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Objective. To evaluate musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in mothers of children with cerebral palsy (CP), and to determine the effects of zone of pain on health-related quality of life (QoL) and symptoms of depression. Patients and methods. The study included a total of 81 children with CP, together with their mothers (group 1), and a total of 60 healthy children, together with their mothers (group 2). Presence of MSP, and the zone of pain in mothers were evaluated [lower back pain (LBP), pain in other zones, without pain]. Mothers' QoL was assessed with Short Form-36 (SF-36) scale, and presence of symptoms of depression was assessed with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Multivariate analysis of variance test analysis was performed to see the main effects of the factors mother having a child with CP (group 1, group 2) and zone of pain (LBP, other, no pain) on the BDI scores and SF-36 QoL sub parameters of mothers. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the parameters predicting the presence of LBP in mothers in group 1. Results. MSP and LBP were found to be significantly higher in group 1. Main effect of the mother having a child with CP on BDI score and physical role (PR) and mental health (MH) parameters was found to be significant. Mean BDI scores of mothers in group 1 was found to be significantly higher as compared to the other group, and mean PR parameter and MH values were found to be significantly lower. Main effect of the zone of pain (arising from the group of mothers with LBP) was found to be significant on physical functioning, bodily pain, general health perception, MH parameters and BDI. Logistic regression analysis showed that MH and bodily pain parameters significantly predicted the presence of LBP. Conclusion. Deterioration of MH in mothers with cerebral palsied child may be causing them to experience more LBP. Experience of increased LBP causes deterioration of health-related QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the effects of lower extremity orthoses on energy expenditure in patients with cerebral palsy (CP)., Methods: We included 48 children with CP using lower extremity orthosis. Energy expenditures determined based on heart rate, yielded an energy expenditure index (EEI) with and without orthosis during walking. RESULTS were compared statistically between orthosis groups (solid polyethylene ankle foot orthosis (PAFO), articulated PAFO, ground reaction foot orthosis (GRAFO), plastic and metallic knee-ankle-foot-orthosis (KAFO), and metallic AFO)., Results: It was found that an advancement in energy expenditure was seen with plastic orthoses which is more prominent by solid PAFO (p = 0.008)., Conclusion: It was concluded that especially solid PAFO can be more beneficial in terms of energy consumption in CP patients. In rehabilitation phase, the EEI measurement was seen to be a useful and practical method for choosing the proper orthosis type.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of demographic and clinical determinants on pain and to investigate the possible risk factors that disrupt QoL., Materials and Methods: The design of this research was a prospective study performed in tertiary care hospital-based physical medicine and rehabilitation departments. A comprehensive geriatric pain assessment (Geriatric Pain Scale, GPS) and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) assessment (Nottingham Health Profile, NHP) were performed., Results: Of the 275 patients, 76% were female and 59.6% were older than 70 years of age. Two hundred seventy four patients (99.7%) had various levels of pain. The mean age of the patent group was 72.77 ± 5.7 (min: 65, max: 96) years. The overall GPS was 60.41 ± 22 (min: 0, max: 99.9), and the total NHP score was 49.01 ± 22.4 (min: 0, max: 100). Correlation analyses showed that for the total GPS score, female gender, lower education, and economic status were significant determinants of higher levels of pain. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the NHP, GPS, Self-Reported Disability Index (SRDI), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were significant determinants of poorer HR-QOL., Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of pain and being female, having low income, having low social support, having a higher rate of disability with related multiple comorbidities, and depression as related factors of HR-QOL. Strengthening these negative predictors of HR-QOL might enhance the efficiency of pain therapies in this population., (Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: It has been previously shown that pulmonary function (PF) is significantly diminished in patients with osteoporosis (OP). But there are few data about the relationship between PF and aerobic capacity of osteoporotic patients and the severity of thoracic kyphosis and time since the diagnosis of OP. The aim of the present study was to investigate the resting spirometric values and cardiopulmonary test (CPET) results of women with osteoporosis and to evaluate the effects of the various degrees of OP on these parameters., Methods: Fifty six outpatient subjects were included in the study. All patients underwent a standardized interview, physical examination, bone mineral density (BMD), anteroposterior and lateral x-rays of thoracic spine, resting PF test and CPET evaluation. To evaluate the effects of the severity of osteoporosis on these parameters patient group divided according to diagnosis time of OP, degree of kyphosis, and spinal deformity index. Demographic and clinical data were compared between the groups with the use of independent-sample t test analysis (two groups) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to estimate the between-group differences and changes by severity of osteoporosis and regression analyses to find predictors for changes. Correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationship between variables., Results: According to diagnosis time, newly diagnosed groups; according to degree of kyphosis, the kyphotic groups; according to spinal deformity index, the higher spinal deformity index groups showed statistically significant and declining results in PF tests and CPET parameters., Conclusion: This study pointed out a significant impaired PF, aerobic capacity and a serious deconditioning for various reasons in these OP patients Therefore, the evaluation of CPET should be included in the management of OP patients and in these patients ventilatory muscle training and aerobic exercises may offer a potential therapeutic adjunct to current OP therapies in the future.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of fever during the post-acute rehabilitation phase in patients with brain injury., Design: Prospective study., Subjects: Seventy-four patients with brain injury., Methods: Patients were evaluated for the presence of fever during the rehabilitation phase. Demographics, time since injury, acute hospital and rehabilitation stay, brain injury and clinical characteristics were recorded for all subjects., Results: Of the study group, 36 patients (36/74; 48.6%) had at least 1 event qualified as fever. The most common cause of fever was urinary tract infection. There were only 2 patients considered as having central fever. Fever was significantly more frequent in patients with a greater number of neurological impairments, more severe neurological impairments and a lower level of independence. The rehabilitation stay was prolonged in patients with fever. The average length of rehabilitation stay was 62.5 days and 49.8 days in patients with or without fever, respectively., Conclusion: Infection is the most common cause of fever after brain injury and the incidence of central fever is low.