The motion of standing sequence initiated from four different types of sitting positions was analysed based on the total vertical force (TVF) with a use of four force plates and at the same time, the force applied on the handrail located on the right of the subjects was measured. The subjects were seventeen helthy adult women. They were 18 to 21 years old with an average age of 19.2 years.
The standing sequence was categorized in five phases as follows: 1. initiative phase, 2. preparative phase, 3. sitting to standing phase, 4. up righting phase, 5. balancing phase.
At the first phase, TVF has decrease to 99% because of the weight was slightly shifted to down and backward to create the force forwardly. At the second, TVF has varied to 96% becouse of creating the force forwardly activating upper body flexion. At the third phase, TVF has incresed to 119% primarily activating the knee extention to create the force upwardly. At the fourth phase, TVF was decrease to 80% as the upward force has diminished. At this phase, the center of gravity of the total vertical force has shifted from the heel to the middle point of foot. At the fifth phase, TVF has revealed 100% becouse of neither the motion nor the force was necessary upward and forwardly. Then, the standing balance has kept as a natural standing posture.

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Maximum walking speed for 10m distance, sway path of the center of feet pressure for 10sec in station, and isokinetic strength for knee extension with angular velocity of 30°/sec were examined before and 4 weeks after intensive physical therapy in 13 patients with spinocerebellar degenerations. The maximum walking speed was related to the sway path and the isokinetic strength in both the pre-and the post-training examination. The maximum walking speed increased significantly after the training, but not the isokinetic strength and the sway path. The gain of maximum walking speed was significantly correlated with that of the isokinetic strength, but not with that of sway path. These results suggest that the improvement of walking capacity after the physical therapy is brought about only by the increase of the muscle strength.

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We used the Japanese version of the FIM (functional independence measure). To establish its effectiveness in Japan, we compared the FIM with the Barthel Index (BI). We also examined the contribution of communication scores and social cognition scores to the general ADL items (GEN) such as self care activities, sphincter control or mobility.
Stroke patients (61 at admission and 49 at discharge) were evaluated using both the FIM and the BI. A regression analysis of their total scores was carried out. Next, we examined the distribution of the FIM score in patients with low scores of the BI. Finally, we performed multiple regression analysis to regress each of the GEN factors with the total score of communication and social cognition (COMM), the Brunnstrom stages (BS), the age and the interval between the onset of the stroke and the examination date.
The regression line denoted a correlation coefficient of 0.95, therefore the FIM and the BI seemed equally valid as functional evaluation tools. The FIM score corresponding to 100 points of BI on the regression line didn't attain the full score. This shows that the residual needs for rehabilitation in relatively independent patients are easily detected with the FIM. The number of items in which patients were not totally dependent was greater when using the FIM compared with the BI. The FIM was more sensitive in detecting the initial improvement of disability. From the values of the standard regression coefficient, COMM mainly contributed to GEN at admission, although the contribution of COMM to GEN was less at discharge.

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Few authors have reported about electrophysiological findings including longitudinal F wave analysis in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome during chronic stage. So we examined F waves in addition to conventional motor nerve conduction velocity (in upper extremity: elbow-wrist, in lower extremity: knee-ankle) of 6 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (5 males, 1 female, age: 17-54 years old) who had already had normal muscle strength. The objective nerves of this study were median, ulnar, peroneal and tibial nerves on one side respectively (24 nerves in all). Through observation of their clinical courses from acute stage, they participated in this study when muscle weakness recovered to the normal range. At the time of first examination, all of them had already returnd to their former jobs.
F waves were elicited by supramaximal stimulation at wrist or ankle. As the parameters we used minimam latency (F_min), maximam latency (F_max) and duration (F_dur). The technique to obtain F wave measurement and their normal values used in this study had been reported in detail elsewhere. In addition, we compared electrodiagnostic findings with subjective complaints. In three patients, we could conducted the serial electromyographical examinations after that.
All the patients except one had some abnormalities in conduction study. Although motor nerve conduction velocity were slow in only two nerves (both in same patient), some abnormalities more than one parameters in F wave were found in 16 nerves out of 24 nerves. Prolongation of F_max were most common (15 nerves in 4 patients). These changes in the conduction study did not show any correlation with subjective complaints such as easy fatigability or local sensation of dysesthesia. Serial electromyographical examinations revealed normalization of all the abnormal values in F wave parameters as well as motor nerve conduction velocity in two subjects, and improvement of them in one patient, who dropped out of our study 9 months later.
Theses results suggested that in some patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, peripheral nerve function was in the middle way of recovery, even if muscle strength returned to normal. Consequently, serial electrophysiological evaluation including F wave analysis is important during chronic or recovery stage to assess its pathological condition adequately.

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[in Japanese]

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