Effects of a respiratory and neurological rehabilitation treatment plan in post Covid-19 affected university students. Randomized clinical study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 demonstrated the possibility of neurological complications such as loss of sense of smell and taste, together with respiratory problems. Respiratory training and rehabilitation of neurological sequelae are essential to improve respiratory function and thus quality of life, and the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a pulmonary and neurological rehabilitation program. OBJECTIVES: To apply a treatment to reduce dyspnea, increase exertional capacity, increase vital capacity and respiratory muscle strength, together with an increase in olfactory and gustatory sensitivity in post-SARS-CoV-2 patients. METHODS: A randomised controlled experimental study was conducted in 220 patients with a medical diagnosis of COVID-19 and more than 5 months of evolution, dyspnoea or perceived fatigue, including olfactory and gustatory perception problems, of whom 200 patients completed the study. 100 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group, consisting of an inspiratory training treatment plan (Powerbreathe Plus®) combined with aerobic exercise and olfactory gustatory treatment for 31 days, and 100 patients to the control group, for 31 days without any type of therapy. RESULTS: The study was conducted in post-Covid-19 patients for 5 months. Two hundred patients were divided into an intervention group (n = 100) and a control group (n = 100). The comparison between the groups showed significant differences in spirometric variables; forced vital capacity (p < .001; Eta2 (0.439); Mean: 0,6135), the ratio between both FEV1/FVC (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.728); Mean:9,313), peak inspiratory pressure (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.906); Mean:4,526); changes were observed in dyspnoea measured with the modified Borg scale (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.811); Mean:1,481) and the modified Medical Research Council scale (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.881); Mean: 0.777); finally, changes were found in neurological variables, in the questions of the Singapore Smell and Taste Questionnaire, How was your sense of smell after treatment? (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.813); Mean: 1,721) and How is your sense of taste after treatment? (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.898); Mean: 1,088). CONCLUSION: The implementation of a respiratory rehabilitation treatment plan with the Powerbreathe Plus® device, aerobic exercise and neurorehabilitation with olfactory and gustatory training, is a therapeutic option against respiratory and neurological sequelae in patients who have suffered such sequelae due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05195099. First posted 18/01/2022; Last Update Posted 29/06/2022.

Traducción y validación al castellano de la Burke Lateropulsion Scale para la valoración del comportamiento empujad / Spanish translation and validation of the Burke Lateropulsion Scale to measure pusher behaviour

Introducción. El comportamiento empujador es una alteración del control postural y la percepción de la línea media que ocurre en algunos pacientes principalmente tras sufrir un ictus y tiene importantes consecuencias funcionales, por lo que su evaluación resulta imprescindible. Objetivo. Traducir y validar al castellano la Burke Lateropulsion Scale (BLS), usada para evaluar los signos del paciente con comportamiento empujador. Pacientes y métodos. Se realizó una traducción-retrotraducción al castellano de la escala y se evaluó su validez y fiabilidad en una muestra de 50 pacientes que habían sufrido un ictus. Además, se evaluó su sensibilidad al cambio en los pacientes empujadores que recibieron tratamiento de fisioterapia neurológica. Resultados. Las respuestas de los expertos indicaron que la escala era válida en cuanto a su contenido para evaluar el comportamiento empujador. El alfa de Cronbach obtuvo un resultado de 0,91. La evaluación de la fiabilidad interobservador e intraobservador dio como resultado global un coeficiente de correlación intraclase de 0,99. Al evaluar la fiabilidad de cada ítem por medio del coeficiente kappa ponderado, la mayoría de los resultados fueron superiores a 0,9. La evaluación de la sensibilidad al cambio de la escala en los pacientes empujadores demostró que la BLS resulta sensible a los cambios que se producen tras recibir tratamiento de fisioterapia neurológica en los ítems referidos a la bipedestación, las transferencias y la marcha. Conclusiones. La BLS es válida y fiable para medir el comportamiento empujador en pacientes que han sufrido un ictus y resulta sensible a los cambios tras un tratamiento de fisioterapia neurológica

Introduction. Pusher behaviour is an alteration of postural control and the perception of the midline which occurs in some patients after suffering a stroke and it has important functional consequences, so its evaluation is essential. Aim. To translate into Spanish and to validate the Burke Lateropulsion Scale (BLS), used to evaluate the signs of pusher behaviour in patients. Patients and methods. To achieve the proposed objectives, a translation-back translation into Spanish of the scale was performed and the validity and reliability of a sample of post-stroke patients was evaluated. In addition, sensitivity to change was evaluated in patients who turned out to be pushers and received physiotherapy treatment. Results. The experts' answers indicated that the scale was valid in terms of its content to evaluate pusher behaviour in a sample of patients. Cronbach’s alpha obtained a result of 0.91. The evaluation of inter-observer and intra-observer reliability gave an overall intraclass correlation coefficient result of 0.99. When the reliability of each item was evaluated by means of the weighted kappa coefficient, most of the results exceeded 0.9. Finally, on evaluating the sensitivity to change on the scale in the sample of pusher patients, the results showed that the BLS is sensitive to the changes which occur after receiving neurological physiotherapy treatment for items related to standing, transfers and walking. Conclusions. The BLS scale is valid and reliable for measuring pusher behaviour in patients who have suffered a stroke and is sensitive to changes after neurological physiotherapy treatment