The effect of level of injury and physical activity on heart rate variability following spinal cord injury

Objective/Background: To assess frequency domain heart rate variability (HRV) parameters at rest and in response to postural autonomic provocations in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and investigate the autonomic influences on the heart of different physical activities.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Ten subjects with complete cervical SCI and fourteen subjects with complete low thoracic SCI were prospectively recruited from the community and further divided in sedentary and physically active groups, the latter defined as regular weekly 4 hour physical activity for the preceding 3 months. Sixteen healthy individuals matched for sex and age were recruited to participate in the control group. The Low Frequency (LF), High Frequency (HF) powers and the LF/HF ratio of HRV were measured from continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings at rest and after sitting using a fast Fourier transformation.

Outcome measures: The LF,HF, and the LF/HF ratio at rest and after sitting.

Results: A significant decrease in all HRV parameters in patients with SCI was found compared to controls. The change in HF, LF and LF/HF following sitting maneuver was significantly greater in controls as compared with the SCI group and greater in subjects with paraplegia as compared to subjects with tetraplegia. Better HRV values and enhanced vagal activity appears to be related to the type of physical activity in active subjects with paraplegia.

Conclusion: In this cohort of subjects spectral parameters of HRV were associated with the level of the injury. Passive standing was associated with higher HRV values in subjects with paraplegia.     

The Legal Challenge of Abortion Stigma—and Government Restrictions on the Practice of Medicine

During the 2016 election, Donald Trump won conservative support by promising that he would, if elected, nominate “pro-life” justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Whether President Trump makes good on his campaign promise to restrict abortion rights may come down to competing impulses of the chief justice, John Roberts. These dueling dispositions—from the man whom many see as the new “swing justice”—hold the key to a blockbuster new case that legal historians call “the most unpredictable the Supreme Court has been on abortion in decades.” The case, June Medical Services v. Russo, turns on arduous new requirements that Louisiana has imposed on facilities and clinicians that provide abortion. But the case is not just about abortion access. The Court will have to decide whether a clinic has a right to challenge the law in the first place.     

The effects of a temporarily manipulated dental occlusion on the position of the spine: a comparison during standing and walking

Background context

The relationship between dental occlusion and body posture or even the spine position is often analyzed and confirmed. However, this relationship has not been systematically investigated for standing and walking.

Purpose

To examine whether a symmetric or asymmetric dental occlusion block, using 4 mm thick silicon panels, can significantly change the spine position (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar region) during standing and walking.

Study design

The following study is a cross-sectional study.

Patient sample

This study was carried out with 23 healthy subjects (18 women, 5 men) without discomfort in the temporomandibular system or body movement apparatus.

Outcome measures

Position changes (millimeter) of the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar) in frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes of motion.

Methods

The upper spine position was quantified with an ultrasonic distance measurement system (sonoSens Monitor). Every subject placed the 4 mm thick silicon panel systematically between the left/right premolars or the front teeth. Differences between the habitual and manipulated occlusion positions were determined by the Friedman test, followed by pairwise comparisons with applied Bonferroni-Holm correction.

Results

During standing and walking there were significant (p≤.05) differences between the occlusion block conditions and the habitual dental position in all body planes except in the right lumbar region during walking. In addition, differences within the manipulated occlusion position could be detected. Significant differences were also shown between the standing and walking trials in the frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes, particularly with respect to the lumbar region (p≤.001).

Conclusions

Symmetrical and asymmetrical occlusion blocks in the premolar region can be associated with changes in all three spine regions during standing and walking. The results showed highly similar reaction patterns in all spine positions, regardless of the location of the silicon panel. Between standing and walking, the main differences were in the lumbar spine. The results suggest a relationship between the chewing and the movement system. However, it must be stated that this study has no direct clinical impact. The study design cannot determine the causality of the observed associations; also the clinical significance of the small postural changes remains unknown.     

