Nancy E. Mayo

A New Approach to Retrain Gait in Stroke Patients Through Body Weight Support and Treadmill Stimulation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A new gait training strategy for patients with stroke proposes to support a percentage of the patients body weight while retraining gait on a treadmill. This research project intended to compare the effects of gait training with body weight support (BWS) and with no body weight support (no-BWS) on clinical outcome measures for patients with stroke. METHODS One hundred subjects with stroke were randomized to receive one of two treatments while walking on a treadmill: 50 subjects were trained to walk with up to 40% of their body weight supported by a BWS system with overhead harness (BWS group), and the other 50 subjects were trained to walk bearing full weight on their lower extremities (no-BWS group). Treatment outcomes were assessed on the basis of functional balance, motor recovery, overground walking speed, and overground walking endurance. RESULTS After a 6-week training period, the BWS group scored significantly higher than the no-BWS group for functional balance (P = 0.001), motor recovery (P = 0.001), overground walking speed (P = 0.029), and overground w alking endurance (P = 0.018). The follow-up evaluation, 3 months after training, revealed that the BWS group continues to have significantly higher scores for overground walking speed (P = 0.006) and motor recovery (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS Retraining gait in patients with stroke while a percentage of their body weight was supported resulted in better walking abilities than gait training while the patients were bearing their full weight. This novel gait training strategy provides a dynamic and integrative approach for the treatment of gait dysfunction after stroke.

There’s No Place Like Home An Evaluation of Early Supported Discharge for Stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Because stroke management is aimed at facilitating community reintegration, it would be logical that the sooner the patient can be discharged home, the sooner reintegration can commence. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of prompt discharge combined with home rehabilitation on function, community reintegration, and health-related quality of life during the first 3 months after stroke. METHODS A randomized trial was carried out involving patients who required rehabilitation services and who had a caregiver at home. When medically ready for discharge, persons with stroke were randomized to either the home intervention group (n=58) or the usual care group (n=56). The home group received a 4-week, tailor-made home program of rehabilitation and nursing services; persons randomized to the usual care group received services provided through a variety of mechanisms, depending on institutional, care provider, and personal preference. The main outcome measure was the Physical Health component of the Measuring Outcomes Study Short-Form-36 (SF-36). Associated outcomes measures included the Timed Up & Go (TUG), Barthel Index (BI), the Older Americans Resource Scale for instrumental activities of daily living (OARS-IADL), Reintegration to Normal Living (RNL), and the SF-36 Mental Health component. RESULTS The total length of stay for the home group was, on average, 10 days, 6 days shorter than that for the usual care group. There were no differences between the 2 groups on the BI or on the TUG at either 1 or 3 months after stroke; however, there was a significantly beneficial impact of the home intervention on IADL and reintegration (RNL). By 3 months after stroke, the home intervention group showed a significantly higher score on the SF-36 Physical Health component than the usual care group. The total number of services received by the home group was actually lower than that received by the usual care group. CONCLUSIONS Prompt discharge combined with home rehabilitation appeared to translate motor and functional gains that occur through natural recovery and rehabilitation into a greater degree of higher-level function and satisfaction with community reintegration, and these in turn were translated into a better physical health.

Disablement following stroke

PURPOSE Stroke is the most disabling chronic condition, newly affecting 35000 persons in Canada each year. Because of declining fatality, a growing number of persons will have to cope with stroke-related disability. The purpose of this paper is to describe the disabilities experienced by persons with stroke during the first year and explore the evolution of impairment, disability, handicap and health-related quality of life. SUBJECTS The data for this paper come from a series of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, collectively known as the McGill Stroke Rehabilitation Research Program. RESULTS Within the first week post-stroke, getting out of bed and walking over a short distance, even with assistance, was a strong predictor of discharge home. Most of the improvement in measures of impairment and disability occurred during the first month and, by 3 months, there was still considerable room for improvement in all measures: 85% of persons were still impaired on gait speed, 78% had not reached age-specific norms for upper extremity function, 68% still demonstrated slow physical mobility, 37% needed some assistance with basic activities of daily living and 29% were still impaired on balance. By 1 year, 73% of persons scored the maximum for basic activities of daily living but 51 and 67% of persons reported their physical health and mental health to be lower than expected. Among a hardy group of stroke survivors, still living in the community 1 year post-stroke, the most striking area of difficulty was endurance, as measured by the 6 minute walk test. Those subjects well enough to complete this task (50% of sample) were able to walk, on average, only 250 metres, equivalent to 40% of their predicted ability. This series of snapshots taken at different points in time suggests that much of the improvement in impairment and disability occurs during the first month and then reaches a plateau. Handicap and quality of life continue to be issues later. Rehabilitation strategies need to consider the multifaceted nature of disablement, which in itself changes with time post-stroke.

