Steven L Wolf

..This intervention can also have favorable effects upon the occurrence of falls. TC warrants further study as an exercise treatment to improve the health of older people...

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..To determine whether dose-specified botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) and a standardized exercise protocol produce better upper extremity function than placebo and the same exercise program...

..This is the first study to examine Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) tasks among EXCITE Trial participants that could not be completed at baseline or 2 weeks later...

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..Although VR and TC can benefit people with vestibulopathy, the degree to which gait improvements may be related to neuromuscular adaptations of the lower extremities for the two different therapies are unknown...

..To examine the relationship between change scores on the log mean Wolf Motor Function Test (lmWMFT) and the intensity of supervised Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) in participants with subacute and chronic stroke...

..The EXCITE trial has previously shown the efficacy of this intervention for patients 3-9 months poststroke who were followed-up for the next 12 months. We assessed the retention of improvements 24 months after the intervention...

..Clinicians and researchers interested in expanding their use of these measurement tools are encouraged to learn more about application possibilities...

..Finally, the strengths, uncertainties, and limitations associated with CIMT are examined...

..Few data exist to evaluate whether Tai Chi (TC) training improves physical performance and hemodynamic outcomes more than a wellness education (WE) program does among older fallers transitioning to frailty...

..In addition to bringing the interventions into facilities, a 1-year follow-up is also included to assess rates of change in outcome measurements...

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..This study addresses selected psychometric attributes of the WMFT applied to a chronic stroke population...

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..In particular, the costs associated with large trials necessitate compromise in study design or implementation, resulting in a dichotomy between what should be undertaken and what can be accomplished...

..To gather initial data on the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) from able-bodied participants...

..The WMFT discriminates higher from lower functioning participants tested across research sites. Comparable findings using the FMA support the criterion validity of the WMFT...

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..Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is among the most developed training approaches for motor restoration of the upper extremity (UE)...

..Mirror therapy facilitated employment of a motor copy strategy (bimanual movements) and later progression to "forced use" of the affected arm. The end result was increased functional use of the affected upper limb...

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..The Emory Functional Ambulation Profile (E-FAP) measures time to walk in different environments and accounts for use of assistive devices. This study assessed the reliability and validity of walking time measurements using these components...

..Further exploration into the relationship between selective activation of muscle partitions in the presence of defined movement conditions appears justified...

..The purpose of this study was to determine whether intense tai chi (TC) exercise could improve perceived health status and self-rated health (SRH) more than wellness education (WE) for older adults who are transitionally frail...

..Male caregiver gender was negatively associated with SS HRQOL (communication and mood) at 12 months. Early intervention targeting these family characteristics, especially caregiver depressive symptoms, may improve survivors' HRQOL...

..Increased electromyographic activity from the contralateral erector spinae was detected by the surface electrodes during sidebending to neutral movements...

..This study explored whether two exercise programs would affect the ability to minimize postural sway of 72 relatively inactive, older subjects who participated in the Atlanta FICSIT trial...

..The application of this procedure to persons with low back pain to acquire EMG activity and mobility data appears justified...

..145). Total mEFAP and all mEFAP subtask scores improved over time (P:<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The mEFAP is a reliable gait-assessment tool for patients with stroke and is sensitive to change in ambulation speed...

..Furthermore, repetitive trains of TMS themselves can induce plasticity. This article discusses the use of TMS to investigate and manipulate plasticity in the human nervous system...

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..To determine if a 12-week program of Tai Chi that has been shown to reduce falls incidence in older adults would improve the ability to allocate attention to balance under dual-task conditions...

..To determine if a program of intense Tai Chi exercise that has been shown to reduce the risk of falling in older adults improves postural control by altering the center of pressure (COP) trajectory during gait initiation...

..The FCCS appears to have adequate internal consistency and construct validity and may provide information about family conflicts around stroke recovery and direction for family-focused interventions...

..At 6 months poststroke, most patients cannot incorporate their affected hand into daily activities, which in turn is likely to reduce their perceived quality of life...

..The physical and mental sequelae after stroke and the family's response to this catastrophic event may have deleterious effects on caregivers...

..The Recruitment Index is presented as a variable to measure recruitment efficacy. In addition, ethical aspects of recruitment are explored, including informed consent and the concept of therapeutic misconception...

..Such patients often fail to develop full potential use of their affected upper extremity, perhaps due to a "learned nonuse phenomenon."..

..This case report describes the long-term maintenance of the effects of change 4-5 years after an application of constraint-induced therapy...

..To determine whether an intense tai chi exercise program could reduce fear of falling better than a wellness education (WE) program in older adults who had fallen previously and meet criteria for transitioning to frailty...

..These data suggest that the temporal and spatial gait features of these older adults differ substantially from published results from other older adults...

..To determine consistency in motor maps of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with conventional and close-spaced surface electrode recording placements...

..In addition, caregiver misunderstanding of the amount of control survivors may have over some behaviors has implications for rehabilitation and caregivers' responses to these changes...

..The MG is a unipennate muscle. Both TA and MG muscles show variations in innervation patterns among specimens. In light of these findings, partitioning of TA may be based on its architecture...

..CI therapy researchers should be charged to define the critical aspects of this therapy and appropriate adjunctive interventions that augment its applicability and effectiveness...

..This study examined changes in the translation of the center of pressure during forward and lateral (90 degrees to the side) gait initiation in two populations of older adults with postural instability...

..05 in all cases). Results suggest that for a carefully selected subgroup of children with hemiplegic CP, CI therapy modified to be child-friendly, appears to be efficacious in improving movement efficiency of the involved upper extremity...

..Thus, a simple linear method can be used to assess dependence of single MEP amplitudes on both stimulus intensity (to characterize slope of the recruitment curve) and low intensity background muscle activation level...

..Here we examine the relationship between efficacy of a child-friendly form of CI therapy and age on involved upper-extremity function...

..This preliminary study examines the effects of a 2-week constraint-induced therapy (CIT) intervention on the force-producing capabilities of the hemiparetic hand during the performance of a functional dexterous manipulation task...

..We conclude that GZS is most improved in those who receive VR, but that TC improves WBS and FFS without improving GZS, suggesting patients with VSP can rely on non-gaze related mechanisms to improve postural control...

..Rehabilitation specialists can use this research synthesis to guide their selection of effective treatment techniques for persons with impairments after stroke...

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..Clinical scores revealed marked improvement in functional activities. In one patient who suffered a stroke, 2 weeks of CIT led to improved function and cortical reorganization in the hemisphere contralateral to the affected hand...

..To examine the psychometric properties of an objective method for assessing real-world arm activity in a large sample with subacute stroke...

..To evaluate the rationale and scientific support for Tai Chi as an intervention for vestibulopathy and to offer recommendations for future studies...

..DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: For selected patients with stroke, the intensive practice associated with CI therapy may be administered without exacerbation of pain or fatigue, even early during the recovery process...

..This study examined the effect of a community-based tai chi program on injurious falls, balance, gait, and fear of falling among people aged 65 years and older in Taiwan...

..Results indicate that restricted vision has a negative impact on overall postural stability and visually impaired individuals utilize greater use of hip strategy to maintain postural stability...

..Further modifications will likely be required to hone in on the specific components of the intervention that are most effective before applying them to children who are most likely to benefit...

..Primary outcome measures are a laboratory motor function test and amount of extremity use in the real world setting. Changes in psychosocial functioning will also be measured. ..