Effects of Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation on Subjective Visual Vertical and Sitting Balance in Patients with Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) on visual vertical cognition and sitting balance in stroke patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with unilateral supratentorial infarction and hemorrhagic lesions and healthy controls were recruited. Bipolar GVS was performed through the bilateral mastoid processes with an 1.5-mA electric current. Each participant received three stimulation patterns: right anode-left cathode, left anode-right cathode, and sham. The subjective visual vertical (SVV) and center of gravity positions in the sitting posture were measured in three groups of participants: patients with right hemisphere lesions, patients with left hemisphere lesions, and in healthy controls. Changes in the SVV and center of gravity positions before and during galvanic vestibular stimulation were assessed. RESULTS: In each group, eight individuals were recruited for SVV measurements and nine individuals for center of gravity measurements. We found changes due to polarity of stimulation on the SVV and mediolateral changes in the center of gravity in the sitting position of patients with stroke, while there was no significant difference between groups or interaction of the two factors (polarity vs. group). CONCLUSION: Changes in the visual vertical cognition and sitting balance occur during GVS in patients with stroke. GVS is a potential tool for ameliorating balance dysfunction in patients with stroke.

Using a logarithmic model to predict functional independence after spinal cord injury: a retrospective study.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study OBJECTIVE: To establish a logarithmic model to predict functional independence after spinal cord injury. SETTING: The National Hospital Organization, Murayama Medical Center, Japan. METHODS: Thirty-one adults with a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) were enrolled. The Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) III scores obtained at month 1 and 3 after admission were used to construct a simple logarithmic model to predict SCIM III scores. The validity of the predicted scores was evaluated using a linear mixed model, and agreement between the predicted and measured scores were assessed using the Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: In the linear mixed model, the fixed effect slope [95% CI] and the intercept [95% CI] were 1.18 [0.78, 1.58] and -1.75 [-10.3, 6.83], respectively. The scatter plot showed non-linear correlation between the predicted and actual SCIM III scores. This non-linearity became inconspicuous when Sphincter Management scores were omitted. The fixed effect slope and the intercept were 1.12 [0.89, 1.36] and -1.64 [-4.95, 1.68], respectively. A significant fixed or proportional bias was not identified on the Bland-Altman analysis of the total SCIM III score, with most scores lying between an upper limit of +15.3 and a lower limit of -19.3. CONCLUSION: The logarithmic model provided an accurate prediction of the functional independence score of individuals with SCI in our cohort which included various neurological levels and severity of the injury. Along with its simplicity, our prediction model could be useful in daily practice.

Current progress of rehabilitative strategies in stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury: a review.

Stem cell-based regenerative therapy has opened an avenue for functional recovery of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Regenerative rehabilitation is attracting wide attention owing to its synergistic effects, feasibility, non-invasiveness, and diverse and systemic properties. In this review article, we summarize the features of rehabilitation, describe the mechanism of combinatorial treatment, and discuss regenerative rehabilitation in the context of SCI. Although conventional rehabilitative methods have commonly been implemented alone, especially in studies of acute-to-subacute SCI, the combinatorial effects of intensive and advanced methods, including various neurorehabilitative approaches, have also been reported. Separating the concept of combined rehabilitation from regenerative rehabilitation, we suggest that the main roles of regenerative rehabilitation can be categorized as conditioning/reconditioning, functional training, and physical exercise, all of which are indispensable for enhancing functional recovery achieved using stem cell therapies.