The Neurological Exercise Training (NExT) program: A pilot study of a community exercise program for survivors of stroke.

BACKGROUND: Many survivors of stroke face chronic disability and increased risk for recurrent stroke. Regular physical activity can reduce these risk factors and improve cardiovascular fitness. Most survivors of stroke face barriers to exercise, including lack of access to programs; as a result, most are sedentary. OBJECTIVE: Pilot the Neurological Exercise Training (NExT) program or survivors of stroke for attendance, safety, and effectiveness. METHODS: The NExT program was designed to promote self-directed exercise in a safe, accessible environment. Six participants attended as desired during open gym hours over two exercise periods per week totalling 19 weeks. After, participants were encouraged to continue exercise away from the gym for 20 weeks. Practicability of the program was assessed through safety, attendance, exercise intensity, and perception of the program. Pilot effectiveness measures were performed at five time points and effect sizes were generated. RESULTS: Attendance averaged 76% (SD12%) of possible sessions with an average duration of 62 (SD 11.3) minutes. Effectiveness measures had positive effect sizes after 19 weeks of the NExT program, but these benefits were lost after 20-weeks (cohen's d, mobility = 0.67 to -0.22, balance = 0.57 to -1.22, strength = 0.41 to -0.30, endurance = 0.09 to -0.19 and fatigue = 1.02 to -0.57). CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate that a community-based gym that is accessible for survivors of stroke will be well attended and perceived as beneficial. Pilot data suggests positive changes in multiple health domains regardless of the type of exercise self-selected by participants. Offering the gym on a continual basis may maintain gains.

Measurements of Weight Bearing Asymmetry Using the Nintendo Wii Fit Balance Board Are Not Reliable for Older Adults and Individuals With Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians and researchers have used bathroom scales, balance performance monitors with feedback, postural scale analysis, and force platforms to evaluate weight bearing asymmetry (WBA). Now video game consoles offer a novel alternative for assessing this construct. By using specialized software, the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board can provide reliable measurements of WBA in healthy, young adults. However, reliability of measurements obtained using only the factory settings to assess WBA in older adults and individuals with stroke has not been established. PURPOSE: To determine whether measurements of WBA obtained using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board and default settings are reliable in older adults and individuals with stroke. METHODS: Weight bearing asymmetry was assessed using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board in 2 groups of participants-individuals older than 65 years (n = 41) and individuals with stroke (n = 41). Participants were given a standardized set of instructions and were not provided auditory or visual feedback. Two trials were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measure (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) scores were determined for each group. RESULTS: The ICC for the older adults sample was 0.59 (0.35-0.76) with SEM95 = 6.2% and MDC95 = 8.8%. The ICC for the sample including individuals with stroke was 0.60 (0.47-0.70) with SEM95 = 9.6% and MDC95 = 13.6%. DISCUSSION: Although measurements of WBA obtained using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board, and its default factory settings, demonstrate moderate reliability in older adults and individuals with stroke, the relatively high associated SEM and MDC values substantially reduce the clinical utility of the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board as an assessment tool for WBA. CONCLUSIONS: Weight bearing asymmetry cannot be measured reliably in older adults and individuals with stroke using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board without the use of specialized software.

Using clinical and robotic assessment tools to examine the feasibility of pairing tDCS with upper extremity physical therapy in patients with stroke and TBI: a consideration-of-concept pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may provide a safe, non-invasive technique for modulating neural excitability during neurorehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: 1) Assess feasibility and potential effectiveness of tDCS as an adjunct to standard upper extremity (UE) physical therapy (PT) for motor impairments resulting from neurological insult. 2) Determine sustainability of improvements over a six month period. METHODS: Five participants with chronic neurologic insult (stroke or traumatic brain injury > 6 months prior) completed 24 sessions (40 minutes, three times/week) of UE-PT combined with bihemispheric tDCS delivered at 1.5 mA over the motor cortex during the first 15 minutes of each PT session. Outcomes were assessed using clinical (UE Fugl-Meyer, Purdue Pegboard, Box and Block, Stroke Impact Scale) and robotic (unimanual and bimanual motor control) measures. Change in scores and associated effects sizes from Pre-test to Post-test and a six month Follow-up were calculated for each participant and group as a whole. RESULTS: Scores on UE Fugl-Meyer, Box and Block, Purdue Pegboard, Stroke Impact Scale, and robotic measures improved from Pre- to Post-test. Improvements on UE Fugl-Meyer, Box and Block, and robotic measures were largely sustained at six months. CONCLUSIONS: Combining bihemispheric tDCS with UE-PT in individuals with neurological insult warrants further investigation.

