The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2024
Reduction of Edema and Pain in Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Treated-Arthritic Rat.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to reduce pain or improve motor function in musculoskeletal and neurological disorders in the clinic. Although some studies have suggested electrotherapy as an intervention for edema, the effects and mechanisms of TENS on inflammation-induced edema remain unclear. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of TENS on arthritic pain with edema. 1% carrageenan was injected into the right tibiofemoral joint of 69 male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g). ⋯ TNF-α and IL-1β expression decreased in the synovial membrane at 6-h. These results suggest that low- and high-frequency TENS have acutely positive effects on inflammatory edema, with the management of arthritic pain and reduction in pro-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, Low-TENS and High-TENS may be useful in treating acute inflammatory pain and edema.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2024
Case ReportsTreatment of ZC4H2 Variant-Associated Spastic Paraplegia with Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy and Intensive Postoperative Rehabilitation: A Case Report.
Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) has been used to treat children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP), and its beneficial effect on quality of life and ambulation has been confirmed in long-term follow-up studies. However, the role of SDR in the treatment of spasticity in patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and related disorders is not well-established. Here, we report the first patient with the ZC4H2 variant who underwent SDR to treat spastic paraplegia. ⋯ The patient underwent inpatient postoperative rehabilitation for 4 months and continued outpatient physiotherapy after discharge. The Gross Motor Function Measure-88 score and maximum walking speed decreased transiently 1 month postoperatively, but gradually recovered, and continuously improved 6 months postoperatively. SDR and postoperative intensive rehabilitation were effective in improving motor and walking functions up to 6 months after surgery, although long-term follow-up is needed to draw conclusions.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2024
Comparative StudyAppropriate Anthropometric Indices for Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in Predicting Mortality in Older Japanese Patients: A Comparison of the Lorentz Formula and Body Mass Index.
The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a popular nutritional screening tool. However, the calculation of ideal body weight (IBW) differs among studies. We aimed to compare GNRI calculated using the Lorentz formula (LF) with a body mass index (BMI) and to investigate the cutoffs based on original or quartile criteria for the association with mortality in elderly patients in Japan. ⋯ A significant association with mortality was found between Q1 and Q4 in the GNRI-BMI quartile criteria (hazard ratio: 2.60; 95% confidence interval: 1.66-4.07, p < 0.01), but not the GNRI-BMI original criteria. The GNRI calculated using BMI with quartile criteria proved to be a reliable predictor of mortality for Japanese elderly inpatients. The calculation method of GNRI and the appropriate cutoff point should be considered based on the patient's background.