Novel wireless laser doppler flowmeter-based investigation of earlobe vascular dynamics in cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

[Purpose] A new wireless laser Doppler blood flowmeter has facilitated easier, more stable measurement of skin perfusion during exercise. However, earlobe blood flow during the cardiopulmonary exercise test remains unascertained. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of earlobe blood flow during incremental exercise load in healthy individuals. [Participants and Methods] Among 25 healthy males (age 23.6 ± 2.5 years), cycle ergometer-based symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test, after 4 minutes of rest, was conducted with a 4-minute 20W warm-up and a continuous 2W-increase in the work rate every 6 seconds; earlobe blood flow was measured using a wireless laser Doppler blood flowmeter. [Results] Compared with that at rest, earlobe blood flow increased significantly from 50% of exercise peak intensity to a maximum of 1.7 times, but decreased immediately after exercise. The earlobe blood flow %change did not significantly correlate with hemodynamic parameters and its inflection point 36.4% Loadpeak was significantly lower than the anaerobic metabolic threshold 58.1% Loadpeak. [Conclusion] In healthy participants, earlobe blood flow during cardiopulmonary exercise test increased gradually with low-intensity exercise from approximately 1.5 times the resting rate and approached the anaerobic metabolic threshold with a maximum of 1.7 times the resting earlobe blood flow, but decreased quickly after exercise.

Effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness and accessibility of NMES and compared them with usual care in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD by searching databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials published up to April 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients with COPD who were treated within 3 weeks of acute exacerbation onset were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tools. We pooled limb muscle strength and adverse events and performed a comparison between NMES and usual care. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: Five RCTs, including 168 patients, met the eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis showed that limb muscle strength was significantly higher in the NMES group (four studies with 148 patients; standardized mean difference, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.60-1.30; p < 0.001). The quality of evidence was very low due to the risk of bias within the studies, imprecision of the estimates, and small number of studies. Any adverse events served as outcomes in three studies (86 patients), although no adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: NMES is safe for patients with acute exacerbation of COPD and may maintain and improve limb muscle strength; however, the quality of evidence was very low.

Variability in Cross-Sectional Muscle Atrophy: Insights From the Central Rectus Femoris.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the non-uniformity of cross-sectional areas in atrophic muscles using the central aponeurosis (CA) as a marker for the central region of the rectus femoris (RF). METHODS: We enrolled 51 consecutively admitted patients (102 limbs) with aortic valve stenosis who were scheduled for elective surgical or catheter-based aortic valve replacement and were expected to have low physical activity-induced muscle atrophy. We obtained short-axis images of the mid-thigh using an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system (with a 5-cm-wide probe) and measured the deviation of the central region of the rectus femoris from the body surface. Muscle thickness was measured using conventional morphological measurements on the body surface ("On Surface") and landmarks within the ultrasonographic image ("In Images"). RESULTS: Displacements ≥ 1.5 cm were observed in 56 (54.9%) limbs, and displacements ≥ 2.5 cm were observed in 34 (33%) limbs. The displacements were predominantly in the medial direction and ranged from 4 cm to 1.5 cm. Among the cases in which the deviation was ≥2.5 cm, "On Surface" measurements resulted in images in which the vastus lateralis overlapped with the rectus femoris. The thickness of the rectus femoris was significantly lower with "On Surface" measurements than with "In Images" measurements (right, p < 0.001; left, p = 0.007), with a maximum difference of 10.5 mm. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, it was observed that the rectus femoris at the center was often displaced medially, and the muscle thickness was thinner at the edge than at the center, showing a non-uniform morphology.

Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rehabilitation in Critically Ill Patients 2023 (J-ReCIP 2023).

