Using virtual reality simulation to study navigation in a complex environment as a functional-cognitive task; A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Navigation skills are required for performance of functional complex tasks and may decline due to aging. Investigation of navigation skills should include measurement of cognitive-executive and motor aspects, which are part of complex tasks. OBJECTIVE: to compare young and older healthy adults in navigation within a simulated environment with and without a functional-cognitive task. METHODS: Ten young adults (25.6±4.3 years) and seven community dwelling older men (69.9±3.8 years) were tested during a single session. After training on a self-paced treadmill to navigate in a non-functional simulation, they performed the Virtual Multiple Errands Test (VMET) in a mall simulation. Outcome measures included cognitive-executive aspects of performance and gait parameters. RESULTS: Younger adults' performance of the VMET was more efficient (1.8±1.0) than older adults (5.3±2.7; p < 0.05) and faster (younger 478.1±141.5 s, older 867.6±393.5 s; p < 0.05). There were no differences between groups in gait parameters. Both groups walked slower in the mall simulation. CONCLUSIONS: The shopping simulation provided a paradigm to assess the interplay between motor and cognitive aspects involved in the efficient performance of a complex task. The study emphasized the role of the cognitive-executive aspect of task performance in healthy older adults.

Testicular sperm retrieval and intra cytoplasmic sperm injection provide favorable outcome in spinal cord injury patients, failing conservative reproductive treatment.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome after testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in a group of spinal cord injury (SCI) male patients not compatible with conservative fertility treatment. SETTING: University-affiliated medical center. METHODS: Thirty two SCI patients (C2 to L2) were referred to IVF after repeated trials of electroejaculation (EEJ) or penile vibratory stimulation (PVS), and full andrological evaluation. Testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) was the method of choice for sperm extraction. Open TESE was performed only after a negative TESA attempt. Clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were determined. RESULTS: A total of 106 testicular procedures were performed. Sperm was found in 95 cycles (89.6%). The average metaphase II (MII) oocyte number was 11.0±4.2, an average of 5.1±2.3 oocytes became normally fertilized after Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) (fertilization rate 57.1%). On average, 2.7±1.2 embryos were replaced. The clinical pregnancy rate was 32/106 (30.2%) per cycle and 19/32 (59.3%) per couple. Live birth rate was 62.5% (20/32). CONCLUSIONS: TESA/E and IVF can provide excellent prognosis for SCI patients that cannot be treated by EEJ or PVS.

A new grading for easy and concise description of functional status after spinal cord lesions.

BACKGROUND: Disability scales do not enable the transmission of concise, meaningful and daily function description for clinical purposes. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional statistical analysis of 328 patients' Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) III item scores (SIS). OBJECTIVE: To develop a concise and clinically interpretable data-based characterization of daily task accomplishment for patients with spinal cord lesions (SCLs). SETTING: Multi-center study at 13 spinal units in 6 countries. METHODS: Patients were grouped into clusters characterized by smaller differences between the patients' SIS within the clusters than between their centers, using the k-medoides algorithm. The number of clusters (k) was chosen according to the percent of SIS variation they explained and the clinical distinction between them. RESULTS: Analysis showed that k=8 SIS clusters offer a good description of the patient population. The eight functional clusters were designated as A-H, each cluster (grade) representing a combination of task accomplishments. Higher grades were usually (but not always) associated with patients implementing more difficult tasks. Throughout rehabilitation, the patients' functional grade improved and the distribution of patients with similar functional grades within the total SCIM III score deciles remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: A new classification based on SIS clusters enables a concise description of overall functioning and task accomplishment distribution in patients with SCL. A software tool is used to identify the patients' functional grade. Findings support the stability and utility of the grades for characterizing the patients' functional status.

Expected spinal cord independence measure, third version, scores for various neurological levels after complete spinal cord lesions.

STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter international cohort study. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to establish target values for Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) III scoring in rehabilitation for clinically complete spinal cord lesion (SCL) neurological levels. SETTING: In total, 13 spinal cord units in six countries from North America, Europe and the Middle East were taken. METHODS: Total SCIM III scores and gain at discharge from rehabilitation were calculated for SCL levels in 128 patients with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade A on admission to rehabilitation. RESULTS: Median, quartiles, mean and s.d., values of discharge SCIM III scores and SCIM III gain for the various SCL levels are presented. Total SCIM III scores and gain were significantly correlated with the SCL level (r=0.730, r=0.579, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Calculated discharge SCIM III scores can be used as target values for functional achievements at various neurological levels in patients after AIS A SCL. They are generally, but not always, inversely correlated with SCL level.

SCIM III is reliable and valid in a separate analysis for traumatic spinal cord lesions.

STUDY DESIGN: A multi-center international cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the third version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III), separately for patients with traumatic spinal cord lesions (SCLs). SETTING: A total of 13 spinal cord units in six countries from North America, Europe and the Middle-East. METHODS: SCIM III and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were assessed for 261 patients with traumatic SCLs, on admission to rehabilitation and before discharge, by two raters. Conventional statistical measures were used to evaluate the SCIM III reliability and validity. RESULTS: In almost all SCIM III tasks, the total agreement between the paired raters was >80%. The κ coefficients were all >0.6 and statistically significant. Pearson's coefficients of the correlations between the paired raters were >0.9, the mean differences between raters were nonsignificant and the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were ≥ 0.95. Cronbach's α values for the entire SCIM III scale were 0.833-0.835. FIM and SCIM III total scores were correlated (r=0.84, P<0.001). SCIM III was more responsive to changes than FIM. In all subscales, SCIM III identified more changes in function than FIM, and in 3 of the 4 subscales, differences in responsiveness were statistically significant (P<0.02). CONCLUSION: The results confirm the reliability and validity of SCIM III for patients with traumatic SCLs in a number of countries.

Civilian spinal cord injuries due to terror explosions.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of civilians with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) due to terror explosions. OBJECTIVES: To analyze and describe the clinical characteristics and rehabilitation outcomes of civilians with SCI due to explosions admitted for in-patient rehabilitation from 2000-2004. SETTING: SCI rehabilitation service, Tel Hashomer, Israel. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. Civilians with SCI due to terror-related gunshot wounds (GSWs) served as a control group. RESULTS: Eleven civilians with SCI caused by penetrating atypical foreign objects (PAFOs) and eight with GSWs were identified. The male-to-female ratio was approximately 2:1. Foreign objects were present within the spinal canal in seven patients, causing bone injury without canal penetration in three, and one patient had both bone injury and canal penetration. The most common level of injury was thoracic. Seven had complete motor SCI. Three individuals improved in American Spinal Injury Association status: one individual improved from B to C (cervical); one from C to D (thoracic); and the third from D to E (lumbar). Despite the similar acute hospital length of stay and functional independence measure (FIM) scores on admission, the PAFO group had a shorter rehabilitation length of stay with higher FIM scores and higher FIM efficiency at discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Although the pathophysiology of PAFO blast injuries is similar to the high-velocity GSWs or the high-energy military munition injuries, better rehabilitation outcomes were seen, with slightly higher FIM efficiency and efficacy at discharge. This result is likely to be caused by less neurological tissue damage at impact.

The Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) version III: reliability and validity in a multi-center international study.

PURPOSE: To examine the third version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III) for reliability and validity in a multi-center cohort study. METHOD: Four hundred and twenty-five patients with spinal cord lesions from 13 spinal cord units in six countries from three continents were assessed with SCIM III and the Functional Independence measure (FIM) on admission to rehabilitation and before discharge. RESULTS: Total agreement between raters was above 80% in most SCIM III tasks, and all kappa coefficients were statistically significant (P<0.001). The coefficients of Pearson correlation between the paired raters were above 0.9, and intraclass correlation coefficients were above 0.94. Cronbach's alpha was above 0.7. The coefficient of Pearson correlation between FIM and SCIM III was 0.790 (P<0.01). SCIM III was more responsive to changes than FIM in the subscales of Respiration and sphincter management and Mobility indoors and outdoors. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the reliability and validity of SCIM III in a multi-cultural setup. Despite several limitations of the study, the results indicate that SCIM III is an efficient measure for functional assessment of SCL patients and can be safely used for clinical and research trials, including international multi-center studies.

