Location of the upper oesophageal sphincter during swallowing: Analysis using swallowing CT.

BACKGROUND: Upper oesophageal sphincter (UES) serves as an important anatomical and functional landmark during swallowing. However, the precise UES location before and during swallowing has not been well established. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine upper oesophageal sphincter (UES) location and displacement during swallowing accounting for sex, age, and height in healthy adults using 320-row area detector computed tomography (320-ADCT). METHODS: Ninety-four healthy adults (43 males; 22-90 years) underwent 320-ADCT scanning while swallowing one trial of 10 mL honey thick barium. UES location at bolus hold and at maximum displacement and vertical displacement during swallowing were identified using the coordinates and the section classification of vertebrae (VERT scale). The differences and correlations of UES location and distance in terms of sex, age, and height were analysed using Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: UES locations at bolus hold and at maximum displacement were significantly lower and UES vertical displacement was significantly larger in males than in females (p < .001). UES location at bolus hold became lower with increasing age (r = -.312, p = .002), but the negative correlation was low at maximum displacement (r = -.230, p = .026), resulting in larger vertical distance with ageing. UES locations showed high negative correlation at bolus hold with height (r = -.715, p < .001), and showed moderate negative correlation at maximum displacement with height (r = -.555, p < .001), although this effect was unclear when analysed by sex. CONCLUSION: Males showed lower UES location and larger displacement than females. The impact of age was evident with lower location before swallowing and larger displacement during swallowing. Differences observed by sex were not completely explained by using the VERT scale to adjust for height.

Differing Effects of Body Size on Circulating Lipid Concentrations and Hemoglobin A1c Levels in Young and Middle-Aged Japanese Women.

The condition of being underweight is a social problem in Japan among women. However, there is a lack of evidence for dietary guidance for underweight women because there has been no comparison of lipids or HbA1c among underweight, normal weight, and overweight women in different age groups. We analyzed the effect of body size and age on the serum lipid and hemoglobin A1c levels in Japanese women in a cross-sectional study. A total of 26,118 women aged >20-65 years underwent physical examinations between 2012 and 2022. Seventeen percent of women aged >20-29 years were underweight, and 8% of those aged 50-65 years were underweight. Total cholesterol and non-HDL-C concentrations increased with age, but the difference between underweight and overweight individuals was lowest among women aged 50-65 years. On the other hand, the differences in HDL-C, TG, and HbA1c levels between underweight and overweight subjects were greatest in the 50-65 age group, but the differences between underweight and normal weight subjects were much smaller. Considering that, unlike HDL-C, TG, and HbA1c, TC and non-HDL-C increase to levels comparable to overweight levels in underweight women in aged 50-65 years, educating people about a diet that lowers non-HDL-C is necessary even in young underweight women.

Quality of life after brain injury-overall scale, Japanese version: assessment of reliability and validity.

This study analyzed the linguistic and psychometric validation of the Japanese version of the Quality of Life after Brain Injury-Overall Scale (QOLIBRI-OS) consisting of six items which cover several TBI-relevant domains. We hypothesized that the Japanese version has good reliability, convergent validity, and divergent validity, compared with its long version, the 37-item QOLIBRI. The QOLIBRI-OS Japanese version was forward and back-translated from the English version. In total, 129 individuals participated in this study after experiencing a traumatic brain injury and attending clinics, rehabilitation centers, and support centers in Japan. The structure of the QOLIBRI-OS was investigated by confirmatory factor analyses and compared with the QOLIBRI. Only one factor was extracted, and a model with one underlying factor had a good fit. The QOLIBRI-OS showed good-to-excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The QOLIBRI-OS was positively correlated with the QOLIBRI, Short Form Health Survey-36 version 2, and Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended, and negatively correlated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The results suggest that the QOLIBRI-OS Japanese version is a reliable and valid tool for assessing disease-specific health-related QOL in individuals after traumatic brain injury in Japan.

