The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the level of higher cortical dysfunction and the degree of independence for transfer among 40 patients after the right hemisphere brain damage. According to the degree of independence for transfer at discharge from hospital, the subjects were classified into three groups; independent, supervised, and assisted. The items examined consisted of age, Brunnstrom stage, lower extremity deep sensibility, fundamental mobility, results of neuropsychologic test, right hemispheric dysfunction at dynamic stage, evaluation by a ward nurse, etc. There was no significant differnece in Br. stage and fundamental mobility between independent and supervised groups, suggesting that the degree of independence for transfer may highly be influenced by the level of right hemispheric dysfunction. The change of right hemispheric dysfunction at dynamic stage immediately after the onset may give an important clue to the estimation of the subsequent level of independent transfer. A significant difference in fundamental mobility was observed between the supervised and assisted groups, but not such difference in any other items. Assisted group was evaluated as “looks vacant at daytime”; they were characterized by a decrease in arousal level.

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Sympathetic skin response (SSR) was delivered from both hands of 6 patients with cardiovascular disease (uncomplicated group) and 5 with a complication of cardiovascular disease and shoulder-hand syndrome (complicated group), and their latent time and amplitude of SSR were compared. Eight age-matched healthy volunteers served as controls. 1) The amplitudes of SSR of affected side were 1.55±0.54 and 1.23 ± 0.30 mV in complicated and uncomplicated groups, respectively, which were both significantly smaller than controls. 2) Affected/ unaffected ratio of the amplitude of complicated group was significantly higher (2.34±0.87) than that of uncomplicated group (1.25±0.46). 3) In all subjects, the amplitudes of SSR became larger during valsalva loading compared with at rest, though the difference was insignificant. The amplitude of SSR delivered from affected hand of complicated group was larger than those from unaffected hand of complicated group and from affected hand of uncomplicated group. This suggests that the amplitude may mirror the status of shoulder-hand syndrome.

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The purposes of this study were to examine rates of falls among patients with central nervous system disease in a geriatric hospital, to observe the situations when falls occurred and to clarify resulting injuries. Subjects were 53 patients with central nervous system disease (mean age of 75 years) hospitalized for rehabilitation in our hospital. The fall rate of subjects was 45%. Eighty per cent of all the falls occurred around bed, and hip fractures occurred in 6.1%. We analyzed various factors causing falls such as aphasia, spatial neglect, dementia, incontinence, level of ADL, and rate of improvement of ADL. No significant differences were found between fallers and non-fallers. It was concluded that fall is not a major negative factor for physical therapy, and that we should not lose sight of the goal. This goal should be met by balancing the achievement of functional autonomy with patient safety.

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In order to study the care environment of bathing in nursing homes, care activities for bathing were taken by a video recorder, and divided into 8 types according to the combination of bathing place and technical aid. Bathing types were found highly dependent on performance of technical aids, and had much influence on care procedures, number of care activities, required time for bathing, and physical or mental stress of care givers, as well as level of independence of those who need care.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the muscle activities around hip joint during muscle strengthening exercises in closed kinetic chain. Ten healthy adult volunteers, 6 males and 4 females, with the mean age of 25.1 years old, participated in this study. Four muscles; gluteus medius, tensor fasciae latae, gluteus maximus and hip adductors, were analyzed with the rectified filtered electromyography (RFEMG) during only one legged standing and one legged standing with contralateral shoulder abduction or contralateral hip abduction or contralateral pelvic elevation. All RFEMG data were normalized to a percentage of the RFEMG voltage produced at the maximum isometric contraction (%RFEMG). In the results, the %RFEMG of hip abductors were significantly greater values in one legged standing with hip abduction and pelvic elevation than in only one legged standing, and became greater when resistance was applied in each exercise. No significant difference in the %RFEMG of hip abductors was found between only one legged standing and one legged standing with shoulder abduction, while the %RFEMG became greater when resistance was applied in shoulder abduction. Regarding hip adductors, the %RFEMG was low in each exercise. Our results suggest that the exercises in closed kinetic chain are effective for strengthening muscles around hip joint.

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The primary purposes of this study were to examine characterisitic difference in center of gravity between patients and controls and to explore possible physiological and kinematic roles of muscle, bone, and joint in controlling the center of gravity. Subjects stood on the stage of a stabilimeter with the head fixed, and the tracing of center gravity was recorded while the pelvis was rotated horizontally (Center of Gravity Rotation; CGR). Patients showed various elliptic tracings depending on their age, sex, clinical symptoms, and learning abilities, exhibiting differences in shape, size, and smoothness from controls. The present findings suggest that the, kinematic analysis of this tracing may provide valuable information on the condition of pelvis, hip, or lower extremities, and play a possible role in quantitative evaluation of physical plasticity, stability, and performance of patients. It is also suggested that to practice the CGR may be effective not only for the correction of the pelvis position but also for the improvement in equilibrium, and plasticity of spinal or limb joints.

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As leisure activities, the author had some opportunities to learn martial arts such as Aikido, and laido, Kyudo which have come down in Japan traditionally. Martial arts include a variety of respiratory methods. Considering those martial arts or military arts as an introduction, I shaped exercise physiology under respiratory disease. Based upon several previous researches, I expounded restrictive lung disease, the relation between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory muscles, a new study on the mechanism of Hoover's sign as paradoxical breathing, the effect of exercise load testing to anaerobic threshold, O₂ saturation and physical therapy evaluation, respiratory patients and A. D. L. and so on.

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In the present study, postural regulation was viewed by the both points of general definitions of postures among various research fields and of the physical therapy for postural regulation disorders. According to the purpose of each research, categorization of postures varies, and the measurement method of postures is then determined. In physical therapy research, it is imperative that the postural regulation mechanism should be examined by the broad concepts of physiology, engineering, and bio-dynamics in order to increase understanding of postural regulation disorders. In the latter half of this study, possible object extents of physical therapy intervention for postural regulation disorders were listed, and the outline of postural evaluation, treatments previously reported, and their effectiveness were also described.

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