Remote constraint induced therapy of the upper extremity (ReCITE): A feasibility study protocol

Background: Difficulty using the upper extremity in everyday activities is common after stroke. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) has been shown to be effective in both sub-acute and chronic phases of stroke recovery and is recommended in clinical practice guidelines for stroke internationally. Despite reports of equivalence of outcome when stroke rehabilitation interventions are delivered using telehealth, there has been limited evaluation of CIMT when using this mode of delivery. ReCITE will (a) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of CIMT when delivered via telehealth to stroke survivors (TeleCIMT) and (b) explore therapists' experiences and use of an online support package inclusive of training, mentoring and resources to support TeleCIMT delivery in clinical practice. / Methods: A prospective single-group, single blinded, study design with embedded process evaluation will be conducted. The study will be conducted at three outpatient services in Sydney, Australia. A multi-faceted therapist support package, informed by the Capabilities, Opportunity, Motivation- Behaviour model (COM-B), will be used to support occupational therapists to implement TeleCIMT as part of routine care to stroke survivors. Each service will recruit 10 stroke survivor participants (n = 30) with mild to moderate upper extremity impairment. Upper extremity and quality of life outcomes of stroke survivor participants will be collected at baseline, post-intervention and at a 4 week follow-up appointment. Feasibility of TeleCIMT will be evaluated by assessing the number of stroke participants who complete 80% of intensive arm practice prescribed during their 3 week program (i.e., at least 24 h of intensive arm practice). Acceptability will be investigated through qualitative interviews and surveys with stroke survivors, supporter surveys and therapist focus groups. Qualitative interviews with therapists will provide additional data to explore their experiences and use of the online support package. / Discussion: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rapid transition to delivering telehealth. The proposed study will investigate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a complex intervention via telehealth to stroke survivors at home, and the support that therapists and patients require for delivery. The findings of the study will be used to inform whether a larger, randomized controlled trial is feasible

Efecto del entrenamiento muscular inspiratorio sobre la fuerza muscular y la calidad de vida en pacientes con limitación crónica del flujo aéreo. Ensayo clínico aleatorizado

Objetivo: La limitación crónica del flujo aéreo (LCFA) es causa importante de morbimortalidad. Para su manejo se describe la rehabilitación pulmonar, que incluye el entrenamiento muscular inspiratorio. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la efectividad del entrenamiento muscular inspiratorio par mejorar variables fisiológicas y funcionales. Pacientes y métodos: Ensayo clínico controlado y aleatorizado en 35 pacientes con LCFA, de los que 17 recibieron una intervención experimental y 18 una de control. La intervención experimental consistió en un programa de 2 meses de entrenamiento de músculos inspiratorios usando un dispositivo que administraba una resistencia de un 40% de la presión inspiratoria máxima. Se evaluaron la fuerza muscular inspiratoria, la tolerancia al ejercicio, la función respiratoria y la calidad de vida. Resultados: El tratamiento experimental mostró una mejoría significativa en la fuerza muscular inspiratoria (p = 0,02). Todos los pacientes mejoraron a lo largo del tiempo independientemente del tratamiento experimental (p < 0,001); la presión inspiratoria máxima aumentó en 8,9 cmH2O por mes de entrenamiento; asimismo, hubo un aumento de 0,56 puntos en el cuestionario que evaluó la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud. Conclusión: La utilización específica de un dispositivo de carga umbral es efectiva en el fortalecimiento muscular inspiratorio, medido a través de la presión inspiratoria máxima, al primer mes de entrenamiento en pacientes con LCFA. Es necesario estudiar su efecto a largo plazo y su impacto sobre la calidad de vida en un mayor número de pacientes

High-sensitivity specific heat study of the low-temperature–high-field corner of the H − T phase diagram of FeSe

International audienc

Vortex-lattice melting and paramagnetic depairing in the nematic superconductor FeSe

International audienc

The influence of motor imagery on the learning of a fine hand motor skill

Motor imagery has been argued to affect the acquisition of motor skills. The present study examined the specificity of motor imagery on the learning of a fine hand motor skill by employing a modified discrete sequence production task: the Go/NoGo DSP task. After an informative cue, a response sequence had either to be executed, imagined, or withheld. To establish learning effects, the experiment was divided into a practice phase and a test phase. In the latter phase, we compared mean response times and accuracy during the execution of unfamiliar sequences, familiar imagined sequences, and familiar executed sequences. The electroencephalogram was measured in the practice phase to compare activity between motor imagery, motor execution, and a control condition in which responses should be withheld. Event-related potentials (ERPs) and event-related lateralizations (ERLs) showed strong similarities above cortical motor areas on trials requiring motor imagery and motor execution, while a major difference was found with trials on which the response sequence should be withheld. Behavioral results from the test phase showed that response times and accuracy improved after physical and mental practice relative to unfamiliar sequences (so-called sequence-specific learning effects), although the effect of motor learning by motor imagery was smaller than the effect of physical practice. These findings confirm that motor imagery also resembles motor execution in the case of a fine hand motor skill