Robotic rehabilitation of the paralyzed upper limb for a stroke patient using the single-joint hybrid assistive limb: a case study assessed by accelerometer on the wrist.

[Purpose] Recent studies have reported the effectiveness of robotic rehabilitation of paralyzed upper limbs in stroke patients. For example, the Single-Joint Hybrid Assistive Limb has been shown to improve upper limb impairments. However, limited data are available on the effectiveness of robotic rehabilitation of the upper limb with regards to daily living. In this case study, an accelerometer was adopted to examine whether rehabilitation using the Single-Joint Hybrid Assistive Limb improved upper limb activity during daily living in a stroke patient. [Participant and Methods] The participant was a 69-year-old male diagnosed with stroke and left hemiparesis. The Single-Joint Hybrid Assistive Limb was applied to the participant's elbow on the paralyzed side. The participant wore an accelerometer on each wrist to measure the activities of the upper limbs. Clinical tests of the paralyzed upper limb were also performed. [Results] The activity of the paralytic limb was significantly higher after Single-Joint Hybrid Assistive Limb intervention than before the intervention. On the other hand, none of the results of the clinical tests changed beyond a clinically important difference. [Conclusion] The Single-Joint Hybrid Assistive Limb could be useful for promoting active use of a paralyzed upper limb in daily living. In addition, an accelerometer could be especially useful for evaluating the effects of robotic rehabilitation.

Gene expression and localization of two types of AQP5 in Xenopus tropicalis under hydration and dehydration.

Two types of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) genes (aqp-xt5a and aqp-xt5b) were identified in the genome of Xenopus tropicalis by synteny comparison and molecular phylogenetic analysis. When the frogs were in water, AQP-xt5a mRNA was expressed in the skin and urinary bladder. The expression of AQP-xt5a mRNA was significantly increased in dehydrated frogs. AQP-xt5b mRNA was also detected in the skin and increased in response to dehydration. Additionally, AQP-xt5b mRNA began to be slightly expressed in the lung and stomach after dehydration. For the pelvic skin of hydrated frogs, immunofluorescence staining localized AQP-xt5a and AQP-xt5b to the cytoplasm of secretory cells of the granular glands and the apical plasma membrane of secretory cells of the small granular glands, respectively. After dehydration, the locations of both AQPs in their respective glands did not change, but AQP-xt5a was visualized in the cytoplasm of secretory cells of the small granular glands. For the urinary bladder, AQP-xt5a was observed in the apical plasma membrane and cytoplasm of a number of granular cells under normal hydration. After dehydration, AQP-xt5a was found in the apical membrane and cytoplasm of most granular cells. Injection of vasotocin into hydrated frogs did not induce these changes in the localization of AQP-xt5a in the small granular glands and urinary bladder, however. The results suggest that AQP-xt5a might be involved in water reabsorption from the urinary bladder during dehydration, whereas AQP-xt5b might play a role in water secretion from the small granular gland.