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Introduction: Optimizing post-stroke rehabilitation strategies remains imperative for improving patient outcomes. Physical exercise, including outdoor walking, represents a promising intervention; however, its clinical efficacy, along with the utility of SMS-guided instructions to support adherence, requires further investigation. This study aims to elucidate the association of BDNF levels and cholinergic markers in the plasma of patients with previously reported post-stroke walking recovery (STROKEWALK study).

Methods: Post-stroke patients were randomly selected to receive SMS-guided exercise instructions (intervention group, n = 31) or not (control group, n = 31) at the time of stroke (baseline) and continued for the next 3 months. Plasma samples were collected at baseline (n = 28) and at 3-month follow-up (n = 28) and analyzed for Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic-Factor (BDNF) protein as a primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included enzyme activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and the six-minute walking test (6MWT), which was assessed at the same time as the plasma sampling.

Results: A significant decline in BDNF was observed at 3 months in the total population (n = 56), primarily driven by the control group. Stratifying groups as intervention or control displayed no significant difference in BDNF protein levels, nor in ChAT or BChE activities at baseline or at 3-month follow-up, except for a significant correlation between BChE and Body-Mass Index (BMI). Patient stratification based on 6MWT performance displayed higher BDNF levels in the intervention group versus the control group, especially among females but not males. Females showed higher BChE than the males in the control group, but not in the intervention. Interestingly, the change in ChAT activity and cholinergic index (ChAT/BChE) from baseline to follow-up is significantly correlated with 6MWT performance.

Discussion: We conclude that SMS-guided exercise training improves post-stroke walking performance (6MWT) which attenuates the decline in BDNF levels. Cholinergic function correlates with improved walking performance and could be a useful marker to evaluate rehabilitation outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify factors related to changes in walking performance in individuals 3 months after a stroke or TIA.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled study.

SETTING: University Hospital, Sweden.

PARTICIPANTS: 79 individuals, 64 (10) years, 37% women, who were acutely hospitalised because of stroke or TIA between November 2016 and December 2018. Inclusion criteria were patients aged 18 or above and the major eligibility criterion was the ability to perform the 6 min walking test.

INTERVENTION: The intervention group received standard care plus daily mobile phone text messages (short message service) with instructions to perform regular outdoor walking and functional leg exercises in combination with step counting and training diaries. The control group received standard care.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Multivariate analysis was performed and age, sex, group allocation, comorbidity, baseline 6 min walk test, body mass index (BMI), cognition and chair-stand tests were entered as possible determinants for changes in the 6 min walk test.

RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses showed that age (standardised beta -0.33, 95% CI -3.8 to -1.05, p<0.001), sex (-0.24, 95% CI -66.9 to -8.0, p=0.014), no comorbidity (-0.16, 95% CI -55.5 to 5.4, p=0.11), baseline BMI (-0.29, 95% CI -8.1 to -1.6, p=0.004), baseline 6 min walk test (-0.55, 95% CI -0.5 to -0.3, p<0.001) were associated with changes in 6 min walk test 3 months after the stroke event. The regression model described 36% of the variance in changes in the 6 min walk test.

CONCLUSIONS: Post hoc regression analyses indicated that younger age, male sex, lower BMI and shorter 6 min walk test at baseline and possible no comorbidity contributed to improvement in walking performance at 3 months in patients with a recent stroke or TIA. These factors may be important when planning secondary prevention actions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02902367.

Objective: To evaluate whetherdaily mobile-phone delivered messages with training instructions during three months increase physical activity and overall mobility in patients soon after stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Design: Randomised controlled trial with intention-to-treat analyses.

Setting: University hospital. Data collection from November 2016 until December2018.

Subjects: Seventy-nine patients (mean (SD) age 63.9 (10.4) years, 29 were women) were allocated to either intervention (n = 40) or control group (n = 39). Participants had to be independent (modified Ranking Scale <= 2) and able to perform the six-minute walking test at discharge from the hospital.

Interventions: The intervention group received standard care and daily mobile phone instructional text messages to perform regular outdoor walking and functional leg exercises. The control group received standard care; that is, primary care follow-up.

Main measures: Walking performance by six-minute walking test (m), lower body strength by five times chair-stand test (s), the short physical performance battery (0-12 points) and 10-metres walk test (m/s) were assessed at baseline and after three months.

Results: The estimated median difference in the six-minute walking test was in favour of the intervention group by 30 metres (95% CI, 55 to 1; effect size 0.64; P = 0.037) and in the chair-stand test by 0.88 seconds (95% CI, 0.02 to 1.72; effect size 0.64; P = 0.034). There were no differences between groups on the short physical performance battery or in 10-metres walking time.

Conclusions: Three months of daily mobile phone text messages with guided training instructions improved composite mobility measures; that is, walking performanceand lower body strength.

Objectives: To evaluate effects of mobile phone text-messaging exercise instructions on body composition, cardiometabolic risk markers and self-reported health at 3 months after stroke.

Design: Randomised controlled intervention study with per-protocol analyses.