Determinants of Gait Parameters in Patients With Severe Hip Osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics and symptoms of patients with hip osteoarthritis that are associated with spatiotemporal gait parameters, including their variability and asymmetry. DESIGN: A retrospective, cross-sectional study. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The study analyzed the gait analysis data of 155 patients (N=155) with hip osteoarthritis who were admitted to a university hospital for total hip replacement and were able to walk on a treadmill without a handrail. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The dependent variables were gait parameters during treadmill walking. These included gait speed, stride length, cadence, coefficient of variation of stride length and stride time, swing time symmetry index, and step symmetry index. Single and multiple regression analyses were conducted using independent variables of the characteristics and symptoms of the patients, including age, sex, height, pain, leg-length discrepancy, and muscle strength of the affected and normal sides measured with a hand-held dynamometer (iliopsoas, gluteus medius, and quadriceps). RESULTS: In the analysis, gait speed and stride were the dependent variables, whereas age, height, and muscle strength on the affected side were the significant independent variables (P<.05). Additionally, pain demonstrated a marginal association with gait speed (P=.053). Only the leg-length discrepancy correlated with cadence. When the coefficient of variation of the stride length was the dependent variable, age and muscle strength on the affected side were significant. For the swing time symmetry index, only the muscle strength on the affected side was significant. Furthermore, the step symmetry index only correlated with leg-length discrepancy. The muscle strength on the affected side was the only significant independent variable for the coefficient of variation of the stride time. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that each of the frequent clinical symptoms of hip osteoarthritis, such as pain, muscle weakness, and leg-length discrepancy, can explain different aspects of gait performance.

Movement Component Analysis of Reaching Strategies in Individuals With Stroke: Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: Upper limb motor paresis is a major symptom of stroke, which limits activities of daily living and compromises the quality of life. Kinematic analysis offers an in-depth and objective means to evaluate poststroke upper limb paresis, with anticipation for its effective application in clinical settings. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the movement strategies of patients with hemiparesis due to stroke and healthy individuals in forward reach and hand-to-mouth reach, using a simple methodology designed to quantify the contribution of various movement components to the reaching action. METHODS: A 3D motion analysis was conducted, using a simplified marker set (placed at the mandible, the seventh cervical vertebra, acromion, lateral epicondyle of the humerus, metacarpophalangeal [MP] joint of the index finger, and greater trochanter of the femur). For the forward reach task, we measured the distance the index finger's MP joint traveled from its starting position to the forward target location on the anterior-posterior axis. For the hand-to-mouth reach task, the shortening of the vertical distance between the index finger MP joint and the position of the chin at the start of the measurement was measured. For both measurements, the contributions of relevant upper limb and trunk movements were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 20 healthy individuals and 10 patients with stroke participated in this study. In the forward reach task, the contribution of shoulder or elbow flexion was significantly smaller in participants with stroke than in healthy participants (mean 52.5%, SD 24.5% vs mean 85.2%, SD 4.5%; P<.001), whereas the contribution of trunk flexion was significantly larger in stroke participants than in healthy participants (mean 34.0%, SD 28.5% vs mean 3.0%, SD 2.8%; P<.001). In the hand-to-mouth reach task, the contribution of shoulder or elbow flexion was significantly smaller in participants with stroke than in healthy participants (mean 71.8%, SD 23.7% vs mean 90.7%, SD 11.8%; P=.009), whereas shoulder girdle elevation and shoulder abduction were significantly larger in participants with stroke than in healthy participants (mean 10.5%, SD 5.7% vs mean 6.5%, SD 3.0%; P=.02 and mean 16.5%, SD 18.7% vs mean 3.0%, SD 10.4%; P=.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with healthy participants, participants with stroke achieved a significantly greater distance via trunk flexion in the forward reach task and shoulder abduction and shoulder girdle elevation in the hand-to-mouth reach task, both of these differences are regarded as compensatory movements. Understanding the characteristics of individual motor strategies, such as dependence on compensatory movements, may contribute to tailored goal setting in stroke rehabilitation.

Development and validation of a device for monitoring laryngeal motion during swallowing.

