Purpose: This study investigated stroke survivors’ perspectives of health behaviours after stroke. We aimed to explore the actual process by which stroke survivors changed their health behaviours. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 people in a 1-year prospective study in the regional city of Chiba, Japan. Interviews covered views of health behaviours in order to explore why patients change their risk factors. Data were analysed using the principles of modified grounded theory. Results: Six categories related to practising health behaviours were identified: cause of stroke, antithetic thinking, awareness of the body, fear of disease progression, view of health, and psychological meaning of practise. Stroke survivors constructed a meaning of practise for each health behaviour. The recognition of previous lifestyle as cause of stroke, hope for recovery, and fear of future progression influenced health behaviours. Conclusions: The key finding of this study is that when cognitive behavioural therapy principles are enforced, an important aspect is that stroke survivors recognize the possibility that previous lifestyle was a cause of stroke and appreciate the necessity of preventing a new stroke.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the regional chest wall volume changes during various breathing maneuvers in normal men with an optical reflectance system (OR), which tracks reflective markers in three dimensions. Methods: Chest wall volume was measured by the OR system [V_L(CW)], and lung volume was measured by hot wire spirometry [V_L(SP)] in 15 healthy men during quiet breathing (QB), during breathing at a rate of 50 tidal breaths/min paced using a metronome (MT: metronome-paced tachypnea), and during a maximal forced inspiratory and expiratory maneuver (MFIE maneuver). Results: There were few discrepancies between V_L(CW) and VL(SP) for QB and MT. In the MFIE maneuver, however V_L(CW) was often underestimated compared with V_L(SP), particularly during forced maximal expiration, because of pulmonary rib cage volume changes. Furthermore, the regional chest wall volume changes were affected by breathing maneuver alternation. In the pulmonary and abdominal rib cage, inspiratory reserve volume was larger than expiratory reserve volume, respectively, and in the abdomen, expiratory reserve volume was larger than inspiratory reserve volume. Conclusion: Alternation of breathing maneuvers affects regional chest wall volume changes.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the isokinetic trunk and knee muscle strengths, and examine the clinical relevance of dynamic muscle strengths and gait performance in walking patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy/ tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Thirteen patients with HAM/TSP (8 females and 5 males, aged 38-76) and 13 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects participated in the study. We assessed gait speed, stride length, cadence; and maximal isokinetic torque of trunk and knee extensors and flexors at 30°/s, 60°/s and 90°/s using a Biodex System 3 dynamometer. Furthermore, we calculated the isokinetic trunk extensor/flexor (E/F) and hamstrings/quadriceps (H/Q) strength ratios (parameter of the muscle strength balance about the trunk and knee joint). Compared with the age-matched controls, the patients with HAM/TSP had significantly reduced gait speed, stride length and cadence (P < 0.05). Peak torque values related to body weight (PTBW) were significantly reduced, especially for the knee flexors (P < 0.05). For the knee extensors, the PTBW values were significantly reduced at an increased angular velocity (P < 0.05). The PTBW of knee flexors was positively correlated with gait speed and cadence in the patients with HAM/TSP. The H/Q ratio but not E/F ratio was significantly decreased compared with the control. Our results indicated that the isokinetic trunk and knee muscle performance had reduced from the ambulatory stage, and suggested the deterioration in knee muscle performance to be associated with gait disturbance in walking HAM/TSP patients.

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