Journal of rehabilitation research and development
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on eye tracking abnormalities in males after mild traumatic brain injury.
The effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) on eye movement abnormalities in 60 military servicemembers with at least one mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) from combat were examined in a single-center, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, prospective study at the Naval Medicine Operational Training Center. During the 10 wk of the study, each subject was delivered a series of 40, once a day, hyperbaric chamber compressions at a pressure of 2.0 atmospheres absolute (ATA). ⋯ Between and within groups testing of pre- and postintervention means revealed no significant differences on eye movement abnormalities and no significant main effect for HBO2 at either 1.5 ATA or 2.0 ATA equivalent compared with the sham-control. This study demonstrated that neither 1.5 nor 2.0 ATA equivalent HBO2 had an effect on postconcussive eye movement abnormalities after mild TBI when compared with a sham-control.
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Case Reports
Forward stair descent with hybrid neuroprosthesis after paralysis: Single case study demonstrating feasibility.
The ability to negotiate stairs is important for community access and independent mobility but requires more effort and strength than level walking. For this reason, previous attempts to utilize functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) to restore stair navigation after spinal cord injury (SCI) have had limited success and are not readily generalizable. Stair descent is particularly challenging because it requires energy absorption via eccentric muscle contractions, a task not easily accomplished with FNS. ⋯ Feasibility testing was performed on one individual with complete thoracic-level SCI. Stair descent was achieved with maximum upper-limb forces of less than 45% body weight compared with previously reported value of 70% with FNS only. The experiments also provided insight into design requirements for future hybrid systems for stair navigation, the implications of which are discussed.
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Comparative Study
Validity and reliability of rectus femoris ultrasound measurements: Comparison of curved-array and linear-array transducers.
Muscle-mass loss augers increased morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Muscle-mass loss can be assessed by wide linear-array ultrasound transducers connected to cumbersome, expensive console units. Whether cheaper, hand-carried units equipped with curved-array transducers can be used as alternatives is unknown. ⋯ In the subjects with COPD, both reliability (ICC: 0.99) and repeatability (%TE: 7.6% and 9.8%) were high. Rectus area was related to quadriceps strength in COPD for both experienced operators (coefficient of determination: 0.67 and 0.70). In conclusion, measurements of rectus femoris cross-sectional area recorded with a curved-array transducer connected to a hand-carried unit are valid, reliable, and reproducible, leading us to contend that this technique is suitable for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
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The construct validity and construct responsiveness of the performance scale of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was measured in 87 newly admitted patients with chronic pain attending an outpatient rehabilitation clinic. At admission and after 12 wk, patients completed a COPM interview, the Pain Disability Index (PDI), and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND-36). We determined the construct validity of the COPM by correlations between the COPM performance scale (COPM-P), the PDI, and the RAND-36 at admission. ⋯ In patients with chronic pain attending our rehabilitation program, the COPM-P measures something different than the RAND-36 or PDI. Therefore, construct validity of the COPM-P was not confirmed by our data. We were not able to find support for the COPM-P to detect changes in occupational performance.