Providing standardized, high-quality rehabilitation for critically ill patients is a crucial issue. In 2017, the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine (JSICM) promulgated the "Evidence-Based Expert Consensus for Early Rehabilitation in the Intensive Care Unit" to advocate for the early initiation of rehabilitations in Japanese intensive care settings. Building upon this seminal work, JSICM has recently conducted a rigorous systematic review utilizing the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. This endeavor resulted in the formulation of Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs), designed to elucidate best practices in early ICU rehabilitation. The primary objective of this guideline is to augment clinical understanding and thereby facilitate evidence-based decision-making, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of patient outcomes in critical care settings. No previous CPGs in the world has focused specifically on rehabilitation of critically ill patients, using the GRADE approach. Multidisciplinary collaboration is extremely important in rehabilitation. Thus, the CPGs were developed by 73 members of a Guideline Development Group consisting of a working group, a systematic review group, and an academic guideline promotion group, with the Committee for the Clinical Practice Guidelines of Early Mobilization and Rehabilitation in Intensive Care of the JSICM at its core. Many members contributed to the development of the guideline, including physicians and healthcare professionals with multiple and diverse specialties, as well as a person who had been patients in ICU. Based on discussions among the group members, eight important clinical areas of focus for this CPG were identified. Fourteen important clinical questions (CQs) were then developed for each area. The public was invited to comment twice, and the answers to the CQs were presented in the form of 10 GRADE recommendations and commentary on the four background questions. In addition, information for each CQ has been created as a visual clinical flow to ensure that the positioning of each CQ can be easily understood. We hope that the CPGs will be a useful tool in the rehabilitation of critically ill patients for multiple professions.

Antihypertensive Effects of Three Days of Leg Bathing on a Patient With Stanford Type A Acute Aortic Dissection After Surgery: A Case Report.

Thermal therapy is expected to have an antihypertensive effect associated with increased blood flow and vasodilation. Here, we report a case of postoperative aortic dissection in which leg bathing was effective for treating hypertension. A 50-year-old female (body mass index: 25.3 kg/m2) underwent emergency surgery for Stanford type A aortic dissection and started early mobilization the following day. Even on postoperative day (POD) 28, the patient had repeated deviations from the blood pressure limit (systolic pressure 90-140 mmHg) during a 200-m walk. Therefore, leg bathing (42°C for 20 minutes) before walking for three days was started on POD 38. No changes in medications or other medical interventions from POD 28 until discharge from the hospital were made. Mean blood pressure values during the seven days before leg bathing were 151/94 mmHg at rest and 168/107 mmHg after walking, with a maximum value of 180/113 mmHg. After leg bathing, blood pressure after walking was 147/96 mmHg on day 1, 149/96 mmHg on day 2, and 127/82 mmHg on day 3. The mean blood pressure values during the seven days after three days of leg bathing were 137/81 mmHg at rest, 147/89 mmHg after walking, and 167/97 mmHg at maximum, with no more deviations from the blood pressure limit at rest and a slight increase with exercise. Three days of leg bathing produced sufficient antihypertensive effects for this patient. The findings in this case indicate the need for comparative studies with a control group in the future.

Preoperative inspiratory muscle weakness as a risk factor of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We examined whether preoperative inspiratory muscle weakness (IMW) is a risk factor for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent subtotal esophagectomy. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with esophageal cancer who underwent a scheduled subtotal esophagectomy between June 2020 and May 2022. Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) was measured as inspiratory muscle strength using a respiratory dynamometer, and we defined IMW as MIP < 80% of the predicted value. Our primary outcome comprised overall PPCs. We investigated the relationship between IMW and PPCs using the Bayesian logistic regression model. RESULTS: After exclusion, 72 patients were included in this study. IMW was identified in 26 patients (36%), and PPCs developed in 28 patients (39%). Among patients with IMW, 15 (58%) developed PPCs. Preoperative IMW was associated with PPCs (mean odds ratio [OR]: 3.58; 95% credible interval [95% CrI]: 1.29, 9.73) in the unweighted model. A similar association was observed in the weighted model adjusted for preoperative and intraoperative contributing factors (mean OR: 4.15; 95% CrI: 2.04, 8.45). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative IMW was associated with PPCs in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent subtotal esophagectomy. This association remained after adjusting for preoperative and intraoperative contributing factors.

Validity of the 30-Second Chair-Stand Test to Assess Exercise Tolerance and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Esophageal Cancer: A Retrospective Study with Reference to 6-Minute Walk Test Results.