Objectives: Hyolaryngeal movement during swallowing is essential to airway protection and bolus clearance. Although palpation is widely used to evaluate hyolaryngeal motion, insufficient accuracy has been reported. The Bando Stretchable Strain Sensor for Swallowing (B4S™) was developed to capture hyolaryngeal elevation and display it as waveforms. This study compared laryngeal movement time detected by the B4S™ with laryngeal movement time measured by videofluoroscopy (VF). Methods: Participants were 20 patients without swallowing difficulty (10 men, 10 women; age 30.6 ± 7.1 years). The B4S™ was attached to the anterior neck and two saliva swallows were measured on VF images to determine the relative and absolute reliability of laryngeal elevation time measured on VF and that measured by the B4S™. Results: The intra-class correlation coefficient of the VF and B4S™ times was very high [ICC (1.1) = 0.980]. A Bland-Altman plot showed a strong positive correlation with a 95% confidence interval of 0.00-3.01 for the mean VF time and mean B4S™ time, with a fixed error detected in the positive direction but with no proportional error detected. Thus, the VF and B4S™ time measurements showed high consistency. Conclusion: The strong relative and absolute reliability suggest that the B4S™ can accurately detect the duration of superior-inferior laryngeal motion during swallowing. Further study is needed to develop a method for measuring the distance of laryngeal elevation. It is also necessary to investigate the usefulness of this device for evaluation and treatment in clinical settings.

Timing of True Vocal Cords Closure for Safe Swallowing: A Review of 5 Studies Using 3D Analysis Using Computerized Tomography (CT).

Timely and complete laryngeal closure is critical for a successful swallow. Researchers have studied laryngeal closure, including true vocal cords (TVC) closure, closure of the arytenoids to the epiglottis base (laryngeal vestibule closure), and epiglottic inversion, but the most commonly available imaging tools have limitations that do not allow the study of these components individually. Swallowing computerized tomography (CT) has enabled three-dimensional dynamic visualization and quantitative evaluation of swallowing events providing a unique view of swallowing-related structures and their motion. Using CT, TVC closure can be visualized and evaluated on any plane or cross-section without being obscured by of laryngeal vestibule closure or epiglottis inversion. The current review summarizes the results of five papers evaluating the effects of bolus consistency and volume, posture, and age on TVC closure. The combined results of these studies suggest that TVC closure is responsive to oral sensory input based on bolus consistency and size and can be modulated in response to conditions perceived to increase the risk of airway invasion. These results are meaningful for dysphagia rehabilitation as it suggests that interventions to improve TVC closure are likely to enhance airway protection.

Effects of ankle-foot orthosis on gait pattern and spatiotemporal indices during treadmill walking in hemiparetic stroke.

Ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is known to correct abnormal gait patterns and improve walking stability and speed in patients with hemiparesis. To quantify these benefits in post-stroke gait, a three-dimensional motion analysis of gait pattern was conducted. Forty patients with hemiparesis were enrolled. A three-dimensional motion analysis system was used to analyze patients' treadmill walking with/without an AFO. Outcome measures were 12 abnormal gait indices (forefoot contact, knee extensor thrust, retropulsion of the hip, flexed-knee gait, medial whip in the stance phase, circumduction gait, hip hiking, insufficient knee flexion during the swing phase, excessive lateral shifting of the trunk, contralateral vaulting, excessive hip external rotation, and posterior pelvic tilt), calculated using kinematic data and spatiotemporal indices, and the symmetry index of double-stance and single-stance time and step length. Forefoot contact (without AFO vs. with AFO: 71.0 vs. 65.8, P < 0.001), circumduction gait (65.0 vs. 57.9, P < 0.001), and contralateral vaulting (78.2 vs. 72.2, P = 0.003) were significantly reduced, whereas excessive hip external rotation (53.7 vs. 62.8, P = 0.003) significantly increased during walking with an AFO. Hip hiking (77.1 vs. 71.7) showed marginal reduction with the use of AFO ( P = 0.096). The absolute symmetry index of double-stance time (21.9 vs. 16.1, P = 0.014) significantly decreased during walking with an AFO. AFO effectively mitigates abnormal gait patterns typical of hemiparetic gait. A 3D motion analysis system with clinically oriented indices can help assess intervention efficacy for gait abnormalities.

Young Japanese Underweight Women with "Cinderella Weight" Are Prone to Malnutrition, including Vitamin Deficiencies.

