Effects of robot-(Morning Walk®) assisted gait training for patients after stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE:: To investigate the effects of Morning Walk®-assisted gait training for patients with stroke. DESIGN:: Prospective randomized controlled trial. SETTING:: Three hospital rehabilitation departments (two tertiary and one secondary). PATIENTS:: We enrolled 58 patients with hemiparesis following a first-time stroke within the preceding year and with Functional Ambulation Category scores ⩾2. INTERVENTION:: The patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: 30 minutes of training with Morning Walk®, a lower limb rehabilitation robot, plus 1 hour of conventional physiotherapy (Morning Walk® group; n = 28); or 1.5 hour of conventional physiotherapy (control group; n = 30). All received treatment five times per week for three weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS:: The primary outcomes were walking ability, assessed using the Functional Ambulation Category scale, and lower limb function, assessed using the Motricity Index-Lower. Secondary outcomes included the 10 Meter Walk Test, Modified Barthel Index, Rivermead Mobility Index, and Berg Balance Scale scores. RESULTS:: A total of 10 patients were lost to follow-up, leaving a cohort of 48 for the final analyses. After training, all outcome measures significantly improved in both groups. In Motricity Index-Lower of the affected limb, the Morning Walk® group (∆mean ± SD; 19.68 ± 14.06) showed greater improvement ( p = .034) than the control group (∆mean ± SD; 11.70 ± 10.65). And Berg Balance Scale scores improved more ( p = .047) in the Morning Walk® group (∆mean ± SD; 14.36 ± 9.01) than the control group (∆mean ± SD; 9.65 ± 8.14). CONCLUSION:: Compared with conventional physiotherapy alone, our results suggest that voluntary strength and balance of stroke patients with hemiparesis might be improved with Morning Walk®-assisted gait training combined with conventional physiotherapy.

Crosslinkable nonlinear optical dendrimers synthesized by Diels-Alder reaction.

Crosslinkable NLO dendrimers based on azobenzene-type chromophores were synthesized by a Diels-Alder reaction. Their thermal and optical properties were investigated before and after poling at a high temperature. We found that the dendrimers retained good thermal stability up to 260 degrees C after curing at 130 degrees C for 10 min based on thermal analysis. Through in-situ poling and curing processes, the highest NLO activity of the dendrimers was d33 = 1.7 x 10(-6) esu at 1064 nm, which was determined by a Maker fringe experiment.

Clinical Factors Associated with Deep Vein Thrombosis in Rehabilitation Patients Suspected of Thromboembolism after Cerebral Infarction.

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between characteristics of cerebral infarction lesion (vascular territory, etiology, and size), functional status and the occurrence of thromboembolism in patients suspected of having thromboembolism in a rehabilitation setting after cerebral infarction. Cerebral infarction patients who were suspected of having thromboembolism and who had undergone deep vein thrombosis (DVT) evaluation were included in analyses. Of the total 916 cerebral infarction patients, 65 patients were suspected of having DVT; 27 patients belonged to the DVT group and 38 patients belonged to the non-DVT group. The DVT (+) group was more likely to have a higher ratio of female, previous DVT history, middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction, large arterial disease, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 5, abnormal speech and higher D-dimer. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, female sex, MCA infarction and mRS score 5 were significantly associated with the occurrence of thromboembolism in patients suspected of having thromboembolism. In contrast, other functional status, cerebral infarction etiology (Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment [TOAST] classification), and infarct volume were not associated with the occurrence of thromboembolism. In this study, female gender, MCA infarction, and mRS score 5 could be potential risk factors for thromboembolism in rehabilitation patients after cerebral infarction.