Scapular kinesiotaping improves upper extremity functionality in healthy active subjects

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of scapular kinesiotaping and sham-taping applications on upper extremity functionality in healthy active subjects. METHODS: In total, 60 participants were randomly divided into two groups: scapular kinesiotaping group (n=30) and sham-taping group (n=30). While scapular kinesiotaping was applied to the kinesiotaping group, scapular rigid taping was applied to the sham-taping group. At the end of the third day of the taping application, the individuals were re-evaluated. RESULTS: Participants in the scapular kinesiotaping group showed improvement in upper extremity functionality and quality of life after taping (p<0.05). In the sham-taping group, there was no statistically significant difference after taping (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Scapular kinesiotaping is effective in improving upper extremity functionality in healthy active subjects.

The impact of Chikungunya chronic arthralgia on women's upper limbs motor function: a cross-sectional study / O impacto da artralgia crônica pós-Chikungunya na função motora dos membros superiores de mulheres: um estudo transversal / El impacto de la artralgia crónica poschikunguña en la función motora del miembro superior de mujeres: un estudio transversal

ABSTRACT Post-Chikungunya chronic arthralgia (PCCA) may lead to musculoskeletal repercussions and functional loss. The objective was to assess the upper limb physical disability and symptoms during daily, work, and leisure activities of women presenting PCCA compared to healthy controls (HC). This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 52 women. The participants were divided into PCCA (37) and HC (15) groups. Handgrip strength, range of motion, level of pain (numerical rating scale), and participants' physical disability and symptoms (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire - DASH) were evaluated. Differences between groups were evaluated using the Students t-test and Pearson's correlations. The chi-square test was applied for categorical variables. The significance was set at α=0.05. The disease duration was 19.5±13.1 months. We found no differences between groups for peak force (PCAA:23.6±7.4kgf; HC: 24.5±6.2kgf; p=0.676). The results showed a significant difference between groups regarding range of motion (PCCA: 63.5±17.3o; HC: 77.2±9.6o), level of hand pain (PCCA: 5.8±2.2; HC: 0.4±1.5), and upper limbs functional levels (PCCA: 44.5±17.4; HC: 16.2±20.5). Participants related severe difficulty or inability to perform tasks such as opening a jar (78.4%), placing objects above head height (48.7%), doing heavy household chores (56.8%), and gardening (51.4%). Impairment in the upper limb physical function in daily, work, and leisure activities shows the higher prevalence in the long-term.

RESUMO A artralgia crônica pós-Chikungunya (ACPC) pode gerar repercussões musculoesqueléticas e perda funcional. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a incapacidade física e os sintomas de membros superiores de mulheres com ACPC durante atividades diárias, laborais e de lazer comparadas aos controles saudáveis (CS). Para tanto, realizou-se um estudo transversal conduzido com 52 mulheres. As participantes foram divididas entre os grupos com ACPC (37) e CS (15). Foram avaliados força de preensão, amplitude de movimento (ADM), nível de dor (escala numérica de dor) e incapacidade física e sintomas por meio do Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (Dash). Diferenças entre os grupos foram avaliadas pelo teste t de Student e correlações de Pearson. O teste qui-quadrado foi utilizado para variáveis categóricas e α=0,05 foi estabelecido como nível de significância. Verificou-se que a duração da ACPC foi de 19,5±13,1 meses. Não houve diferença entre os grupos para a força pico (ACPC: 23,6±7,4kgf; CS: 24,5±6,2kgf; p=0,676). Os resultados demonstraram diferença significativa entre os grupos em termos de ADM (ACPC: 63,5±17,3o; CS: 77,2±9,6o), nível de dor nas mãos (ACPC: 5,8±2,2; CS: 0,4±1,5) e níveis funcionais dos membros superiores (ACPC: 44,5±17,4; CS: 16,2±20,5). As participantes relataram extrema dificuldade ou incapacidade para realizar tarefas como abrir um pote (78,4%), colocar objetos em um local acima da cabeça (48,7%), realizar atividades domésticas pesadas (56,8%) e atividades de jardinagem (51,4%). Conclui-se que a função física dos membros superiores durante as atividades diárias, laborais e de lazer constitui o maior comprometimento apresentado a longo prazo.

