Effectiveness of Early Rehabilitation Combined With Virtual Reality Training on Muscle Strength, Mood State, and Functional Status in Patients With Acute Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Early rehabilitation has been shown to enhance functional outcomes. Whether the addition of virtual reality (VR) training could further improve muscle strength, mood state, and functional status for patients with acute stroke is unknown. AIMS: To investigate the effectiveness of VR training on muscle strength, mood state (depression, anxiety), and functional status in patients following acute stroke. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Patients with acute ischemic stroke (N = 152) were selected and randomly assigned with a 1:3 randomization ratio to either experimental group (EG) or comparison group (CG). Both groups received early rehabilitation. The EG received an extra 5 days of VR training (15 min of time, two times a day), started 24 hr to 3 days poststroke. Muscle strength, mood state, and functional status were collected at admission and at the day of discharge. Generalized estimating equations were applied to examine the intervention effects. RESULTS: A total of 143 participants (94%) completed the study, and 145 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Participants in the EG reported increased muscle strength of upper and lower limbs in both affected and unaffected sides, decreased depression and anxiety, and increased functional status at discharge. When the group-time interaction was examined, the EG had greater increased upper limb muscle strength of the unaffected side (ß = 0.34, p < .001) and decreased depression and anxiety scores (ß = -2.31, p = .011; ß = -1.63, p = .047) at discharge compared with the CG. However, there was no difference in the functional status change scores from baseline between EG and CG. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: A poststroke program that includes both early rehabilitation and VR training has greater benefit in relation to mood state and muscle strength at discharge than early rehabilitation alone. Therefore, an early physical rehabilitation program that includes VR training for acute stroke inpatients should be considered for implementation in clinical settings.

Effects of a 12-week moderate-intensity exercise training on blood glucose response in patients with type 2 diabetes: A prospective longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The blood glucose response to moderate-intensity exercise remains unclear for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In addition, little is known about determinants of blood glucose response to a 12-week moderate-intensity exercise training. Therefore, this study aimed to explore trends in blood glucose in response to a 12-week moderate-intensity exercise training in patients with T2DM and to explore the predictors of post-exercise blood glucose (PEBG) and exercise-induced glucose response (EIGR). METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted. Of the 66 participants with T2DM recruited from outpatient clinics of a medical center, 20 were eligible to enroll in a 12-week moderate-intensity exercise training. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 exercise times (morning, afternoon, or evening). Blood glucose were measured pre- and post-exercise. The EIGR was calculated by subtracting the PEBG from the before-exercise blood glucose (BEBG). Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the trends and predictors of PEBG and EIGR. RESULTS: The BEBG declined progressively (ß = -1.69, P < .001); while the PEBG (ß = -0.18, P = .08) remained stable over time during the 12-week exercise training. Higher BEBG predicted higher (ß = 0.53, P < .001) PEBG. Higher baseline maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) contributed to a larger magnitude of EIGR; higher HgbA1c and BEBG predicted higher EIGR (ß = 0.27, P = .02; ß = 0.45, P < .001); afternoon or evening exercise predicted lower (ß = -13.2, P = .04; ß = -5.96, P = .005) EIGR than did morning exercise. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-week moderate-intensity exercise training appears safe for patients with T2DM. Time of day for exercise, baseline VO2max, and baseline metabolic control may influence the impact of exercise for individuals with T2DM. These findings provide considerations for design of optimal exercise training for T2DM patients.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale.

PURPOSE: The chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CiTAS) is a reliable and valid instrument to comprehensively assess patients' taste alterations in an easy way. We aimed to translate it and test its psychometric properties among Chinese cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHOD: A convenience sample of 227 cancer patients were recruited in a tertiary cancer hospital in Beijing. The Chinese version of the CiTAS (C-CiTAS) was developed via rigorous translation methods. An exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) was used to test its construct validity. Correlations between the C-CiTAS scores and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 scores were calculated for convergent validity. The overall taste alterations scale (OTAS) score was used to test its discriminant validity. Reliabilities were also examined. RESULTS: The majority of patients undergoing chemotherapy experienced minor to mild taste alterations. The current factor analysis results using the ESEM supported the original factor solution of the CiTAS, and no item of the CiTAS was dropped. The C-CiTAS demonstrated good construct validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity. The Cronbach's alphas of the C-CiTAS were 0.900 for the overall scale and from 0.570 to 0.857 for the four subscales. Its test-retest reliability was 0.815 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the CiTAS is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate cancer patients' Chemotherapy-induced taste alterations in China.

