Effects of an Exercise Program and Cold-Water Immersion Recovery in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Feasibility Study.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients present is an increased cardiovascular risk (CVR) linked to systemic inflammatory manifestations. A physical activity program with known positive effects on CVR, followed by cryotherapy because of its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, may be interesting. However, there are no reports in the literature of such a program. This study aimed to determine the feasibility (acceptability, safety, and effectiveness) of an individualized Intermittent Exercise Program followed by cold-water immersion as a recovery for RA patients. The program was conducted three times per week by eighteen RA patients (one man) with means of age and BMI of 55 (11.9) years and 25.5 (4.7) kg·m-2. Outcomes were assessed before and after nine and seventeen sessions and included evaluation of acceptability by perceived exertion (Borg) and water temperature (VAS) measures at each session; safety by a number of painful and swollen joints (echography); physical function (health assessment questionnaire); general health status (Short Form-36) measures; and effectiveness by arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, or PWV) measures. The results showed good acceptability of the program; no patient dropped out of the protocol or even presented difficulties or perceived pain. The HR and PWV values decreased significantly (70.2 ± 8.4 to 66 ± 5.5; p < 0.05 and 8.9 ± 1.2 to 7.0 ± 0.8; p < 0.001) after nine exercise sessions. No aggravation of symptoms has been noted. This program is acceptable, safe, and effective; consider tailoring it for supervised home-based use.

Adaptação transcultural do Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI) / Cross-cultural adaptation of the Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI)

Introdução: O Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI) foi desenvolvido nas línguas inglesa e francesa, com versão original nos dois idiomas, para a avaliação do nível de atividade dos membros superiores em indivíduos com hemiparesia após Acidente Vascular Encefálico (AVE). Objetivo: Realizar o processo de adaptação transcultural do manual de aplicação e da folha de pontuação do CAHAI para a língua portuguesa-Brasil. Método: Constituído de sete etapas, o processo de tradução consistiu em: i) duas traduções independentes; ii) compilação das duas traduções, formando uma única tradução; iii) revisão do layout, da tipografia e da gramática; iv) duas retrotraduções independentes; v) reunião com Comitê de Especialistas; vi) envio para a autora da versão original, e vii) pré-teste da versão CAHAI-Brasil (avaliadores: n=5; sujeitos: n=4). Resultados: A versão CAHAI-Brasil teve resultados satisfatórios nas etapas de tradução e adaptação, e índices de concordância entre os avaliadores adequados (kappa entre 0,76 e 1,00). Houve necessidade de substituir alguns termos utilizados no manual e de adaptar alguns dos materiais utilizados no teste. Conclusão: Este estudo mostra que a versão CAHAI-Brasil foi traduzida e adaptada com êxito.

Introduction: The Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI) was developed in English and French (original version in both languages) for evaluation of the level of the upper limb activity in subjects with hemiparesis after stroke. Objective: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the manual of application and scoring of CAHAI to Portuguese-Brazil. Method: The process included six steps: the translation process with two independent translation; merging of the two translation; layout, typography and grammar review; two independent backtranslations; meeting with the Committee of Experts, and sending to the author of the original version, and pre-testing of the version CAHAI-Brazil (raters: n=5; subjects: n=4). Results: The CAHAI-Brasil version had satisfactory results in the translation and adaptation, and appropriate index of agreement among raters (kappa between 0,76 and 1,00). Some expressions in the manual and some of the materials used for the test had to be adapted to Brazilian culture. Conclusion: This study show the CAHAI-Brazil version was successfully translated and adapted

