''Playstation eyetoy games'' improve upper extremity-related motor functioning in subacute stroke: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of ''Playstation EyeToy Games'' on upper extremity motor recovery and upper extremity-related motor functioning of patients with subacute stroke. METHODS: The authors designed a randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, 4-week trial, with follow-up at 3 months. A total of 20 hemiparetic inpatients (mean age 61.1 years), all within 12 months post-stroke, received 30 minutes of treatment with ''Playstation EyeToy Games'' per day, consisting of flexion and extension of the paretic shoulder, elbow and wrist as well as abduction of the paretic shoulder or placebo therapy (watching the games for the same duration without physical involvement into the games) in addition to conventional program, 5 days a week, 2-5 hours/day for 4 weeks. Brunnstrom's staging and self-care sub-items of the functional independence measure (FIM) were performed at 0 month (baseline), 4 weeks (post-treatment), and 3 months (follow-up) after the treatment. RESULTS: The mean change score (95% confidence interval) of the FIM self-care score (5.5 [2.9-8.0] vs 1.8 [0.1-3.7], P=0.018) showed significantly more improvement in the EyeToy group compared to the control group. No significant differences were found between the groups for the Brunnstrom stages for hand and upper extremity. CONCLUSION: ''Playstation EyeToy Games'' combined with a conventional stroke rehabilitation program have a potential to enhance upper extremity-related motor functioning in subacute stroke patients.

Brucellar spondylitis: a rare cause of spinal cord compression.

STUDY DESIGN: A case report. OBJECTIVES: To present and discuss some of the difficulties in the diagnosis of brucellar spondylitis. SETTING: Ankara University, Ibni Sina Hospital, Turkey. METHODS: We report a patient with paraplegia, misdiagnosed as having a malignancy or tuberculosis who actually suffered from brucellar spondylitis. Diagnosis was established by her history and a compatible clinical picture together with a standard tube agglutination (Wright test) titer of > or =1/160 of antibodies for brucellosis. The patient was treated with oral doxycycline, rifampicin, and ciprofloxacin combination. RESULTS: At the end of the treatment, the blood Brucella Wright and anti-human globulin T titer levels decreased. Her lower limb weakness improved. She could walk, and climb stairs with the help of a cane. Urinary retention and fecal incontinence also resolved. CONCLUSION: Brucellosis is a systemic infection involving the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Spondylitis frequently occurs in elderly patients. An early diagnosis of brucellar spondylitis can often be difficult. In endemic regions, as in the case of our country, brucellar spondylitis should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of older patients with back pain and constitutional symptoms. An early diagnosis will help to prevent the development of more severe complications such as spinal cord compression.

Impairment, disability, and life satisfaction in Parkinson's disease.

PURPOSE: To determine the correlation of motor and musculoskeletal impairments with disability scores and life satisfaction. Musculoskeletal impairments might be due to the impact of motor impairments, however some cases may have these impairments even before the disease is diagnosed. METHODS: 48 consecutive patients (32 male, 16 female) with Parkinson's disease with a mean age of 65.6, mean age of onset of the disease of 59.8, and Hoehn and Yahr staging system 1-4 participated. Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale, modified Schwab and England activities of daily living scale and life satisfaction index were used. Also New York modified mobility rating scale for c-spine and upper extremities and trunk and lower extremities was performed. RESULTS: Motor and musculoskeletal impairments were correlated with the disability score. Bradykinesia, and tremor were correlated with upper and lower extremity range of motion limitation, but rigidity was not. Bradykinesia was correlated with life satisfication. Having had the disease longer was related to upper extremity range of motion limitation. CONCLUSIONS: Motor and musculoskeletal impairments are correlated with disability scores. Bradykinesia and musculoskeletal impairments are correlated with life satisfication. Patients with Parkinson's disease might benefit from a rehabilitation programme focusing on motor impairments such as bradykinesia as well as musculoskeletal impairments even in the early stages of the disease.

Trace element and magnesium levels and superoxide dismutase activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

It has been suggested that reactive oxygen metabolites and trace elements play some role in the etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is believed to exert an important protective role against oxygen toxicity. The aim of the study was to investigate the probable changes in the levels of trace elements and SOD activity in RA. Plasma and erythrocyte copper, zinc, and magnesium levels and erythrocyte SOD activity were measured in groups of controls and RA cases. Significantly increased erythrocyte SOD activity was found in RA patients in comparison with controls (p < 0.0001). A rise in erythrocyte Zn level (p < 0.0001) and plasma Cu level (p < 0.0001) and a decrease in erythrocyte Cu level (p < 0.05) and plasma Zn level (p < 0.05) were obtained in RA patients when compared to controls. Plasma and erythrocyte Mg levels of the RA patients showed slight and statistically insignificant reductions when compared to controls (p > 0.05). In RA patients, there were positive correlations between erythrocyte SOD activity and Mg level (r = 0.4345, p < 0.01) and between erythrocyte Zn level and plasma Cu level (r = 0.4132, p < 0.01). There were negative correlations between erythrocyte SOD activity and plasma Zn level (r = -0.3605, p < 0.05) and between plasma Zn level and erythrocyte Cu level (r = -0.4578, p < 0.01) in RA patients.

Ig A antibodies to klebsiella in ankylosing spondylitis.

In this study anti-klebsiella Ig A values were compared in 40 patients with definite diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis and a control group of 40 healthy subjects. Anti-Klebsiella Ig A antibody values were significantly higher in patients with ankylosing spondylitis as compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Correlation between these antibodies and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP, serum Ig A, HLA B 27, age, sex and disease duration was searched, but no correlation was found. In our opinion, these results support the suggestion that inflammatory response in ankylosing spondylitis is triggered by Klebsiella but is insufficient to prove the causal relationship between ankylosing spondylitis and Klebsiella.