Setting: University Hospital in Sweden.

Participants: Seventy-nine patients (mean (SD) age 64 (10) years, 37% female) ≥18 years with good motor function (modified Rankin Scale ≤2) and capable to perform 6 min walking test at hospital discharge were randomised to either intervention (n=40) or control group (n=39). Key exclusion criteria: Subarachnoid bleeding, uncontrolled hypertension, severe psychiatric problems or cognitive limitations.

Interventions: The intervention group received beyond standard care, daily mobile phone instructional text messages to perform regular outdoor walking and functional leg exercises. The control group received standard care.

Main outcome measures: Fat mass and fat-free mass were estimated by bioelectric impedance analysis. Cardiometabolic risk factors like blood lipids, glycated haemoglobin and blood glucose were analysed at baseline and after 3 months.

Results: Both groups changed favourably in fat-free mass (1.83 kg, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.89; p=0.01, effect size (ES)=0.63 vs 1.22 kg, 95% CI 0.39 to 2.0; p=0.05, ES=0.54) and fat mass (-1.30 kg, 95% CI-2.45 to-0.14; p=0.029, ES=0.41 vs-0.76 kg, 95% CI-1.74 to 0.22; p=0.123, ES=0.28). Also, many cholesterol related biomarkers improved; for example, total cholesterol-0.65 mmol/L, 95% CI-1.10 to-0.2; p=0.06, ES: 0.5 vs-1.1 mmol/L, 95% CI-1.47 to-0.56; p>0.001, ES=0.8. However, there were no between-group differences. At 3 months, 94% and 86%, respectively, reported very good/fairly good health in the text messaging and control groups.

Conclusions: No clear effect of 3 months daily mobile phone delivered training instructions was detected on body composition, cardiovascular biochemical risk factors or self-perceived health. Further research is needed to evaluate secondary prevention efforts in larger populations after recent stroke.

Trial registration number: NCT02902367.

Purpose: When a tourniquet is used during surgery on the extremities, the pressure applied to the muscles, nerves and blood vessels can cause neuromuscular damage that contributes to postoperative weakness. The hypothesis was that the rehabilitation-related results would be improved if total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is performed without the use of a tourniquet.

Methods: 81 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who underwent TKA surgery were randomized to surgery with or without tourniquet. Active flexion and extension of the knee, pain by visual analog scale (VAS), swelling by knee circumference, quadriceps function by straight leg raise, and timed up and go (TUG) test results were measured before and up to 3 months after surgery.

Results: ANCOVA revealed no between-groups effect for flexion of the knee at day 3 postsurgery. Compared with the tourniquet group, the nontourniquet group experienced elevated pain at 24 h, with a mean difference of 16.6 mm, p = 0.005. The effect on mobility (TUG test) at 3 months was better in the nontourniquet group, with a mean difference of -1.1 s, p = 0.029.

Conclusions: The hypothesis that the rehabilitation-related results would be improved without a tourniquet is not supported by the results. When the results in this study for surgery performed with and without tourniquet are compared, no clear benefit for either procedure was observed, as the more pain exhibited by the nontourniquet group was only evident for a short period and the improved mobility in this group was not at a clinically relevant level.

Level of evidence: Inconsistent results, Level II.

Background and Purpose: In Western countries, falls and fall-related injuries are a well-known threat to health in the aging population. Studies indicate that regular exercise improves strength and balance and can therefore decrease the incidence of falls and fall-related injuries. The challenge, however, is to provide exercise programs that are safe, effective, and attractive to the older population. The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of a home-based exercise program with or without motivational interviewing (MI) compared with standard care on physical performance, fall self-efficacy, balance, activity level, handgrip strength, adherence to the exercise, and fall frequency.

Method: A total of 175 older adults participated in this randomized controlled study. They were randomly allocated for the Otago Exercise Program (OEP) (n = 61), OEP combined with MI (n = 58), or a control group (n = 56). The participants' mean age was 83 years. The recruitment period was from October 2012 to May 2015. Measurements of physical performance, fall self-efficacy, balance, activity level, handgrip strength, adherence to the exercise, and fall frequency were done before and 12 weeks after randomization.

Results and Discussion: A total of 161 participants were followed up, and there were no significant differences between groups after a period of 12 weeks of regular exercise. Within the OEP + MI group, physical performance, fall self-efficacy, physical activity level, and handgrip strength improved significantly; likewise, improved physical performance and fall self-efficacy were found in the control group. A corresponding difference did not occur in the OEP group. Adherence to the exercise was generally high in both exercise groups.

Conclusion: In the short-term perspective, there were no benefits of an exercise program with or without MI regarding physical performance, fall self-efficacy, activity level, handgrip strength, adherence to the exercise, and fall frequency in comparison to a control group. However, some small effects occurred within the OEP + MI group, indicating that there may be some possible value in behavioral change support combined with exercise in older adults that requires further evaluation in both short- and long-term studies.