Motivational Counseling to Reduce Sedentary Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms and Improve Health-Related Quality of Life Among Women With Metabolic Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Motivational interviewing, as a counseling approach, could promote not only behavioral changes but also individuals' psychological adaptation. Previous studies provide evidence that motivational interviewing focused on increasing physical activity decreases the risk of metabolic syndrome in women. Its effects on sedentary behaviors, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a 12-week motivational counseling program reduces sedentary behaviors and depressive symptoms and improves HRQL in Taiwanese women. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was conducted. Participants (n = 115) were randomly assigned into 3 groups: experimental group (received a brochure on lifestyle modification combined with 12 weeks of motivational counseling), comparison group (received a lifestyle modification brochure), and usual care group (UCG). Outcome variables were measured at baseline and at 12 weeks post intervention by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, and Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 Health Survey. Generalized estimating equations were applied to analyze the intervention effects of groups by interaction of group and time. RESULTS: Women in the experimental group not only reduced (P < .001) weekly sitting time by 374 minutes but also decreased (P < .05) depressive symptoms, as well as had greater overall HRQL including 8 subscales as compared with the UCG. As compared with the UCG, the women in the comparison group had no change in sedentary behaviors, but they had reduced depressive symptoms and improvement on some HRQL subscales. CONCLUSIONS: Motivational counseling that incorporates behavioral change principles is effective in reducing sedentary behaviors and depressive symptoms and improving HRQL for women with metabolic syndrome.

Effects of telephone-based motivational interviewing in lifestyle modification program on reducing metabolic risks in middle-aged and older women with metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle modification is often difficult for middle-aged and older women living in the community who are at high risk of physical inactivity and metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of telephone-based motivational interviewing in a 12-week lifestyle modification program on physical activity, MetS, metabolic risks (fasting plasma glucose, blood pressure, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and central obesity), and the number of metabolic risks in community-living middle-aged and older women diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Recruited were 328 middle-aged and older women from a community health center in Taiwan. Eligible women medically diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (n=115) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: The experimental group received an individualized telephone delivered lifestyle modification program that included motivational interviewing delivered by an experienced nurse. The brief group received a single brief lifestyle modification counseling session with a brochure. The usual care group received standard care. Physical activity was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and metabolic risks were determined by serum markers and anthropometric measures at pre- and post-intervention. One hundred women completed the study and an intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the intervention effects. RESULTS: Women in the experimental group increased physical activity from 1609 to 1892 MET-min/week (ß=846, p=.01), reduced the percentage of diagnosed with metabolic syndrome to 81.6% (ß=-0.17, p=.003), and decreased the number of metabolic risks from 4.0 to 3.6 (ß=-0.50, p<.001), compared to the usual care group (4.4-4.6). There was not a reduction in the percentage of diagnosed with metabolic syndrome in the brief group, but they had fewer metabolic risks after 12 weeks (mean=4.0 vs. 4.6, ß=-0.2, p=.02) compared to the usual care group. CONCLUSIONS: Motivational interviewing as a component of an individualized physical activity and lifestyle modification program has positive benefit in reducing metabolic risks in middle-aged and older women.

The self-care strategies of girls with primary dysmenorrhea: a focus group study in Taiwan.

Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynaecological complaint and the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absenteeism among adolescent girls. To explore adolescent girls' self-care strategies for dysmenorrhea, we conducted four focus groups in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with 23 female adolescents with primary dysmenorrhea. Thematic content analysis was used to explore and organize the data. The self-care strategies for dysmenorrhea reported by participants included reducing physical activity, modifying diet using herbal remedies or medication, applying complementary therapies, paying attention to symptom clusters of discomforts, and expressing emotions. This is the first study to describe the self-care strategies adopted by adolescent girls with dysmenorrhea in Asia. Data were analyzed in cultural contexts. Knowledge of beneficial food-related or herbal health practices can enable professionals to counsel this population more effectively.