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the validity of a 30-sec chair stand test (CS-30) as a simple test to assess exercise tolerance and clinical outcomes in 53 Japanese patients with esophageal cancer. There was a strong correlation between the results of CS-30 and the 6-min walk test (6MWT), the gold standard for assessing exercise tolerance (r=0.759). Furthermore, fewer patients whose CS-30 score was greater than 16 (the cutoff value defined based on 6MWT) experienced pneumonia in their postoperative course. These results suggest that exercise tolerance could be assessed using CS-30, and its cutoff value may be useful in predicting postoperative pneumonia risk.

Preoperative inspiratory muscle training in a patient with lung cancer and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory sarcopenia: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Preoperative inspiratory muscle weakness is also a risk factor for PPCs. Sarcopenia and COPD are often associated with inspiratory muscle weakness. Respiratory sarcopenia has been defined as the coexistence of whole-body sarcopenia and respiratory muscle weakness. We report our experience with preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation, including inspiratory muscle training (IMT), in a patient with lung cancer and comorbid respiratory sarcopenia and COPD. CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year-old man with squamous cell lung cancer (cStage IA2) was hospitalized for pulmonary rehabilitation before lung resection. He had comorbid severe sarcopenia and COPD (GOLD stage III). He also had inspiratory muscle weakness and a thin diaphragm. We conducted IMT on the patient in addition to aerobic exercise and instruction regarding sputum expectoration for 2 weeks before the surgery. Consequently, his pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and exercise capacity improved. Segmentectomy was performed using video-assisted thoracic surgery. No postoperative complications occurred. CONCLUSION: IMT in a patient with lung cancer and comorbid respiratory sarcopenia and COPD resulted in improved respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function. IMT may have reduced the risk of PPCs by strengthening the respiratory muscles and improving pulmonary function.

Effects of half-body and foot baths on peripheral circulation in healthy adult males: a pilot study.

[Purpose] This study aimed to clarify the optimal conditions of warm-water bathing required to improve peripheral circulation. [Participants and Methods] Ten healthy males experienced three warm-water bathing depths (half-body, low-leg, and foot) on different days. Peripheral circulation (earlobe blood flow), tympanic temperature, pulse rate, and blood pressure were measured during each session and compared among the bathing conditions. [Results] In half-body bathing, the relative blood flow of participants increased steeply to a level 2.7-fold higher than the baseline during bathing and rapidly decreased after that. Conversely, the relative blood flow gradually and continuously increased to a level 1.7-fold higher than that at the baseline during low-leg bathing and maintained a similar level after that. The blood flow did not markedly change throughout the experiment in foot bathing. The pulse rate during foot bathing and that during low-leg bathing did not change throughout the observation period, but that of half-body bathing increased considerably. [Conclusion] Rapid changes in pulse rate or blood pressure associated with bathing are considered risky. We suggest that low-leg bathing, rather than the usually adopted half-body bathing, is appropriate for improving peripheral circulation in terms of effectiveness and safety.

Gait-related self-efficacy is directly associated with daily step counts in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: In addition to physical factors, psychological factors such as self-efficacy (SE) reportedly affect physical activity (PA) levels in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, the relationship between PA and SE for walking tasks in patients with knee OA remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect pathways of SE for walking tasks and the influence of previously reported factors on PA level in individuals with knee OA. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was employed. Eighty-five individuals with knee OA were enrolled. The daily step count (Steps) was considered an objective level of PA. The SE for the walking task was assessed using a modified Gait Efficacy Scale (mGES). Data on gait speed (GS), the visual analog scale (VAS) score for knee pain, Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade of radiographic severity of knee OA, age, and body mass index were collected. Path analysis was performed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of these variables on Steps. RESULTS: After exclusion, 70 participants were included. The alternative model, which included Steps, mGES, GS, VAS, K-L grade, and age, showed a good fit. mGES and age had a direct effect on Steps (standardized path coefficients: 0.337 and -0.542, respectively), while the other variables had indirect effects. CONCLUSIONS: The SE for walking tasks was directly associated with Steps representative of the PA level. This finding suggests that SE for the walking task may be important in improving PA levels in individuals with knee OA.

