Review
Clinical Neurology
Federica Baronchelli, Chiara Zucchella, Mariano Serrao, Domenico Intiso, Michelangelo Bartolo
Summary: This systematic review summarized 13 studies involving 445 subacute or chronic stroke patients, showing favorable effects of Lokomat (R) on balance recovery in stroke survivors. However, results regarding balance measured using the Berg Balance Scale were inconclusive. Further research is needed to draw more solid conclusions due to the limited number of studies and their high heterogeneity.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yongjin Ahn, Juntaek Hong, Dain Shim, Joong-on Choi, Dong-wook Rha
Summary: This study compared the muscle activation patterns of real and simulated walking in children with spastic cerebral palsy and found differences between the two conditions, which should be taken into account for gait training using an end-effector-type robot.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Stanislava Klobucka, Robert Klobucky, Branislav Kollar
Summary: This study evaluated the responsiveness to robot-assisted gait training in bilateral spastic cerebral palsy patients and found that there were significant improvements in gross motor functions with an increase in the effect size after each therapeutic block. The number of therapeutic units and the severity of disability were identified as determinants that could predict the potential for improvement in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy. Determining the duration, frequency, and intensity of robot-assisted treadmill therapy could be crucial factors in designing effective rehabilitation programs for these children.
NEUROREHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Benjamin C. Conner, Michael H. Schwartz, Zachary F. Lerner
Summary: The study found that ankle exoskeleton resistance therapy significantly improved neuromuscular control in children with CP, resulting in a more efficient gait pattern and reduced metabolic cost of walking.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Yushin Kim, Thomas C. Bulea, Diane L. Damiano
Summary: This study examines the influence of external environmental changes on muscle synergies in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing children (TD). The findings suggest that muscle synergies in children with CP are more sensitive to changes in the external walking environment.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Seongyun Cho, Kun-Do Lee, Hyung-Soon Park
Summary: This study designed and validated a new coronal plane assistive gait rehabilitation system to improve crouch gait in children with cerebral palsy. The experimental results showed that the system effectively reduced hip adduction angle and improved hip joint kinematics and pelvic tilt angle.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL SYSTEMS AND REHABILITATION ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Mirjam Bonanno, Angela Militi, Francesca La Fauci Belponer, Rosaria De Luca, Danilo Leonetti, Angelo Quartarone, Irene Ciancarelli, Giovanni Morone, Rocco Salvatore Calabro
Summary: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a congenital and permanent neurological disorder that affects gross motor functions. Robotic devices, with their biomechanical features, can easily adapt to CP children and provide better motor recovery and enjoyment.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anneli Wall, Susanne Palmcrantz, Jorgen Borg, Elena M. Gutierrez-Farewik
Summary: This study aims to evaluate whether adding electromechanically-assisted gait training to conventional training can result in better gait pattern function. The results showed no significant difference in gait pattern function between the electromechanically-assisted gait training group and the conventional training group.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Alyssa M. Spomer, Robin Z. Yan, Michael H. Schwartz, Katherine M. Steele
Summary: Muscle synergy analysis is commonly used to study motor control. This study compared synergies in normal individuals and individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) in different gait patterns. The results showed that altered gait patterns are not the primary driver of changes in synergies, highlighting the value of using synergies to capture patient-specific motor control differences.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
S. Mohammadyari Gharehbolagh, C. Dussault-Picard, D. Arvisais, P. C. Dixon
Summary: Cerebral palsy (CP) is caused by brain injury and affects muscle activation patterns during walking. Inconsistent results of studies on muscle co-contraction or co-activation (MCo/MCa) in individuals with CP limit our understanding. Understanding MCo/MCa patterns in individuals with CP may improve gait management approaches.
