This systematic review showed that the water swallow test was a useful screening tool for aspiration among stroke patients. The test accuracy was related to the water volume and a 3-oz water swallow test was recommended for aspiration screening in stroke patients.

To better generalize training effects to the context of daily living, home-based constraint-induced therapy has been proposed. Therapeutic success of constraint-induced therapy is limited as to whether the improvements in functional performance can be transferred to quality of life. This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the efficacy of home-based constraint-induced therapy on functional performance and health-related quality of life. Twenty-two children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy (6-8 years, 10 boys) were randomly assigned to receive constraint-induced therapy or traditional rehabilitation. Home-based constraint-induced therapy had immediate and maintaining effects on motor efficacy and functional performance and induced greater gains in health-related quality of life in the long run than in the short term. The home-based constraint-induced therapy protocol (relatively moderate intensity and shortened constraint time), which might balance the effectiveness and compliance of participants and caregivers, may be an effective alternative to conventional constraint-induced therapy.

Both ultrasound-guided and direct approach corticosteroid injection protocols improved clinical symptoms and signs, physical function, and most electrodiagnostic parameters of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome throughout the follow-up period. However, the ultrasound-guided injection group showed greater improvements in the Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament test, sensory nerve conduction velocity, and digit-4 comparison study.

BackgroundCardiopulmonary function can be adversely affected after a cerebrovascular accident in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) for stroke patients with CHF.MethodsA prospective randomized single-blind controlled trial was conducted in a single tertiary medical center in southern Taiwan between May 2011 and July 2015. Forty-one patients were enrolled, of whom 21 completed the study (IMT group n = 11 and control group n = 10). Both groups participated in a conventional stroke rehabilitation program. Patients in the IMT group received an additional IMT program beginning with an intensity of 30% maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), then increased by 2cmH2O each week for 30 minutes daily for at least 5 days a week for 10 weeks. MIP, maximal expiratory pressure, spirometry, resting oxyhemoglobin saturation, modified Borg Scale, Fatigue Assessment Scale, and Barthel Index were assessed in each patient.ResultsThere were significant differences from baseline in MIP (P = 0.008), percent predicted forced vital capacity (P = 0.033), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (P = 0.008), percent predicted FEV1 (P = 0.008), and Barthel Index (P = 0.012) in the IMT group, and Barthel Index (P = 0.027) in the control group. There were significant differences between groups in MIP (20.91 ± 19.73 vs −9.00 ± 26.01, adjusted P value = 0.023) and Barthel Index (24.55 ± 22.30 vs 7.50 ± 8.25, adjusted P value = 0.044).ConclusionThe 10-week IMT was feasible and effective in improving inspiratory force and activities of daily living for the stroke patients with CHF.

Background: Patients with hemineglect have been reported to have abnormal head posture. We attempted to determine the extent to which the angles are correlated with the severity of hemineglect. Methods: In a prospective, single-center, cross-sectional study on 40 patients with single right hemisphere stroke, we evaluated left hemineglect severity using the line bisection and line cancellation tests. Head deviation angles were measured at admission and discharge using a head device containing 3 graduated discs that determined the angles of head deviation in the sagittal, coronal and transverse planes. Results: Head angles in the transverse and coronal planes differed significantly between the left hemineglect and non-hemineglect groups. Scores obtained from the line bisection and line cancellation tests correlated with these angles. Furthermore, improvement in left hemineglect after rehabilitation training corresponded to a reduction in the angles. Conclusion: Stroke patients with hemineglect exhibited significant head deviations in the transverse and coronal planes. Deviation angles correlated with hemineglect test scores.