Walking training with foot drop stimulator controlled by a tilt sensor to improve walking outcomes: a randomized controlled pilot study in patients with stroke in subacute phase.
In this study, twenty patients with stroke in subacute phase were enrolled and randomly divided in two groups: one group performing the NMES (i.e. Walkaide Group, WG) and the Control Group (CG) performing conventional neuromotor rehabilitation. Both groups underwent the same amount of treatment time. Significant improvements of walking speed were recorded for WG (168 ± 39%) than for CG (129 ± 29%, P = 0.032) as well as in terms of locomotion (Functional Ambulation Classification score: P = 0.023). In terms of mobility and force, ameliorations were recorded, even if not significant (Rivermead Mobility Index: P = 0.057; Ma...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Hand robotics rehabilitation: feasibility and preliminary results of a robotic treatment in patients with hemiparesis.
Conclusions. This original rehabilitation treatment could contribute to increase the hand motor recovery in acute stroke patients. The simplicity of the treatment, the lack of side effects, and the first positive results in acute stroke patients support the recommendations to extend the clinical trial of this treatment, in association with physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy.
PMID: 23320252 [PubMed] (Source: Stroke Research and Treatment)
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Successfully Climbing the "STAIRs": Surmounting Failed Translation of Experimental Ischemic Stroke Treatments.
Authors: Kahle MP, Bix GJ
Abstract
The Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) provided initial (in 1999) and updated (in 2009) recommendations with the goal of improving preclinical stroke therapy assessment and to increase the translational potential of experimental stroke treatments. It is important for preclinical stroke researchers to frequently consider and revisit these concepts, especially since promising experimental stroke treatments continue to fail in human clinical trials. Therefore, this paper will focus on considerations for several key aspects of preclinical stroke studies inclu...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Diabetes and stroke prevention: a review.
Authors: Hewitt J, Castilla Guerra L, Fernández-Moreno Mdel C, Sierra C
Abstract
Stroke and diabetes mellitus are two separate conditions which share multiple common threads. Both are increasing in prevalence, both are diseases which affect blood vessels, and both are associated with other vascular risk factors, such as hypertension and dyslipidemia. Abnormal glucose regulation, of which diabetes is one manifestation, is seen in up to two-thirds of people suffering from an acute stroke. Surprisingly, aggressive management of glucose after an acute stroke has not been shown to improve outcome or reduce the...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Emerging molecular targets for brain repair after stroke.
Authors: Krupinski J, Slevin M
Abstract
The field of neuroprotection generated consistent preclinical findings of mechanisms of cell death but these failed to be translated into clinics. The approaches that combine the modulation of the inhibitory environment together with the promotion of intrinsic axonal outgrowth needs further work before combined therapeutic strategies will be transferable to clinic trials. It is likely that only when some answers have been found to these issues will our therapeutic efforts meet our expectations. Stroke is a clinically heterogeneous disease and combinatorial treatments...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
The ABC of tDCS: Effects of Anodal, Bilateral and Cathodal Montages of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients with Stroke-A Pilot Study.
The objective of this study was to determine whether different electrodes' setups (anodal, cathodal, and simultaneous bilateral tDCS) provide different motor performance and which montage was more effective. As secondary outcome, we have asked to the patients about their satisfaction, and to determine if the bilateral tDCS was more uncomfortable than unilateral tDCS. Nine patients with stroke in subacute phase were enrolled in this study and randomly divided in three groups. Our results showed that tDCS was an effective treatment if compared to Sham stimulation (P = 0.022). In particular, anodal stimulation provided the hi...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Targeting oxidative stress injury after ischemic stroke in conscious rats: limited benefits with apocynin highlight the need to incorporate long term recovery.
This study evaluated the effects of apocynin, a known antioxidant and inhibitor of Nox2 NADPH, on neuronal injury and cell-specific responses to stroke induced in the conscious rat. Apocynin treatment (50 mg/kg i.p.) commencing 1 hour prior to stroke and 24 and 48 hours after stroke significantly reduced infarct volume in the cortex by ~ 60%, but had no effect on striatal damage or neurological deficits. In situ detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) using dihydroethidium fluorescence revealed that increased ROS detected in OX-42 positive cells following ischemia was reduced in apocynin-treated rats by ~ 51%, but...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
New technologies for stroke rehabilitation.
