not been adequately tested for validity and reliability. A valid and reliable scale for the assessment of the methodological quality of physical therapy trials needs to be developed.
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Neuroimaging is an emergent method of investigation for studying the human brain in healthy and impaired populations. An increasing number of these investigations involve topics important to rehabilitation. ⋯ Included in this article is a description of the signal source, the advantages and limitations of each technique, considerations for study design, and how to interpret cortical imaging data. Particular emphasis is placed on functional magnetic resonance imaging because of its ubiquitous presence in rehabilitation research.
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The plasticity of the brain is an increasingly important topic for physical therapists interested in childhood development, learning, and repair following injury. The study of plasticity directly in the human nervous system presents numerous challenges, such as the ability to assess neuronal function in vivo because of physical impediments, such as the skull, skin, and dura. ⋯ Furthermore, repetitive trains of TMS themselves can induce plasticity. This article discusses the use of TMS to investigate and manipulate plasticity in the human nervous system.
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The efficacy of pursed-lip breathing (PLB) and diaphragmatic breathing (DB) in the rehabilitation of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. This review examines the evidence regarding the usefulness of these techniques in improving the breathing of people with stable COPD. The studies included in our review of the literature used either PLB or DB in isolation, contained a clear description of the methods, and used outcomes that were measured with what we considered to be appropriate procedures. ⋯ This decrease in airway narrowing may account for the decreased dyspnea some people experience when using this technique. Diaphragmatic breathing has negative and positive effects, but the latter appear to be caused by simply slowing the respiratory rate. Evidence supports the use of PLB, but not DB, for improving the breathing of people with COPD.
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The recovery of stepping ability following a spinal cord injury may be achieved by restoring anatomical connectivity within the spinal cord. However, studies of locomotor recovery in animals with complete spinal cord transection suggest that the adult mammalian spinal cord can acquire the ability to generate stepping after all descending input is eliminated and in the absence of neuronal regeneration. ⋯ This brief review presents evidence that neural networks in the mammalian spinal cord can be modulated pharmacologically and/or with task-specific behavioral training to generate weight-bearing stepping after a spinal injury. Further, the role that spinal learning can play in the management of humans with spinal cord injury is discussed in relation to interventions that are designed primarily to enhance neuronal regeneration.