Variability of gait,bilateral coordination,and asymmetry in women with fibromyalgia

PurposeTo analyze how fibromyalgia affected the variability, asymmetry, and bilateral coordination of gait walking at comfortable and fast speeds.Methods65 fibromyalgia (FM) patients and 50 healthy women were analyzed. Gait analysis was performed using an instrumented walkway (GAITRite system). Average walking speed, coefficient of variation (CV) of stride length, swing time, and step width data were obtained and bilateral coordination and gait asymmetry were analyzed.ResultsFM patients presented significantly lower speeds than the healthy group. FM patients obtained significantly higher values of CV_StrideLength (p = 0.04; p < 0.001), CV_SwingTime (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), CV_StepWidth (p = 0.004; p < 0.001), phase coordination index (p = 0.01; p = 0.03), and p_CV (p < 0.001; p = 0.001) than the control group, walking at comfortable or fast speeds. Gait asymmetry only showed significant differences in the fast condition.ConclusionFM patients walked more slowly and presented a greater variability of gait and worse bilateral coordination than healthy subjects. Gait asymmetry only showed differences in the fast condition. The variability and the bilateral coordination were particularly affected by FM in women. Therefore, variability and bilateral coordination of gait could be analyzed to complement the gait evaluation of FM patients.     

脑小血管病患者认知功能障碍的静息态功能磁共振成像研究

目的 探讨脑血管病(CSVD)患者认知功能障碍与脑功能活动改变之间的关系,进一步了解CSVD患者认知功能障碍可能的损害机制.方法 选取CSVD患者29例,以及性别、年龄、教育年限相匹配的正常对照者(NC)25例,评估受试者神经功能及认知功能.比较两组受试者灰质体积的差异;以灰质体积为协变量,计算并分析两组差异脑区ALF...     

扩散张量成像在脑小血管病中的研究进展

脑小血管病（CSVD）是引起痴呆、认知下降、步态障碍、卒中等的主要原因之一,临床常根据其MRI表现诊断。扩散张量成像（DTI）作为目前唯一能无创在体显示白质微观结构的MRI技术,可通过不同参数及后处理分析方法提供组织微结构信息,在CSVD的发生发展机制、严重程度及疾病进展等方面研究中起着非常重要的作用。综述DTI主要参数及常见后处理分析方法在CSVD研究中的应用现状及进展。     

脑小血管病丘脑的1H-MRS成像特点及其与认知功能相关性研究

目的 探讨脑小血管病(CSVD)患者丘脑的代谢变化特点,了解其与认知障碍间的关系.方法 采用蒙特利尔认知评估量表(MoCA)对34例CSVD患者和26例志愿者进行认知功能测评,通过单体素氢质子磁共振波谱(1H-MRS)技术对所有研究对象两侧丘脑N-乙酰基天门冬氨酸(NAA)、胆碱化合物(Cho)、磷酸肌酸(Cr)的含量进行检测,记录NAA/Cr、Cho/Cr比值.比较2组间两侧丘脑NAA/Cr、Cho/Cr比值的差异,并对CSVD组内两侧丘脑NAA/Cr、Cho/Cr比值与MoCA总评分及各子项评分进行相关性分析.结果 ①CSVD组MoCA总评分、视空间与执行能力、记忆、注意力、语言评分均低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);②CSVD组两侧丘脑NAA/Cr比值较对照组降低(左侧1.57±0.18、1.68±0.17、t=2.46、P=0.02;右侧1.66±0.21、1.78±0.19、t=2.23、P=0.03),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);组间两侧丘脑Cho/Cr比值无明显差异(P>0.05);③CSVD组内,两侧丘脑NAA/Cr比值与MoCA总评分(左r=0.83,右r=0.79, P<0.05)、视空间与执行能力(左r=0.65,右r=0.46,P<0.05)、记忆(左r=0.59,右r=0.50, P<0.05)、注意力(左r=0.42,右r=0.52,P<0.05)、语言(左r=0.52,右r=0.41,P<0.05)、抽象(左r=0.47,右r=0.40,P<0.05)、定向力(左r=0.48,右r=0.42,P<0.05)评分均呈正相关(P<0.05),Cho/Cr比值与MoCA总评分及各子项评分无明显相关性(P>0.05).结论 CSVD患者丘脑存在神经元损伤或功能降低,这种代谢异常可能与患者广泛的认知损害相关.     

