Disability and rehabilitation
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To test the hypothesis among people with spinal cord injury (SCI) that greater fulfillment of peer support needs to be associated with greater participation and life satisfaction. A secondary objective was to identify characteristics of people in great need of SCI peer support. ⋯ The receipt of peer support after a spinal cord injury (SCI) is positively related to aspects of social participation and life satisfaction. Provision of peer support can play an important role in the SCI rehabilitation process. Education, injury-related characteristics, and the number of other unmet needs are factors that rehabilitation professionals can use to identify those in particular need of peer support. Rehabilitation professionals should encourage patients who have sustained an SCI, to participate in peer support programs.
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There has been an increase in the number of natural disasters in recent history, and the rate of disability is increasing among survivors. The most recent major natural disaster was the earthquake(s) that occurred in Nepal on 25 April 2015 and 12 May 2015. In total, more than 8500 people were killed and over 18,500 people were left injured. This article aims to demonstrate the role of rehabilitation professionals in post-disaster relief and beyond in Nepal. ⋯ Driven by medical advances in acute field medicine, the relative proportion of casualties following natural disasters is decreasing, while relative rates of disability are rising among survivors. In post-disaster settings, the growing number of people with newly acquired disabilities will be added to the existing proportion of the population who lived with disabilities, creating a significant growth in the total number of people with disabilities (PWDs) in communities that are often ill prepared to provide necessary services. Rehabilitation interventions in the initial stages of emergency humanitarian response can minimize the long-term effects among people with newly acquired disabilities through early activation and prevention of secondary effects. Rehabilitation providers thus appear to have an important mediating effect on outcomes of disabilities in the early stages, but must also be strong partners with PWDs to advocate for social and political change in the long term.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The impact of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) on upper limb function in chronic stroke: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
This pilot double-blind sham-controlled randomized trial aimed to determine if the addition of anodal tDCS on the affected hemisphere or cathodal tDCS on unaffected hemisphere to modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) would be superior to constraints therapy alone in improving upper limb function in chronic stroke patients. ⋯ The association of mCIMT with brain stimulation improves clinical gains in rehabilitation after stroke. The improvement in motor recovery (assessed by Fugl-Meyer scale) was only observed after anodal tDCS. The modulation of damaged hemisphere demonstrated greater improvements than the modulation of unaffected hemispheres.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Combined transcranial direct current stimulation and home-based occupational therapy for upper limb motor impairment following intracerebral hemorrhage: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
To investigate the combined effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and home-based occupational therapy on activities of daily living (ADL) and grip strength, in patients with upper limb motor impairment following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ⋯ Five consecutive days of tDCS combined with occupational therapy provided greater improvements in grip strength compared with occupational therapy alone. tDCS is well tolerated by patients and can easily be applied for home-based rehabilitation.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of conventional factors, the Risk Assessment and Predictor Tool (RAPT) and performance-based functional tests as predictors of delayed recovery after total hip arthroplasty (THA). ⋯ Two simple functional performance-based tests have a significant added value to a more conventional screening with age and comorbidities to predict recovery of functioning immediately after total hip surgery. Patients over 70 years old, with comorbidities, with a TUG score >10.5 s and a walking speed >1.0 m/s are at risk for delayed recovery of functioning. Those high risk patients need an accurate discharge plan and could benefit from targeted pre- and postoperative therapeutic exercise programs.