Bilateral Arm Training vs Unilateral Arm Training for Severely Affected Patients With Stroke: Exploratory Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of unilateral and bilateral arm training on arm impairment in severely affected patients with stroke. DESIGN: Single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: First-time subacute patients (N=69) with stroke and a nonfunctional hand. Patients were stratified according to lesion location post hoc. INTERVENTIONS: Repetitive bilateral arm training on an arm cycle followed by synchronized bilateral repetitive distal hand training or an identical unilateral arm training performed by the paretic limb only. Both unilateral and bilateral trainings were administered twice daily over 6 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score for the arm, and secondary measures were biomechanical parameters measuring isometric force and rate of force generation. Outcome measures were assessed before, at the end of, and 2 weeks after intervention. RESULTS: Patients were homogeneous at study onset. All patients improved regarding the FMA arm score and most biomechanical parameters after intervention. Yet the post hoc analysis stratifying patients according to lesion location showed that patients with pure subcortical stroke, but not patients with cortical involvement of stroke, showed a significantly greater improvement (P=.022) following the bilateral training in FMA arm score (from 6.8±5.7 to 17.8±15.8) compared with unilateral training (from 6.5±7.8 to 8.7±8.6). CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of bilateral arm training followed by repetitive bilateral hand training for motor control of the severely paretic upper limb may depend on lesion location. Further studies with larger sample size are required for the validation of these results.

Interrelation between Neuroendocrine Disturbances and Medical Complications Encountered during Rehabilitation after TBI.

Traumatic brain injury is not a discrete event but an unfolding sequence of damage to the central nervous system. Not only the acute phase but also the subacute and chronic period after injury, i.e., during inpatient rehabilitation, is characterized by multiple neurotransmitter alterations, cellular dysfunction, and medical complications causing additional secondary injury. Neuroendocrine disturbances also influence neurological outcome and are easily overlooked as they often present with diffuse symptoms such as fatigue, depression, poor concentration, or a decline in overall cognitive function; these are also typical sequelae of traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, neurological complications such as hydrocephalus, epilepsy, fatigue, disorders of consciousness, paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity, or psychiatric-behavioural symptoms may mask and/or complicate the diagnosis of neuroendocrine disturbances, delay appropriate treatment and impede neurorehabilitation. The present review seeks to examine the interrelation between neuroendocrine disturbances with neurological complications frequently encountered after moderate to severe TBI during rehabilitation. Common neuroendocrine disturbances and medical complications and their clinical implications are discussed.

Structured assessment of hypopituitarism after traumatic brain injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in 1242 patients: the German interdisciplinary database.

Clinical studies have demonstrated that traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are frequent causes of long-term disturbances of hypothalamo-pituitary function. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of post-traumatic hypopituitarism in a large national registry of patients with TBI and SAH. Data were collected from 14 centers in Germany and Austria treating patients for TBI or SAH and performing endocrine assessments. Data were collected using a structured, internet-based study sheet, obtaining information on clinical, radiological, and hormonal parameters. A total of 1242 patients (825 TBI, age 43.5±19.7 years; 417 SAH, age 49.7±11.8 years) were included. We studied the prevalence of hypopituitarism reported based on different definitions of laboratory values and stimulation tests. Stimulation tests for the corticotropic and somatotropic axes were performed in 26% and 22% of the patients, respectively. The prevalence of hypopituitarism in the chronic phase (at least 5 months after the event) by laboratory values, physician diagnoses, and stimulation tests, was 35%, 36%, and 70%, respectively. Hypopituitarism was less common in the acute phase. According to the frequency of endocrine dysfunction, pituitary hormone secretion was impaired in the following sequence: ACTH, LH/FSH, GH, and TSH. TBI patients with abnormal stimulation tests had suffered from more severe TBI than patients with normal stimulation tests. In conclusion, our data confirm that hypopituitarism is a common complication of TBI and SAH. It is possible that patients with a higher likelihood of hypopituitarism were selected for endocrine stimulation tests.

