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BACKGROUND Unstable neck posture, muscle imbalance, and segmental instability can cause neck pain and decrease the respiratory function. OBJECTIVE To examine effects of a neck stabilization exercise on respiratory muscle activity and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) in patients with a chronic stroke. METHODS A total of 40 patients with a chronic stroke participated in this study. They were randomly divided into two groups (20 in each group). However, ten patients dropped out of the experiment (5 in each group). The experimental group (n= 15) performed a 15-minute neck stabilization exercise and a 15-minute breathing retraining exercise in addition to a rehabilitation exercise treatment. The control group (n= 15) completed a 30-minute breathing retraining exercise in addition to a rehabilitation exercise treatment. Exercises were conducted for 30 minutes a day, five times a week, for a total of six weeks. Activities of major respiratory muscles and MVV were measured before and after the experiment. RESULTS Both the experimental group and the control group showed significant difference in activities of major respiratory muscles and MVV before and after the experiment (p< 0.05). The experimental group showed a significantly higher increase compared to the control group (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The application of a combination of a neck stabilization exercise and a breathing retraining exercise to patients with a chronic stroke can increase activity of respiratory muscles and MVV.

Impaired respiratory function is common in patients with stroke. The purpose of this study were to investigate the effectiveness of exercises and to assess forced vital capacity and peak cough flow after completion of neck stabilizing and respiratory reeducation exercises (combining diaphragmatic breathing and pursed-lip breathing exercises). The 45 participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group 1 ($n_1

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an ankle foot orthosis on weight-bearing abilities of stroke patients by comparing weight loading during performance of tasks in various standing positions on the affected side. [Subjects and Methods] This study was performed with 16 stroke patients. To measure the weight loading value and percentage of weight loading in affected lower extremities, 5 standing tasks were performed with and without an ankle foot orthosis in random order. [Results] In the rising from a chair, maintaining a standing position, and forward weight shifting tasks, the affected lower extremities showed a significantly higher percentage of weight loading with an ankle foot orthosis. In the tasks requiring weight shifting to one leg, weight shifting to the lateral side showed the best weight-bearing ability with or without an ankle foot orthosis, followed by the forward and backward weight shifting, respectively. There were statistically significant correlations in all 5 tasks with or without an ankle foot orthosis. [Conclusion] An ankle foot orthosis improves the weight-bearing ability, especially when shifting weight forward, resulting in increased weight-bearing ability in activities of daily living tasks such as quiet standing and rising from a chair. The 5 tasks in this study would be a fine assessment tool under clinical conditions to investigate the postural stability of the affected side with or without application of an ankle foot orthosis.

[Purpose] This study examined the effects of neck exercises using PNF on the swallowing function of stroke patients with dysphasia. [Subjects and Methods] A total of 26 study subjects were selected and randomly divided into an experimental group of 13 subjects, who received the PNF-based short neck flexion exercises, and a control group of 13 subjects, who received the Shaker exercise. [Results] The experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in premature bolus loss, residue in the valleculae, laryngeal elevation, epiglottic closure, residue in the pyriform sinuses, and coating of the pharyngeal wall after swallowing, and improvements in pharyngeal transit time, and aspiration on both the new VFSS scale and the ASHA NOMS scale. [Conclusion] PNF-based short neck flexion exercises appear to be effective at improving swallowing function of stroke patients with dysphagia.

Aging is an inevitable process that occurs in the whole body system accompanying with many functional and morphological changes. Inflammation is known as one of age-related factors, and inflammatory changes could enhance mortality risk. In this study, we compared immunoreactivities of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-2 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine), its receptor (IL-2R), IL-4 (an anti-inflammatory cytokine), and its receptor (IL-4R) in the cervical and lumbar spinal cord of young adult (2-3 years old) and aged (10-12 years old) beagle dogs using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. IL-2 and IL-2R-immunoreactive nerve cells were found throughout the gray matter of the cervical and lumbar spinal cord of young adult and aged dogs. In the spinal cord neurons of the aged dog, immunoreactivity and protein levels were apparently increased compared with those in the young adult dog. Change patterns of IL-4- and IL-4R-immunoreactive cells and their protein levels were also similar to those in IL-2 and IL-2R; however, IL-4 and IL-4R immunoreactivity in the periphery of the neuronal cytoplasm in the aged dog was much stronger than that in the young adult dog. These results indicate that the increase of inflammatory cytokines and their receptors in the aged spinal cord might be related to maintaining a balance of inflammatory reaction in the spinal cord during normal aging.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of trunk muscle strengthening exercises on balance performance of sitting posture and upper extremity function, targeting the children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. METHODS: 20 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy were sampled at random and the tests were conducted for 6 weeks, 3 times per week. For experimental groups, basic physical therapy and trunk muscle strengthening exercises were conducted and for control groups, only basic physical therapy was conducted. BPM(Balance Performance Monitor) was used to measure balance performance and QUEST(quality of upper extremity skills test) was used to measure the upper extremity function. RESULTS: The comparison of changes in sitting balance performance in between experimental groups and control groups show significant difference (p

This study examined the effects of vocalization on upper extremity muscle activity during reaching task in patients with hemiplegia. Thirteen persons with right brain stroke performed reaching to a cup under four concurrent speech conditions of vocalizing the word "Ah" with hemiplegic side. These four conditions are self-vocalization, external vocalization, imaginary vocalization, and no vocalization. The muscle activity(Biceps brachii, Triceps brachii, Middle deltoid, and Upper trapezius) were measured using MP150. Muscle activity was significantly higher under self-vocalization and external vocalization conditions compared to the muscle activity under imaginary vocalization and no vocalization conditions on triceps brachii muscle.(p

[Purpose] This study was to compare the shoulder and trunk muscle activity according to the various resistance condition during knee push-up-plus. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty healthy adults participated in this study (9 males and 11 females). The subjects performed dominant-leg-extended knee push-up-plus apply to resistance in the direction of abduction, adduction, extension and the flexion. The surface Electromyography activities of the upper trapezius, serratus anterior, homolateral external oblique and the heterolateral internal oblique were measured. The Electromyography activities of each muscle were compared using a one-way repeated analysis of variance. [Results] The Electromyography activities of serratus anterior and external oblique muscles between the resistance directions were significantly increased extension. The Electromyography activities of heterolateral internal oblique muscle between the resistance directions were significantly increased adduction. [Conclusion] To suggest use of the decision exercise tolerance orientation when muscle strengthening exercises for shoulder and trunk according to variation resistance in lower extremity during Push-up-plus.

[Purpose] This study examined how an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) influences the weight-bearing of chronic stroke patients during the performance of five functional standing tasks. [Subjects and Methods] Sixteen patients with stroke participated in this experiment. The subjects performed functional standing tasks with or without the AFO and weight bearing was measured during the tasks. [Results] Patients showed increased weight-bearing ability on the affected side during wearing the AFO in all tasks, and there were significant differences among Tasks 1, 2, and 3. Patients showed a small amount of increased weight bearing on the unaffected side while wearing the AFO in all tasks except for Task 2. [Conclusion] ADL-related functional standing tasks with AFO increased the weight bearing.