Objectives: Weaknesses of the nine-hole peg test include high floor effects and a result that might be difficult to interpret. In the twenty-five-hole peg test (TFHPT), the larger number of available pegs allows for the straightforward counting of the number of pegs inserted as the result. The TFHPT provides a comprehensible result and low floor effects. The objective was to assess the test-retest reliability of the TFHPT when testing persons with stroke. A particular focus was placed on the absolute reliability, as quantified by the smallest real difference (SRD). Complementary aims were to investigate possible implications for how the TFHPT should be used and for how the SRD of the TFHPT performance should be expressed.

Design: This study employed a test-retest design including three trials. The pause between trials was approximately 10-120 s.

Participants, setting and outcome measure: Thirty-one participants who had suffered a stroke were recruited from a group designated for constraint-induced movement therapy at outpatient clinics. The TFHPT result was expressed as the number of pegs inserted.

Methods: Absolute reliability was quantified by the SRD, including random and systematic error for a single trial, SRD2.1, and for an average of three trials, SRD2.3. For the SRD measures, the corresponding SRD percentage (SRD%) measure was also reported.

Results: The differences in the number of pegs necessary to detect a change in the TFHPT for SRD2.1 and SRD2.3 were 4.0 and 2.3, respectively. The corresponding SRD% values for SRD2.1 and SRD2.3 were 36.5% and 21.3%, respectively.

Conclusions: The smallest change that can be detected in the TFHPT should be just above two pegs for a test procedure including an average of three trials. The use of an average of three trials compared with a single trial substantially reduces the measurement error.

This study investigated if behavioral factors, treatment with behavioral support, readiness to change, fall self-efficacy, and activity habits could predict long-term adherence to an exercise program. Included in this study were 114 community-dwelling older adults who had participated in one of two home-based exercise interventions. Behavioral factors associated with adherence to the exercise program over 52 weeks were analyzed. The behavioral factors, specifically activity habits at baseline, significantly predicted adherence to the exercise program, with an odds ratio = 3.39, 95% confidence interval [1.38, 8.32], for exercise and an odds ratio = 6.11, 95% confidence interval [2.34, 15.94], for walks. Being allocated to a specific treatment including motivational interviewing was also significantly predictive: odds ratio = 2.47, 95% confidence interval [1.11, 5.49] for exercise adherence. In conclusion, activity habits and exercise in combination with motivational interviewing had a significant association with adherence to the exercise program at a 1-year follow-up.

Physical activity in community-living individuals after a stroke is usually scarce. This protocol describes a study that will evaluate a method to increase physical activity by performing a 3-month outdoor walking and muscle strengthening program and will examine the 3-month and 1-year effects of this program on individuals with acute stroke (AS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). In a prospective randomized controlled trial in Uppsala, Sweden, 80 individuals with AS or TIA who maintained cognitive and motor function will be randomized into groups for continuous training for three months or for regular standard care. The training will be supervised by daily cellphone-delivered messages (short message services; SMS), and the intensity, duration and workload will be gradually increased. The primary outcome is a change in walking capacity according to the 6-Minute Walk Test and chair-rising at three months. Secondary outcomes include mobility, gait speed, handgrip strength, body composition (fat mass and muscle mass), biochemical risk-markers, health-related quality of life, and cardiovascular events. Adherence to the training program will be documented with a self-reported diary and step counts over two weeks. The major study started in November 2016, and results are expected in 2019. In a pilot study of 15 subjects post-stroke (mean-age 65 years), we observed improved walking capacity (increasing from 23 to 255 m) and chair-rising (decreasing 2.42 s) from baseline to three months. SMS-guided outdoor training will be tested as a potential therapeutic strategy to increase physical activity and thereby improve walking capacity and physical function following a stroke.

Introduction: The major paediatric triage systems are primarily based on flow charts involving signs and symptoms for orientation and subjective estimates of the patient's condition. In contrast, the 4-level Paediatric Triage Instrument (PETI) is primarily based on vital parameters and was developed exclusively for paediatric triage in patients with medical symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the inter-rater reliability of this triage system in children when used by nurses.

Methods: A design was employed in which triage was performed simultaneously and independently by a research nurse and an emergency department (ED) nurse using the PETI. All patients aged <= 12 years who presented at the ED with a medical symptom were considered eligible for participation.

Results: The 89 participants exhibited a median age of 2 years and were triaged by 28 different nurses. The inter-rater reliability between nurses calculated with the quadratic-weighted kappa was 0.78 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.89); the linear-weighted kappa was 0.67 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.80) and the unweighted kappa was 0.59 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.73). For the patients aged <1, 1-3 and >3 years, the quadratic-weighted kappa values were 0.67 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.94), 0.86 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.97) and 0.73 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.97), respectively. The median triage duration was 6 min.

Conclusions: The PETI exhibited substantial reliability when used in children aged <= 12 years and almost perfect reliability among children aged 1-3 years. Moreover, rapid application of the PETI was demonstrated. This study has some limitations, including sample size and generalisability, but the PETI exhibited promise regarding reliability, and the next step could be either a larger reliability study or a validation study.