[Effectiveness of using a hardware complex with biofeedback in the rehabilitation of children with dysfunction of the upper limbs]. / Effektivnost' primeneniya apparatnogo kompleksa s biologicheskoi obratnoi svyaz'yu v reabilitatsii detei s narusheniem funktsii verkhnikh konechnostei.

The upper limb is of exceptional importance for human life as an organ of cognitive and practical activity. Fine motor skills of hands are a set of small, highly coordinated, precise and coordinated movements of varying degrees. Diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems lead to violations of fine motor skills. Effective programs for medical rehabilitation of hand and fingers include using biofeedback devices (BFB). PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Efficiency evaluation of the hardware-software complex with BFB in restoring the impaired function of the upper limb in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical study included 79 patients aged 4 to 18 years with dysfunction of the upper limb not higher than level III according to MACS (The Manual Ability Classification System), who were divided by simple randomization into the main group (49 patients) who received 21 days of a comprehensive rehabilitation program (physiotherapy exercises, paretic muscle massage, mechanotherapy, hydrokinesiotherapy, methods of apparatus physiotherapy) using a hardware-software complex, and a comparison group (30 patients), in which the complex rehabilitation program did not include biofeedback procedures. RESULTS: This performed prospective open randomized comparative study revealed the effectiveness of the standard rehabilitation program in combination with training on the BFB complex (main group) to be higher than using only the standard program. After treatment, patients of the main group showed a noticeable decrease in the degree of muscle spasticity in the affected limb, strengthening of muscle strength, improvement of fine and gross motor skills of the hands, and improvement of manual skills. CONCLUSION: The use of a hardware-software complex with biofeedback in children with dysfunction of upper limbs increases effectiveness of the rehabilitation program.

[General hydro galvanic baths in the treatment of patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy]. / Obshchie gidrogal'vanicheskie vanny v lechenii patsientov s poyasnichno-kresttsovoi radikulopatiei.

INTRODUCTION: Hydrogalvanic baths are a hydrotherapy method based on the combined effect of electric current and fresh water on the body. AIM OF STUDY: Scientific evidence and evaluation of the effectiveness of use of general hydrogalvanic baths in the treatment of patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy with the background of degenerative spinal disorder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized comparative clinical trial included 84 patients. The 1st (active) group included 43 patients, the 2nd (control) had 41 patients. Patients of the 1st group received general hydrogalvanic baths. Patients in the control group - drug treatment, including NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants. The assessment was carried out before treatment, at the end of the course (on the 14th day) and 3 months after the end of treatment according to the results of neurological examination, VAS questionnaires, Pain DETECT, Beck scale, Oswestry scale, SF-36 scales, electroneuromyography (nerve conduction study). RESULTS: In patients receiving general hydrogalvanic baths, in comparison with the control group, there was an improvement in sensitivity (the incidence of hypesthesia decreased from 77 to 11%, p=0.008) and conductivity in peripheral sensory fibers. A decrease in pain was observed in both groups, however, a decrease in neuropathic pain was recorded only in patients receiving drug treatment. In the 1st group during therapy, an improvement in the emotional state in patients and a decrease in the level of depression were revealed. An analysis of long-term results showed that the delayed effect of non-drug treatment significantly increased in patients of the 1st group in comparison with the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to general hydrogalvanic baths is an effective way to treat lumbosacral radiculopathy, the main registered effects are: improvement of sensitivity, reduction of pain and stabilization of the emotional background. However, the studied method does not affect neuropathic pain.

[Gonarthrosis concurrent with chronic venous insufficiency: a new look at therapy]. / Gonartroz v sochetanii s khronicheskoi venoznoi nedostatochnost'iu: novyi vzgliad na terapiiu.