Article
Physiology
Yushin Kim, Thomas C. Bulea, Diane L. Damiano
Summary: The study identified specific muscle coordination patterns in children with cerebral palsy during walking and analyzed their relationships to gait performance. It found that the CP-specific synergies were related to poorer performance in terms of step length asymmetry, cadence asymmetry, self-selected treadmill speed, and AP-COM displacement of the pelvis.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Eline Flux, Lynn Bar-On, Annemieke I. Buizer, Jaap Harlaar, Marjolein M. Van der Krogt
Summary: This study investigates if children with cerebral palsy can improve their calf muscle activation patterns during gait using one session of biofeedback-driven gaming. The findings suggest that children with cerebral palsy can achieve small within-session improvements of their calf muscle activation pattern when provided with implicit biofeedback-driven gaming in an enjoyable manner.
Article
Neurosciences
Gilad Sorek, Marije Goudriaan, Itai Schurr, Simon-Henri Schless
Summary: This study evaluated the influence of the number of muscles and strides on motor control accuracy during treadmill-gait in individuals with cerebral palsy. The results showed that the number of muscles influenced the tVAF-threshold, and using different strides could lead to a large measurement error.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND KINESIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicola Vale, Marialuisa Gandolfi, Laura Vignoli, Anita Botticelli, Federico Posteraro, Giovanni Morone, Antonella Dell'Orco, Eleonora Dimitrova, Elisa Gervasoni, Michela Goffredo, Jacopo Zenzeri, Arianna Antonini, Carla Daniele, Paolo Benanti, Paolo Boldrini, Donatella Bonaiuti, Enrico Castelli, Francesco Draicchio, Vincenzo Falabella, Silvia Galeri, Francesca Gimigliano, Mauro Grigioni, Stefano Mazzon, Franco Molteni, Maurizio Petrarca, Alessandro Picelli, Michele Senatore, Giuseppe Turchetti, Eugenio Guglielmelli, Nicola Petrone, Loris Pignolo, Giulia Sgubin, Nicola Smania, Loredana Zollo, Stefano Mazzoleni, Italian Consensus Conf Robotic Neurorehabilitation CICERONE
Summary: Robot-assisted rehabilitation for gait and balance in children with neurological disabilities has gained increasing interest, but there are still issues with inadequate and inconsistent protocol descriptions in related studies. Future research should focus on improving the descriptions of rehabilitation protocols and devices.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
David Perpetuini, Emanuele Francesco Russo, Daniela Cardone, Roberta Palmieri, Andrea De Giacomo, Domenico Intiso, Federica Pellicano, Raffaello Pellegrino, Arcangelo Merla, Rocco Salvatore Calabro, Serena Filoni
Summary: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of electrosuit therapy on children with Cerebral Palsy in clinical treatment, focusing on spasticity and trunk control. The study found that after a single session of electrical stimulation, there was a significant improvement in trunk control for the patients. Most of the caregivers and patients were satisfied with the safety, ease of use, comfort, adjustment, and after-sales service of the device.
Review
Rehabilitation
Rowie J. F. Janssen, Sonja de Groot, Lucas H. V. van der Woude, Han Houdijk, Riemer J. K. Vegter
Summary: Previous studies on handrim wheelchair-specific aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity have shown a lack of standardization in participants, equipment, and protocols, making it difficult to compare results. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the populations studied and their outcomes, as well as to develop a standardized and individualized protocol. The review found a wide variety of equipment, protocol design, and reported outcomes, highlighting the need for systematic investigation of protocol features.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Sonja de Groot, Ingrid P. Kouwijzer, Sven Hoekstra, Guido Vroemen, Linda J. M. Valent, Lucas H. V. van der Woude
Summary: The study evaluated the external and internal work load of trained handcyclists during a mountain time trial, compared with a world-class handcyclist. The results showed that the power output at the second ventilatory threshold and peak power output were important performance determinants for longer time trials in handcyclists, and it is recommended to incorporate corresponding training zones.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Dirk Hoevenaars, Jasmijn F. M. Holla, Karin Postma, Lucas H. van der Woude, Thomas W. J. Janssen, Sonja de Groot
Summary: The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion of Dutch wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) who meet different SCI exercise guidelines and evaluate the association between demographic and lesion characteristics and meeting these guidelines, as well as the association between meeting these guidelines and physical fitness and health. The results showed that meeting exercise guidelines was positively associated with respiratory functions and exercise capacity, with limited associations with health.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Johanneke Hartog, Sandra Dijkstra, Willem Dieperink, Trynke Hoekstra, Joke Fleer, Lucas H. V. van der Woude, Pim van der Harst, Maarten Nijsten, Massimo A. Mariani, Fredrike Blokzijl
Summary: This study aimed to identify different subgroups with varying muscle strength trajectories in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and assess their prognostic value on postoperative health-related quality of life (HR-QoL).