A multicenter international study on the Spinal Cord Independence Measure, version III: Rasch psychometric validation.

BACKGROUND: A third version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III), made up of three subscales, was formulated following comments by experts from several countries and Rasch analysis performed on the previous version. OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity, reliability, and usefulness of SCIM III using Rasch analysis. DESIGN: Multicenter cohort study. SETTING: Thirteen spinal cord units in six countries from North America, Europe, and the Middle-East. SUBJECTS: 425 patients with spinal cord lesions (SCL). INTERVENTIONS: SCIM III assessments by professional staff members. Rasch analysis of admission scores. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: SCIM III subscale match between the distribution of item difficulty grades and the patient ability measurements; reliability of patient ability measures; fit of data to Rasch model requirements; unidimensionality of each subscale; hierarchical ordering of categories within items; differential item functioning across classes of patients and across countries. RESULTS: Results supported the compatibility of the SCIM subscales with the stringent Rasch requirements. Average infit mean-square indices were 0.79-1.06; statistically distinct strata of abilities were 3 to 4; most thresholds between adjacent categories were properly ordered; item hierarchy was stable across most of the clinical subgroups and across countries. In a few items, however, misfit or category threshold disordering were found. CONCLUSIONS: The scores of each SCIM III subscale appear as a reliable and useful quantitative representation of a specific construct of independence after SCL. This justifies the use of SCIM in clinical research, including cross-cultural trials. The results also suggest that there is merit in further refining the scale.

Dermatological findings following acute traumatic spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. OBJECTIVE: To identify and define dermatological conditions following acute traumatic spinal cord injury (ATSCI) during inpatient rehabilitation. SETTING: Spinal Cord Injury Unit, The Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Israel. METHODS: During a 1-year study, all patients following ATSCI were prospectively studied for new dermatological findings during their inpatient rehabilitation. Every new dermatological finding was defined concerning its location with regard to the patient's neurological level, the time from injury to appearance and the exact dermatological diagnosis. RESULTS: During the study year, 46 ATSCI patients were hospitalized in our department, of whom were 38 (82.6%) males and eight (17.4%) females (mean age 30.2 years). A total of 21 (45.6%) patients were tetraplegic and 25 (54.3%) paraplegic. Of the patients, 28 (60.9%) had complete neurological injuries and 18 (39.1%) incomplete. In all, 14 (30.4%) patients developed a dermatological condition. There was no significant age or sex correlation to the development of these complications. There was a greater likelihood of paraplegia (48 versus 9.5%, P=0.005) and being neurologically complete (42.9 versus 11.1%, P=0.02). The dermatological findings appeared on an average of 80.3 days after the initial neurological insult. There were a total of 22 different dermatological findings: 11 (50%) were local fungal infections, two (9.1%) psoriatic lesions, two (9.1%) hyperkeratotic lesions, two (9.1%) bacterial infections (one folliculitis, one impetigo) and single cases of seborrheic dermatitis, acne, alopecia, scabies and allergic reaction. Of the findings, 14 (63.6%) were below the neurological level, including all of the fungal infections. CONCLUSIONS: Dermatological findings are common during rehabilitation of ATSCI. The clinical impact of these findings is low, but nevertheless, they are troublesome to the patient. The most common dermatological disorder was a local fungal infection below the neurological level. Paraplegic patients are more susceptible to the development of this condition. Patient and staff education regarding proper skin care may reduce these infections.