AIM: To study the possibility and feasibility of using terahertz-modulated infrared radiation in the treatment of patients with gonarthrosis, including those with concomitant chronic lower limb venous insufficiency and to develop a specific treatment procedure. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 92 patients were examined and treated. The patients matched for age, gender, and main clinical manifestations were divided into a study group and a control one. All the patients received disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, therapeutic exercises, including those in a swimming pool. In addition to the basic treatment, the patients in the study group had terahertz-modulated infrared radiotherapy. Before and after treatment, all the patients underwent a physical examination; their complaints were studied; pain severity was assessed by a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain; lower limb temperature was measured by infrared beam thermography; and microcirculation in the affected knee joint area was analyzed by laser Doppler flowmetry. RESULTS: Analysis of posttreatment changes in clinical manifestations in the study group revealed a significant reversion of clinical manifestations, such as knee joint pain occurring at the end of the day or in the first half of the night (from 42.6 to 15.3%), as well as pain occurring after mechanical load and reducing at rest (from 72.3 to 25.5%). The changes in mean VAS scores in the study group (from 6.1±0.7 to 2.1±0.6) were significantly pronounced (p<0.01) compared with those in the controls (from 6.6±0.7 to 4.3±0.4). Infrared beam thermography established that the study group had a decrease in the thermal asymmetry value between varicose veins and adjacent tissues, indicating a hemodynamic improvement in the lower extremity vessels (by 1.57±0.07 °C in the study group (p<0.05) versus 0.91±0.04 °C in the control group (p<0.05). The ongoing package of rehabilitation measures assisted in reducing the temperature difference between the affected vein area and adjacent tissues. CONCLUSION: The incorporation of terahertz-modulated infrared radiation into a therapeutic complex was found to have a positive impact on the clinical symptoms of the disease, the state of local hemodynamics and microcirculation, which substantially enhances the efficiency of therapy.

[The modern approaches to the restoration of postural balance in the patients suffering from the consequences of an acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA)].

BACKGROUND: the most frequent and severe consequences of an acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA) are locomotor and coordination disorders which significantly increase the risk of falling in a static position and when walking. The methods used for the rehabilitation of the affected patients are designed in the first place to enable the patients to acquire the skills necessary for maintaining the static balance. The modern equipment allows to carry out coordination training in the static position and also during walking. AIM: The objective of the present study was to evaluate, based on the results of our original research, the feasibility and effectiveness of the application of the «Balance tutor¼ system developed for the restoration of static and dynamic balance in the framework of the combined rehabilitation treatment of the patients suffering from impaired postural balance as a consequence of acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 56 patients presenting with impaired postural balance following CVA were available for the examination. All of them underwent functional testing to assess the static and dynamic balance, walking abilities, and the risk of falling down including the study with the use of computer-assisted stabilometry. RESULTS: The study has demonstrated that the inclusion of the «Balance tutor¼ system for the restoration of the static and dynamic balance in the combined rehabilitative treatment of the patients having postural balance disorders after the CVA reduces the risk of fall for a walking patient, improves his (her) static and dynamic balance, increases the patient's ability to move without exterior help. The patients comprising the main study group were found to experience a decrease of statokinesiogram space in the «eyes are open¼ position (p = 0.0576, the Mann-Whitney U test) as well as a reliable decrease of the statokinesiogram space in the «eyes are closed¼ position (p=0.0063, the Mann-Whitney U test). Similar changes occurred in speed of pressure center relocation. By the end of the rehabilitation course, the patients of the main group exhibited a reliable enhancement in the dynamic balance rates estimated with the use of the Berg Balance Scale (p=0.028, Tukey's criterion), an increase in stability based at the Tinneti scale, p=0.0291; Tukey's criterion), and a decrease of the risk of falling during walk assessed with the application of Dynamic Gait Index scale (p = 0.0001, Tukey's criterion). DISCUSSION: The results of the present study with the inclusion of the «Balance tutor¼ system in the program of combined rehabilitation of the patients suffering from the consequences of CVA in the form of the postural balance impairment give evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach. There is reason to believe that its application is likely to reduce the risk of falling down and to improve characteristics of static and dynamic balance. CONCLUSION: The inclusion of the «Balance tutor¼ system in the program of combined rehabilitation of the patients suffering from the consequences of CVA in the form of the postural balance impairment is both feasible and effective.

[Phezam efficacy in patients with chronic cerebral ischemic disease].

The efficacy of combined medication which comprised compounds with nootropic (piracetam) and vasoactive (cinnarisin) effects, was studied in patients with cerebral blood flow insufficiency. The main inclusion criterion was a diagnosis of chronic brain ischemia (CI). The study consisted of two stages: (1) a randomized comparative trial in neurological clinic (60 patients) and (2) estimation of the drug efficacy in routine practice (60 patients). The clinical examination was accompanied by neuropsychological tasks, kinetic tests and ultrasound investigation of brain vessels. At the first stage, a positive neurological and neuropsychological dynamics was found after 8 weeks of phezam treatment. Also a statistically significant positive dynamics was observed for a number of blood flow velocity parameters in the middle brain artery. In routine medical practice, a positive effect of phezam was seen after 2 months of the treatment for all but CI main symptoms and confirmed by the data of kinetic investigation. The patients reported good tolerability and convenience of the drug intake (one capsule instead of two tablets of nootropic and vasoactive drugs).