BMC CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Matteo Lancini, Paolo Spada, Ridi Muhametaj, Rick de Klerk, Lucas H. V. van der Woude, Riemer J. K. Vegter
Summary: Wheelchair ergometers are widely used and it is important to ensure their accuracy. This study presents a low-cost portable system for the dynamic metrological verification of wheelchair roller ergometers, using an instrumented reference wheel.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING-TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ulric S. Abonie, Marloes Oldenburg, Lucas van der Woude, Florentina J. Hettinga
Summary: This study aimed to examine the differentiation in ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) between upper body and lower body exercises and their changes after upper body training. The results showed that overall RPE was higher during upper body exercises compared to lower body exercises, and both local and overall RPE increased after upper body training. During the exercises, local RPE was consistently higher than overall RPE.
Article
Sport Sciences
Rowie J. F. Janssen, Sonja de Groot, Lucas H. V. Van der Woude, Han Houdijk, Vicky L. Goosey-Tolfrey, Riemer J. K. Vegter
Summary: This study examined the impact of increased rolling resistance on wheelchair sprint performance and force-velocity characteristics. Thirteen wheelchair rugby athletes completed five sprints against escalating resistance levels. The results showed that increased resistance led to slower velocities, higher propulsion forces, and increased power outputs. Each athlete exhibited individual force-velocity profiles, suggesting potential for personalized training recommendations.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Pim Brandenbarg, Leonie A. Krops, Bregje L. Seves, Trynke Hoekstra, Florentina J. Hettinga, Jos W. R. Twisk, Lucas H. V. van der Woude, Rienk Dekker, Femke Hoekstra
Summary: This study aimed to explore the associations between psychosocial factors and physical activity behavior in people with physical disabilities and/or chronic diseases, both between and within persons over time, and examine whether these associations differ for people initiating and maintaining physical activity behavior. The findings indicate the importance of intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, and self-efficacy in initiating and maintaining physical activity behavior.
REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Ingrid Kouwijzer, Sonja de Groot, Christel M. C. van Leeuwen, Linda J. M. M. Valent, Janneke Stolwijk-Swuste, Marcel W. M. HandbikeBattle Grp, Lucas H. V. van der Woude, Marcel W. M. Post
Summary: The study aims to investigate the changes in body satisfaction during five months of handcycle training and one year after the training, and whether these changes are dependent on sex, waist circumference, and severity of physical impairment. The associations between changes in physical capacity or body composition and body satisfaction were also examined. The results showed that body satisfaction significantly increased during the training period but decreased during follow-up. Individuals with more severe impairments experienced a larger decrease in body satisfaction at follow-up. Improvements in physical capacity and waist circumference were significantly associated with improvements in body satisfaction.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sjoukje Bouma, Martin Stevens, Lucas van der Woude, Ron Diercks, Inge van den Akker-scheek
Summary: This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators perceived by primary and secondary healthcare professionals in implementing lifestyle-related treatment modalities in patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis. The findings suggest that focusing on societal factors rather than individual factors could improve the implementation of these treatment modalities.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Rafael E. A. Muchaxo, Ingrid Kouwijzer, Lucas H. V. van der Woude, Thomas W. J. Janssen, Carla F. J. Nooijen, Sonja de Groot
Summary: This study investigated the impact of performing closed kinetic chains with the lower limbs on the upper-limb pull and push strength of handcyclists. The findings suggest that athletes with milder impairments can improve their pulling performance by engaging in lower-limb closed-chain exercises.
