Upper Limb Function Recovery by Combined Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Occupational Therapy in Patients with Chronic Stroke According to Paralysis Severity.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with intensive occupational therapy improves upper limb motor paralysis and activities of daily living after stroke; however, the degree of improvement according to paralysis severity remains unverified. Target activities of daily living using upper limb functions can be established by predicting the amount of change after treatment for each paralysis severity level to further aid practice planning. We estimated post-treatment score changes for each severity level of motor paralysis (no, poor, limited, notable, and full), stratified according to Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) scores before combined rTMS and intensive occupational therapy. Motor paralysis severity was the fixed factor for the analysis of covariance; the delta (post-pre) of the scores was the dependent variable. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to compare changes in ARAT subscores according to paralysis severity before treatment. We implemented a longitudinal, prospective, interventional, uncontrolled, and multicenter cohort design and analyzed a dataset of 907 patients with stroke hemiplegia. The largest treatment-related changes were observed in the Limited recovery group for upper limb motor paralysis and the Full recovery group for quality-of-life activities using the paralyzed upper limb. These results will help predict treatment effects and determine exercises and goal movements for occupational therapy after rTMS.

Study Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Upper Extremity Hemiparesis in Chronic Stroke Patients by One-to-One Training (NEURO®) with Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

During recovery from upper limb motor paralysis after stroke, it is important to (1) set the exercise difficulty level according to the motor paralysis severity, (2) provide adequate exercises, and (3) motivate the patient to achieve the goal. However, these factors have not been well-formulated. This multicenter, randomized controlled trial study aims to examine the therapeutic effects of these three factors on patients undergoing a novel intervention using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intensive one-to-one training (NEURO®) and to formulate a corresponding research protocol. The control group will receive conventional NEURO® occupational therapy. In the intervention group, four practice plans will be selected according to the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-UE) scores of the upper extremity. The goal is to predict the post-treatment outcomes based on the pre-treatment FMA-UE scores. Based on the degree of difficulty and amount of practice required, we can formulate a practice plan to promote upper limb motor recovery. This occupational therapy plan will be less influenced by the therapist's skill, facilitating effective rehabilitation. The study findings may be utilized to promote upper limb motor paralysis recovery and provide a basis for proposing activities of daily living adapted to upper limb function.

Association of Long-Term Treatment by Botulinum Neurotoxins and Occupational Therapy with Subjective Physical Status in Patients with Post-Stroke Hemiplegia.

The short-term effects of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) treatment in stroke patients with upper limb extremity are well established. This study examined the association between the recovery of motor function of the upper extremity with subjective physical symptoms in outpatients receiving long-term BoNT-A and occupational therapy following stroke. We also investigated the expectations of patients who elected to continue treatment. Forty-seven patients (23 men and 24 women) aged 61 years received BoNT-A treatment more than 20 times. The subjective physical status was analyzed by using the visual analogue scale score through an eight-item questionnaire. Recovery of motor function in the upper extremity was detected by calculating the change (delta) in Fugl-Mayer Assessment (FMA), and ordinal logistic modeling analysis was used to determine the association between the delta-FMA score and the subjective level of agreement for each item. When the ordinal logistic modeling fit was statistically significant, results were interpreted as having logistic probability. The logistic curves discriminating one point (strongly disagree) from five points (strongly agree) were fit in a stepwise fashion. This study suggests that patients receiving long-term BoNT-A treatment and occupational therapy experienced an increased upper extremity mitigation and decreased insomnia after injection, regardless of the recovery of motor function.