The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantitatively trunk equilibrium by the non invasive method about postural regulability with healthy adults and cerebellar ataxia.
Fifty five healthy adults and twenty patients of cerebellar ataxia, including spinocerebellar degeneration and vascular disease, participated into the experiment. Items of task consisted of keeping balance at the sitting (sitting on the original chair with the feet put on the floor), sitting (sitting on the original chair with the feet dangling without touching the floor) and standing position (upright standing with the feet kept fifteen centimeters apart). These data were calculated during stationary body sway for 30 sec with a sampling period of 50 msec duration. Data of track length, and sway area were then collected during keeping those postures.
The measurement of sitting body sway was found highly reliable and also showed relationship between the age and body sway in healthy adults.
Cerebellar ataxia indicated a remarked increase in the sway path and sway area at the sitting positon with the feet dangling without touching floor (p<0.01).
The results of this study indicate the validity and usefulness of the method for the analysis of body sway on the sitting position. This method might be applicable to clinical physical therapy fields of semeiological approaches for disequilibrium patients.

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So-called Cross Test in which a subject is asked to move his/her own center of gravity as a cross figure was applied in our experiment by measuring center of foot pressure (CFP). We have aimed to build the Cross Test systematically applicable to daily evaluations. This time, we were interested in if the test is valuable for that purpose. In a measurement system, we employed not 1 forceplate but 2 plates. This enabled us to find specific results on hemiplegics and amputees by measuring individual CFP on each foot.
We recorded postures with a right body alignment and a different one prior to the experiment to confirm our test posture. A reliability of the test was also analyzed. Finally, 50 normal subjects, 17 hemiplegics and 14 amputees were tested. Basic statistics, correlations between the data and the age and gait ability and time course of the data on a few particular patients were discussed based on the statistics.
We obtained reliable data independent on the difference in record time. There were statistical differences between load for the sound and affected sides of the hemiplegics and amputees. The amputees showed that their data of cross range depended on the gait ability. CFP locus pictures demonstrated that they became more and more complete as time went.
It is the most important point that the result of the Cross Test can be visually evaluated. In addtion to that point, we could show the typical aspects on the patients by analysing ICFP. It was concluded that the Cross Test can be effective for evaluating the severity of patients and therapy outcomes.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the shape, the cross-sectional area (CSA), and the constitutive ratio of muscles in the thigh.
We studied nine healthy men and eight healthy women. We took measurements at various locations along the length of the thigh, giving the locations as a percentage of the thigh from the knee joint. The results showed that the maximum CSA of the muscles was at the 60% mark from the knee. Individual muscles showed a maximum CSA at different locations on the overall thigh: the sertorius was at 66.7%, the gracilis at 64.7%, the semimembranosus at 50.2%, the biceps femoris at 34.7%, the vastus lateralis at 67.1%, the vastus intermedius at 56.2%, the vastus medialis at 25.5%, the rectus fomoris at 67.5% and the adductors at 72.9%.
Looking at the constitutive ratio of muscles in the thigh, we found that the semimembranosus and vastus medialis are dominant in the distant thigh region, while the adductors are in the proximate thigh region. Also, between a distance of 20% and 80% from the knee, the quadriceps occupied about 50% of the total CSA. At a distance of 10% from the knee, the hamstrings occupied 52% of the total CSA.
From these results, we suggest that the characteristics of muscle shape and the constitutive ratio of muscles must be considered when evaluating the condition of a thigh.

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This paper reports the clinical usage of Hiflex Foot Gear (HFG) for patients with neuromuscular disease. The questionnaire was answered by 25 out of 36 patients for whom HFG had been prescribed. Improvement of stability in level walking, stair climbing and steep walking was indicated by 78%, 65% and 48% of the patients, respectively. The effects of HFG on walking pattern were evident in toe clearance and stability of the ankle joint. Although there were some problems in attending the use of HFG, the present results appear to justify its clinical use.

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We put severely encephalopathic children with respiratory disturbance on respiratory training based upon neuro-developmental treatment. The clinical results obtained are reported here. The subjects were 17 cases of severe encephalopathy, averaging 6.2 years of age and 19.0 months (5〜35) of treatment. Assessment was made with respect to the following 7 items; 1) time for antigravity control of the head, 2) stridor, 3) expectorant power, 4) cyanosis, 5) respiratory pattern, 6) respiration rate per minute, and 7) oxygen saturation of arterial blood (SaO₂).
The numerical rating system was used for 1) 〜5), statistical processing being done at both the start of treatment and the final evaluation. Numerical rating of 1) 〜5) averaged 3.2 and 7.4 at both these, respectively. Comparison of both these points revealed high significance for the end of treatment (p<0.05). In 9 cases, SaO₂ showed significant increases (p<0.05) at the final evaluation than at the start of treatment. Significant improvements were also observed for 8 cases aged above 7 years, which suggests the effectiveness of the treatment.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of maintaining a stretched position for a short period of time in preventing disuse muscle atrophy. Soleus muscle (SOL) atrophy was induced by hindlimb suspension of male Wistar rats (n = 13) for two weeks. The right SOL was maximally stretched with dorsi-flexion of the ankle joint for 20 minutes/day, 5 times/week, with non-elastic tape. The left SOL was unweighted only, without stretching.
Muscle ATPase histochemical staining, followed by morphometrical analysis, demonstrated that the muscle-to-body weight ratio and cross-sectional area of type I and Ⅱ fibers in stretched SOL were significantly larger than in non-stretched SOL. The percentage distribution of muscle fiber types did not change.
The results indicate that it is possible to delay the progression of disuse muscle atrophy by maintaining a stretched position for brief periods of time.

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It is necessary for the instruction of exercise and health of persons in advanced age groups to consider a motive to exercise. At the beginning of the exercise motive research, its composing factors were investigated to develop an exercise motive scale. This investigation was carried out on 394 persons in advanced age groups living in Nakano ward of Tokyo and Minami-boso area from August to October, 1992. After the investigation of factors of about 36 items prepared by the preliminary investigation using the factor analysis method, it was found that the exercise motive composing factors consist of four factors such as “emotional demand”, “healthy life”, “feeling of incompetence and psychosomatic inhibition”, and “social life”. These are the factors applied for researches of exercise motive, a guiding principle to the instruction of exercise for persons in advanced age groups may therefore be obtained by considering these factors.

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The purpose of this case report is to describe the effectiveness of the physical therapy to a patient with fracture of the atlas (Jefferson's fracture) and the skull. A 51-year-old man was injured in a traffic accident. The problems the patient had were pointed out as follows; 1. neck pain, 2. restricted neck and shoulder range of motion and 3. gait disturbance. His neck pain got worse during rolling-over and sitting up in a bed. From onset of the accident we had intensively implemented physical therpy for half a year, focusing on relief of neck pain and independent walk, which resulted in the improvement of the above-mentioned chief complaints. This case report demonstrates the potential for the therapeutic effects on eliminating neck pain, which might lead to independent walk.

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After the patient with cancer of the floor of mouth had a resection in the anterior and left lateral floor of mouth, his swallowing function was impaired. Firstly the patient received the operation and then we managed swallowing therapy on him in order to improve his dysphasia. Our swallowing therapy involved 1) improvement of tongue movement, 2) adjustment of the position of head and neck, and 3) bolus control exercise with jelly, and swallowing function before and after the therapy was analyzed by Videofluorography.

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