SPORTS BIOMECHANICS
(2023)
Review
Rehabilitation
Pim Brandenbarg, Femke Hoekstra, Ioulia Barakou, Bregje L. Seves, Florentina J. Hettinga, Trynke Hoekstra, Lucas H. van der Woude, Rienk Dekker, Leonie A. Krops
Summary: This scoping review examined the measurement properties of device-based instruments assessing physical activity in ambulant adults with physical disabilities and/or chronic diseases. The review found a large variability in research, highlighting the need for standardization and consensus in this field. Directions for future research were provided based on the findings.
BMC SPORTS SCIENCE MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Sjoukje Bouma, Inge van den Akker-scheek, Dieuwke Schiphof, Lucas van der Woude, Ron Diercks, Martin Stevens
Summary: This study aims to identify and address barriers to implementing lifestyle-related treatment modalities (LRTMs) in the conservative treatment of patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis from the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs). Fourteen implementation strategies were selected, including "build a coalition" and "develop stakeholder interrelationships".
MUSCULOSKELETAL CARE
(2023)
Article
Sport Sciences
Thomas Rietveld, Riemer J. K. Vegter, Rienk M. A. van der Slikke, Aldo E. Hoekstra, Lucas H. V. van der Woude, Sonja de Groot
Summary: The aim of this study was to determine the key components of wheelchair mobility performance during a wheelchair tennis match using inertial measurement units. The results showed that wheelchair mobility performance in wheelchair tennis can be described by six components: rotations to racket side in curves and turns, linear accelerations, rotations to non-racket side in turns and curves, and linear velocities. These key outcome variables can be used to adequately describe and monitor wheelchair mobility performance in wheelchair tennis.
SPORTS ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
M. Jacobi, L. van der Schuur, B. L. Seves, P. Brandenbarg, R. Dekker, F. J. Hettinga, F. Hoekstra, L. A. Krops, L. H. V. van der Woude, T. Hoekstra
Summary: This study explored the experiences and perceptions of post-stroke fatigue guidance in Dutch rehabilitation and follow-up care among stroke patients and health professionals. The findings suggest that current fatigue guidance does not always meet the needs of stroke patients and improvements could be made in terms of content and timing. Stroke patients preferred to receive information on post-stroke fatigue before discharge, while health professionals believed that the best time for fatigue guidance is when patients are motivated to change their physical activity behavior to manage fatigue, typically several months after stroke.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Karlijn Bouman, Jeroen L. M. van Doorn, Jan T. Groothuis, Peter J. Wijkstra, Baziel G. M. van Engelen, Corrie E. Erasmus, Jonne Doorduin, Nicol C. Voermans
Summary: The majority of LAMA2-MD and all SELENON-RM patients had respiratory impairment. SELENON-RM patients showed lower respiratory function which was progressive, more prevalent mechanical ventilation, and more severe diaphragm atrophy and dysfunction than LAMA2-MD patients. Spirometry (FVC%, dVC) and respiratory muscle strength tests (SNIP) are useful in clinical care and as outcome measure in clinical trials.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Oliviero Bruni, Maria Breda, Emanuela Malorgio, Paolo Brambilla, Flavia Ceschin, Andrea Di Pilla, Maurizio Elia, Raffaele Ferri
Summary: This study aimed to describe the use of melatonin by Italian pediatricians in healthy children with chronic insomnia. The results showed that a high percentage of pediatricians prescribed melatonin, especially in children aged 1-2 years. The most common dosage was 1 mg/day and it was usually recommended to be taken 30 minutes before bedtime. Melatonin was often combined with sleep hygiene and was found to be effective in reducing difficulties falling asleep.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY
(2024)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lucie Sedlackova, Katalin Sterbova, Marketa Vlckova, Pavel Seeman, Jana Zarubova, Petr Marusic, Pavel Krsek, Hana Krijtova, Alena Musilova, Petra Lassuthova
Summary: In this study, whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify causal variants for developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) in patients whose genetic diagnosis was not determined by gene panel testing. The results showed that WES can successfully identify disease-causing variants, even after inconclusive gene panel testing. Detailed clinical evaluations and phenotype-genotype correlation studies were conducted to better understand the rare subtypes of DEEs.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY
(2024)