Undernutrition among young women at "Cinderella weight" is socially important in Japan. To determine the nutritional status of Cinderella-weight women, we conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study on the health examination results of employees aged 20 to 39 (n = 1457 and 643 for women and men, respectively). The percentage of underweight women was found to be much higher than that of men (16.8% vs. 4.5%, respectively). In underweight women (n = 245), handgrip strength (22.82 ± 5.55 vs. 25.73 ± 5.81 kg, p < 0.001), cholesterol level (177.8 ± 25.2 vs. 194.7 ± 31.2 mg/dL, p < 0.05), and lymphocyte count (1883 ± 503 vs. 2148 ± 765/µL, p < 0.001) were significantly lower than in overweight women (n = 116). Then, the BMI < 17.5 group (n = 44) was referred to the outpatient nutrition evaluation clinic. Lower prealbumin, cholesterol, and lymphocyte levels were also observed in 34%, 59%, and 32% of the patients, respectively. Regarding dietary characteristics, 32% of the underweight women in this study skipped breakfast, and 50% had low dietary diversity scores. Lower total energy intake, carbohydrate and fiber intake, and Ca and Fe intake were also observed in 90% of the patients. Deficiencies in vitamin B1, B12, D, and folate were diagnosed in 4.6%, 25%, 14%, and 98% of the patients, respectively. Thus, young underweight women may be prone to malnutrition.

A Tablet-Based Aphasia Assessment System "STELA": Feasibility and Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: There is an extensive library of language tests, each with excellent psychometric properties; however, many of the tests available take considerable administration time, possibly bearing psychological strain on patients. The Short and Tailored Evaluation of Language Ability (STELA) is a simplified, tablet-based language ability assessment system developed to address this issue, with a reduced number of items and automated testing process. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to assess the administration time, internal consistency, and validity of the STELA. METHODS: The STELA consists of a tablet app, a microphone, and an input keypad for clinician's use. The system is designed to assess language ability with 52 questions grouped into 2 comprehension modalities (auditory comprehension and reading comprehension) and 3 expression modalities (naming and sentence formation, repetition, and reading aloud). Performance in each modality was scored as the correct answer rate (0-100), and overall performance expressed as the sum of modality scores (out of 500 points). RESULTS: The time taken to complete the STELA was significantly less than the time for the WAB (mean 16.2, SD 9.4 vs mean 149.3, SD 64.1 minutes; P<.001). The STELA's total score was strongly correlated with the WAB Aphasia Quotient (r=0.93, P<.001), supporting the former's concurrent validity concerning the WAB, which is a gold-standard aphasia assessment. Strong correlations were also observed at the subscale level; STELA auditory comprehension versus WAB auditory comprehension (r=0.75, P<.001), STELA repetition versus WAB repetition (r=0.96, P<.001), STELA naming and sentence formation versus WAB naming and word finding (r=0.81, P<.001), and the sum of STELA reading comprehension or reading aloud versus WAB reading (r=0.82, P<.001). Cronbach α obtained for each modality was .862 for auditory comprehension, .872 for reading comprehension, .902 for naming and sentence formation, .787 for repetition, and .892 for reading aloud. Global Cronbach α was .961. The average of the values of item-total correlation to each subscale was 0.61 (SD 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed significant time reduction in the assessment of language ability and provided evidence for good internal consistency and validity of the STELA tablet-based aphasia assessment system.

Ensemble averaging for categorical variables: Validation study of imputing lost data in 24-h recorded postures of inpatients.

Acceleration sensors are widely used in consumer wearable devices and smartphones. Postures estimated from recorded accelerations are commonly used as features indicating the activities of patients in medical studies. However, recording for over 24 h is more likely to result in data losses than recording for a few hours, especially when consumer-grade wearable devices are used. Here, to impute postures over a period of 24 h, we propose an imputation method that uses ensemble averaging. This method outputs a time series of postures over 24 h with less lost data by calculating the ratios of postures taken at the same time of day during several measurement-session days. Whereas conventional imputation methods are based on approaches with groups of subjects having multiple variables, the proposed method imputes the lost data variables individually and does not require other variables except posture. We validated the method on 306 measurement data from 99 stroke inpatients in a hospital rehabilitation ward. First, to classify postures from acceleration data measured by a wearable sensor placed on the patient's trunk, we preliminary estimated possible thresholds for classifying postures as 'reclining' and 'sitting or standing' by investigating the valleys in the histogram of occurrences of trunk angles during a long-term recording. Next, the imputations of the proposed method were validated. The proposed method significantly reduced the missing data rate from 5.76% to 0.21%, outperforming a conventional method.