Individuals with chronic traumatic brain injury improve walking speed and mobility with intensive mobility training.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility and impact of different dosages of Intensive Mobility Training (IMT) on mobility, balance, and gait speed in individuals with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: Prospective, single group design with 3-month follow-up. SETTING: University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Volunteer sample of participants with chronic TBI (N=10; ≥3 mo post-TBI; able to ambulate 3.05 m with or without assistance; median age, 35.4 y; interquartile range, 23.5-46 y; median time post-TBI, 9.91 y; interquartile range, 6.3-14.2 y). Follow-up data were collected for all participants. INTERVENTIONS: Twenty days (5 d/wk for 4 wk), with 150 min/d of repetitive, task-specific training equally divided among balance; gait training; and strength, coordination, and range. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain and fatigue were recorded before and after each session to assess feasibility. Treatment outcomes were assessed before training (pre), after 10 sessions (interim), after 20 sessions (post), and at 3-months follow-up and included the Berg Balance Scale and gait speed. RESULTS: Participants averaged 150.1±2.7 minutes per session. Median presession and postsession pain scores were 0 (out of 10) for 20 sessions; median presession fatigue scores ranged from 0 to 2.5 (out of 10); and postsession scores ranged from 3 to 5.5 (out of 10). Four outcome measures demonstrated significant improvement from the pretest to interim, with 7 out of 10 participants exceeding the minimal detectable change (MDC) for fast walking speed. At the posttest, 2 additional measures were significant, with more participants exceeding the MDCs. Changes in fast walking speed and Timed Up and Go test were significant at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Limited fluctuations in pain and fatigue scores indicate feasibility of IMT in this population. Participants demonstrated improvements in walking speed, mobility, and balance postintervention and maintained gains in fast walking speed and mobility at 3 months.

The within-session change in low back pain intensity following spinal manipulative therapy is related to differences in diffusion of water in the intervertebral discs of the upper lumbar spine and L5-S1.

STUDY DESIGN: Single-group, prospective, repeated-measures design with responder analysis. OBJECTIVE: To determine differences in the changes in diffusion of water within the lumbar intervertebral discs between participants with low back pain who reported a within-session reduction in pain intensity following a single treatment of spinal manipulative therapy and those who did not. BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of research that describes the physiologic events associated with analgesia following intervention for low back pain. Postintervention increases in the diffusion of water within various soft tissues of the spine may be one of many potential mechanisms linked to pain reduction. METHODS: Nineteen adults between 20 and 45 years of age participated in this study. All participants reported low back pain of at least 2 on an 11-point (0-10) verbally administered numeric pain rating scale at the time of enrollment. Participants underwent T2- and diffusion-weighted lumbar magnetic resonance imaging scans immediately before and after receiving a single treatment of spinal manipulative therapy. Individuals who reported a decrease in current pain intensity of more than 2 following treatment were classified as "within-session responders," and the remainder were classified as "not-within-session responders." The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), representing the diffusion of water in the nucleus pulposus, was calculated from ADC maps derived from the midsagittal diffusion-weighted images. RESULTS: Two-way, repeated-measures analyses of variance indicated significant group-by-time interactions. Participants in the within-session-responder group (n = 12) had a postintervention increase in ADC at L1-2 (P = .001), L2-3 (P = .002), and L5-S1 (P = .01) compared to those in the not-within-session-responder group (n = 7). Large effect sizes in ADC between responder groups were observed at L1-2 (d = 1.74), L2-3 (d = 1.83), and L5-S1 (d = 1.49). No significant group-by-time interactions were observed at the L3-4 and L4-5 levels. CONCLUSION: Changes in the diffusion of water within the lumbar intervertebral discs at the L1-2, L2-3, and L5-S1 levels appear to be related to differences in within-session pain reports following a single treatment of spinal manipulative therapy.