Physical Therapy for at Least 6 Months Improves Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Long-term physical therapy helps to improve the motor symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease, but the effectiveness is not clear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of long-term physical therapy on improving motor symptoms or daily activities in Parkinson's patients with drug use or discontinuation, as well as its impact on drug treatment dose. A subgroup analysis was conducted on different treatment methods to determine the most effective treatment method. Methods: The researchers independently searched databases, including PubMed, Medline, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of science. The search deadline was June 2022. A randomized controlled trial was conducted on Parkinson's disease patients with HY stages 1-3 who received continuous physical therapy for 6 months or more. Systematic evaluation and meta-analysis were carried out by using common clinical evaluation indicators, namely, MDS-UPDRS exercise score, daily activity (ADL) score, or LED dose. The quality of the literature was assessed using the modified Jadad scale of Cochrane's bias risk tool. Results: A total of 523 Parkinson's disease patients with HY stages of 1-3 were included in the study. The results showed that long-term physical therapy could improve patients' motor symptoms with combined antiparkinsonian drugs (Z = 2.61 and P = 0.009) and had a significant positive effect on the motor symptoms of patients with discontinued antiparkinsonian drugs (Z = 2.73 and P = 0.006). Meanwhile, it could reduce the LED dose of patients with Parkinson's disease. The difference was statistically significant (Z = 2.58 and P = 0.010). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that physical therapy for at least 6 months or longer for patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's HY could effectively improve the motor symptoms of Parkinson's patients, whether or not combined with antiparkinson drugs. Meanwhile, long-term physical therapy reduced the LED dose of patients treated with drugs compared with patients in the control group who received short-term physical therapy, other types of intervention group, or no treatment.

Highly efficient reinforcement of poly-L-lactide materials by polymer blending of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer.

A novel polymer blend system consisting of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP: an aromatic polyester comprising poly(4-hydroxybenzoate) sequences) was investigated in the presence and absence of a polycabodiimide (PCD). Scanning electron micrographs of the injection-molded polymer blends revealed the formation of fibrous structure of LCP in the PLLA matrix, supporting the efficient toughening. In particular, the LCP fibrils became semimicrometer in diameter in the presence of PCD with which both PLLA and LCP had reacted during the melt blending to form their block and graft copolymers working as compatibilizer. The blend specimens containing LCP in 20-30 wt % were found to hold high dynamic storage-moduli (E') at high temperature. In addition, the E' value of the specimens containing 30 wt % of LCP reached 10.7 GPa at room temperature, being significantly higher than that of PLLA.