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Background: Central post‐stroke pain (CPSP) has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of post‐stroke patients. However, no definitive and effective method has been established yet for the treatment of CPSP. Objective: We aimed to examine the applicability of single‐injection peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) for the treatment of CPSP. Subjects: In this retrospective study, we included 22 patients (mean age = 56.3 years; 13 men and 9 women) diagnosed with CPSP who visited an outpatient rehabilitation clinic in Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between December 2018 and April 2020. Methods: The patients underwent ultrasound‐guided single‐injection PNB (lidocaine + epinephrine [1: 200,000]) according to the primary site of pain. The level of pain (measured using a numeric rating scale) was recorded before and after the PNB, and the occurrence of adverse events were also measured. The primary outcome of this study was the amount of pain reduction after PNB. Secondary outcome measures obtained 1 month after the PNB included the pain reduction rate 1 month after the PNB, the patient‐reported satisfaction and effectiveness regarding the PNB, intention for re‐injection, and the patients' willingness to recommend this procedure to others. Results: The mean pain reduction after PNB was 3.3 ± 2.8. PNB was associated with pain reduction that persisted for greater than 1 month in 68% (15/22) of the patients. Thirteen of 22 patients reported a pain reduction of 50% or more. The mean pain reduction rate was 43.6%. Of the 22 patients, 13 were willing to undergo a second round of treatment with PNB. Nine of them underwent the procedure. No adverse events were observed in this study. Conclusions: Our study provides preliminary data suggesting that PNB could be an effective and feasible method to treat CPSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The most appropriate muscle index for the definition of sarcopenia has not been agreed on. We aimed to investigate the associations of muscle mass and strength with 5-year mortality and low physical performance. Methods We included 560 participants aged 65 years or older in the analysis. Muscle and fat mass were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Leg muscle and grip strength were measured using dynamometers. The clinical outcomes were 5-year mortality and low physical performance ( Short Physical Performance Battery score < 9) in 5 years. Associations between muscle indices and clinical outcomes were analyzed. A Cox proportional hazard model for mortality and a logistic regression model for physical performance were used. Results Decreases in leg muscle and grip strength were significantly associated with 5-year mortality and low physical performance in both sexes. Total muscle mass in men and appendicular skeletal mass in both sexes were associated with mortality, but not with low physical performance. Lower leg muscle strength ( OR 0.107; P = 0.020) was an independent predictor of low physical performance in women after adjusting for age, fat, cognition, and depression. Lower leg muscle ( OR 0.123; P = 0.031) and lower grip strength ( OR 0.950; P = 0.012) were independent predictors of low physical performance in men. Conclusions Muscle strength is a better indicator of 5-year adverse clinical outcomes of mortality and low physical performance than muscle mass. Muscle strength was an independent predictor of low physical performance in 5 years. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 577-585. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]