Dual-task training effect on gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy: Preliminary results of a self-controlled study

BackgroundChildren with cerebral palsy (CP) may have difficulties under dual-task conditions. Spatiotemporal gait parameters have deteriorated with concurrent tasks in children with CP. However, how dual-task training affects gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic CP has not been clarified.Research questionHow does dual-task training program effect gait, functional skills, and health-related quality of life in children with spastic diplegic CP?MethodsEleven children with spastic diplegic CP (median age 11 y, range 7–16 y; 4 female; 7 male) Gross Motor Function Classification System level 1–2 and obtained 27 and higher scores from Modified Mini Mental Test included in the study. The study was planned as a self-controlled clinical research design. Children were recruited to conventional physiotherapy program for 8 weeks and dual-task training program added to conventional physiotherapy program for following 8 weeks. Children were evaluated at baseline, after conventional physiotherapy program, and after dual-task training program. Children’s gait was evaluated with Zebris™ FDM-2 device and Edinburgh Visual Gait Score, functional mobility skills with 1 min Walk Test (1MWT), and health-related quality of life with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) - CP module.ResultsThe difference in step length, step time, stride time, cadence and gait speed of spatiotemporal parameters of gait during dual-task performance were found statistically significant in children with spastic diplegic CP, after dual-task training program (p < 0,05). After dual-task training, statistically significant gains were found in 1MWT, movement and balance subtitle of PedsQL-CP module Parent Form (p < 0,05).SignificanceDual-task training program added to a conventional physiotherapy program provides more gains in terms of functionality of children with spastic diplegic CP will contribute to the improvement of the motor functional level.     

The impact of walking devices on kinematics in patients with spastic bilateral cerebral palsy

Increased anterior pelvic and trunk tilt is a common finding in patients with bilateral cerebral palsy especially during walking with assistive devices. As previous studies demonstrate various gait alterations when using assistive devices, the assessment of surgical interventions may be biased when the patients become independent of (or dependent on) assistive devices after therapy. Furthermore, some of these patients in fact are able to walk without devices even though in daily life they prefer to use them. Consequently, for such patients the classification into GMFCS level II or III may be ambiguous. The specific aim of this study was therefore to assess the influence of the use of forearm crutches and posterior walker during walking and to set this influence in relation to outcome effects of surgical intervention studies.26 ambulatory patients with spastic bilateral CP (GMFCS II–III) were included who underwent 3D gait analysis. All patients used forearm crutches or posterior walkers in everyday life even though they were able to walk without assistive devices for short distances.Independent of the type of assistive devices, the patients walk on average with more anterior trunk tilt and pelvic tilt (7° ± 6° and 3° ± 2°) and with a maximum ankle dorsiflexion decreased by 2° (±3°) when walking with assistive devices, enhancing the mal-positioning present without device. Oppositely, the knees on average are more extended by 6° (±4°) when using the assistive devices.These effects have to be taken into account when assessing gait patterns or when monitoring the outcome after intervention as assistive devices may partially hide or exaggerate therapeutic effects.     

Training-related changes in dual-task walking performance of elderly persons with balance impairment: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of three different balance training strategies in an effort to understand the mechanisms underlying training-related changes in dual-task balance performance of older adults with balance impairment. Elderly individuals with balance impairment, age 65 and older, were randomly assigned to one of three individualized training programs: single-task (ST) balance training; dual-task training with fixed-priority (FP) instruction; and dual-task training with variable-priority (VP) instruction. Balance control during gait, under practiced and novel conditions, was assessed by calculating the center of mass and ankle joint center inclination angles in the frontal plane. A smaller angle indicated better balance performance. Other outcomes included gait velocity, stride length, verbal reaction time, and rate of response. All measures were collected at baseline and the end of the 4-week training. Results indicated that all training strategies were equally effective (P > .05) at improving balance performance (smaller inclination angle) under single-task contexts. However, the VP training strategy was more effective (P = .04) in improving both balance and cognitive performance under dual-task conditions than either the ST or the FP training strategies. Improved dual-task processing skills did not transfer to a novel dual-task condition. Results support Kramer et al.’s proposal that VP training improves both single-task automatization and the development of task-coordination skills.     

脑微出血的磁共振检查与临床意义

脑微出血是重要的小血管病影像学标志,磁共振技术的进步使得越来越多的脑微出血被检出,微出血的发现对潜在的小血管病诊断、抗血栓药物的使用、症状性脑内出血、认知障碍和痴呆都有重要意义。作者根据最新文献就在不同疾病条件下微出血的磁共振检测和临床意义作一综述。