Effect of the Effortful Swallow on Pharyngeal Cavity Volume: Kinematic Analysis in Three Dimensions Using 320-Row Area Detector Computed Tomography.

This study evaluated the effects of the effortful swallow (ES) on pharyngeal cavity volume using three-dimensional kinematic analyses. Nine healthy volunteers (30.7 ± 7.8 years old) underwent a CT scan while swallowing 10 ml of honey thick liquid using no maneuvers (control) and during an ES. Upper and lower volumes (bordered by valleculae) of the pharyngeal air column and the bolus were measured at every frame and were compared between ES and control swallows. Duration of pharyngeal obliteration and the timing of swallowing events were also measured. Maximum volume and volume at the onset of hyoid anterosuperior movement using ES were significantly smaller than those in control swallows (p = 0.012, p = 0.015) in the upper pharynx but not significantly different in lower pharynx. Minimum pharyngeal volume was sustained for a longer time when ES was used compared to control swallows in both upper and lower pharynx (upper p = 0.016, lower p = 0.027). Onset of velopharyngeal closure was earlier when comparing ES and control swallows (p = 0.04). Termination of all events was significantly delayed when the ES was used (p < 0.05). Changes in the upper pharyngeal volume and in the onset of velopharyngeal closure suggest earlier pharyngeal constriction when using the ES. Longer pharyngeal obliteration and prolonged termination of velopharyngeal closure and epiglottis inversion suggest the prolonged pharyngeal constriction during the ES. These findings suggest the ES can be useful for improving the efficiency of swallowing.

Prediction of stroke patients' bedroom-stay duration: machine-learning approach using wearable sensor data.

Background: The importance of being physically active and avoiding staying in bed has been recognized in stroke rehabilitation. However, studies have pointed out that stroke patients admitted to rehabilitation units often spend most of their day immobile and inactive, with limited opportunities for activity outside their bedrooms. To address this issue, it is necessary to record the duration of stroke patients staying in their bedrooms, but it is impractical for medical providers to do this manually during their daily work of providing care. Although an automated approach using wearable devices and access points is more practical, implementing these access points into medical facilities is costly. However, when combined with machine learning, predicting the duration of stroke patients staying in their bedrooms is possible with reduced cost. We assessed using machine learning to estimate bedroom-stay duration using activity data recorded with wearable devices. Method: We recruited 99 stroke hemiparesis inpatients and conducted 343 measurements. Data on electrocardiograms and chest acceleration were measured using a wearable device, and the location name of the access point that detected the signal of the device was recorded. We first investigated the correlation between bedroom-stay duration measured from the access point as the objective variable and activity data measured with a wearable device and demographic information as explanatory variables. To evaluate the duration predictability, we then compared machine-learning models commonly used in medical studies. Results: We conducted 228 measurements that surpassed a 90% data-acquisition rate using Bluetooth Low Energy. Among the explanatory variables, the period spent reclining and sitting/standing were correlated with bedroom-stay duration (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (R) of 0.56 and -0.52, p < 0.001). Interestingly, the sum of the motor and cognitive categories of the functional independence measure, clinical indicators of the abilities of stroke patients, lacked correlation. The correlation between the actual bedroom-stay duration and predicted one using machine-learning models resulted in an R of 0.72 and p < 0.001, suggesting the possibility of predicting bedroom-stay duration from activity data and demographics. Conclusion: Wearable devices, coupled with machine learning, can predict the duration of patients staying in their bedrooms. Once trained, the machine-learning model can predict without continuously tracking the actual location, enabling more cost-effective and privacy-centric future measurements.

A novel gait analysis system for detecting abnormal hemiparetic gait patterns during robot-assisted gait training: A criterion validity study among healthy adults.

