Stroke rehabilitation: from diagnosis to therapy

Stroke remains a significant global health burden, necessitating comprehensive and innovative approaches in rehabilitation to optimize recovery outcomes. This paper provides a thorough exploration of rehabilitation strategies in stroke management, focusing on diagnostic methods, acute management, and diverse modalities encompassing physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive therapies. Emphasizing the importance of early identification of rehabilitation needs and leveraging technological advancements, including neurostimulation techniques and assistive technologies, this manuscript highlights the challenges and opportunities in stroke rehabilitation. Additionally, it discusses future directions, such as personalized rehabilitation approaches, neuroplasticity concepts, and advancements in assistive technologies, which hold promise in reshaping the landscape of stroke rehabilitation. By delineating these multifaceted aspects, this manuscript aims to provide insights and directions for optimizing stroke rehabilitation practices and enhancing the quality of life for stroke survivors.

Obesity induces extracellular vesicle release from the endothelium as a contributor to brain damage after cerebral ischemia in rats

OBJECTIVES

Cerebral ischemia is the most common cause of disability, the second most common cause of dementia, and the fourth most common cause of death in the developed world [Sveinsson OA, Kjartansson O, Valdimarsson EM. Heilablóðþurrð/heiladrep: Faraldsfræði, orsakir og einkenni [Cerebral ischemia/infarction - epidemiology, causes and symptoms]. Laeknabladid. 2014 May;100(5):271-9. Icelandic. doi:10.17992/lbl.2014.05.543]. Obesity has been associated with worse outcomes after ischemia in rats, triggering proinflammatory cytokine production related to the brain microvasculature. The way obesity triggers these effects remains mostly unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of damage triggered by obesity in the context of cerebral ischemia.

METHODS

We used a rat model of obesity induced by a 20% high fructose diet (HFD) and evaluated peripheral alterations in plasma (lipid and cytokine profiles). Then, we performed cerebral ischemia surgery using two-vessel occlusion (2VO) and analyzed neurological/motor performance and glial activation. Next, we treated endothelial cell line cultures with glutamate in vitro to simulate an excitotoxic environment, and we added 20% plasma from obese rats. Subsequently, we isolated EVs released from endothelial cells and treated primary cultures of astrocytes with them.

RESULTS

Rats fed a HFD had an increased BMI with dyslipidemia and high levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Glia from the obese rats exhibited altered morphology, suggesting hyperreactivity related to neurological and motor deficits. Plasma from obese rats induced activation of endothelial cells, increasing proinflammatory signals and releasing more EVs. Similarly, these EVs caused an increase in NF-κB and astrocyte cytotoxicity. Together, the results suggest that obesity activates proinflammatory signals in endothelial cells, resulting in the release of EVs that simultaneously contribute to astrocyte activation.

Cross-cultural validation of the Persian version of the Functional Independence Measure for patients with stroke

PURPOSE

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) into the Persian language and to test the reliability and validity of the Persian FIM (PFIM) in patients with stroke.

METHOD

In this cross-sectional study carried out in an outpatient stroke rehabilitation center, 40 patients with stroke (mean age 60 years) were participated. A standard forward-backward translation method and expert panel validation was followed to develop the PFIM. Two experienced occupational therapists (OTs) assessed the patients independently in all items of the PFIM in a single session for inter-rater reliability. One of the OTs reassessed the patients after 1 week for intra-rater reliability.

RESULTS

There were no floor or ceiling effects for the PFIM. Excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability was noted for the PFIM total score, motor and cognitive subscales (ICC(agreement)0.88-0.98). According to the Bland-Altman agreement analysis, there was no systematic bias between raters and within raters. The internal consistency of the PFIM was with Cronbach's alpha from 0.70 to 0.96. The principal component analysis with varimax rotation indicated a three-factor structure: (1) self-care and mobility; (2) sphincter control and (3) cognitive that jointly accounted for 74.8% of the total variance. Construct validity was supported by a significant Pearson correlation between the PFIM and the Persian Barthel Index (r = 0.95; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The PFIM is a highly reliable and valid instrument for measuring functional status of Persian patients with stroke.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is an outcome measure for disability based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The FIM was cross-culturally adapted and validated into Persian language. The Persian version of the FIM (PFIM) is reliable and valid for assessing functional status of patients with stroke. The PFIM can be used in Persian speaking countries to assess the limitations in activities of daily living of patients with stroke.

