Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the factors, including the frequency of therapeutic intervention (physical therapy: PT, occupational therapy: OT and speech therapy: ST), that influence the recovery of activities of daily living (ADL) related motor functions in patients with stroke based on stratification by ADL severity at admission.

Method: In this study, we included patients with stroke of our hospital. Based on the severity of motor function limitation at admission, the patients were stratified into the following three groups: severe limitation, moderate limitation and mild limitation. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors predicting a positive motor ADL recovery (positive score gained for functional independence measure (FIM)-related motor: motor FIM gain). This analysis was performed for all three groups. Using an ROC curve, cut-off value for each significant predictor in the logistic regression analysis was determined. To calculate the cut-off values and diagnostic performance for each of the extraction factor.

Result: The number of subject in severe, moderate, and mild group was 297, 190, and 170 respectively. Extraction factor number were 5 in the mild group, 2 in the moderate and 3 in the severe group. The total frequency of PT and OT was a significant predictor of motor FIM gain in all groups; the cut-off values for this predictor in the severe, moderate and mild limitation groups were 747, 495 and 277, respectively. And positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 2.26・0.63, 1.5・0.67 and 1.86・ 0.45. The posterior values were 71.0%, 62.0% and 65.0%, respectively.

Conclusion: As the recovery is likely to predict a person of severe, but the high prediction is difficult accurate if not more variables.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of defensive style Nordic walking for beginners on the gait of the elderly.

Method: Twenty-eight elderly participants who could walk without any assistive devices participated in this study. Two types of gait were studied: gait without canes and gait with Nordic poles were measured by a 3D motion capture system and a force plate.

Results: Comparing the gait with and without canes the vertical component of ground reaction force during loading response did not show significant difference. The step width, lateral sway of the trunk, and amplitude during lateral movement of the center of gravity were significantly decreased during gait with Nordic poles compared to gait without canes. A significant correlation was found between step width and lateral movement of the center of gravity.

Conclusion: Defensive style Nordic walking increased the lateral stability of the gait of the elderly participants.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) among frail elderly persons after short-term stays in a geriatric health care facility and the characteristics of modified Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scales using the NPI within observational periods of two days.

Methods: Recipients of short-term residential respite care at a single geriatric health care facility in southeast Hyogo Prefecture and their primary caregivers participated in the present study. Primary caregivers compared NPS among frail elderly persons using a modified NPI scale before and after a short-term stay in the facility. The reliability and validity of modified NPI scales for two-day observational periods was assessed.

Results: The test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the modified NPI were excellent. The NPS among frail elderly persons significantly improved after a short-term stay in the facility.

Conclusion: Modified versions of the NPI appear reliable and valid for two-day observational periods of frail elderly persons. NPS improved after a short-term stay in a geriatric health care facility.

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the factors determining balance disturbance in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Methods: The study population consisted of 32 patients with stage 1–3 PD on the modified Hoehn and Yahr staging system. We measured Berg Balance Scale (BBS), MMSE, UPDRS partII–13–15 and III–27–30 (scores of tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, axial symptoms), BMI, grip strength, isometric knee extensor strength, fall frequency in the past month, and levodopa equivalent daily dose. The results were examined by multiple linear regression analysis.

Results: On multiple linear regression analysis, the factors related to BBS total score were grip strength and UPDRS partIII–28 (posture) (adjusted R² = 0.30, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study indicated that balance disturbance in patients with mild to moderate PD is associated with grip strength as an indicator of systematic muscle mass and with postural deformities. These findings suggest that muscle strength and postural deformities may be suitable preventive targets in PD patients in the early stages of the disease.

Purpose: The objective was to evaluate the impact of diabetic polyneuropathy (DP) on walking forwards and backwards in diabetic mellitus patients (DM).

Subjects: Sixty-eight DM patients were included and divided into groups based on the presence/absence of DP. As a control group, 24 cases that were approximately the same age and living in the same area were included.

Methods: Measurements were taken for the subjects walking ten meters forwards and backwards, respectively. A two-dimensional positional distribution analysis of the subject factors and the forward and backward ambulatory factors was conducted for the subject group, non-DP group and DP group, with the Bonferroni method used for the hypostasis test.

Results: Reciprocal action was observed between the walking factor and subject factor. The DM patients demonstrated a significantly longer walking time and they also took a larger number of steps compared with the locals in the control group. There were no significant differences observed between the DP present and absent groups regarding walking forwards. On the other hand, regarding walking backwards, a significant prolongation in the walking time and an increase in the number of steps was observed in the DP present group.

Conclusion: Our findings therefore indicate the possibility that functional problems attributable to the onset of DP can be surmised from the time taken to walk backwards.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the anatomical feature, and assess difference in the cross sectional area of the right and left multifidus muscle at each lumbar level of right-handed and footed subjects by using ultrasonography.

Methods: Subjects were 55 right-handed and -footed healthy adult males with no past illnesses, external injuries on the waist, and lumbago. Cross sectional areas of the right and left multifidus muscle at the 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st lumbar levels were measured with the subjects lying prone, by using ultrasonography.

Results: The cross sectional area of the multifidus muscles on the right side increased significantly at the 5th and 4th lumbar levels as compared to those on the left side. No significant difference was observed between the right and the left side at the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st lumbar levels. The multifidus muscle cross sectional area increased significantly on both right and left sides for a lower lumbar.

Conclusions: Development of the right multifidus muscle is suggested at the 5 th -4th lumbar level for a right-handed person. The influence of the dominant side of the hand and foot on the multifidus muscle at the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st lumbar level was not clear. The multifidus muscle cross sectional area increased significantly on the right and left for a low rank lumbar.