Introduction: Robot-assisted gait training has been reported to improve gait in individuals with hemiparetic stroke. Ideally, the gait training program should be customized based on individuals' gait characteristics and longitudinal changes. However, a gait robot that uses gait characteristics to provide individually tailored gait training has not been proposed. The new gait training robot, "Welwalk WW-2000," permits modification of various parameters, such as time and load of mechanical assistance for a patient's paralyzed leg. The robot is equipped with sensors and a markerless motion capture system to detect abnormal hemiparetic gait patterns during robot-assisted gait training. Thus, it can provide individually tailored gait training. This study aimed to investigate the criterion validity of the gait analysis system in the Welwalk WW-2000 in healthy adults. Materials and methods: Twelve healthy participants simulated nine abnormal gait patterns that were often manifested in individuals with hemiparetic stroke while wearing the robot. Each participant was instructed to perform a total of 36 gait trials, with four levels of severity for each abnormal gait pattern. Fifteen strides for each gait trial were recorded using the markerless motion capture system in the Welwalk WW-2000 and a marker-based three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis system. The abnormal gait pattern index was then calculated for each stride from both systems. The correlation of the index values between the two methods was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients for each gait pattern in each participant. Results: Using the participants' index values for each abnormal gait pattern obtained using the two motion analysis methods, the median Spearman's rank correlation coefficients ranged from 0.68 to 0.93, which corresponded to moderate to very high correlation. Conclusion: The gait analysis system in the Welwalk WW-2000 for real-time detection of abnormal gait patterns during robot-assisted gait training was suggested to be a valid method for assessing gait characteristics in individuals with hemiparetic stroke. Clinical trial registration: [https://jrct.niph.go.jp], identifier [jRCT 042190109].

Development and preliminary evaluation of a tele-rehabilitation exercise system using computer-generated animation.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and acceptability of a newly developed tele-rehabilitation exercise system using computer-generated animation. Methods: The participants comprised a convenience sample of 38 diverse individuals in Experiment 1 (15 healthy young people, 16 healthy older people, 5 patients with stroke, and 2 patients with respiratory disease) and 18 healthy older individuals in Experiment 2. Experiment 1 assessed safety in terms of cardiopulmonary vascular aspects and risk of fall, and Experiment 2 assessed treatment acceptability via a subjective evaluation. All participants completed the same exercise program. The safety assessment was conducted using heart rate (HR) and saturation of percutaneous oxygen (SpO2), measured before and after exercise. In addition, the occurrence of falls was assessed. For the acceptability assessment, the participants answered five questions (three-point Likert scale) after the exercise program. Results: The safety assessment indicated that HR and SpO2 changed from 70.5±10.2 beats per minute and 97.8±1.3% before exercise to 87.6±13.6 beats per minute and 98.2±0.9% after exercise, respectively. In addition, all participants completed the exercises without experiencing any falls. In the acceptability assessment, the score reflecting continuation desire was the highest of the five items examined (2.71±0.46). In contrast, the adequacy of exercise intensity had the lowest score (1.29±0.57). Conclusions: The present system was confirmed to be safe, and the participants were motivated to continue the exercises. Future developments should incorporate a function to enable participants and medical staff to adjust exercise intensity according to individual physical function.

Nutritional Assessment of Hospital Meals by Food-Recording Applications.

Mobile food records are currently used to determine the nutrition of healthy subjects. To determine the accuracy of such records, we evaluated the nutritional composition of a test meal (noodles and fruit juice) and a hospital meal (Japanese set meal) using two types of mobile food records. Eighteen healthy subjects (2 males and 16 females) were enrolled. Using these diets and validated nutrient-composition information, we evaluated the accuracy of the dietary assessments made by two dietary-record applications, Asken® and Calomeal®, over 5 days. For the test meal, the values provided by the two applications were close to the actual values. In contrast, for the hospital meal, the values provided by the two applications were approximately 1.5 times higher than the actual values. A linear-mixed-model analysis showed that the total energy, carbohydrate, and salt contents were significantly overestimated in the hospital meal. Protein also tended to be overestimated, while the fat content was not significantly overestimated. Furthermore, the total energy and fat contents increased significantly over time. No association with age was observed. A comparison of the coefficients of variation (CVs) for each nutrient in the hospital meal indicated that the fat levels were significantly higher than those in the test meal. In conclusion, the accuracy of mobile food records depends on the type of meal. Our data will provide lessons for the use of meal-recording applications in special cases, such as hospital food.