Authors: Iosa M, Hesse S, Oliviero A, Paolucci S
PMID: 23401849 [PubMed] (Source: Stroke Research and Treatment)
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Cardiovascular responses associated with daily walking in subacute stroke.
Authors: Prajapati SK, Mansfield A, Gage WH, Brooks D, McIlroy WE
Abstract
Despite the importance of regaining independent ambulation after stroke, the amount of daily walking completed during in-patient rehabilitation is low. The purpose of this study is to determine if (1) walking-related heart rate responses reached the minimum intensity necessary for therapeutic aerobic exercise (40%-60% heart rate reserve) or (2) heart rate responses during bouts of walking revealed excessive workload that may limit walking (>80% heart rate reserve). Eight individuals with subacute stroke attending in-patient rehab...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
CSF and Serum Biomarkers Focusing on Cerebral Vasospasm and Ischemia after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.
Authors: Jung CS, Lange B, Zimmermann M, Seifert V
Abstract
Delayed cerebral vasospasm (CVS) and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) remain severe complications after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Although focal changes in cerebral metabolism indicating ischemia are detectable by microdialysis, routinely used biomarkers are missing. We therefore sought to evaluate a panel of possible global markers in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients after SAH. CSF and serum of SAH patients were analyzed retrospectively. In CSF, levels of inhibitory, excitatory, and structural amino acids were detected by high-...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Playing piano can improve upper extremity function after stroke: case studies.
The objective of this pilot study was to estimate the short- and long-term effects of a 3-week piano training program on upper extremity function in persons with chronic stroke. A multiple pre-post sequential design was used, with measurements taken at baseline (week0, week3), prior to (week6) and after the intervention (week9), and at 3-week follow-up (week12). Three persons with stroke participated in the 3-week piano training program that combined structured piano lessons to home practice program. The songs, played on an electronic keyboard, involved all 5 digits of the affected hand and were displayed using a user-frie...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Transcranial direct current stimulation in stroke rehabilitation: a review of recent advancements.
Authors: Gomez Palacio Schjetnan A, Faraji J, Metz GA, Tatsuno M, Luczak A
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising technique to treat a wide range of neurological conditions including stroke. The pathological processes following stroke may provide an exemplary system to investigate how tDCS promotes neuronal plasticity and functional recovery. Changes in synaptic function after stroke, such as reduced excitability, formation of aberrant connections, and deregulated plastic modifications, have been postulated to impede recovery from stroke. However, if tDCS could counteract th...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Clinical trials in cardiac arrest and subarachnoid hemorrhage: lessons from the past and ideas for the future.
Conclusions. Clinical trials in SAH assessing acute brain injury are warranted and successful interventions identified by the cardiac arrest literature may be reasonable targets of the study.
PMID: 23533956 [PubMed] (Source: Stroke Research and Treatment)
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
MicroRNAs in Cerebral Ischemia.
Authors: Wang Y, Wang Y, Yang GY
Abstract
The risk of ischemic stroke increases substantially with age, making it the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term disability in the world. Numerous studies demonstrated that genes, RNAs, and proteins are involved in the occurrence and development of stroke. Current studies found that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are also closely related to the pathological process of stroke. miRNAs are a group of short, noncoding RNA molecules playing important role in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression and they have emerged as regulators of i...
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
Early brain injury: a common mechanism in subarachnoid hemorrhage and global cerebral ischemia.
Authors: Sabri M, Lass E, Macdonald RL
Abstract
Early brain injury (EBI) has become an area of extreme interest in the recent years and seems to be a common denominator in the pathophysiology of global transient ischemia and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In this paper, we highlight the importance of cerebral hypoperfusion and other mechanisms that occur in tandem in both pathologies and underline their possible roles in triggering brain injury after hemorrhagic or ischemic strokes.
PMID: 23533958 [PubMed] (Source: Stroke Research and Treatment)
Source: Stroke Research and Treatment - December 2, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Stroke Res Treat Source Type: research
