To determine whether there is any difference between virtual reality game-based balance training and real-world task-specific balance training in improving sitting balance and functional performance in individuals with paraplegia. The study was a pre test-post test experimental design. There were 30 participants (28 males, 2 females) with traumatic spinal cord injury randomly assigned to 2 groups (group A and B). The levels of spinal injury of the participants were between T6 and T12. The virtual reality game-based balance training and real-world task-specific balance training were used as interventions in groups A and B, respectively. The total duration of the intervention was 4 weeks, with a frequency of 5 times a week; each training session lasted 45 minutes. The outcome measures were modified Functional Reach Test (mFRT), t-shirt test, and the self-care component of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure-III (SCIM-III). There was a significant difference for time ( = .001) and Time × Group effect ( = .001) in mFRT scores, group effect ( = .05) in t-shirt test scores, and time effect ( = .001) in the self-care component of SCIM-III. Virtual reality game-based training is better in improving balance and functional performance in individuals with paraplegia than real-world task-specific balance training.

Introduction:The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of the secondary cognitive and motor task on cued gait in people with Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD).Design and Setting:A repeated measure same subject design carried out at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Neurology Department, New Delhi.Materials and Methods:The subjects were made to walk in random order on a paper walkway under three conditions: Free walking with cues at preferred walking speed, coin transference while walking with cues at preferred walking speed and digit subtraction while walking with cues at preferred walking speed.Outcome:The stride length, cadence, walking speed and stops were recorded.Results:There was a significant reduction in their walking speed and stride length, but increase in the cadence and the number of stops was seen, when they had to perform dual tasks along with the cued gait, but the changes were more pronounced when secondary cognitive task was added to the cued gait in people with idiopathic PD.Conclusion:The results of this study demonstrated that there is a significant difference in the effect of secondary motor task when compared with secondary cognitive task on cued gait parameters in people with Idiopathic PD.

Introduction:The Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors instrument (CHIEF) is one of the few tools to assess the environmental barriers. The purpose of this study was to translate long and short CHIEF into Hindi language, and to determine its validity and reliability.Design and Setting:The study design was observational case series with repeated measures. It was carried out at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre New Delhi, a specialized center for rehabilitation for spinal cord injury.Methods:The CHIEF instrument was translated from English to Hindi based on the Beaton guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation of health status measures. The Hindi version of the CHIEF instrument was then administered on a convenience sample of 30 spinal cord injured subjects. Its content validity, internal consistency, test-rest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 2,1), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimum detectable change (MDC) were determined for both the longer and shorter version.Results:The mean ± SD of total of Hindi-CHIEF instrument, longer version was 1.44 ± 0.82 and total score of the shorter version was 1.07 ± 0.66. The content validity determined by the content validity ratio was found to be 1 for all the items except item number 5, 11, and 12. The content validity index was 0.97 for the longer version and for the shorter version it was 0.98. Internal consistency, Cronbach's α value was found to be 0.92 and test-retest value (ICC 2,1) was 0.80 (P < 0.001). The MDC was found to be 0.99 and SEM was 0.36 for the longer version. The Cronbach's α was 0.731, ICC 2,1 was 0.63 (P < 0.001), SEM was 0.24, and MDC was 0.66 for the shorter version.Conclusion:The Hindi translated version of the CHIEF scale has acceptable content validity and reliability. It can be used to assess environmental barriers perceived by spinal cord injury patients.

No abstract

No abstract