Objective physical activity level is associated with rectus femoris muscle echo-intensity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

INTRODUCTION: Skeletal muscle dysfunction is one of the major extrapulmonary complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some studies have reported a relationship between physical activity (PA) level and skeletal muscle quality assessed by echo-intensity (EI) in healthy individuals but not in patients with COPD. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between PA level and both skeletal muscle EI and skeletal muscle mass in patients with COPD. METHODS: We employed a cross-sectional design. Forty male outpatients with stable COPD were enrolled. Using B-mode ultrasonography, we measured the rectus femoris muscle cross-sectional area (RF-CSA) and EI (RF-EI). The RF-CSA and RF-EI were measured on frozen images using an electronic caliper and 8-bit gray-scale analysis, respectively. The objective PA level was determined by monitoring daily step counts and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity time (MVPA) with an activity monitor. A general regression model was used to assess the relationships between PA level and both RF-CSA and RF-EI. Age and body mass index (BMI) were adopted as confounding variables. RESULTS: Twenty-five outpatients with stable COPD (age, 70 ± 7 years old; forced expiratory volume in 1 s, 55.0 ± 24.9% of predicted values) were finally enrolled in the present study. Even after adjusting for age and BMI, the daily step counts and MVPA were significantly associated with RF-EI, and knee extensor force was associated with RF-CSA. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that PA level was associated with RF-EI in patients with COPD. In addition, RF-CSA was associated with knee extensor force. When assessing skeletal muscle using ultrasonography in patients with COPD, we should also assess EI.

Effectiveness of a supervised rehabilitation compared with a home-based rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to compare the effectiveness of supervised rehabilitation with regard to knee function with that of home-based rehabilitation in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). METHODS: The databases searched were: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central), EMBASE, MEDLINE (via Ovid) and PEDro. All randomized controlled trials comparing supervised rehabilitation (SVR) with home-based rehabilitation (HBR) following ACLR were included. Two reviewers evaluated the study quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment (RoB 2.0) tool. Estimates are presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: A total of nine studies met the inclusion criteria, and five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The key outcomes analyzed were self-reported knee function and knee muscle strength. Across all comparisons, there was very low-quality evidence of no significant difference between the SVR and HBR groups at 24 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The limited evidence available does not suggest that SVR results in superior outcomes than HBR in patients with ACLR. Additional studies are needed to clarify whether patient characteristics and study protocols with longer interventions effect the results.

Gait-related Self-efficacy is Low in Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences in self-efficacy (SE) for walking tasks between older patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and older adults without knee OA. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was employed. Older patients with radiographic knee OA and community-dwelling older adults without knee OA as controls were enrolled in the study. SE for the walking task was assessed using the modified gait efficacy scale (mGES). A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the mGES between the groups of participants. A Tobit regression model was used to estimate the difference in mGES. The presence of radiographic knee OA was used as an independent variable. Sex (women), age, and body mass index were used as potential confounding variables in the model. RESULTS: After exclusion, 78 participants (n=40 with knee OA, n=38 controls) were included. The mGES was lower in patients with knee OA than in controls. In the Tobit regression model adjusted for confounding factors, mGES in patients with knee OA was estimated to be 26.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.8-37.8) points lower than in controls. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that mGES was lower in older patients with knee OA than in older adults without knee OA.

Accuracy of Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate Measurements Using Two Types of Wearable Devices.

Objectives: Wearable devices such as fitness trackers have become popular in the healthcare field. Tracking heart rate and respiratory rate, in addition to physical activity, may provide an accurate picture of daily health. We believe that a combination of two types of devices can simultaneously measure and record physical activity, heart rate, and respiratory rate. However, the measurement accuracies of these two types of devices are not clear. This study aimed to determine the measurement accuracies of two wearable devices for heart and respiratory rate measurements. Methods: Ten healthy men performed incremental load tests (ILTs) and constant load tests (CLTs) on a cycle ergometer. The heart and respiratory rates were measured using wrist-worn (Silmee W22, TDK, Japan, Tokyo) and respiratory tracking devices (Spire Stone, Spire Health, San Francisco, CA, USA), respectively. A 12-lead electrocardiograph and the breath-by-breath method were used as external standards for heart and respiratory rates, respectively. Results: Bland-Altman analysis showed that heart rate had a fixed bias at rest and during ILT and CLT and had a proportional bias during CLT. The standard error values of the regression at rest and during CLT were less than 10 bpm for heart rate and less than 5.0 /min for respiratory rate. During ILT, the standard error was greater than 10 bpm for heart rate and approximately 5.0 /min for respiratory rate. Conclusions: The heart and respiratory rate measurements obtained using wearable devices were accurate within the practical margin of error.