Change of strength and rate of rise of tension relate to functional arm recovery after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between individual strength parameters and functional motor ability over time during rehabilitation in stroke patients. DESIGN: A multiple-baseline experiment with assessment at inclusion and after 3 and 6 weeks. SETTING: Secondary-care rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 16 subacute stroke patients. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maximal voluntary force and rate of rise of tension of hand grip, wrist extension, and elbow flexion and extension were recorded at all 3 times. At the same time, functional motor assessments were evaluated by the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Box and Block test, and Rivermead Test. RESULTS: We found no correlation between maximal voluntary force increases of various muscle contractions measurements. Neither the increase of grip strength nor that of wrist extension force correlated with improvement in ARAT score. Yet the improvement in the rate of rise of tension of hand grip (Spearman rho=.91) and of wrist extension (Spearman rho=.73) correlated with the improvement of the ARAT score and explained 77% of the variance of the ARAT. CONCLUSIONS: The change in the rate of rise of tension of the hand grip has a better predictive value for the functional recovery compared to the change in maximal voluntary force in patients with moderate arm and hand weakness after stroke. The rate of rise of tension of hand grip seems an adequate quantifiable parameter to detect small improvements during functional recovery.

Intracortical excitability after repetitive hand movements is differentially affected in cortical versus subcortical strokes.

Repetitive training of isolated movements induces reorganization of motor cortical representations. To elucidate the mechanisms of practice-dependent cortical plasticity within the lesioned central motor system at the time of the application of a therapeutic intervention, we examined the effect of repetitive movements on intracortical facilitation (ICF) and inhibition of agonist (extensor carpi radialis [ECR]) and antagonist (flexor carpi ulnaris) muscles of the hand shortly after the movements, by the paired-pulse technique in patients with cortical (n = 9) and subcortical strokes (n = 11). Short intracortical inhibition and ICF were studied by using interstimulus intervals of 2 and 8 milliseconds, respectively, and their interaction with active or passive movement. The active movement produced significantly larger motor-evoked potentials in the ECR muscle in both patient groups. Short intracortical inhibition was particularly decreased after cortical stroke, whereas it was still significant after subcortical stroke. ICF increased significantly after movements compared with rest in the ECR for subcortical stroke patients only. We conclude that repetitive active movements increase the excitability of the motor cortex representing the agonist muscle and interact with intracortical facilitatory circuits in the subcortical stroke group but not in the cortical stroke group. This interaction of circuitry has been reported previously in control subjects and seems to still operate after subcortical stroke during active movement. Alternative networks may be recruited for active movement after cortical stroke. This finding proposes lesion-specific mechanisms of reorganization during the same rehabilitative intervention. Distinct rehabilitative strategies may be required to optimize the activation of the physiologic motor network for different lesions.

Clinical relevance of rehabilitation programs for Parkinson's disease. I: Non-symptom-specific therapeutic approaches.

The idiopathic Parkinson syndrome (IPS) affects multiple structures of the central nervous system and exhibits a broad variety of clinical symptoms that are only partially treatable by pharmacological treatment. Therefore, non-pharmacological approaches are highly warranted. The aim of this study was to identify, categorize and rate studies on rehabilitative therapeutic approaches for IPS regarding not only study design and statistics, but also clinical relevance. For reasons of homogeneity, only studies applying a rehabilitative program targeting three or more symptoms were included and studies treating isolated symptoms were excluded. Study design and statistics were rated by using an established rating system. To evaluate clinical relevance a rating system was developed considering effectiveness, everyday life relevance, long-term effect, therapy frequency and setting, duration of the therapy units, effects on quality of life, and assessment. Applying this rating system to 17 studies, we found four studies with a Level I of statistical quality and four studies with high clinically relevant information. This novel method of analysing may help to gain valuable data from studies that may lack strong methodology, and may help to promote further research.

Clinical relevance of rehabilitation programs for patients with idiopathic Parkinson syndrome. II: Symptom-specific therapeutic approaches.

Clinical symptoms of the idiopathic Parkinson's syndrome (IPS) are numerous. Clinical experience as well as pharmacological research identified symptoms not responsive to dopaminergic stimulation. These symptoms in particular were the target of rehabilitative therapy approaches. Several of these approaches have been evaluated in prospective studies. In the present paper, these studies and the respective therapeutic interventions were categorized and rated concerning their clinical relevance and their study design supporting a differential therapeutic approach. Symptoms were arranged relating to their clinical relevance and specific therapeutic approaches were described and rated. The rating was based on a novel developed approach to check for clinical relevance. In addition, areas in need of further and more intensive scientific research, as depression, cognitive deficits, and tremor, were identified. On the contrary, conclusive therapeutic approaches were available for the treatment of symptoms like gait and postural disturbances and dysarthria. Some advice for the therapy of muscular weakness, dexterity problems and dysphagia was given, but further studies are warranted in these fields.

