MIF) foi desenvolvida por meio de um processo de tradução para o português do Brasil por equipe médica bilíngüe familiarizada com o instrumento e tradutor profissional, seguido de tradução reversa para o inglês por tradutor independente. Não foram identificados problemas de equivalência cultural quando a versão obtida foi apresentada a um conjunto de 25 profissionais de saúde treinados no seu uso. Oito centros de reabilitação participaram da captação de dados para a obtenção de medidas de reprodutibilidade. Todos os pacientes adultos com história de pelo menos 4 meses de acidente vascular cerebral, consultados no período entre dezembro de 1999 e janeiro de 2000, foram avaliados por dois avaliadores treinados na aplicação da MIF, de forma independente, e reavaliados por apenas um desses examinadores após uma semana (teste/reteste). Uma amostra de 164 pacientes foi examinada e os valores de kappa para concordância em cada um dos itens da MIF variaram entre dois observadores de 0,50 (alimentação) a 0,64 (controle da urina) e no teste/ reteste entre 0,61 (vestir abaixo da cintura) a 0,77 (transferência para o vaso sanitário). As subescalas da MIF apresentaram no teste/reteste boa correlação (Pearson: 0,91 -0,98; ICC: 0,91 -0,98); a reprodutibilidade interobservadores também foi boa (Pearson: 0,87 -0,98; ICC: 0,87 -0,98). Análise de variância mostra boa concordância entre as médias dos resultados de dois avaliadores na primeira avaliação e na medida após uma semana. Concluímos que a versão brasileira da MIF tem boa equivalência cultural e boa reprodutibilidade. UNITERMOSMedida de independência funcional, reprodutibilidade, equivalência cultural, avaliação funcional, tradução SUMMARYA Brazilian version of Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was developed in a translation process to Brazilian Portuguese by a bilingual medical team and a professional translator, followed by a reverse translation to English by an independent traslator. No problems of cultural equivalence were identified in the resultant version when it was presented to a group of 25 clinicians trained in its use. Eight rehabilitation centers participated in the gathering of data for the study of reproductibility. Two independent observers evaluated, between December 1999 and January 2000, all adult stroke patients with more than 4 months of impairment onset at the same day and only one of these clinicians repeated the observation after one week (test/retest). A total of 164 patients were examined, kappa agreement values in each of the FIM items varied between two observers form 0,50 (feeding) to 0,64 (bladder control), at test/retest they varied from 0,61 (dressing below waist) to 0,77 (toilet transfer). MIF subscales showed good correlation at test/retest (Pearson: 0,91 -0,98; ICC: 0,91 -0,98) and between two observers (Pearson: 0,87 -0,98; ICC: 0,87 -0,98). Analysis of variance shows good agreement for these subscales between two observers and at test/retest condition. We conclude that the Brazilian version of FIM has good cultural equivalence and rep...

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Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that is associated with maladaptive plasticity in neural central circuits. One of the neural circuits that are involved in pain in fibromyalgia is the primary motor cortex. We tested a combination intervention that aimed to modulate the motor system: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) and aerobic exercise (AE). In this phase II, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial, 45 subjects were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: tDCS + AE, AE only, and tDCS only. The following outcomes were assessed: intensity of pain, level of anxiety, quality of life, mood, pressure pain threshold, and cortical plasticity, as indexed by transcranial magnetic stimulation. There was a significant effect for the group-time interaction for intensity of pain, demonstrating that tDCS/AE was superior to AE [F = (13, 364) 2.25, p = 0.007] and tDCS [F = (13, 364) 2.33, p = 0.0056] alone. Post-hoc adjusted analysis showed a difference between tDCS/AE and tDCS group after the first week of stimulation and after 1 month intervention period (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). Further, after treatment there was a significant difference between groups in anxiety and mood levels. The combination treatment effected the greatest response. The three groups had no differences regarding responses in motor cortex plasticity, as assessed by TMS. The combination of tDCS with aerobic exercise is superior compared with each individual intervention (cohen's d effect sizes > 0.55). The combination intervention had a significant effect on pain, anxiety and mood. Based on the similar effects on cortical plasticity outcomes, the combination intervention might have affected other neural circuits, such as those that control the affective-emotional aspects of pain. Trial registration: (www.ClinicalTrials.gov), identifier NTC02358902.

Introduction: the Brazilian version of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was developed in the 2000. Studies of validity is still required in order corroborate its use in rehabilitation assessment of Brazilian individuals, since local peculiarities may determine differences in the data provided by such instrument. Objectives: the aim of this study is test construct validity of the FIM by checking its convergent validity in groups of patients with impairments expected to develop specific levels of disability. Methods: Medical charts of 150 SCI and 103 hemiplegic patients from 2 rehabilitation centers in São Paulo provided data about demographic characteristics, clinical and functional features. The level of disability was evaluated by the Functional Independence Measure. Traumatic SCI patients were classified according to the level of injury as cervical, thoracic and lumbar or below. Hemiplegic patients were classified according to the side of motor impairment as right, left or bilateral.

A formal consensus process integrating evidence and expert opinion based on the ICF framework and classification led to the definition of ICF Core Sets for rheumatoid arthritis. Both the Comprehensive ICF Core Set and the Brief ICF Core Set were defined.

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Pain control in fibromyalgia patients is limited no matter the therapeutic regimens used. Recent data have shown that daily sessions of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) are associated with reduction of pain perception.Objective:We aimed to test whether active tDCS, as compared with sham tDCS, combined with multidisciplinary rehabilitation is associated with significant clinical gains in fibromyalgia.Design:This was a randomized, double-blinded controlled trial.Subjects:23 patients were randomized to receive weekly sessions of multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach combined with sham or anodal tDCS of M1. Patients were evaluated for pain with VAS and for quality of life with SF-36, fibromyalgia pain questionnaire and health assessment questionnaire by a blinded rater before and after the 4 month period of rehabilitation.Results:Patients tolerated tDCS treatment well, without adverse effects. Patients who received active treatment had a significantly greater reduction of SF-36 pain domain scores (F(2,21)=6.57; p=0.006) and a tendency of higher improvement in Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) scores after (p=0.056) as compared with sham tDCS/standard treatment, but no differences were observed in the other domains.Conclusions:Although active tDCS was associated with superior results in one domain (SF-36 pain domain), the lack of significance in the other domains does not fully support this strategy (weekly tDCS) combined with a multidisciplinary approach.

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