Development of a simple mechanical measurement method to measure spasticity based on an analysis of a clinical maneuver and its concurrent validity with the modified Ashworth scale.

Background: Despite recent developments in the methodology for measuring spasticity, the discriminative capacity of clinically diagnosed spasticity has not been well established. This study aimed to develop a simple device for measuring velocity-dependent spasticity with improved discriminative capacity based on an analysis of clinical maneuver and to examine its reliability and validity. Methods: This study consisted of three experiments. First, to determine the appropriate motion of a mechanical device for the measurement of velocity-dependent spasticity, the movement pattern and the angular velocity used by clinicians to evaluate velocity-dependent spasticity were investigated. Analysis of the procedures performed by six physical therapists to evaluate spasticity were conducted using an electrogoniometer. Second, a device for measuring the resistance force against ankle dorsiflexion was developed based on the results of the first experiment. Additionally, preliminary testing of validity, as compared to that of the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), was conducted on 17 healthy participants and 10 patients who had stroke with spasticity. Third, the reliability of the measurement and the concurrent validity of mechanical measurement in the best ankle velocity setting were further tested in a larger sample comprising 24 healthy participants and 32 patients with stroke. Results: The average angular velocity used by physical therapists to assess spasticity was 268 ± 77°/s. A device that enabled the measurement of resistance force at velocities of 300°/s, 150°/s, 100°/s, and 5°/s was developed. In the measurement, an angular velocity of 300°/s was found to best distinguish patients with spasticity (MAS of 1+ and 2) from healthy individuals. A measurement of 300°/s in the larger sample differentiated the control group from the MAS 1, 1+, and 2 subgroups (p < 0.01), as well as the MAS 1 and 2 subgroups (p < 0.05). No fixed or proportional bias was observed in repeated measurements. Conclusion: A simple mechanical measurement methodology was developed based on the analysis of the clinical maneuver for measuring spasticity and was shown to be valid in differentiating the existence and extent of spasticity. This study suggest possible requirements to improve the quality of the mechanical measurement of spasticity.

Validity of trunk acceleration measurement with a chest-worn monitor for assessment of physical activity intensity.

BACKGROUND: Recent advancements in wearable technology have enabled easy measurement of daily activities, potentially applicable in rehabilitation practice for various purposes such as maintaining and increasing patients' activity levels. In this study, we aimed to examine the validity of trunk acceleration measurement using a chest monitor embedded in a smart clothing system ('hitoe' system), an emerging wearable system, in assessing the physical activity in an experimental setting with healthy subjects (Study 1) and in a clinical setting with post-stroke patients (Study 2). METHODS: Study 1 involved the participation of 14 healthy individuals. The trunk acceleration, heart rate (HR), and oxygen consumption were simultaneously measured during treadmill testing with a Bruce protocol. Trunk acceleration and HR were measured using the "hitoe" system, a smart clothing system with embedded chest sensors. Expiratory gas analysis was performed to measure oxygen consumption. Three parameters, moving average (MA), moving standard deviation (MSD), and moving root mean square (RMS), were calculated from the norm of the trunk acceleration. The relationships between these accelerometer-based parameters and oxygen consumption-based physical activity intensity measured with the percent VO2 reserve (%VO2R) were examined. In Study 2, 48 h of simultaneous measurement of trunk acceleration and heart rate-based physical activity intensity in terms of percent heart rate reserve (%HRR) was conducted with the "hitoe" system in 136 post-stroke patients. RESULTS: The values of MA, MSD, RMS, and %VO2R were significantly different between levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the Bruce protocol (P < 0.01). The average coefficients of determination for individual regression for %VO2R versus MA, %VO2R versus MSD, and %VO2R versus RMS were 0.89 ± 0.05, 0.96 ± 0.03, and 0.91 ± 0.05, respectively. Among the parameters examined, MSD showed the best correlation with %VO2R, indicating high validity of the parameter for assessing physical activity intensity. The 48-h measurement of MSD and %HRR in post-stroke patients showed significant within-individual correlation (P < 0.05) in 131 out of 136 patients (correlation coefficient: 0.60 ± 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: The results support the validity of the MSD calculated from the trunk acceleration measured with a smart clothing system in assessing the physical activity intensity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000034967. Registered 21 November 2018 (retrospectively registered).