The practice of physical activity and cryotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis: systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, chronic and inflammatory disease, which the affected patients present a higher cardiovascular mortality rate. Physical activities have been identified as the most important strategy to prevent cardiovascular diseases. However, the articular damage and the chronic pain caused by RA challenges its regular practice. Moreover, persons with RA tend to avoid PA due to the fear of exacerbating the inflammatory potential and pain. One alternative to avoid the collateral effects of the PA could be the cryotherapy. Therefore, this study aimed to review studies focused on the use of both PA and cryotherapy in RA patients and to identify evidences that both therapies could be combined in order to optimize the symptomatic treatment. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Four databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Elsevier and PEDro) were searched to identify publications regarding RA patients, PA and cryotherapy intervention by the terms and operators (rheumatoid arthritis AND exercise OR physical activity OR activity OR training OR reconditioning OR cryotherapy OR cold OR immersion). The selected studies should at least present one measure of the aerobic capacity, disease activity or pain relief. Among 19 studies with RA patients identified, only 4 studies used PA combined with cryotherapy. The other 13 studies used physical activities and 2 studies used cryotherapy intervention. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The results of the physical activities combined with cryotherapy studies showed an improvement in the disease activity and pain relief, however without details of the physical activities intervention and an aerobic capacity. Among the physical activities studies, evidence was found suggesting that aerobic exercises and multiactivity exercises with high intensity are the more effective for improve the aerobic capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Even if few studies on cryotherapy were found, there are enough evidences in the literature that demonstrate the benefits of this intervention on pain relief and disease activity. In summary, neither study found associated physical activities to improve aerobic capacity with cryotherapy to improve disease activity and pain relief. This may be an innovative therapeutic strategy to improve the aerobic capacity in arthritis patients and consequently reduce their cardiovascular risk while minimizing pain and disease activity.

Processo de tradução, propriedades de medida e classificação de acordo a CIF dos instrumentos de avaliação pós-AVE disponíveis em Português falado no Brasil / Translation process, measurement properties and classification according to ICF of evaluation instruments post-Stroke available in Portuguese spoken in Brazil

Diversos instrumentos desenvolvidos em países estrangeiros têm sido propostos para avaliar diferentes aspectos de indivíduos pós-acidente vascular encefálico (AVE). A identificação dos instrumentos de medida utilizados nesta população nos conceitos da CIF permite uma abordagem sistêmica do indivíduo. Este estudo objetivou realizar uma revisão sistemática de instrumentos para avaliação pós-AVE que passaram pelo processo de tradução e adaptação para a língua portuguesa, caracterizá-los nos conceitos da CIF e identificar suas propriedades de medida. Dois autores realizaram, de forma sistemática, as etapas de seleção dos estudos elegíveis. A busca se fez pela exploração dos bancos de dados Medline via Ovid, Cinahl via EBSCO, Scielo e Lilacs. A busca resultou em 562 títulos, reduzidos a 22 artigos elegíveis, entre os quais foram identificados 19 instrumentos de avaliação, seis destes classificados como funções e estruturas corporais (FEC), um classificado dentro de FEC e atividade, oito como atividade e quatro como participação. Apenas em 4 estudos foram observadas todas as etapas do processo de tradução. A confiabilidade foi testada em todos os instrumentos, enquanto apenas 4 avaliaram alguma forma de validade e 4 avaliaram efeito piso/teto. Sugere-se a realização de futuros estudos com o objetivo de submeter estes instrumentos à avaliação das propriedades que ainda não foram avaliadas. (AU)

Many instruments developed in foreign countries have been proposed to evaluate different aspects of patients post-stroke. The identification measuring instruments already used in the population with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in the concepts of the ICF provides a systemic approach of patients. The purpose of the study was to perform a systematic review of instruments for post-stroke evaluation that went through the process of translation and adaptation into Portuguese, featuring instruments in accordance with the concepts of the ICF and identify its psychometric properties. Two authors performed, systematically, the steps for selection of eligible studies. The databases searched were: Medline via Ovid, Cinahl via EBSCO, Scielo and Lilacs. We selected 562 titles and reduced to 22 eligible studies, in which 19 instruments were identified, six classified as structure and body function (SBF), one as SBF and activity, and eight as activity and four as participation. Only in four studies all the steps of the translation process were identified. Reliability was the psychometric property tested in all instruments, while only 4 have evaluated some type of validity and other four the floor/ceiling effects. Further studies are suggested in order to submit these instruments to evaluation of properties that have not yet been evaluated. (AU)