Central compensation at short muscle range is differentially affected in cortical versus subcortical strokes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The active force generated by a single muscle fiber is greatest in midrange. In healthy subjects, the reduced muscle force at short muscle length is partially compensated by modified patterns of muscle activation, probably central in origin. These patterns are presumed to be deficient after stroke. We examined the excitability muscle-length relation in stroke patients and healthy controls and hypothesized about its alteration in stroke patients. METHODS: Corticospinal excitability was assessed in 31 stroke patients (19 subcortical, 12 cortical) and 19 healthy volunteers by transcranial magnetic stimulation. We recorded the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) simultaneously from the biceps brachii and the triceps brachii muscles at 0 degrees, 20 degrees, 40 degrees, 60 degrees, 80 degrees, 100 degrees, and 120 degrees degrees of elbow flexion (0 degrees being full elbow extension). RESULTS: Normal subjects revealed a significant increase in MEP amplitudes at shortened muscle lengths for both the flexor and extensor muscles (P<0.001). Multivariate variance analysis revealed that the MEP-angle curves of cortical stroke patients were significantly different from those of the control group for both muscles, lacking an increase of corticospinal excitability at short muscle length. Yet the MEP-angle curves for the subcortical stroke patients did not show a statistically significant difference from the control group for either muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Cortical and subcortical strokes differentially affect the corticospinal excitability muscle-length relation. This may account for the reported disproportionate decrease in muscle strength at shortened range after stroke.

Change of facilitation during voluntary bilateral hand activation after stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The relearning of daily activities after stroke also involves performance of bimanual tasks. This raises the possibility that concurrent activation of the healthy hemisphere interferes with reorganization processes in the affected hemisphere due to inhibitory pathways between homologous motor cortex representations. This study investigated the effect of voluntary, simultaneous activation of both hands upon the non-dominant (healthy subjects) or affected (stroke patients) hemisphere. METHODS: Eleven healthy subjects and 16 stroke patients were investigated using transcranial stimulation (TMS). TMS was applied over the non-dominant/affected hemisphere during performance of an isometric pinch grip at different force levels (10% or 50% of maximal voluntary contraction) with the contralateral hand. The ipsilateral hand had to perform the pinch grip at various force levels (10%, 50%, or 100% of maximal voluntary contraction) simultaneously. Peak-to-peak amplitudes of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were compared to assess differences in motor cortex excitability. RESULTS: Unilateral activity of either hand alone exerted a facilitatory effect upon the non-dominant or affected hemisphere. In healthy subjects, the activation of the ipsilateral hand simultaneously with the contralateral hand did not produce any significant change of the MEP amplitudes compared to unilateral activation of the contralateral hand. In patients, however, the additional activation of the ipsilateral hand caused an additional increase of the peak-to-peak amplitudes. CONCLUSION: In healthy subjects voluntary activation of the ipsilateral hand does not change the excitability of the motor cortex of the non-dominant hemisphere, when the contralateral hand is simultaneously activated. The facilitation of the contralateral hand seems to gate further facilitation by the ipsilateral hand. However, in stroke patients simultaneous activation of both hands causes an additional facilitation compared to activation of the affected hand alone.

Selective effect of repetitive hand movements on intracortical excitability.

Repetitive training of isolated movements induces local reorganization of the motor cortex. To investigate the effect of repetitive movements on intracortical inhibition and facilitation shortly after the movements, we performed paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation in 12 healthy subjects by using interstimulus intervals of 2 and 8 ms, respectively. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded simultaneously from the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle (FCU) following paired stimuli at rest or 1 s after repetitive (every 6 s) active or passive wrist extensions and compared with MEPs produced by single stimuli at rest. The active movements produced significantly larger MEPs in the ECR but not the FCU muscle. Passive movements had no effect. Intracortical facilitation increased significantly after movements in the ECR only. Intracortical inhibition, however, did not change significantly after repetitive movements in either muscle. These findings support the notion that intracortical inhibition and facilitation may be controlled independently. Further, these data suggest that shortly after repetitive movements the excitability of the primary motor cortex representing the agonist muscle is increased by interaction with intracortical facilitatory circuits rather than by inactivating inhibitory circuits.