Assessment of central aponeurosis curvature as an index of rectus femoris muscle overstrain in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: In medial knee osteoarthritis (knee OA), compensatory overstrain of the rectus femoris (RF) muscle leads to its hypertrophy. We hypothesize that besides hypertrophy of the RF, a prominent flattening of the central aponeurosis (CA) curvature is also indicative of RF. This study aims to evaluate the structural changes in the CA and clarify the conditions associated with RF overstrain in knee OA. OBJECTIVE: Twenty-three legs of 20 elderly without knee OA (elderly group) and 26 legs of 20 individuals with K-L grade II knee OA (knee OA group) with typical "comma"-shaped CA participated in this study. METHODS: The knee extension torque (Nm/kg) in the sitting position, the thickness of the RF and vastus intermedius (VI) muscles (VI), and change in CA curvature (%Curvature) were measured at the mid-thigh by ultrasonography. RESULTS: The knee extension torque was not significantly different between the two groups. Compared to the elderly group, the knee OA group had significantly thicker RF at rest, while the VI thickness during contraction was significantly smaller. The %Curvature was significantly higher in the knee OA group than in the elderly group. CONCLUSIONS: In the knee OA group, the RF was hypertrophic with a more pronounced CA flattening during muscle contraction, although the other quadriceps muscles were atrophic, suggesting an overstrained RF. Assessing thickness and CA curvature of the RF is, therefore, useful and simple for evaluating overstrain caused by RF compensation.

Early Pulmonary Rehabilitation with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in a Patient with Acute Exacerbation of Rheumatoid Arthritis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Early implementation of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been reported to prevent muscle atrophy and physical functional decline in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. However, its effect in patients with acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains unclear. We herein report our experience using the NMES combined with mobilization in a patient with an acute exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD (RA-ILD) requiring mechanical ventilation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old man was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and put on mechanical ventilation due to severe acute exacerbation of RA-ILD. Early mobilization and the NMES using a belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation system were started on day 7 of hospitalization (day 2 of ICU admission). The NMES duration was 20 min, performed once daily. The patient could perform mobility exercises on day 8 and could walk on day 16. We assessed his rectus femoris and quadriceps muscle thicknesses using ultrasound imaging, and found decreases of 4.5% and 8.4%, respectively, by day 14. On day 27, he could independently visit the lavatory, and the NMES was discontinued. He was instructed to start long-term oxygen therapy on day 49 and was discharged on day 63. His 6-minute walk distance was 308 m and his muscle thickness recovered to levels comparable to those at the initial evaluation at the time of discharge. CONCLUSION: Combining the NMES and mobilization started in the early phase and continued after ICU discharge was safe and effective in a patient with a severe acute exacerbation of RA-ILD.

Functionally relevant threshold of inspiratory muscle strength in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify the inspiratory muscle strength thresholds below which exercise capacity is compromised in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: We measured the maximum static inspiratory mouth pressure (PImax) and the percentage of predicted values (%PImax) in 113 patients with COPD. Six-minute walk distance (6-MWD) was measured as an indicator of functional exercise capacity, and a 6-MWD of <350 m was defined as functional exercise intolerance. Thresholds were determined as values with high specificity (>0.90) and maximal sensitivity. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.01. RESULTS: The data of 96 patients (74 ± 6 years old; forced expiratory volume in 1-s [FEV1], 56.5 ± 26.2% predicted) were analyzed; three women and 14 participants with missing data were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression models identified significant associations of PImax (odds ratio at 99% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95 [0.92-0.98]) and %PImax (odds ratio at 99% CI: 0.97 [0.95-0.99]) with 6-MWD, after adjustments for height and FEV1. C-statistics showed that the area under the curves (99% CI) of PImax and %PImax were comparable (0.87 [0.77-0.96] and 0.83 [0.72-0.94]). The thresholds of PImax and %PImax were 45.1 cmH2O and 66%; PImax and %PImax also had moderate positive likelihood ratios of 4.44 and 5.00. CONCLUSIONS: Thresholds of inspiratory muscle strength in men with COPD could help clinicians evaluate whether their patient's inspiratory muscle strength is inadequate to achieve a 6-MWD of ≥350 m, and identify patients who should be targeted for inspiratory muscle training.