RESUMEN La artralgia crónica poschikunguña (ACPC) puede tener como efecto repercusiones musculoesqueléticas y pérdida funcional. En este sentido, el objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la discapacidad física y los síntomas de miembros superiores de mujeres con ACPC durante las actividades diarias, laborales y de ocio en comparación con controles sanos (CS). Por ello, se realizó un estudio transversal con 52 mujeres. Las participantes se dividieron en los grupos ACPC (37) y CS (15). La fuerza de agarre, el rango de movimiento (ROM), el nivel de dolor (escala numérica de dolor), la discapacidad física y los síntomas se evaluaron mediante el Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (Dash). Las diferencias entre los grupos se evaluaron con la aplicación de la prueba t de Student y las correlaciones de Pearson. Se utilizó la prueba de chi-cuadrado para las variables categóricas y se estableció como nivel de significación α=0,05. Se encontró que la duración de la ACPC fue de 19,5±13,1 meses. No hubo diferencia entre los grupos para la fuerza máxima (ACPC: 23,6±7,4kgf; CS: 24,5±6,2kgf; p=0,676). Los resultados mostraron una diferencia significativa entre los grupos respecto al ROM (ACPC: 63,5±17,3o; CS: 77,2±9,6o), el nivel de dolor en la mano (ACPC: 5,8±2,2; CS: 0,4±1,5) y los niveles funcionales de miembros superiores (ACPC: 44,5±17,4; CS: 16,2±20,5). Las participantes informaron una extrema dificultad o incapacidad para realizar tareas como abrir un frasco (78,4%), poner objetos en un lugar más alto (48,7%), realizar actividades domésticas pesadas (56,8%) y actividades de jardinería (51,4%). Se concluyó que la función física de los miembros superiores durante las actividades diarias, laborales y de ocio constituye el mayor compromiso a largo plazo.

Effect of sling exercise therapy combined with Tuina on nerve conduction of upper extremities after radicular cervical spondylosis / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To observe the effect sling exercise therapy (SET) and Tuina on radicular cervical spondylosis. Methods From August, 2015 to December, 2016, 72 patients with radicular cervical spondylosis were randomly divided into control group (n = 36) and trial group (n = 36), who accepted traction and SET+Tuina, respectively, for four weeks. They were measured F-wave conduction velocity with electromyogram from median nerve and ulnar nerve, somatosensory evoked potential (SEP), and current perception threshold (CPT) before and after treatment. The clinical ratio of improvement was calculated. Results The ratio of improvement was 83.33% in the trial group more than 58.33% in the control group (Z = 2.093, P < 0.05). F-wave conduction velocity increased in both groups after treatment (t > 12.059, P < 0.001), and increased more in the trial group than in the control group (t > 3.266, P < 0.01); while the latency of SEP decreased in N9 and N13 in both groups (t > 7.061, P < 0.001), and decreased more in the trial group than in the control group (t > 8.033, P < 0.001); the grade of CPT decreased in both groups (t > 8.895, P < 0.001), and decreased more in the trial group than in the control group (t = 8.913, P < 0.001). Conclusion The combination of SET and Tuina can promote the repair of nerve conduction of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.

Assessment of the upper limbs maximum power and the locomotion speed in amputee football players

Abstract Aim: The purpose of the study was to assess upper limbs' maximum power and locomotion speed among amputee football (amputee soccer) players. Methods: The 30-s Wingate Anaerobic test and the 20-m sprint test were performed. Anthropometric measurements and body composition (Body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat (% BF), and lean body mass (LBM)) were examined. Results: BMI significantly differentiated forwards and defenders (p < 0.05). Peak power (PP) and mean power (MP) were related to LBM (p < 0.05), thus defenders reached higher values of PP, in comparison to forwards. % BF and BMI were related to relative mean power (rMP) (p < 0.05). Field position differentiated players in terms of upper limbs' relative peak power (rPP) in favour of forwards (p < 0.05). Age was a significant factor for speed velocity on 10 m and 20 m (p < 0.05). There was no relationship between upper limbs' power and locomotion speed. Conclusion: Body composition, especially % BF may influence on the anaerobic performance of amputee football players.

