Objective/BackgroundTactile perception is a basic way to obtain and evaluate information about an object. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of tactile perception on brain activation using two different tactile explorations, passive and active touches, in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke.MethodsTwenty patients who were diagnosed with stroke (8 right brain damaged, 12 left brain damaged) participated in this study. The tactile perception was conducted using passive and active explorations in a sitting position. To determine the neurological changes in the brain, this study measured the brain waves of the participants using electroencephalography (EEG).ResultsThe relative power of the sensory motor rhythm on the right prefrontal lobe and right parietal lobe was significantly greater during the active tactile exploration compared to the relative power during the passive exploration in the left damaged hemisphere. Most of the measured brain areas showed nonsignificantly higher relative power of the sensory motor rhythm during the active tactile exploration, regardless of which hemisphere was damaged.ConclusionThe results of this study provided a neurophysiological evidence on tactile perception in individuals with chronic stroke. Occupational therapists should consider an active tactile exploration as a useful modality on occupational performance in rehabilitation training.

Objective: Balance is a preceding task for functional activities in daily activities as well as community-dwelling activities. To learn skilled and functional activities, it is also necessary to imagine an appropriate and effective movement representation used to plan and execute the functional activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of balance imagery of semi-tandem stance on a flat floor and balance beam on balance abilities for elderly and young adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifteen elderly and thirty-four young adults were enrolled in this study. In order to determine whether there is a change in postural control ability according to the different imagery training methods used, standing static balance measurements were performed. According to the therapist's instructions, participants were to stand in a semi-tandem position on the Good Balance System for 1 minute while imagining that they were standing on a balance beam, and while the postural control abilities was assessed. Results: Postural control was significantly different in balance ability of semi-tandem stance on a flat floor compared to on a balance beam in both geriatrics and young adults. Postural sway was more significantly decreased in young adults than older adults during balance imagery of semi-tandem stance on a flat floor as well as on balance beam (p<0.05). Conclusions:The results of this study suggest that the ability to mentally represent their actions was similar in older adults compared to young adults, although older adults showed a drop in efficiency of postural control more than young adults.

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[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of brain activation using sensory awareness, imagery, and observation in adults with psychological stress. [Participants and Methods] The participants of the study were 30 adults with psychological stress. They responded to questionnaires, including a stress response inventory. Data for brain activation were collected for sensory awareness, imagery, and observation using electroencephalography. To determine the neurological changes in the brain, this study analysed the relative power of sensory motor rhythm of the participants using electroencephalography. [Results] Results showed that the relative power of the sensory motor rhythm was significantly greater during awareness and imagery of sensory than during observation. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that awareness, imagery, and observation of sensation should be considered as useful modalities in people with psychological stress.

There is a cause and effect relationship in that brain injury causes impairment of mental rotation and ultimately independent functional activities. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of mental rotation on reaction time and precision between the normal adults and chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. Thirty-one patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke and twenty normal adults participated in this study. The participants conducted 2 types of tasks for mental rotation: a comparison task using mirror images, and a rotation task using angular disparity images for 2 different 3-dimensional objects. Each of the 3 possible angled shapes (90°, 180°, and 270°) appeared in each pair. The test consisted of 6 mirror-reflected image pairs and 6 angular disparity image pairs visualized during angular rotation, and 12 test periods. The subjects were judged on how accurately and rapidly they could distinguish between the mirrored and non-mirrored pairs. The study measured reaction time and precision to compare the effect of mental rotation tasks. Reaction time during all 3 angular conditions were significantly longer in the stroke patients than that in the normal adult during the comparison tasks and the rotation tasks. In addition, precision during mental rotation tasks was not significantly different between normal adults and stroke patients. Our results suggest that rehabilitation therapists should keep in mind that mental rotation is more difficult in stroke population than in normal adults. 요 약

Objective: This research investigated the effects of simple visual imagery and mental rotation imagery on neural activity of adults who are at high risk of smart phone addiction by measuring their electroencephalography (EEG). Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Thirty people with a high risk of smart phone addiction was selected and then were evaluated for their neural activation patterns using EEG after reminding them about simple visual imagery and mental rotation imagery. A simple visual image was applied for 20 seconds using a smartphone. This was followed by a resting period of 20 seconds. Mental rotation imagery was applied for 20 seconds. During mental rotation imagery, the rotational angle was selected at random. We compared activation patterns according to the analyzed EEG with hemisphere reminding them about imagery. Results: On the EEG, theta rhythm from the left hemisphere parietal area increased when the subjects were reminded of mental rotation imagery, and sensorimotor rhythm from close to the left hemisphere area increased when the subjects were reminded of simple visual imagery. Conclusions: Neural activation from the left hemisphere occurs for motor imagery in adults who are at high risk of smart phone addiction. These results identify a neural mechanism of adults who a have high risk of smart phone addiction, which may provide contribute to the development of motor rehabilitation for smartphone users.

Objective: Setting therapeutic goals assist to identify patient priorities and predict problem that may arise in performing daily and functional activities. Goal setting is associated with improved rehabilitation outcomes in individuals with hemiparetic stroke. This study was conducted to assess the effects of having awareness and satisfaction of goals on the functional status of individuals with hemiparetic stroke. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Eighty-one people who had been diagnosed with stroke participated in this study. The study was conducted through a face-to-face surveys to identify participants' awareness and satisfaction of goals and standard assessment tools were used to evaluate patients' functional status. This study measured functional status through three clinical measures including the manual function test (MFT), Berg Balance scale (BBS), and modified Barthel index (MBI). Results: In participants with hemiparetic stroke, the MBI, BBS, and MFT scores were significantly higher in the participants who were aware of the therapeutic goal than in those who were unaware (p<0.05). The MBI, BBS, and MFT scores were not significant between the participants who were satisfied with the goal and those who were unsatisfied. Conclusions: This study suggests that having awareness in therapeutic goal-setting could lead to improvement of functional status in those with hemiparetic stroke. This study highlights how goal-setting can have a positive effect on persons with hemiparetic stroke.

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