电脑控制功能性电刺激辅助截瘫病人行走系统的临床应用

本文以功能性电刺激为基础,研制了一套电脑控制的截瘫锻炼和辅助行走系统,并探索了一套康复锻炼方法,经临床应用,锻炼后瘫痪下肢的肌力、肌耐力均有明显提高。本文设计的辅助行走选用骶棘肌、臂大肌、股四头肌及下肢屈曲肌群,有效的延缓了肌疲劳的发生,增加了站立行走时间,使辅助行走过程更接近于自然行走。     

下肢智能反馈训练系统对胸腰段脊髓损伤患者功能恢复的影响

目的:观察下肢智能反馈训练系统对胸腰段脊髓损伤患者下肢运动功能平衡功能、步行能力及日常生活活动能力恢复的影响。方法:将住院治疗的52例不完全性脊髓损伤的患者(损伤平面T10—L1,ASIA分级C级)随机分为治疗组和对照组,各26例。两组患者均给予常规康复治疗。在此基础上治疗组给予下肢智能反馈训练系统治疗,对照组给予普通站立床训练。在治疗前及治疗6周后,分别用ASIA下肢运动功能评定量表(ASIA-LEMS),Berg平衡量表(BBS),脊髓损伤步行指数Ⅱ(WISCI-Ⅱ)及改良Barthel指数量表(MBI)对两组患者的下肢运动功能、平衡功能、步行能力及日常生活活动能力进行评估。结果:治疗前两组患者各方面评分比较差异均无显著性意义(P0.05)。治疗6周后,两组患者ASIA-LEMS评分、Berg平衡功能评分、WISCI-Ⅱ评分及改良Barthel指数评分较治疗前均有提高,差异有显著性(P0.001)。治疗后两组间比较,下肢智能反馈训练系统治疗组ASIA-LEMS评分、Berg平衡功能评分、WISCI-Ⅱ评分高于电动起立床组,差异有显著性(P0.05),改良Barthel指数两组间差异无显著性(P0.05)。结论:下肢智能反馈训练系统对不完全性胸腰段脊髓损伤患者下肢运动能力恢复有一定程度的促进作用。     

Effects of Prolonged Standing on Gait in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prolonged standing on gait characteristics in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Six children with spastic cerebral palsy participated in this study with an average age of 6.5 years (SD = 2.5, range = 4.0–9.8 years). A reverse baseline design (A-B-A) was used over a 9-week period. During phase A, the children received their usual physical therapy treatment. During phase B, children received the prolonged standing program three times per week, in addition to their usual physical therapy treatment. During phase A2, children received their usual physical therapy treatment. Gait analysis and clinical assessment of spasticity were performed before and after each phase. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measurements was used to test for changes in gait measures across the four measurement sessions. Friedman's was used to test for changes in muscle tone (Modified Ashworth Scale) across the four measurement sessions. Stride length (p <.001), gait speed (p <.001), stride time (p <.001), stance phase time (p <.001), double support time (p <.003), muscle tone (p <.02), and peak dorsiflexion angle during midstance (p <.004) improved significantly following the intervention phase. The results of this study demonstrate that the gait pattern of children with cerebral palsy classified as level II or III on the Gross Motor Functional Classification System (GMFCS) improved by a prolonged standing program. However, these improvements were not maintained at 3 weeks. Further research is necessary with larger sample sizes to replicate these findings and determine specific “dosing” for standing programs to create long-lasting functional effects on gait.     

Management of Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension

The burden of orthostatic hypotension (OH) on public health is a universally recognized enigmatic clinical condition that is associated with significant increases on morbidity and mortality rates, and can take a major toll on one's quality of life. Orthostatic hypotension is predictive of vascular deaths from acute myocardial infarction, strokes in the middle aged population, and increases mortality rates when associated with diabetes, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, and patients receiving renal dialysis. The consensus definition for OH is a fall in systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mm Hg within 3 minutes of quiet standing. Because neurogenic OH is often accompanied by supine hypertension, the treatment program should aim toward minimizing OH and the potential fall injuries related to cerebral hypoperfusion without exacerbating nocturnal hypertension that may lead to excessive cardiovascular complications.