The effectiveness of virtual reality therapy in relieving upper limb hemiparesis after stroke:A meta-analysis of randomized and controlled trials / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of using virtual reality ( VR) to improve the upper limb function of hemiplegic persons. Methods A search was conducted in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, EM-BASE, CNKI and Wanfang Data as well as VIP for reports of randomized and controlled studies of using VR in train-ing upper limb function after stroke. A meta-analysis was then performed using version 5. 3 of the Review Manager software. Results Ninety studies involving 879 patients were found and analyzed. The data showed that VR was sig-nificantly more effective than conventional training in improving Fugl-Meyer assessment scores. It was not superior, however, in improving average Functional Independence Measure scores or performance in the box and blocks test. Conclusion VR is superior to conventional training in promoting the recovery of upper limb function after a stroke.

Effects of Mirror Visual Feedback on Cognition and Upper Limb Function for Stroke Patients / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the clinical effects of the mirror neuron system based mirror visual feedback (MVF) training on both upper-limbs motor function and cognitive function in patients after stroke. Methods:From October, 2016 to July, 2017, 60 stroke patients were randomly divided into control group (n = 30) and treatment group (n = 30). Both groups accepted routine upper limb motor function and cognitive function training, and the treatment group accepted Mirror Neuron System Training (MNST) in addition. Before and eight weeks after treatment, they were assessed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment, reaction time, Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities, modified Barthel Index and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Results:Both groups improved in all the indices after treatment (t > 3.915P < 0.001), and the indices improved more in the treatment group than in the control group (t > 2.452, P < 0.05). Conclusion:MVF based on routine rehabilitation may further improve both the upper limb motor function and cognitive function for stroke patients.

Effects of Action Observation Training on Motor Function of Upper Extremities after Stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the effects of action observation training based on mirror neuron system on motor function of upper extremities in stroke patients. Methods:From June, 2016 to June, 2017, 61 stroke patients were randomly assigned to control group (n = 30) and observation group (n = 31). They all accepted routine rehabilitation, and the observation group received action observation therapy in addition, for eight weeks. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities, modified Ashworth Scale and modified Barthel Index before and after treatment. Results:All the indexes improved in both groups after treatment (|t| > 2.651, P < 0.05), and improved more in the observation group than in the control group (|t| > 2.048, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The action observation training may further improve the upper extremity motor function in stroke patients.

Common Upper Extremity Disorders and Function Affect Upper Extremity-Related Quality of Life: A Community-Based Sample from Rural Areas

PURPOSE: Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMDs), such as rotator cuff tear, epicondylitis, and hand osteoarthritis, have a negative impact on quality of life (QOL). In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of rotator cuff tear, lateral and medial epicondylitis, and hand osteoarthritis in the dominant side and the impact of these UEMDs on the disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) outcome measure, which assesses upper extremity-related QOL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2013–2015, 987 participants from rural areas completed a questionnaire and underwent physical examinations, laboratory tests, simple radiographic evaluations of bilateral upper extremities, and magnetic resonance imaging studies of bilateral shoulders. Based on data from these participants, researchers evaluated DASH and performed a functional assessment of each region of the dominant side and related UEMDs. RESULTS: The prevalences of epicondylitis, rotator cuff tear, and hand osteoarthritis were 33.7%, 53.4%, and 44.6%, respectively. Univariate regression analysis results revealed that epicondylitis, epicondylitis+rotator cuff tear, epicondylitis+hand osteoarthritis, and epicondylitis+rotator cuff tear+hand osteoarthritis were significantly associated with DASH score. Multiple regression analysis, including DASH, UEMD, and regional functional assessments, showed that only epicondylitis and epicondylitis+rotator cuff tear were associated with DASH score. CONCLUSION: Epicondylitis significantly affected QOL, while other UEMDs, such as hand osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tear, had no significant impact. When a patient's QOL is affected by a UEMD, there is an increased possibility of the simultaneous presence of other UEMDs.

Feasibility of Multi-dimensional Visual Hand Function Rehabilitation Quantitative Assessment System in Assessing Hand Function for Stroke Patients / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To investigate the feasibility of Multi-dimensional Visual Hand Function Rehabilitation Quantitative Assessment System in the assessment of hand function for stroke patients. Methods From November, 2017 to July, 2018, 17 stroke inpatients were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment-upper extremities (FMA-UE) and the Multi-dimensional Assessment System. Results The results of Multi-dimensional Assessment System positively correlated with the score of FMA-UE (r = 0.609, P = 0.010). Conclusion The Multi-dimensional Visual Hand Function Rehabilitation Quantitative Assessment System can be used to assess the hand function for stroke patients quantitatively.

