Comparison of electrical stimulation and isometric training on isokinetic strength of knee extensors: a randomized clinical trial

The purposes of this study were [1] to investigate and [2] to compare effects of isometric exercises and electrical stimulation on isokinetic strength for healthy quadriceps femoris muscle. Twenty healthy volunteers [range, 20-25; mean age, 20.9 +/- 1.1 yr] participated in the study. All participants were divided into two groups [Group I and Group II]. Each group consisted of 10 subjects. While Group I received electrical stimulation with Russian current, Group II trained with maximal volunteer isometric exercises [10s contraction and 50 s relaxing periods with 10 repetitions] for three days per week for six weeks. Before and after the training program, each subject was evaluated using the following tests; anthropometrical measurements, fixed weight repetition, step-up, decline squat, single leg hop, and isokinetic assessments [peak torque, work per repetition, initial peak torque, fatigue index, total work done,%BW]. After a 6-week training program, significant differences in terms of physical functioning and isokinetic parameters in the two groups were found [p<0.05]. Physical functioning and isokinetic strength of quadriceps femoris muscle were seen to be increased in two group after training programs [p<0.05]. There were no significant differences between the groups [p>0.05]. Quadriceps femoris hypertrophy was only found in electrical stimulation group [p<0.05]. The results obtained from this study show that the two strengthening techniques just used in the study can be used to improve muscle strength, performance and isokinetic parameters in healthy quadriceps femoris muscle [p<0.05]. But, there is no superiority on each other. In conclusion, these results indicate that electrical stimulation and maximal volunteer isometric exercises can be used to increase isokinetic strength as an alternative for isokinetic dynamometer in clinical setting

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the CDC Hrqol-4 scale in patients with chronic low back pain

This study investigates reliability and validity of Turkish version of CDC Core Healthy Days Measures assessing health related quality of life [CDC HRQOL-4] in chronic low back pain [CLBP] patients. One hundred eighty nine CLBP patients and 117 healthy controls participated. All respondents filled the following scales; the CDC HRQOL-4, Rolland Morris Questionnaire [RMQ], and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HAD]. Cronbach's alpha of CDC HRQOL-4-items in CLBP patients was 0.69. Of 57.1% CLBP patients and 13.7% healthy controls defined their health status as fair or poor. The number of physically and mentally unhealthy days, and activity limitation days was found to be higher in the CLBP patients than the healthy controls [p<0.05]. The CLBP patients with fair or poor health reported more physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, and activity limitation days than the CLBP patients with excellent, very good, or good health [p<0.05]. Correlation coefficients between physically unhealthy days [r=0.30] and activity limitation days [r=0.22], and RMQ scores were significant, but low in magnitude. Moderate correlations between mentally unhealthy days and HAD scores [r=0.41 for anxiety; r=0.39 for depression] were found. The results of this study indicate that the Turkish version of the CDC HRQOL-4 is a short, reliable and valid tool to assess HRQOL in CLBP patients

cognitive dysfunctions of multiple sclerosis: do we face from the early terms?

The diversity of physical and cognitive impairments seen in Multiple Sclerosis [MS], make it difficult to make the definition and classification of physical and cognitive disabilities and to identify the factors that influence neurorehabilitation programs and outcomes. In the view of the complexities of both Multiple Sclerosis [MS] and the rehabilitation process, this preliminary study's aim was to determine the cognitive dysfunctions by conducting on early term relapsing-remitting MS [RRMS] patients. Cognitive performances of 27 early term RRMS patients and 27 individually s ex-age matched volunteer healthy controls [HC] were compared. Each patient underwent a complete clinical assessment, including depression, disability and comprehensive cognitive function [attention: Stroop tests, memory and perception: Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised [WMS-R] subtests]. There were statistically significant differences between groups for all subtests of Stroop [p<0.05], WMS-Digit Span [p<0.05], WMS-Logical Memory [p<0.001] and WMS-Visual Reproduction [p<0.001]. The significance remained while the depression's effect was controlled. There was a statistically significant difference between visual reproduction of immediate [WMS-VRI] and delayed [WMS-VRD] memory in RRMS patient group [p<0.05]. In the light of results it was recorded that, deficient cognitive performance is predominantly apparent in early term RRMS patients. Cognitive assessment and rehabilitation must be in the context of multidisciplinary rehabilitation of RRMS patients from the early terms