The effects of functional action-observation training on gait function in patients with post-stroke hemiparesis: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Functional action observation (FAO) is likely to activate the corticospinal tract and is likely to increase the potential ability of a functional task. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of FAO training on gait ability in patients with post-stroke hemiparesis. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with hemiparesis caused by stroke participated in this study. All subjects had suffered from stroke for more than 6 months. Subjects received either a FAO or a general action observation (GAO) training for 30 minutes each time, five times per week, for four weeks. The GAITRite was used to measure walking velocities and spatio-temporal variables. The functional gait assessment (FGA) was used to assess gait ability. The independent t-test was used to analyze whether there were significant differences of all dependent variables between groups. RESULTS: After four weeks of training, the step length, stride length, cadence, velocity, and FGA score in FAO group were statistically different from GAO group (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that FAO is an effective and easy method for improvement of gait ability in chronic stroke patients.

The effects of upper extremity task training with symmetric abdominal muscle contraction on trunk stability and balance in chronic stroke patients.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of upper extremity task training employing the bracing method on the trunk control and balance of stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 46 stroke patients whose strokes had occurred six months or more prior to the study. The subjects were divided into two groups. One group underwent upper extremity task training with symmetric abdominal muscle contraction (bracing) applied. The other group simply underwent upper extremity task training, without bracing. [Results] The experimental group's Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) significantly increased after the intervention, whereas the control group did not see any significant difference. There was significant improvement in balance after the intervention in both the experimental group and the control group. According to the between-group comparisons, the improvements in the experimental group were significantly greater in the control group, except in the Postural Assessment Scale (PASS). [Conclusion] Based on the results of this study, upper extremity task exercises with symmetric abdominal muscle contraction, conducted as part of adult hemiplegic patients' trunk stabilization exercises, can be applied to a diverse range of hemiplegic patients and implemented as an exercise program after discharge from hospital.

The Educational and Supportive Mobile Application for Caregivers of Dementia People.

This paper presents a healthcare mobile app for caregivers of dementia patients. The app had been implemented to run on wearable and mobile devices, and it helps caregivers to take dementia test, review dementia test history, and search location of public health centers in the vicinity. The collective purpose of these features is to provide meaningful healthcare services to elderly at risk of dementia. The app uses the time and change (T&C) test for screening for dementia. The app was tried for its validity and usability for the intended purpose, and participating users were surveyed to evaluate its usefulness.