Mirror therapy combined with acupuncture can improve the upper extremity function of stroke survivors / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To explore the effects of mirror therapy combined with Tongdu Xingshen acupuncture on the upper extremity function of stroke survivors.Methods Sixty stroke survivors were randomly divided into a mirror group (n =20),an acupuncture group (n =20) and a combined group (n =20).In addition to routine rehabilitation treatment,those in each group received mirror therapy,acupuncture or both for 4 weeks.Before the treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment,all of the patients were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer motor function assessment (FMA),Brunnstrom upper limb and hand staging (BSULH),the Barthel Index (BI) and in terms of the active range of motion in the wrist contralateral to their hemiplegia (AROM).The combined group was also evaluated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before treatment and after the 4 weeks.Results After 2 and 4 weeks of the treatment,the average BI,AROM,FMA and BSULH results had improved significantly compared with before the treatment.The improvements in the combined group were significantly greater than in the other groups after 2 and 4 weeks.The fMRI demonstrated that there were high-intensity signals in the primary motor area,the premotor area and the supplementary motor area on the affected side after 4 weeks of treatment.Conclusions Mirror therapy combined with Tungdu Xingshen acupuncture can improve the functional performance of the upper extremities of stroke survivors.

Correlation between Carroll Upper Extremities Functional Test and Fine Motor Domain of Gesell Developmental Scale in Children with Cerebral Palsy / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To investigate if Carroll Upper Extremities Functional Test (UEFT) is a better rating scale for evaluating fine mo-tor function in children with cerebral palsy. Methods From January, 2011 to January, 2014, 104 children with cerebral palsy were divided in-to non-hemiplegic palsy group (n=76) and hemiplegic palsy group (n=28), they were assessed by two certified valuers in one week. Their fine motor function was evaluated with UEFT and the Gesell Developmental Scale. The scores of UEFT were compared respectively with the developmental age (DA) and developmental quotient (DQ) in fine motor domain of Gesell Developmental Scale. At the same time, the UEFT score of the affected limb was compared with of the unaffected limb in children with hemiplegic palsy. Results In the non-hemiplegic palsy group, the UEFT score strongly correlated with DA (r=0.752, P0.05). The UEFT score of unaffected limb was significantly higher than that of the affected limb (Z=-4.708, P<0.001). Conclusion Both of UEFT and the Ge-sell Developmental Scale could be used clinically in assessment of fine motor function in children with cerebral palsy. The UEFT was better in evaluating children with hemiplegic palsy.

Robots for the rehabilitation of upper limb motor function after stroke / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To observe the effect of robot-assisted upper limb training on the recovery of upper limb motor function after stroke.Methods One hundred patients within one month of suffering a stroke were randomly divided into a control group (50 cases) and a therapy group (50 cases).Both groups were given conventional drug therapy and rehabilitation training,while the therapy group also received robot-assisted training once a day,5 days per week for 12 weeks.The Fugl-Meyer assessment for the upper extremities (FMA-UE),the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) and the modified Barthel index (MBI) were used to evaluate the subjects before the experiment and after 4,8 and 12 weeks of treatment.Results During the treatment,the average FMA-UE scores and the average MBI of both groups increased gradually.The treatment group's averages were significantly better than those of the control group at each time point,except that there was no significant difference in elbow and wrist MAS scores.Conclusion Upper limb robots can be used with acute stroke patients in a clinical setting,and they may be beneficial for improving upper limb function and ability in the activities of daily living.

