Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) results from unilateral shortening of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, usually associated with a fibrotic mass. Although CMT may resolve with physical therapy, some cases persist, resulting in long-term musculoskeletal problems. It is therefore helpful to be able to monitor and predict the outcomes of physical therapy. Shear-wave velocity (SWV) determined by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography can provide a quantitative measure of muscle stiffness. We therefore measured SCM SWV in 22 infants with unilateral CMT before and after 3 months of physical therapy and evaluated the relationships between SWV and SCM thickness and various clinical features, including cervical range of motion (ROM). SWV was initially higher and the ROM was smaller in affected muscles before physical therapy. SWV decreased significantly (2.33 ± 0.47 to 1.56 ± 0.63 m/s, p < 0.001), indicating reduced stiffness, and muscle thickness also decreased after physical therapy (15.64 ± 5.24 to 11.36 ± 5.71 mm, p < 0.001), both in line with increased neck ROM of rotation (64.77 ± 18.87 to 87.27 ± 6.31 • , p < 0.001) and lateral flexion (37.50 ± 11.31 to 53.64 ± 9.41 • , p < 0.001). However, the improved ROM more closely reflected the changes in SWV than in muscle thickness. These results suggest that a change in SWV detected by ARFI elastography could help to predict improvements in clinical outcomes, such as stiffness-related loss of motion, in patients with CMT undergoing physical therapy.

ObjectiveTo determine the frequency and characteristics of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in patients with subacute stroke who underwent inpatient rehabilitation and to analyze whether cognitive function can predict functional assessments after rehabilitation.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were admitted to our rehabilitation center after experiencing a stroke between October 2014 and September 2015. We analyzed the data from 104 patients who completed neuropsychological assessments within 3 months after onset of a stroke.ResultsCognitive impairment was present in 86 out of 104 patients (82.6%). The most common impairment was in visuospatial function (65, 62.5%) followed by executive function (63, 60.5%), memory (62, 59.6%), and language function (34, 32.6%). Patients with impairment in the visuospatial and executive domains had poor scores of functional assessments at both admission and discharge (p<0.05). A multivariate analysis revealed that age (β=−0.173) and the scores on the modified Rankin Scale (β=−0.178), Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) (β=0.489) at admission, and Trail-Making Test A (TMT-A) (β=0.228) were related to the final K-MBI score at discharge (adjusted R2=0.646).ConclusionIn our study, VCI was highly prevalent in patients with stroke. TMT-A scores were highly predictive of their final K-MBI score. Collectively, our results suggest that post-stroke executive dysfunction is a significant and independent predictor of functional outcome.

Purpose: The effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in children with cerebral palsy (CP), especially in terms of improving the performance of daily activities, remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of RAGT in children with CP. Methods: In this single-center, single-blinded, randomized cross-over trial, we enrolled 20 children with CP with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels II–IV (13 males; age range, 6.75 ± 2.15 years). The participants were randomized into the RAGT/standard care (SC) (n = 10) and SC/RAGT/SC sequence groups (n = 10). Using a Walkbot-K system, the RAGT program comprised 3 × 30-min sessions/week for 6 weeks with a continued SC program. The SC program comprised 2–4 conventional physiotherapy sessions/week for 6 weeks. The Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), the pediatric functional independence measure (WeeFIM), and the Canadian occupational performance measure (COPM) scores were assessed pre- and post-RAGT or SC periods and treatment, period, follow-up, and carry-over effects were analyzed. Energy expenditure and body composition were measured pre- and post-RAGT. Results: Significant treatment effects were observed in dimensions D and E of the GMFM (D: p = 0.018; E: p = 0.021) scores, WeeFIM mobility subtotal (p = 0.007), and COPM performance (p < 0.001) and satisfaction (p = 0.001) measure scores. The period, follow-up, and carry-over effects were not statistically significant. The gross energy cost significantly decreased (p = 0.041) and the skeletal muscle mass increased (p = 0.014) at post-RAGT assessment. The factors associated with functional outcomes showed significant improvements in the GMFM D scores and were mainly observed in children with GMFCS levels II–III compared to those classified at level IV (p = 0.038). Conclusion: RAGT had training benefits for children with CP. Specifically, it improved locomotor function and functional capability for daily activities. These effects were better in ambulatory children with CP. However, as SC interventions continued during the RAGT period, these improvements may be also related to multiple treatment effects.