Minimal clinically important differenceof fatigue severity scale in patients with chronic stroke.

BACKGROUND: One of the most prevalent symptoms of stroke is fatigue. Fatigue severity scale is the most often used tool for evaluating fatigue in stroke patients, its minimal clinically important difference threshold has not been determined. This study aimed to identify the minimal clinically important difference of fatigue severity scale in stroke patients. METHODS: All study participants were examined using fatigue severity scale and multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory-short form before and after the intervention. The 6-week intervention combined graded activity training and pacing therapy employed to reduce fatigue severity. Participants reported changes in their fatigue severity after the intervention with the global rating of change and visual analog scale. The minimal clinically important difference of the fatigue severity scale calculated using both anchor- and distribution-based methods. RESULTS: A total of 117 stroke patients were included in the study. Using multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory-short form, global rating of change, and visual analog scale as an anchor, the minimal clinically important difference of fatigue severity scale was obtained at 3.5, 4.5, and 4.5, respectively. The minimal clinically important difference for fatigue severity scale varied from 4.28 to 12.90 using the distribution-based method, with SEM = 4.28 displaying the best sensitivity and specificity for use as minimal clinically important difference. CONCLUSIONS: The minimal clinically important difference value for the fatigue severity scale was estimated at 3.5_12.90 using anchor-based and distribution-based methods. The study's results can be utilized to understand the effectiveness of fatigue interventions in stroke patients in clinical and research settings.

Persian version of the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire and Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form: psychometric properties in Iranian chronic stroke survivors.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke fatigue is a disturbing condition with various physical and psychological facets, which needs to be assessed by meaningful and psychometrically valid and reliable tools. The Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ) and Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) have been designed to assess diverse dimensions of fatigue. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the CFQ and MFSI-SF in people with chronic stroke. METHODS: Both measures were translated according to forward-backward standard protocol. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 130 first-time stroke survivors. The multidimensional fatigue inventory, checklist individual strength, fatigue assessment scale, fatigue subscale of profiles of mood state, fatigue severity scale, visual analogue scale-fatigue, beck anxiety inventory, center for epidemiologic studies of depression scale, and 36-item short-form health survey were administered in addition to the CFQ and MFSI-SF. Reliability, precision, known-groups validity, and convergent validity were examined for the CFQ and MFSI-SF. RESULTS: The results showed an acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81-0.97) internal consistency and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.75-0.97). The CFQ and MFSI-SF revealed good ability (P < 0.001) to differentiate chronic stroke survivors with different disability levels. Significant high correlation (P = -0.61-0.87) was found between CFQ and MFSI-SF and other fatigue scales. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the CFQ and MFSI-SF have high reliability and validity for chronic stroke survivors.

Simple and green approach for photoluminescent carbon dots prepared from faba bean seeds as a luminescent probe for determination of Hg+ ions and cell imaging.

In this research, for the first time, a dedicated sensor was designed to detect Hg+ ions using photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs). Due to the preferred green synthesis of CDs from bio-resources, carbohydrate-rich faba bean seeds as a potential carbon precursor were applied to the synthesis of CDs. The CDs were prepared from the faba bean seeds using the hydrothermal method in an aqueous solution in the absence of substances such as an acid or base and any other additives. The synthesized CDs exhibited maximum emission intensity at 387 nm when excited at 310 nm and their luminescence quantum yield was calculated to be ~5.94%. Then, the fluorescence emission of CDs was examined in the presence of different metal ions. Results revealed that the CDs had good selectivity towards the Hg+ ions, so the fluorescence emission was significantly changed in the presence of these ions with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.35 µM. Furthermore, because of their very low cytotoxicity, these CDs can be applied for cell imaging.

Minimal and robust clinically important difference of three fatigue measures in chronic stroke survivors.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue assessment scale (FAS), fatigue subscale of the Profile of Mood States (POMS-F), and vitality subscale of the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36-VT) are among the first and most widely used adapted tools for assessing post-stroke fatigue. OBJECTIVE: To identify the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and robust clinically important difference (RCID) of FAS, POMS-F, and SF-36-VT in stroke survivors. METHODS: Participants completed the FAS, POMS-F, and SF-36-VT before and after receiving 6-week intervention including graded activity training and pacing therapy. MCID was calculated using the distribution-based and anchor-based methods. Further, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of calculated values using the distribution-based method were used for determining RCID. RESULT: A total of 124 stroke survivors participated in this study. MCID for FAS, POMS-F, and SF-36-VT was found to be 4.86, 3.32, and -10.10 (using score change) and 3.5, 2.5, and -10.5 (using ROC analysis), respectively. Using the distribution-based method, the MCID value obtained for the FAS was in the range of 3.16 to 8.76, for the POMS-F was in the range of 1.49 to 5.63, and for the SF-36-VT was in the range of -15.43 to -5.58. ½SD for FAS, ½ SD and 1.96 SEM for POMS-F, and 1.96 SEM and SD for SF-36-VT showed the best discriminative ability to use as the RCID. CONCLUSIONS: The MCID and RCID were calculated for FAS, POMS-F, and SF-36-VT using different methods. The results can be used by researchers and clinicians for interpreting their findings in subjects similar to those who participated in this study.

The effect of sensory-motor training on hand and upper extremity sensory and motor function in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease.

STUDY DESIGN: Blinded randomized controlled trial. INTRODUCTION: Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) have sensory problems, but there is still no accurate understanding of the effects of sensory-motor interventions on PD. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To investigate the effects of sensory-motor training (SMT) on hand and upper extremity sensory and motor function in patients with PD. METHODS: Forty patients with PD were allocated to the SMT group or the control group (CG) (mean ages ± standard deviation: SMT, 61.05 ± 13.9 years; CG, 59.15 ± 11.26 years). The CG received the common rehabilitation therapies, whereas the SMT group received SMT. The SMT included discrimination of temperatures, weights, textures, shapes, and objects and was performed 5 times each week for 2 weeks. RESULTS: Significantly reducing the error rates in the haptic object recognition test (dominant hand [DH]: F = 15.36, P = .001, and effect size [ES] = 0.29; nondominant hand [NDH]: F = 9.33, P = .004, and ES = 0.21) and the error means in the wrist proprioception sensation test (DH: F = 9.11, P = .005, and ES = 0.19; NDH: F = 13.04, P = .001, and ES = 0.26) and increasing matched objects in the hand active sensation test (DH: F = 12.15, P = .001, and ES = 0.24; NDH: F = 5.03, P = .03, and ES = 0.12) founded in the SMT. Also, the DH (F = 6.65, P = .01, and ES = 0.15), both hands (F = 7.61, P = .009, and ES = 0.17), and assembly (F = 7.02, P = .01, and ES = 0.15) subtests of fine motor performance, as well as DH (F = 10.1, P = .003, and ES = 0.21) and NDH (F = 8.37, P = .006, and ES = 0.18) in upper extremity functional performance, were improved in the SMT. DISCUSSION: SMT improved hand and upper extremity sensory-motor function in patients with PD. CONCLUSION: The SMT group showed improved sensory and motor function. But these results were limited to levels 1 to 3 of the Hoehn and Yahr Scale.