Surface-electromyographic analysis of the upper extremity muscles can aid in the rehabilitation of hemiparet-ic stroke survivors / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To explore any changes in the surface electromyography ( sEMG) signals measured from the biceps brachii, flexor pollicis brevis and the first dorsal interosseous muscles of stroke survivors with hemipa-resis during maximum isometric voluntary contractions. To correlate them with motor function recovery so as to provide a reference in making up individualized rehabilitation programs. Methods Twenty stroke survivors with hemiparesis were selected as the experimental group, and 10 healthy counterparts were recruited as the control group. For all of them, sEMG signals were recorded bilaterally from the biceps brachii, flexor pollicis brevis and the first dorsal in-terosseous muscles during maximum isometric voluntary contractions involving elbow flexion, thumb flexion and index finger abduction. For the stroke patients, such recording was performed repeatedly on the paretic side during the course of convalescence. Both root-mean-square ( RMS) amplitude and median frequency ( MDF) were calculated for the recorded surface EMG signals. The upper-extremity component of the Fugl-Meyer assessment scale ( FMA-UE) and manual testing ( MMT) of each muscle examined were performed with each stroke patient to assess motor function and upper extremity muscle strength. Results There were no significant differences in either RMS amplitude or MDF between the left and right sides of the healthy control subjects. Significant differences in both RMS amplitude and MDF were observed for the stroke survivors and between their values and those of the controls. The patients′unaf-fected side had significantly larger RMS amplitude and MDF than either side of the healthy control group. For the af-fected side of the stroke patients, both RMS amplitude and MDF tended to increase during the course of rehabilita-tion, with significant differences between the values obtained at the first and the last sessions. The FMA-UE scores and MMT results on the affected side were positively correlated with the RMS amplitudes and MDF results for the up-per extremity muscles. Conclusions Surface electromyography is able to reflect the rehabilitation process and the recovery of muscle strength and motor function. It can be considered as a quantitative index for evaluating rehabilita-tion and a useful reference for designing targeted functional training programs.

Effect of Arm Spasticity Inhibitor on Upper Extremities Spasticity with Shoulder Subluxation after Stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To observe the effect of Arm Spasticity Inhibitor worn in rehabilitation training on patients with upper extremities spasticity and shoulder subluxation after stroke. Methods 80 stroke patients with flexor spasm in upper extremities complicated with sublux-ation of shoulder were divided into treatment group and control group equally. Both groups accepted routine medicine and rehabilitation, and the treatment group wore the Arm Spasticity Inhibitor developed ourselves during the rehabilitation training. Their acromio-humeral in-terval (AHI) was measured with the X-ray; and they were assessed with modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), range of motion of shoulder (ROM) and elbow before and 2 months after treatment. Results It improved more in the AHI, score of MAS and ROM in the treatment group than in the control group after treatment (P<0.001). Conclusion Wearing Arm Spasticity Inhibitor during rehabilitation training may release the spasticity of upper extremities and shoulder subluxation, and improve shoulder function in patients after stroke.

Brain Plasticity of Upper Extremity Motor Function Recovery after Stroke: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To explore brain plasticity of upper extremities motor function recovery after stroke with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods 25 stroke patients with internal capsule lesions and affected corticospinal tract (CST), 4-8 weeks after onset, were divided randomly into rehabilitation group (n=13) and control group (n=12). Both groups received routine medication and the rehabilitation group also received rehabilitation. All the patients were scanned with DTI and assessed with upper extremity Fugl-Myer Assessment (UE-FMA) before and 3 months after treatment. The fractional anisotropy (FA), FA ratio (rFA) and FA asymmetry (FAasy) in cerebral peduncle, posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC) and corona radiate were obtained. The bilateral corticospinal tracts were reconstructed with diffusion tensor tractography. Results The scores of UE-FMA increased in both groups after treatment (P<0.05), and increased more in the rehabilitation group than in the control group (P<0.05). There was significant difference in FA, rFA and FAasy in the corona radiate section of CST after treatment in the rehabilitation group (P<0.05), but was not in the cerebral peduncle and PLIC section. However, there was no significant differences in FA, rFA and FAasy in the control group. The ipsilesional CST fibers were more compact after treatment in the rehabilitation group. Conclusion Rehabilitation can improve the upper extremities function recovery after stroke, which may associated with the repairment of CST in the corona radiate section.

Effect of Arm Spasticity Inhibitor on Upper Extremities Spasticity with Shoulder Subluxation after Stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To observe the effect of Arm Spasticity Inhibitor worn in rehabilitation training on patients with upper extremities spasticity and shoulder subluxation after stroke. Methods 80 stroke patients with flexor spasm in upper extremities complicated with subluxation of shoulder were divided into treatment group and control group equally. Both groups accepted routine medicine and rehabilitation, and the treatment group wore the Arm Spasticity Inhibitor developed ourselves during the rehabilitation training. Their acromio-humeral interval (AHI) was measured with the X- ray; and they were assessed with modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), range of motion of shoulder (ROM) and elbow before and 2 months after treatment. Results It improved more in the AHI, score of MAS and ROM in the treatment group than in the control group after treatment (P<0.001). Conclusion Wearing Arm Spasticity Inhibitor during rehabilitation training may release the spasticity of upper extremities and shoulder subluxation, and improve shoulder function in patients after stroke.

