Pulsed Wave Doppler Ultrasound Is Useful to Assess Vasomotor Response in Patients with Multiple System Atrophy and Well Correlated with Tilt Table Study

The study aim was to assess sympathetic vasomotor response (SVR) by using pulsed wave Doppler (PWD) ultrasound in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and correlate with the tilt table study. We recruited 18 male patients and 10 healthy men as controls. The SVR of the radial artery was evaluated by PWD, using inspiratory cough as a provocative maneuver. The response to head-up tilt was studied by a tilt table with simultaneous heart rate and blood pressure recording. The hemodynamic variables were compared between groups, and were examined by correlation analysis. Regarding SVR, MSA patients exhibited a prolonged latency and less heart rate acceleration following inspiratory cough. Compared with the tilt table test, the elevation of heart rate upon SVR was positively correlated to the increase of heart rate after head-up tilt. The correlation analysis indicated that the magnitude of blood pressure drop from supine to upright was positively associated with the SVR latency but negatively correlated with the heart rate changes upon SVR. The present study demonstrated that blunted heart rate response might explain MSA's vulnerability to postural challenge. PWD may be used to predict cardiovascular response to orthostatic stress upon head-up tilt in MSA patients

Smartphone Application with Virtual Reality Goggles for the Reliable and Valid Measurement of Active Craniocervical Range of Motion

Objective: This study aimed to determine the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability and validity of a hybrid device, combining virtual reality goggles, a magnetometer and an inclinometer application for smartphones, to measure craniocervical range. Summary of Background Data: Accurate evaluation of craniocervical range of motion is important for early detection of certain diseased conditions and monitoring the progress of interventions. The universal goniometer is widely used for the measurement but it requires experienced practitioners. Whether a combination of virtual reality goggles and smartphone applications can provide the same or better performance compared with the goniometer is still unknown. Methods: Forty-one healthy adults from the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation were recruited for craniocervical range examination (flexion, extension, side-bending to the right or left and rotating to the right or left) by using the hybrid device and universal goniometer. Using the hybrid device, repeated measurements were performed twice by a primary rater and once by a second rater. The primary rater also conducted a measurement using the universal goniometer in the same cohort. The intra-rater and inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC)) were calculated using the two-way random effect model, whereas the validity was examined by the Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-and-Altman plot. The interval between the first and second sessions of the measurement for intra-rater reliability was set at 30 min. Results: Excellent intra-rater (ICC ≥ 0.925) and inter-rater (ICC ≥ 0.880) reliability was noted for the hybrid device. The minimal detectable changes from intra-observer and inter-observer comparisons ranged between 4.12° and 7.42° in all six directions. The Bland-and-Altman plot revealed small mean differences (≤1.68°) between the hybrid device and universal goniometer. Both instruments had highly correlated measurements of craniocervical motion (r values ≥ 0.918). Conclusion: For healthy participants, excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability was noted for the hybrid device, and the measurements were consistent with the universal goniometer measurements. Future studies are needed to examine whether the device can perform similarly for patients with neck disorders

Development and Validation of the Standard Chinese Version of the CARE Item Set (CARE-C) for Stroke Patients

The Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) item set is a standardized, integrative scale for evaluation of functional status across acute and postacute care (PAC) providers. The aim of this study was to develop a Chinese version of the CARE (CARE-C) item set and to examine its reliability and validity for assessment of functional outcomes among stroke patients. ;The CARE-C was administered in two samples. Sample 1 included 30 stroke patients in the outpatient clinic setting for the purpose of examining interrater and test-retest reliabilities and internal consistency. Sample 2 included 138 stroke patients admitted to rehabilitation units for the purpose of investigating criterion-related validity with the Barthel index, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, EuroQOL five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). ;The CARE-C was categorized into 11 subscales, 52 items of which were analyzed. At the subscale level, the interrater reliability and test-retest reliability expressed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.72 to 0.99 and 0.60 to 1.00, respectively. Six of the 11 subscales met acceptable levels of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha >0.7). The criterion-related validity of the CARE-C showed moderate to high correlations of its subscales of cognition and basic and instrumental activities of daily living with the Barthel index, IADL scale, and MMSE. ;The CARE-C is a useful instrument for evaluating functional quality metrics in the Chinese stroke population. The development of the CARE-C also facilitates the assessment of the PAC program in Taiwan and future research is warranted for validating the capability of CARE-C to identify patients' functional change over time and its generalizability for nonstroke populations