Role of Diffusion-weighted Imaging in Acute Stroke Management using Low-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Resource-limited Settings

A variety of imaging modalities exist for the diagnosis of stroke. Several studies have been carried out to ascertain their contribution to the management of acute stroke and to compare the benefits and limitations of each modality. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been described as the optimal imaging technique for diagnosing acute ischemic stroke, yet limited evidence is available on the value of DWI in the management of ischemic stroke with low-field magnetic resonance (MR) systems. Although high-field MR imaging (MRI) is desirable for DWI, low-field scanners provide an acceptable clinical compromise which is of importance to developing countries posed with the challenge of limited availability of high-field units. The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the literature on the usefulness of DWI in acute stroke management with low-field MRI scanners and present the experience in Nigeria.

Impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on post-stroke dysmnesia and the role of BDNF Val66Met SNP

Background

Little is known about the effects of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on dysmnesia and the impact of brain nucleotide neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). This study investigated the impact of low-frequency rTMS on post-stroke dysmnesia and the impact of BDNF Val66Met SNP.

Material/Methods

Forty patients with post-stroke dysmnesia were prospectively randomized into the rTMS and sham groups. BDNF Val66Met SNP was determined using restriction fragment length polymorphism. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Loewenstein Occupational Therapy of Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA), and Rivermead Behavior Memory Test (RBMT) scores, as well as plasma BDNF concentrations, were measured at baseline and at 3 days and 2 months post-treatment.

Results

MoCA, LOTCA, and RBMT scores were higher after rTMS. Three days after treatment, BDNF decreased in the rTMS group but it increased in the sham group (P<0.05). Two months after treatment, RMBT scores in the rTMS group were higher than in the sham group, but not MoCA and LOTCA scores.

Conclusions

Low-frequency rTMS may improve after-stoke memory through various pathways, which may involve polymorphisms and several neural genes, but not through an increase in BDNF levels.

Factors Associated with Performance-based Physical Function of Older Veterans of the PLAAF: A Pilot Study

[Purpose] This study investigated the factors associated with performance-based physical function of older veterans of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force of China (PLAAF). [Subjects and Methods] A cross-sectional survey of 146 older veterans of the PLAAF was carried out. Their physical function was measured using the Chinese Mini-Physical Performance Testing (CM-PPT). The demographics and health status (including physical measures, blood chemical tests, chronic diseases, and number of morbidities) were collected from health examination reports and computer records of case history. Cognition was measured using the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). [Results] In multiple linear regressions, age, MMSE, Parkinsonism, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were independently associated with CM-PPT, while previous stroke and albumin level reached borderline statistical significance. The association between the number of morbidities and CM-PPT was significant after adjustment for MMSE and demographics. The CM-PPT of low (0 or 1), medium (2 to 4) and high count (5 or more) morbidities were 11.3±3.9, 10.2±4.1, 6.1±3.8 respectively, and the difference among these three groups was significant. [Conclusion] Some modified conditions and the number of chronic diseases might be associated with the physical function of older veterans of the PLAAF.

Formal-Transfer In and Out of Stroke Care Units

The positive impact of stroke care units (SCUs) on patient outcome has been previously reported. In this study, long-term stroke patients that are formally admitted to teaching-hospitals are compared with and without SCUs. The authors focus on the patients’ experience with ongoing care or formal transfers following current care as this cohort is often high users of the system with associated high costs. Bayesian Networks were employed to analyze routinely collected public-hospital administrative data. The results illustrate that the teaching-hospitals with SCUs, while achieving shorter length of stay, in fact deal with younger patients with lower overall patient complexity than non-SCU teaching-hospitals. Other differences include SCUs predominantly treating subarachnoid hemorrhages whereas the non-SCUs treat more cerebral infarctions. This study illustrates the power of Bayesian Networks to expose the nature of caseload and outcomes recorded in hospital-administrative data as a means to gain insight on current practice and create opportunities for benchmarking and improving care.

Assessment and modulation of neural plasticity in rehabilitation with transcranial magnetic stimulation

Despite intensive efforts to improve outcomes after acquired brain injury, functional recovery is often limited. One reason for this limitation is the challenge in assessing and guiding plasticity after brain injury. In this context, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive tool of brain stimulation, could play a major role. TMS has been shown to be a reliable tool for measuring plastic changes in the motor cortex associated with interventions in the motor system, such as motor training and motor cortex stimulation. In addition, as illustrated by the experience in promoting recovery from stroke, TMS is a promising therapeutic tool to minimize motor, speech, cognitive, and mood deficits. In this review, we will focus on stroke to discuss how TMS can provide insights into the mechanisms of neurologic recovery and how it can be used for measurement and modulation of plasticity after an acquired brain insult.