The coordination of respiration and swallowing was studied in ten normal male subjects in four positions : sitting, supine, supine with neck extended and supine with neck flexed.
Subjects (aged 18.8±1.3 y) had no known history of disorders of the respiratory or swallowing systems. For the recording of respiratory movements, a respiration pickup sensor was placed around the rib cage at the understernal level. For the recording of laryngeal movements, a force transducer was placed at the level of thyroid cartilage.
The relationships between the time of occurrence of the laryngeal movement and the start of the swallowing respiration containing the swallows for sitting, supine, supine with neck extended and supine with neck flexed position were compared.
Our major finding was that there was a strong tendency to start of swallowing respiration after the occurrence of the laryngeal movement and to start of expiratory phase of swallowing respiration after the occurrence of down phase of the laryngeal movement in four positions.
We speculate that the coordination of laryngeal movement and swallowing respiration prevents water from entering the respiratory passages.
The method used in this study is accessible. It will be possible that we evaluate the swallowing quantitatively. And it will be effective that physical therapists evaluate patients who have dysphagia by the method of this study.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify effects of physical environmental factors on behavioral changes of the elderly with dementia. Thirty home-bound elderly people were subjects as well as 60 elderly people in institution for the health care service. The subjects were divided into 4 groups according to their mental function. In addition, those whose mental score for dementia were below 16 points were divided into 2 subgroups according to their level of self-care activities.
Information on behavioral changes as well as way of life of the subjects were collected from their caregivers.
As a result, those with mild dementia was able to perform house-tasks with simple house equipments. On the contrary, those with moderate dementia could not only go to toilet room and bedroom using signs or arrows but also manage to handle their familiar objects. In those with severe dementia, hallucination or delirium almost disappeared by removing objects causing them.
These results imply that physical environment affects the behavior and way of life of the elderly with dementia through simplification as well as offering the hint and prevention of errors.

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Assessment of information processing during a task was attempted in patients with apoplectic hemiplegia, using the parameters of P300 and reaction time (RT) induced during the performance of single and dual tasks, by comparing information processing between the right and left hemispheres. The results obtained were as follows: 1) No difference was observed in P300 and RT during the performance of single and dual tasks between right and left hemiplegia patients with superficial somatic sensory disturbance and normal control subjects, thereby suggesting the absence of any influence of superficial somatic sensory disturbance on information processing assessed by P300 and RT. 2) In hemiplegia patients, RT and P300 latency were slower for the affected hemisphere than the intact hemisphere, which suggested a difference in the information processing velocity between the hemisphere in hemiplegia patients. 3) In both the normal controls and hemiplegia patients, RT during the dual task was slower than RT during a single task and P300 amplitude was attenuated. This may reflect a change in the information processing capacity, suggesting a possible decrease in the allotted capacity for one task. In patients with right and left hemiplegia, RT and P300 latency times were slower and attenuation of P300 amplitude was larger than those in the normal controls. 4) The results of P300 and RT were poorer in the left hemiplegia patients than those in the normal control and right hemiplegia patients, suggesting a possible influence of the right hemispheric disturbance particularly on information processing-related abilities.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the middle frequency current flow on acute edema formation in rats. The edema was produced by dropping a metal ball on the hind paw of rats after sandwiching the pan in English polypropylene. The rats were divided into a control group (n=10) and four electrical stimulation (ES) groups (n=40) of different frequency (A; 11kHz, B; 4kHz, C; 4kHz, D; 5kHz). Electrical stimulation for 15 min started 5 min after injury was administered to the ES groups. The foot volume of all groups were measured prior to injury and at 20, 30 min post injury. The relative quantity of Evans blue was measured to all rats 30 min after injury. It was found that foot volume changes of the A group and relative quantity of Evans blue of A (p<0.01), B and D (p<0.05), were significantly decreased. The results of this study demonstrated that the middle frequency current flow of 11kHz curbed edema formation more than that of 4 and 5kHz.

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This study examined the relationship between muscle strength in the lower extremities and mobility in activities of daily living in the elderly.
Thirty-five elderly womem over 69 years old (mean age of 82.1±17.0 y.o) who lived in a home for aged were studied. Muscles of the lower extremities including hip extensor, hip flexor, hip abductor, hip adductor, knee extensor, knee flexor, ankle dorsi flexor, and ankle plantar flexor were evaluated. The strength of each muscle was evaluated as the bilateral average of the percentage of weight to maximal isometric strength measured by a hand-held dyanamometer in an appropriate position using the Bohnnon method. Mobility in activities of daily living was scored using the section related to transfer, moving, and climbing stairs in the Functional Indepence Measure (F. I. M).
Speaman’s correlation coefficient by ranks was adapted to identify the muscles closely related to mobility performance, and then, the muscle strength required for independent moving activities was clarified by cut off analysis for these muscles respectively.
High correlation coefficients were shown for ankle dorisi flexor (r=0.75, p<0.001), and knee extensor (r=0.74, p<0.001). Therefore, ankle dorisi flexor and knee extensor were closely related to the mobility. Cut off analysis indicated the discriminatory criterion was 0.42 Nm/kg in ankle dorisi flexor, and, 1.43 Nm/kg in knee extenser.

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We experienced two cases of high-level radial nerve paralysis. One case was a humeral condyle fracture with radial nerve paralysis; neurapraxia-axonotmesis. The other case was laceration with neurotmesis. After the physical therapy treatment the humeral condyle fracture gained full range of motion at 14 weeks. Neural paralysis recovery was delayed 4 weeks further. The case with laceration needed a long time for neural paralysis recovery, and the paralysis remained in extensor pollicis longus and extensor indicis. For the physical therapy of patients with high-level radial nerve paralysis, it is important to prevent contracture, to keep optimal positson, and to consider their recovery process with special reference to the evaluation of Tinel’s sign.

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