Estimation of minimal clinically important difference for quadriceps and inspiratory muscle strength in older outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of quadriceps and inspiratory muscle strength after a home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHOD: Eighty-five COPD patients were included. Quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction (QMVC) was measured. We measured maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PImax), the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), the chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ) and the modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea score (mMRC). All measurements were conducted at baseline and at the end of the PRP. The MCID was calculated using anchor-based (using 6MWD, CRQ, and mMRC as possible anchor variables) and distribution-based (half standard deviation and 1.96 standard error of measurement) approaches. Changes in the five variables were compared in patients with and without changes in QMVC or PImax >MCID for each variable. RESULTS: Sixty-nine COPD patients (age 75±6 years) were analysed. QMVC improved by 2.4 (95%CI 1.1-3.7) kgf, PImax by 5.8 (2.7-8.8) cmH2O, 6MWD by 21 (11-32) meters and CRQ by 3.9 (1.6-6.3) points. The MCID of QMVC and PImax was 3.3-7.5 kgf and 17.2-17.6 cmH2O, respectively. The MCID of QMVC (3.3 kgf) could differentiate individuals with significant improvement in 6MWD and PImax from those without. CONCLUSION: The MCID of QMVC (3.3 kgf) can identify a meaningful change in quadriceps muscle strength after a PRP. The MCID of PImax (17.2 cmH2O) should be used with careful consideration, because the value is estimated using distributionbased method.

Measuring and Monitoring Skeletal Muscle Mass after Stroke: A Review of Current Methods and Clinical Applications.

OBJECTIVES: Muscle mass at admission is important to survive stroke, and stroke-induced sarcopenia is a serious problem because of its poor prognosis. Muscle mass measurement and monitoring are essential for appropriate rehabilitation and nutrition management. However, few reviews are available about the muscle mass measurement and monitoring after stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Several methods are used to assess skeletal muscle mass in stroke, such as computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, bioelectrical impedance analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, biomarkers, and anthropometrics. We summarized the current methods and clinical applications in stroke. RESULTS: In stroke, a head CT is used to estimate muscle mass by measuring the temporal muscle. However, it can be conducted retrospectively due to radiation exposure. After stroke, limb muscle atrophy and diaphragm dysfunction are observed using ultrasound. However, ultrasound requires an understanding of the methods and skill. A bioelectrical impedance analysis can be used to assess muscle mass in patients after a stroke unless they have dynamic fluid changes. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is used for follow-up after hospital discharge. Urinary titin N-fragment and serum C-terminal agrin fragment reflect muscle atrophy after stroke. Anthropometrics may be useful with limited resources. CONCLUSIONS: We summarized the features of each measurement and proved the recent evidence to properly measure and monitor skeletal muscle mass after stroke.

Functionally Relevant Threshold of Quadriceps Muscle Strength in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify the quadriceps muscle strength (QMS) thresholds below which exercise capacity is compromised in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: We measured the quadriceps isometric maximum voluntary contraction (QMVC) and calculated the QMVC values normalized to weight (QMVC-BW), height squared (QMVC-H2), and body mass index (QMVC-BMI) in 113 patients with COPD. The functional exercise capacity was evaluated using the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and 6MWD <350 m was defined as functional exercise intolerance. Thresholds were determined for QMVC and its normalized values to achieve high specificity (>0.90) with maximal sensitivity. P-values <0.01 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Data from 99 male patients (age, 74 ± 6 years; percentages of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1-s, 56.9 ± 26.4%) were analyzed; 3 women and 11 participants with the missing data were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression models identified significant associations of QMVC and QMVC-H2 with 6MWD, after adjustment for age and dyspnea. C-statistics showed that the area under the curves of all QMVC parameters were comparable. The thresholds of QMVC and QMVC-H2 for predicting compromised exercise capacity were 26.2 kg and 9.6 kg/m2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: QMS thresholds in men with COPD could help clinicians evaluate whether QMS is insufficient to achieve 6MWD ≥350 m and thereby identify patients who should be specifically targeted for muscle strengthening training during their pulmonary rehabilitation program.