Brain Plasticity of Upper Extremity Motor Function Recovery after Stroke:A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To explore brain plasticity of upper extremities motor function recovery after stroke with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods 25 stroke patients with internal capsule lesions and affected corticospinal tract (CST), 4-8 weeks after onset, were divided randomly into rehabilitation group (n=13) and control group (n=12). Both groups received routine medication and the rehabilitation group al-so received rehabilitation. All the patients were scanned with DTI and assessed with upper extremity Fugl-Myer Assessment (UE-FMA) be-fore and 3 months after treatment. The fractional anisotropy (FA), FA ratio (rFA) and FA asymmetry (FAasy) in cerebral peduncle, posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC) and corona radiate were obtained. The bilateral corticospinal tracts were reconstructed with diffusion tensor tractography. Results The scores of UE-FMA increased in both groups after treatment (P<0.05), and increased more in the rehabilitation group than in the control group (P<0.05). There was significant difference in FA, rFA and FAasy in the corona radiate section of CST after treatment in the rehabilitation group (P<0.05), but was not in the cerebral peduncle and PLIC section. However, there was no significant dif-ferences in FA, rFA and FAasy in the control group. The ipsilesional CST fibers were more compact after treatment in the rehabilitation group. Conclusion Rehabilitation can improve the upper extremities function recovery after stroke, which may associated with the repair-ment of CST in the corona radiate section.

Effect of Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Upper Extremities of Patients with Stroke: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation(c-tDCS) on the upper extremities of patients with stroke. Methods Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Ovid,China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data and VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals were searched for the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of c-tDCS in the treatment of the upper extremities of patients with stroke from the date of establishment of the databases to July 2013. The bibliographies of the retrieved studies were also searched. 2 independent researchers evaluated the included studies using the risk of bias provided by Cochrane Library. The extracted data were analyzed by RevMan 5.1 software. Results A total of 10 trials were discovered. Compared with the sham tDCS group, the c-tDCS group which stimulated the area of primary motor cortex (M1) did not increase the score of Fugl- Meyer Assessment (upper extremity) [WMD=0.11, 95%CI: -5.77~5.99, Z=0.04, P=0.97] and Jebsen-Taylor Test [WMD=-1.52, 95%CI: -4.94~1.90, Z=0.87, P=0.38]. According to the Jadad Score of included studies, 2 of them were of low quality and 8 of them were of high quality. Conclusion Currently, no evidence shows that c-tDCS can improve the upper extremities function of stroke patients more than sham tDCS.

Application of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Stroke Patients with Upper Extremities Dysfunction (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Upper extremities dysfunction seriously impacted quality of life and independent self-care ability in patients after stroke. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation has been proved to be an effective method for upper extremities dysfunction rehabilitation. Clini-cians focused to select the proper therapeutic method according to the patient's specific condition to accelerate the upper limb rehabilitation. This article summarized the clinical application researches of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in stroke patients with upper ex-tremities dysfunction.

The reliability of four motor function tests for assessing upper extremity motor function in stroke patients / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To investigate the test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability of the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA),Wolf's motor function test (WMFT),the box-block test (BBT) and the nine-hole peg test (NHPT) in assessing the upper limb motor function of stroke patients.Methods Eighteen stroke patients participated in the study.Each patient was assessed twice within 2 hours with the U-FMA,WMFT,the BBT and the NHPT.Two raters recorded each session separately.Test-retest reliability was investigated by comparing the assessment results of different sessions; interrater reliability was identified by analyzing the assessment results of different raters.Results The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for the U-FMA were 0.988 on test-retest reliability and 0.959 on inter-rater reliability.The ICC of WMFT by mean and median time were respectively 0.996 and 0.393 on test-retest reliability and both 1.000 on inter-rater reliability.The ICC of WMFT by score mean was O.989 for test-retest reliability and 0.977 for inter-rater reliability.The ICC for test-retest reliability of the BBT using affected hand counts and the difference in counts between the affected and un-affected hand were respectively 0.975 and 0.982.The ICC of the NHPT using affected hand times and the difference between the affected hand and unaffected hand times were respectively 0.937 and 0.936 for test-retest reliability,and both 1.000 for inter-rater reliability.Conclusion The U-FMA,WMFT,the BBT and the NHPT are all measurements with good test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability.They are reliable for assessing the upper extremity motor function of stroke patients.