Professor Heinrich Sebastian Frenkel: a forgotten founder of rehabilitation medicine.

Frenkel was born and later on practiced medicine in Heiden, Swizerland. This small town became, by his vigilant and innovative work, a place of pilgrimage for neurologists. He was the first to introduce the concept of exercise to restore dexterity and to improve ambulation and so pioneered the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Frenkel's method and philosophy became the foundation of treatment for many chronic neurological disabling diseases. His personality and work influenced many famous neurologists, worldwide.

Rasch analysis of the Catz-Itzkovich spinal cord independence measure.

BACKGROUND: The Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) is a new disability scale developed specifically for patients with spinal cord lesions (SCL). Its original and second versions (SCIM and SCIM II) were found to be reliable and more sensitive than the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) to functional changes in SCL patients. OBJECTIVE: To further validate the SCIM II, examining its components on a larger population. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Two rehabilitation centers in Israel. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and two inpatients with SCL. INTERVENTIONS: Routine SCIM assessments by staff nurses. Rasch and accompanying analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Unidimensionality of subscales (areas of function); goodness of fit of the tasks to the Rasch model; relationship of total-patient and single-task performance-ability; usability of task categories and the order of threshold locations between them; subscale discrimination of ability and difficulty and hierarchical nature; discrimination of task-categories ability, ie, distribution of thresholds along ability levels; and differential task behavior by age, gender and examination subgroups. RESULTS: Four unidimensional subscales were identified, and an acceptable goodness of fit to the Rasch model was demonstrated in most of their tasks (infit mean square=0.8-1.2, outfit mean square=0.6-1.4). However, some tasks showed overfit (bathing lower body) and some showed misfit (wheelchair-car transfer). Additional analyses performed to check for reasons for less than acceptable fit revealed flaws in a minority of the outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this analysis confirm the validity and reliability of the SCIM II. To a large extent we can infer that the SCIM II construct allows for the detection of any level of disability in any patient with SCL. A few item categories, however, should be rephrased or removed.

Long-term morbidity and mortality after spinal cord injury: 50 years of follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term mortality rate and the types of morbidity among all people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) that occurred during the 1948 Israel War of Independence. METHOD: Chart review and telephone interviews for collecting demographic data, injury characteristics, marital status, physical activities, employment, morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Twenty individuals with SCI (19 males, one female). There was no regular follow-up during the first 20 years post injury. The most frequent morbidities were genito-urinary, cardiovascular and decubiti. Ten (50%) had died during this overall follow-up interval. The average age at death was 60 years. The cause of death was cardiovascular in six, neoplastic disease in two, pneumonia in one, and one died from an unknown cause. CONCLUSIONS: The data analysis showed that those who died participated less in physical activity and fewer were employed as compared to the survivors.

Slow ascending myelopathy, tetraplegia, carcinoma of the bladder and amyloidosis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVE: We report a case of slow ascending myelopathy in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). DESIGN: Case report of a 60-year-old patient suffering from AS, who developed over a period of 39 years a slow ascending myelopathy leading to tetraplegia, squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder and amyloidosis of the small intestine secondary to neuropathic bladder and bowel. SETTING: Department and Outpatient's Department of Neurological Rehabilitation Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. SUBJECT: Single patient case report. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Clinical follow-up of the patient between the years 1959 - 1998. RESULTS: Physical examination disclosed deteriorating incomplete tetraplegia with hypotonia and hyporreflexia. Neurogenic bladder and bowel complicated to squamous cell carcinoma and amyloidosis. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, flaccid tetraplegia associated with AS, has never been reported in the literature. The possibility of vascular compression by the ankylosed spine causing the clinical picture of flaccid tetraplegia in this patient is discussed.

Hybrid functional electrical stimulation orthosis system for the upper limb: effects on spasticity in chronic stable hemiplegia.