Epidural Analgesia Enhances Functional Exercise Capacity and Health-related Quality of Life after Colonic Surgery: Results of a Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND Multimodal analgesia programs have been shown to decrease hospital stay, but it not clear which functions are restored after surgery. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of epidural anesthesia and analgesia on functional exercise capacity and health-related quality of life. METHODS Sixty-four patients undergoing elective colonic resection were randomized to either patient-controlled analgesia with morphine or thoracic epidural analgesia with bupivacaine and fentanyl (epidural group). All patients in both groups received similar perioperative care and were offered the same amount of postoperative oral nutrition and assistance with mobilization. Primary outcome was functional exercise capacity as measured by the 6-min walking test, and secondary outcome was health-related quality of life, as measured by the SF-36 health survey. These were assessed before surgery and at 3 and 6 weeks after hospital discharge. Other variables measured in hospital included pain and fatigue visual analogue scale, bowel function, time out of bed, nutritional intake, complication rate, readiness for discharge, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS Although the 6-min walking test and the SF-36 physical health component decreased in both groups at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery, the patient-controlled analgesia group experienced a significantly greater decrease at both times (P < 0.01). Patients in the epidural group had lower postoperative pain and fatigue scores, which allowed them to mobilize to a greater extent (P < 0.05) and eat more (P < 0.05). Length of hospital stay and incidence of complications were similar in both groups, although patients in the epidural group were ready to be discharged earlier. CONCLUSIONS The superior quality of pain relief provided by epidural analgesia had a positive impact on out-of-bed mobilization, bowel function, and intake of food, with long-lasting effects on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life.

A task-orientated intervention enhances walking distance and speed in the first year post stroke: a randomized controlled trial:

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a task-orientated intervention in enhancing competence in walking in people with stroke. Design: Two-centre observer-blinded stratified block-randomized controlled trial. Setting: General community. Subjects: Between May 2000 and February 2003, 91 individuals with a residual walking deficit within one year of a first or recurrent stroke consented to participate. Interventions: The experimental intervention comprised 10 functional tasks designed to strengthen the lower extremities and enhance walking balance, speed and distance. The control intervention involved the practice of upper extremity activities. Subjects in both groups attended sessions three times a week for six weeks. Main measures: Six-minute walk test (SMWT), 5-m walk (comfortable and maximum pace), Berg Balance Scale, timed ‘up and go’. Results: At baseline, subjects in the experimental (n = 44) and control (n = 47) groups walked an average distance of 209 m (SD = 126) and 204 m (SD = 131), respectively, on the SMWT. Mean improvements of 40 m (SD = 72), and 5 m (SD = 66) were observed following the experimental and control interventions, respectively. The between-group difference was 35 m (95% confidence interval (CI) 7, 64). Significant between-group effects of 0.21 m/s (95% CI 0.12, 0.30) and of 0.11 m/s (95% CI 0.03, 0.19) in maximum and comfortable walking speed, respectively, were observed. People with a mild, moderate or severe walking deficit at baseline improved an average of 36 (SD = 96), 55 (SD = 56) and 18 m (SD = 23), respectively, in SMWT performance following the experimental intervention. Conclusions: Study findings support the efficacy of a task-orientated intervention in enhancing walking distance and speed in the first year post stroke, particularly in people with moderate walking deficits.

Statistical assessment of ordinal outcomes in comparative studies

Ordinal regression is a relatively new statistical method developed for analyzing ranked outcomes. In the past, ranked scales have often been analyzed without making full use of the ordinality of the data or, alternatively, by assigning arbitrary numerical scores to the ranks. While ordinal regression models are now available to make full use of ranked data, they are not used widely. This article, directed to clinical researchers and epidemiologists, provides a description of the properties of these methods. Using ordinal measures of back pain in a follow-up study of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, we illustrate the advantages of those methods and describe how to interpret the estimated parameters. Comparisons with binary logistic regression are made to show why a single dichotomization of the ordinal scale may lead to incorrect inferences. Two ordinal models (the proportional odds and the continuation ratio models) are discussed, and the goodness-of-fit of these models is examined. We conclude that ordinal regression is a tool that is powerful, simple to use, and produces an interpretable parameter that summarizes the effect between groups over all levels of the outcome.

A review of the association between cigarette smoking and the development of nonspecific back pain and related outcomes.

Study Design. A structured review of the epidemiologic literature was performed. Thirty-eight studies published in peer-reviewed journals were reviewed. The methodologic strengths and weaknesses of the studies were described and assessed qualitatively. Four studies were excluded because of difficulties in design or interpretation. Objectives. To provide a systematic analysis of the literature to assess the evidence as to whether smoking is associated with the prevalence and incidence of nonspecific back pain and related outcomes. Summary of Background Data. Evidence has been gathering regarding the association of smoking with nonspecific back pain and other back disorders, but a comprehensive summary and evaluation of the data have not been published. Results. Positive associations between current smoking and nonspecific back pain were found in 18 of 26 studies in men and 18 of 20 studies in women. For sciatica and herniated discs, there were four of eight and one of five positive studies in men and women, respectively. The majority of these studies were cross-sectional (18 in men and 16 in women), with only a handful of prospective studies. Positive associations between past smoking and nonspecific back pain were reported in five of nine studies in men and five of six studies in women. In addition, increases in the prevalence and/or incidence of nonspecific back pain were found in the majority of studies in which level of consumption was analyzed and reported. An attempt was made to assess whether these results could be artifactual arising from selection bias, confounding bias, publication bias, or errors in measurement. As well, the biologic mechanisms were summarized that have been suggested by various investigators. Conclusions. The available data are consistent with the notion that smoking is associated with the incidenceand prevalence of nonspecific back pain, but there are too few studies to make any conclusions for the other end points (e.g., sciatica, herniated discs). It cannot be ruled out that the association is a statistical artifact arising from either selection or confounding factors, because the evidence for nonspecific low back pain derives mostly from cross-sectional studies. In addition, it cannot be stated unequivocally that smoking preceded back pain. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to eliminate the possibility that chronic back pain preceded smoking, to better estimate dose–response correlations, and to perform biologic measurements to elucidate possible mechanisms.

