Early assessment of knee function and quality of life in patients after total knee replacement.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess knee function and changes of the perceived quality of life before total knee replacement surgery and after four weeks of post-operative rehabilitation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 200 patients with Kellgren III/IV osteoarthritis of the knee who received a total cemented knee endoprosthesis and underwent comprehensive post-operative rehabilitation for four weeks. The Lysholm and Gilquist Knee Scale was used to assess the clinical status of the patients and the SF-36 Questionnaire served to evaluate the quality of life. Patients were evaluated before the operation and after the four-week rehabilitation. RESULTS: A significant improvement in the following knee functions was observed after four weeks of rehabilitation: walking, climbing stairs, stability, and turning around on one leg. The pain, swelling and limp decreased. The quality of life after the four-week rehabilitation was considerably better in the domains of physical function and emotional status. CONCLUSIONS: The positive effects of surgery and rehabilitation on knee function and quality of life can be observed as early as after four weeks of rehabilitation following total knee replacement.

[Postraumatic klüver-Bucy syndrome--description and comparison of two clinical cases]. / Pourazowy zespól klüvera-Bucy'ego--opis i porównanie dwóch przypadków klinicznych.

AIM: Klüver-Bucy syndrome was described in the fifties of the 20th century as a group of neuropsychological symptoms, such as visual agnosia, "oral" tendency, hypermetamorphosis, changes in behaviour, hyper-sexuality (homo-, hetero-, autosexuality) and changes in dietary habits (anorexia, bulimia) that may develop in humans after bilateral damage or dysfunction of the medial temporal lobes. The cause of Klüver-Bucy syndrome may be an injury, central nervous system infection, especially herpetic, Pick disease, temporal epilepsy and paraneoplastic encephalopathy. The condition is very rare in children; its occurrence in childhood was described in a few cases only. Symptom intensity and their manifestation depend on numerous diversified factors. METHODS: A comparative presentation of two clinical cases of Klüver-Bucy syndrome following severe head injuries accompanied by description of computed tomography scans. RESULTS: The diagnosis of the syndrome does not require the presence of all the axial symptoms. Both patients were treated with carbamazepine. Regression of neuropsychological symptoms took a different course in each child, despite their similar brain damage. CONCLUSIONS: Fully symptomatic Klüver-Bucy syndrome is very rare. The psychological status of patients with this disorder depends not only on the extent of the lesion, but also on pre-injury emotional and intellectual development and post-injury social stimulation.

[Computer-based rehabilitation of cognitive impairments and motor arm function of patients with hemiparesis after stroke]. / Wspomagana komputerowo, skojarzona rehabilitacja zaburzen poznawczych i funkcji reki u osób z niedowladem polowiczym po udarze mózgu--doniesienie wstepne.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of the computer program made for the patients after stroke to treat their cognitive impairments and hemiparesis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The experimental group involved 10 patients after stroke who were obliged to train on a computer every day during their three-week stay on the rehabilitation ward. The control group involved 10 patients after stroke who did not participate in any computer training during their rehabilitation process. The first part of the computer tasks trains the attention impairments and visual-motor co-ordination problems. We modified the joystick by adding special buttons to train movements of the wrist, thumb and forefinger of the impaired hand. Computer tasks are made in the way to stimulate both the cognitive functions and hand dexterity at the same time. RESULTS: This initial research shows a statistically significant improvement of the cognitive functions and hand dexterity among patients from the experimental group. According to these results we did not observe any significant improvement in the cognitive functions among patients who did not train on a computer (control group). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research suggest the usefulness of this computer program in training cognitive impairments and visual-motor co-ordination as well as hand dexterity among the patients after stroke.

[Attention impairments in aphasia. Psychological aspects]. / Zaburzenia uwagi w afazji. Ujecie psychologiczne.

This paper reviews the relationship between the attention impairment and language functions in aphasia. It contains the description of some experiments with methods useful to examine the functions of attention: divided, selective, focused attention, suitable for patients with aphasia. The paper summarises the growing literature which documents the influence of divided attention on language functions such as: word retrieval, comprehension, spoken language, picture description. Lastly, the clinical implications of adopting the attentional model of aphasia are considered with respect to strategies for both assessment and treatment of adults with aphasia.

[Trichotillomania. Its course and psychosocial consequences]. / Trichotillomania. Przebieg i nastepstwa psychospoleczne.

The article contains the definition and characteristics of trichotillomania, its prevalence, main syndromes and factors which intensify the pressure of uncontrolled hair pulling. It also raises the problem of the role of tension in maintaining these behaviours what is connected with some controversy around the definition of trichotillomania. In addition this article includes its relationship with other mental disorders. Special attention was given to the subjective experiences of chronic hair-pulling, and to social and psychological consequences of trichotillomania.