A new hybrid functional electrical stimulation orthosis system for the upper limb has been designed to allow for ease of use in the home as a daily treatment modality, as well as offer the opportunity for function enhancement. In a pilot study, the system was used by ten patients with chronic stable hemiparesis secondary to cerebral vascular accident and head injuries. The patients were referred by their treating physicians or therapists after meeting the inclusion criteria of good general health, being greater than one year after head injury, or being ten months post-stroke, with no observed neurologic changes in the prior six weeks. Each of these patients had received prolonged physical therapy, either continuous from the initial inpatient rehabilitation treatment or on an intermittent basis over a period of years. The baseline status for factors related to increased muscle tone, i.e., passive range of motion at the wrist and elbow, posture at rest, posture immediately following activity, and spasticity were quantified before the treatment protocol with the functional electrical stimulation orthosis. Active range of motion and tests of functional use of the involved upper limb were also assessed. The patients were instructed in the protocol, trained in the use of the system, and then used the electrical orthosis at home for up to several hours per day. Follow-up assessments were at six months. A statistically significant improvement was noted in all muscle tone/spasticity parameters measured. A separate report will describe the effects on voluntary motion and functional capabilities.

Camptocormia: a case of possible paraneoplastic aetiology.

We present a patient with gradual development of camptocormia, three years before a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed. Lymphomas are known to produce neuromuscular symptoms through several indirect mechanisms. Recent studies regard camptocormia as a primary disease of the paravertebral muscles. To our knowledge this is the first report associating camptocormia with malignancy. The possibility of a paraneoplastic syndrome is discussed.

Gynecomastia following spinal cord disorder.

Gynecomastia, an excessive development of the mammary glands in men, is a known phenomenon among patients with spinal cord disorder, yet in the last 50 years it has not been fully described in relation to spinal cord disorder. Over a period of 2 years, six patients with spinal cord disorder (4 secondary to a traumatic injury, 1 to decompression sickness, and 1 to transverse myelitis) manifested gynecomastia. The onset of gynecomastia occurred between 1 to 6 months after injury. These patients are presented along with a review of the possible causes for gynecomastia and a suggested workup routine. A clinical examination for the presence of gynecomastia should be performed for every patient with spinal cord disorder and a thorough endocrinological workup should follow to rule out malignancy and reassure the anxious patient undergoing a disruption of his body image.

Clinically insignificant (natural) autoantibodies against acetyl cholinesterase in the sera of patients with a variety of neurologic, muscular and autoimmune diseases.

Acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) antibodies were shown to be associated with myasthenia-like neuromuscular disease. However, it is not clear whether they cause the disease, or their presence is secondary to the disease or an unrelated epiphenomenon. Therefore, AChE antibodies were studied in the sera of 135 patients with neurologic, muscular and autoimmune diseases, using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting and enzyme inhibition assay. In 12 sera the AChE binding by ELISA was greater than 2 standard deviations (SDs) above the mean value of the 20 healthy controls. However, this increased binding was not disease-specific, had no clinical correlates and could not be demonstrated using Western blotting and AChE enzyme inhibition assay, suggesting that these antibodies are naturally occurring, pathogenically unimportant autoantibodies. The finding also supports a possible pathogenic role for the previously reported, high titer, high affinity, inhibitory AChE antibodies in the neuromuscular disease.

Pathological laughter and crying in patients with closed traumatic brain injury.

We report on the clinical and radiological features in 16 adult patients who suffered a traumatic brain injury and subsequently developed pathological laughter and crying. Patients with pathological laughter and crying were identified from among 301 consecutive brain-injured admissions to a trauma centre and subsequently to a rehabilitation facility. Patients displaying pathological laughter and crying had a greater severity of injury than patients without the syndrome; they also had other associated neurological features compatible with pseudobulbar palsy. Pathological laughter alone, or combined with crying, was more frequent than crying alone. An attempt to correlate clinical features with focal lesions on neuroimaging studies yielded inconsistent results. The theoretical anatomical substrate for pathological laughter and crying in patients with traumatic brain injury is discussed.