Optical Monitoring of Breathing Patterns and Tissue Oxygenation: A Potential Application in COVID-19 Screening and Monitoring.

The worldwide outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has highlighted the need for a screening and monitoring system for infectious respiratory diseases in the acute and chronic phase. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using a wearable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor to collect respiratory signals and distinguish between normal and simulated pathological breathing. Twenty-one healthy adults participated in an experiment that examined five separate breathing conditions. Respiratory signals were collected with a continuous-wave NIRS sensor (PortaLite, Artinis Medical Systems) affixed over the sternal manubrium. Following a three-minute baseline, participants began five minutes of imposed difficult breathing using a respiratory trainer. After a five minute recovery period, participants began five minutes of imposed rapid and shallow breathing. The study concluded with five additional minutes of regular breathing. NIRS signals were analyzed using a machine learning model to distinguish between normal and simulated pathological breathing. Three features: breathing interval, breathing depth, and O2Hb signal amplitude were extracted from the NIRS data and, when used together, resulted in a weighted average accuracy of 0.87. This study demonstrated that a wearable NIRS sensor can monitor respiratory patterns continuously and non-invasively and we identified three respiratory features that can distinguish between normal and simulated pathological breathing.

Enhancing upper extremity muscle strength in individuals with spinal cord injury using low-intensity blood flow restriction exercise.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the feasibility and effects of low-intensity blood flow restriction exercise on forearm muscle strength and function in individuals with spinal cord injury. STUDY DESIGN: Pilot randomized clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten male and female adult participants with chronic cervical and thoracic spinal cord injury underwent an 8-week low-intensity blood flow restriction exercise programme that targeted forearm muscles. Each participant's contralateral forearm served as the control. Grip strength was the primary outcome measure, and participants also provided qualitative feedback on their experiences. RESULTS: The study revealed a significant increase in participants' forearm muscle strength on the experimental side engaged in low-intensity blood flow restriction training, with an average strength gain of 7.5 ± 0.36 kg after 16 exercise sessions (Cohen's d = -6.32, 95% CI -8.34, -6.68). In comparison, the control side, following a conventional high- intensity exercise regimen without BFR, showed a more modest strength increase of 4.4 ± 0.67 kg. A mean Patient's Global Impression of Change score of 2.2 reflected overall improvements in participants' daily activities and health status. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the feasibility and effectiveness of low-intensity blood flow restriction exercise as a safe and promising approach to enhancing forearm muscle strength in individuals with spinal cord injury. The observed positive outcomes, coupled with a high level of participant satisfaction, underscore the potential of this innovative method to significantly improve limb muscle strength, thereby contributing to greater functional independence in this population.

Methods of muscle spasticity assessment in children with cerebral palsy: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating muscle spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) is essential for determining the most effective treatment strategies. This scoping review assesses the current methods used to evaluate muscle spasticity, highlighting both traditional and innovative technologies, and their respective advantages and limitations. METHODS: A search (to April 2024) used keywords such as muscle spasticity, cerebral palsy, and assessment methods. Selection criteria included articles involving CP children, assessing spasticity objectively/subjectively, comparing methods, or evaluating method effectiveness. RESULTS: From an initial pool of 1971 articles, 30 met our inclusion criteria. These studies collectively appraised a variety of techniques ranging from well-established clinical scales like the modified Ashworth Scale and Tardieu Scale, to cutting-edge technologies such as real-time sonoelastography and inertial sensors. Notably, innovative methods such as the dynamic evaluation of range of motion scale and the stiffness tool were highlighted for their potential to provide more nuanced and precise assessments of spasticity. The review unveiled a critical insight: while traditional methods are convenient and widely used, they often fall short in reliability and objectivity. CONCLUSION: The review discussed the strengths and limitations of each method and concluded that more reliable methods are needed to measure the level of muscle spasticity more accurately.

The relationship between HbA1c and cardiovascular events in diabetic patients with coronary angioplasty: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Re-establishment of coronary artery blood flow in diabetic patients has always been a controversial issue in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Due to the importance of this issue and the increase in mortality due to heart disease, the present study was performed to determine the relationship between HbA1C and cardiovascular events in diabetic patients with coronary angioplasty referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which 114 patients were enrolled in a census study that was followed for 3 to 6 months. Data was collected by a checklist and by the researcher using the patient's medical record. Then it was analyzed by SPSS 22 software and descriptive statistics. Results: There was no significant relationship between age, gender, family history of diabetes, family history of heart disease, duration of diabetes, stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure with HbA1c (P > 0.05). However, there was a significant relationship between the type of coronary angioplasty, hypertension, and heart block with HbA1c (P < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, there was a significant relationship between the type of coronary angioplasty, hypertension, and heart block with HbA1c; thus HbA1c should be better controlled in diabetic patients who decide to have angioplasty.