Early supported discharge services for stroke patients: a meta-analysis of individual patients' data

BACKGROUND Stroke patients conventionally undergo a substantial part of their rehabilitation in hospital. Services have been developed that offer patients early discharge from hospital with rehabilitation at home (early supported discharge [ESD]). We have assessed the effects and costs of such services. METHODS We did a meta-analysis of data from individual patients who took part in randomised trials that recruited patients with stroke in hospital to receive either conventional care or any ESD service intervention that provided rehabilitation and support in a community setting with the aim of shortening the duration of hospital care. The primary outcome was death or dependency at the end of scheduled follow-up. FINDINGS Outcome data were available for 11 trials (1597 patients). ESD services were mostly provided by specialist multidisciplinary teams to a selected group (median 41%) of stroke patients admitted to hospital. There was a reduced risk of death or dependency equivalent to six (95% CI one to ten) fewer adverse outcomes for every 100 patients receiving an ESD service (p=0.02). The hospital stay was 8 days shorter for patients assigned ESD services than for those assigned conventional care (p<0.0001). There were also significant improvements in scores on the extended activities of daily living scale and in the odds of living at home and reporting satisfaction with services. The greatest benefits were seen in the trials evaluating a coordinated multidisciplinary ESD team and in stroke patients with mild to moderate disability. INTERPRETATION Appropriately resourced ESD services provided for a selected group of stroke patients can reduce long-term dependency and admission to institutional care as well as shortening hospital stays.

Randomized clinical trial of prehabilitation in colorectal surgery

‘Prehabilitation’ is an intervention to enhance functional capacity in anticipation of a forthcoming physiological stressor. In patients scheduled for colorectal surgery, the extent to which a structured prehabilitation regimen of stationary cycling and strengthening optimized recovery of functional walking capacity after surgery was compared with a simpler regimen of walking and breathing exercises.

Reducing the lifetime risk of cancer from spinal radiographs among people with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Study Design Data from a retrospective cohort study of people with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were combined with information on full‐spinal radiographs to estimate contemporary x‐ray doses and lifetime risks for development of cancer. Objectives To project the lifetime risk for development of cancer from diagnostic radiographs for people with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Summary of Background Data Although a twofold excess risk for breast cancer has been reported for women treated for scoliosis between 1925 and 1965, information on the cancer risks associated with scoliosis management today is sparse. Specifically, there is a lack of up‐to‐date information on the number of spinal radiographs taken, the organ‐specific x‐ray doses from current radiographic techniques, and the projected cancer risks. Methods The cohort consisted of subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were referred to the scoliosis clinic of a large pediatric hospital between 1965 and 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Based on radiographic equipment and practices implemented in 1982, organ‐specific x‐ray doses to the thyroid gland, female breast, respiratory organs, digestive organs, and bone marrow were calculated using Monte Carlo methods. These doses were incorporated into a life table procedure to calculate theoretic lifetime cancer risks. For all organs except the thyroid gland, dose‐response models from the United States National Academy of Sciences Fifth Committee on the Biological Effects of lonizing Radiation were used. For thyroid cancer, a risk model was derived from a study of thyroid cancer incidence after x‐ray treatment for tinea capitis. Results The average number of spinal radiographs was 12 for women (80% anteroposterior or posteroanterior) and 10 for men (78% anteroposterior or posteroanterior). Cumulative x‐ray doses were in general higher in adolescents who were referred as younger teenagers than at later ages, and doses increased with the size of the spinal curve. Depending on the age at referral and curve size, the total excess lifetime cancer risks were calculated to range from 42 to 238 cases per 100,000 women and 14 to 79 cases per 100,000 men. For subjects who underwent surgery (those exposed to the highest doses), the lifetime number of cancer cases over and above background was almost as great as the number of thyroid cancers that would occur in the absence of radiation exposure. If the anteroposterior view was replaced by the posteroanterior view, a three‐ to sevenfold reduction in cumulative doses to the thyroid gland and the female breast would be achieved, yielding three‐ to fourfold reductions in the lifetime risk of breast cancer and a halving of the lifetime risk of thyroid cancer. Conclusions The cancer risks from full‐spinal radiographs for scoliosis are not negligible and can be reduced from one half to three quarters if the anteroposterior view is replaced with the posteroanterior view.