Instrumentos de avaliação sensorial pós-acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) descritos em português: uma revisão sistemática / Los instrumentos de evaluación sensorial posaccidente vascular encefalico (AVE) descriptos en portugués: una revisión sistemática / Sensory evaluation tools stroke described in Portuguese: a systematic review

RESUMO Grande parte dos sobreviventes de acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) apresenta, além de outras sequelas, algum déficit sensorial. Para avaliar o impacto desse déficit na atividade e o efeito de protocolos de reeducação sensorial é importante utilizar instrumentos objetivos. Os objetivos desta revisão sistemática foram analisar quais instrumentos de avaliação sensorial para pacientes pós-AVE estão disponíveis em português brasileiro e descrever suas características e/ou propriedades. Realizou-se uma busca nas bases de dados eletrônicas SciELO, LILACS, PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE via OVDI e Embase. Os estudos relevantes foram analisados quanto à acessibilidade, objetividade da pontuação e propriedades de medida, acrescentando-se artigos por meio de busca manual quando necessário. As buscas resultaram em 96 estudos, reduzidos a cinco estudos elegíveis. Um estudo foi adicionado por meio da lista de referências, e a busca manual foi utilizada para complementação. Entre os sete artigos analisados, há somente três instrumentos de avaliação sensorial disponíveis em português: Moving touch pressure (MTP), domínio sensibilidade da Escala de Fugl-Meyer (EFM) e Avaliação Sensorial de Nottingham (ASN). Além disso, embora a confiabilidade da EFM e da ASN possa ser considerada adequada, as demais propriedades de medida necessitam ser avaliadas em futuros estudos.

RESUMEN Gran parte de los supervivientes de accidente vascular encefálico (AVE) presentan, además de otras secuelas, alguno déficit sensorial. Para evaluar el impacto de ese déficit en la actividad y el efecto de protocolos de reeducación sensorial es importante utilizar instrumentos objetivos. Los objetivos de esta revisión sistemática son analizar cuales instrumentos de evaluación sensorial para pacientes pos-AVE están disponibles en portugués brasileño y describir sus características y/o propiedades. Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos electrónicos SciELO, LILACS, PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE vía OVDI y Embase. Los estudios relevantes fueron analizados en relación a la accesibilidad, objetividad de la puntuación y propiedades de medida, añadiéndose artículos mediante búsqueda manual cuando necesario. Las búsquedas resultaron en 96 estudios, reducidos a cinco estudios elegibles. Se agregó un estudio mediante la lista de referencias, y se utilizó la búsqueda manual para la complementación. Entre los siete artículos analizados, hay solamente tres instrumentos de evaluación sensorial disponibles en portugués: Moving touch pressure (MTP), dominio sensibilidad de la Escala de Fugl-Meyer (EFM) y Evaluación Sensorial de Nottingham (ESN). Además, aunque la confiabilidad de la EFM y de la ESN es considerada adecuada, las demás propiedades de medida necesitan ser evaluadas en estudios futuros.

ABSTRACT Most survivors of stroke present, among other consequences, a sensory deficit. To assess the impact of this deficit on the activity and the effect of sensory reeducation protocols, it is important to use objective instruments. The objective of this systematic review was to analyze which sensory evaluation tools for post-stroke patients are available in Brazilian Portuguese and describe its features and/or properties. A search was conducted in the electronic databases SCIELO, LILACS, PUBMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE via OVDI, and EMBASE. The relevant studies were analyzed as to accessibility, objectivity of the score and measurement properties, adding articles through manual search when necessary. The search resulted in 96 studies, reduced to five eligible ones. A study was added through the list of references and the manual search was used for complementation. Among the seven reviewed articles, only three sensory evaluation tools are available in Portuguese: moving touch pressure (MTP), sensitivity domain of Fugl-Meyer Scale (FMS), and Nottingham Sensory Assessment (NSA). In addition, although the reliability of the FMS and of the NSA may be considered appropriate, the other properties of measurement need to be evaluated in future studies.