Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging of the Pyramidal Tract Can Predict the Need for Orthosis in Hemiplegic Patients With Hemorrhagic Stroke.

Diffusion tensor MR imaging of the pyramidal tract can predict the need for orthosis in hemiplegic patients with hemorrhagic stroke.

Neurol Sci. 2013 Feb 21;
Maeshima S, Osawa A, Nishio D, Hirano Y, Kigawa H, Takeda H

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used to evaluate motor functions in stroke patients. The aim of this study was to clarify whether imaging can be used to predict orthotic needs in patients with hemiplegia. We studied 25 patients (age range, 16-78 years) with intracerebral hemorrhages (putamen 15, thalamus 7, frontal subcortex 3). Diffusion tensor MR imaging was undertaken on admission at rehabilitation hospital for stroke patients. The fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the pyramidal tract was calculated. We compared the FA value in the ROI of the cerebral peduncle with the necessity for orthosis at discharge from the rehabilitation hospital. As a result, the FA values of the affected side in patients who needed orthosis at discharge were lower than those in patients who did not need orthosis. There was no significant difference in the FA values of the unaffected side. We concluded that the need for orthosis in patients with hemiplegia after stroke rehabilitation could be predicted using the diffusion tensor MR images of corticospinal tractography. HubMed – rehab

Cognitive remediation in schizophrenia.

Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2012 Dec; 10(3): 125-35
Kaneko Y, Keshavan M

Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are pervasive, severe, and largely independent of the positive and negative symptoms of the illness. These deficits are increasingly considered to be core features of schizophrenia with evidence that the extent of cognitive impairment is the most salient predictor of daily functioning. Unfortunately, current schizophrenia treatment has been limited in addressing the cognitive deficits of the illness. Alterations in neuroplasticity are hypothesized to underpin these cognitive deficits, though preserved neuroplasticity may offer an avenue towards cognitive remediation. Key neuroplastic principles to consider in designing remediation interventions include ensuring sufficient intensity and duration of remediation programs, “bottom-up” training that proceeds from simple to complex cognitive processes, and individual tailoring of remediation regimens. We discuss several cognitive remediation programs, including cognitive enhancement therapy, which embrace these principles to target neurocognitive and social cognitive improvements and which havebeen demonstrated to be effective in schizophrenia. Future directions in cognitive remediation research include potential synergy with pharmacologic treatment, non-invasive stimulation techniques, and psychosocial interventions, identification of patient characteristics that predict outcome with cognitive remediation, and increasing the access to these interventions in front-line settings. HubMed – rehab

[Dysphagia management of acute and long-term critically ill intensive care patients.]

Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed. 2013 Feb 22;
Zielske J, Bohne S, Axer H, Brunkhorst FM, Guntinas-Lichius O

Dysphagia is a severe complication in critically ill patients and affects more than half the patients in an intensive care unit. Dysphagia also has a strong impact on morbidity and mortality. Risk factors for the development of dysphagia are neurological diseases, age >55-70 years, intubation >7 days and sepsis. With increasing numbers of long-term survivors chronic dysphagia is becoming an increasing problem. There is not much knowledge on the influence of specific diseases, including the direct impact of sepsis on the development of dysphagia. Fiberoptic evaluation of swallowing is a standardized tool for bedside evaluation, helping to plan swallowing training during the acute phase and to decrease the rate of chronic dysphagia. For evaluation of chronic dysphagia even more extensive diagnostic tools as well as several options of stepwise rehabilitation using restitution, compensation and adaption strategies for swallowing exist. Currently it seems that these options are not being sufficiently utilized. In general, there is a need for controlled clinical trials analyzing specific swallowing rehabilitation concepts for former critically ill patients and long-term survivors. HubMed – rehab