ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese massage therapy (Tui Na) for patients with post-stroke spasticity. DESIGN: A prospective, multicenter, blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention trial. SUBJECT: A total of 90 patients with post-stroke spasticity were randomly assigned to the experimental (Tui Na therapy) group ( n = 45) or control (placebo Tui Na therapy) group ( n = 45). INTERVENTION: Participants in the experimental group received Tui Na therapy, while those in the control group received placebo-Tai Na (gentle rubbing) for 20-25 minutes per limb, once per day, five days per week for a total of four weeks. All participants in both groups received conventional rehabilitation. MAIN MEASURE: The Modified Ashworth Scale, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and the Modified Barthel Index were used to assess the severity of spasticity, motor function of limbs and activities of daily living, respectively. Assessments were performed at baseline, at four weeks and at three months. RESULTS: Tui Na group had a significantly greater reduction in Modified Ashworth Scale in only four muscle groups than the control did (elbow flexors, P = 0.026; wrist flexors, P = 0.005; knee flexors, P = 0.023; knee extensors, P = 0.017). Improvements were sustained at three months follow-up. There was no significant difference between the two groups in Fugl-Meyer Assessment ( P = 0.503) and Modified Barthel Index ( P = 0.544). No adverse reaction was recorded in any of the cases mentioned at all study sites. CONCLUSIONS: Tui Na might be a safe and effective treatment to reduce post-stroke spasticity of several muscle groups.
Subject(s)
Massage/methods , Muscle Spasticity/rehabilitation , Muscle Strength/physiology , Stroke Rehabilitation/methods , Stroke/complications , Adult , Aged , Double-Blind Method , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods , Middle Aged , Muscle Spasticity/etiology , Normal Distribution , Patient Safety , Prospective Studies , Risk Assessment , Statistics, Nonparametric , Stroke/diagnosis , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Multifunctional nanoparticles which integrate the therapeutic agents and bio-imaging agents into one carrier are emerging as a promising therapeutic platform. Herein, GaOOH:Cr(3+) was firstly synthesized using improved hydrothermal method (atmospheric pressure, 95 °C), and by manipulating the pH of the reaction medium, GaOOH:Cr(3+) with different sizes (125.70 nm, 200.60 nm and 313.90 nm) were synthesized. Then ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+) nanoparticles with porous structures were developed as a result of the calcination of GaOOH:Cr(3+). The fabricated, porous ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+) nanoparticles could effectively absorb doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) (loading rate: 8% approximately) and had near infrared photoluminescence with a 695 nm emission. Furthermore, ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+) nanoparticles were coated with l-Cys modified hyaluronic acid (HA-Cys) by exploiting the electrostatic interaction and the cross-link effect of disulfide bond to improve the stability. The DOX loaded HA-Cys coated ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+) nanoparticles (HA/ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+)/DOX) showed an oxidation-reduction sensitive drug release behavior. The HA-Cys coated ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+) nanoparticles showed a low cytotoxicity on MCF-7 and Hela cell lines. The cellular uptake of HA/ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+)/DOX using the near infrared photoluminescence of ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+) nanoparticles and the fluorescence of DOX demonstrated the HA/ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+)/DOX could internalize into tumor cells quickly, which was affected by the size and shape of ß-Ga2O3:Cr(3+)nanoparticles.
