ABSTRACT
The reliability of surface electromyographic [sEMG] variables during swallowing determines the potential usefulness of these measures in swallowing assessment and treatment. This study aimed to establish the reliability of the sEMG measures of the swallowing function of muscles during different swallowing conditions in healthy young and old volunteers. Two groups of volunteers [24 older adults, 10 younger adults] participated in this cross-sectional study during 2014. The activity of masseter, submental, and infrahyoid groups were measured using sEMG during three repetitions of different swallowing tasks. Both the relative and absolute reliability [characterized respectively by ICC, SEM%, and SRD%] were calculated for the sEMG indices of muscle activity during swallowing events. Statistical analyses were performed by the SPSS 19.0 and Microsoft Excel 2007 software packages. Statistical significance was set at P
ABSTRACT
Aphasia is prevalent in people following stroke, which can have a significant impact on the quality of life of the patients with stroke. One of the new methods for treatment of patients with aphasia is constraint-induced aphasia therapy [CIAT]. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CIAT on naming deficits in individuals with chronic aphasia. This study had a prospective, single-subject study with A-B-A design. The CIAT was administered to two patients with chronic aphasia. Participants were a 57-year-old male and a 45-year-old female and had a stroke 60 and 36 months ago, respectively. In this study, the naming test was used as the outcome measure. The naming test was administered in three baseline sessions with 1 week interval between tests [phase A]. Patients received CIAT for four consecutive weeks [3 days/week]. Four measurements were taken during the treatment phase [phase B]. In follow-up phase [phase A] two other measurements were performed. Visual analysis consisting of level, regression line, and variability were used to determine the effects of CIAT on naming. Both participants increased scores on naming test after phase A and B. The mean of the naming score improved from the baseline to the intervention phase in both participants. There was a positive trend in naming scores during the treatment phase compared with the trend in the baseline demonstrated by both participants. The results of this study showed that the CIAT can be effective in improving the naming deficit in patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia
ABSTRACT
The Modified Tardieu Scale [MTS] is a clinical scale for measuring the degree of muscle spasticity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the MTS in measuring poststroke knee extensor spasticity. This was a cross-sectional study performed in 2012 at a university clinic of neurological physiotherapy in Tehran, Iran, with repeated measurements. In the present study, 15 poststroke patients with a mean age of 53.8 +/- 14.0 years and mean time since stroke of 40.0 +/- 32.2 months participated. The knee extensor muscle spasticity was assessed using the MTS to calculate the R2-R1 as the main clinical measure. To calculate the work, an isokinetic dynamometer was used to quantify torque-angle data during passive movements at 4 speeds [60°, 120°, 180°, and 240°/sec]. The linear regression was used to calculate the slope for the work-velocity data [Joule/[degree/sec]]. There were significant differences between works done by the dynamometer at four speeds; as the speed increased the work decreased [P < 0.01]. Mean [standard deviation] slope for the work-velocity data was -0.76 [0.78]. There was no significant correlation between the dynamic component of MTS [R2-R1] and slope for the work-velocity data. The results indicate that the MTS might not be a valid measure for assessing knee extensor muscle spasticity in this sample of patients after stroke